“That’s not your drink.”
Penny looked up in shock, choked on the – unfamiliar – gin and tonic, and spat the rest back into the tumbler. “Oh, shit,” she coughed and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before glancing around her living room to make sure no one else had noticed. She had nothing to worry about. The players were loitering in her open kitchen, mixing drinks, and fighting for control of the music. It was currently in the hands of Coach Gray, who had just arrived and seemed to be going through an intense Taylor Swift phase.
“Is it your drink?” she asked hopefully and looked up at Jack.
He grinned. “Nope. I know better than to leave my drinks unattended in your presence.”
Her cheeks warmed. “Whose is it then?” She hastily placed it back on the coffee table.
“I think it’s Leon’s.”
“Hm.” She narrowed her eyes. “Well, technically, it’s my housewarming party and I bought all the alcohol. So…aren’t all the drinks my drinks?”
Jack chuckled softly. “Can I be there when you explain it to Leon exactly like that?”
Groaning, she tossed her head back. “I told everyone to put a labeled swizzle stick in their glasses. Nobody has done that yet.”
“Don’t blame us!” Jack said, shaking his head and putting his hand on her neck. The warmth of his touch traveled straight down her spine, eliciting a pleasant shiver. God, she would be fine if Jack just touched her like that for the rest of her life. At least one hand on her body at all times. She thought that was a fair deal.
“You know,” he murmured close to her ear, kissing her gently behind it. “You need to break yourself of the habit of spitting the drink back into the glass. It doesn’t make the situation any better.”
“It’s a reflex!”
“I don’t know if I approve of your reflexive sharing of your saliva with Leon.”
She laughed and made a dismissive gesture. “I could do worse…he’s kind of cute, isn’t he?”
Jack groaned. “Take that back.”
Her laughter grew louder. “No. When he’s not being an asshole, he’s truly sweet. I’ll tell him right away that I took his drink…”
“Hey, guys.” Leon entered the room. “Look what I found!”
Or maybe she wouldn’t tell him.
Blood rushed to her head, making her cheeks flare up like two oil drums that had fallen in love and caught fire. “Oh God, no.” She hurried forward…but everyone had already turned to Leon. He had pulled her wonderful alpaca pajamas, complete with hood and fluffy ears, on over his jeans and t-shirt.
Yeah, she had wanted to get to know the team better, but not that well.
“Oh, that’s cute,” Matt said. “I want a camel pajama set too!”
“It’s an alpaca,” she corrected angrily and pushed past him.
“Are those the ones with only one hump?” Charkov asked in his heavy Russian accent.
“Oh, Charkov.” Lucy looked at him, shaking her head. “Those are dromedaries. Alpacas are completely different animals.”
He shrugged. “They look the same.”
“They’re in the same family,” Penny admitted reluctantly.
“See?” Charkov nodded. “Siblings.”
Lucy snorted…and Jack growled slightly.
“Leon, why the hell are you wearing my girlfriend’s pajamas?” he asked harshly.
The center grinned impudently. “I was hoping you’d ask: Because it’s funny.”
“Oh man, they look better on him, don’t they?” she replied with a sigh. “I don’t look as cute as he does in those pajamas.”
“And you’re going to have to burn them now because all I’ll see is Leon when you wear them,” Jack said grumpily.
“Thank you.” Leon bowed foolishly. “They’re really comfortable too, they…hey, Lucy, stop taking pictures.”
“Oh, the world will want to see this,” she said innocently, raising her phone higher. “And Leslie will be happy that for once you’re getting a lot of clicks for animal pajamas — instead of for quick threesomes.”
Leon grinned. “My threesomes are never quick. I like to take my time.”
Sighing softly, Penny scratched her head. “Leon, why did you even go into the bedroom?”
“Well, that’s where all the interesting things are hidden!” he replied, irritated. “Although, yours is boring, boss. I didn’t find any whips, handcuffs, or dildos. I’m disappointed.”
“Don’t tell him you spit in his drink,” Jack muttered softly.
“Oh, never. In fact, maybe I’ll spit in it a second time.”
At that moment, the apartment door opened, distracting them all.
“Where’s the beer-pong table going?” Fox asked, poking his head into the kitchen.
“The beer-pong…what?” Penny widened her eyes. The long table two rookies were carrying behind Fox was definitely not something she’d ordered!
“We don’t play beer-pong!” she said in disbelief. “We’re adults, not teenagers. This is a nice, professional environment, not a college party.”
Jack grinned. “Sure. If you say so.”
“Okay, you all know the rules of beer-pong. Two teams. Every cup that gets hit has to be drunk,” Fox said loudly.
Yes, Penny was weak, she knew that very well, but she liked making a dozen hockey players happy. That was the only reason she was standing with Jack on one side of the beer-pong table that took up her entire hallway, holding a ping-pong ball. Besides, it was her hockey team. So, wasn’t it somehow her job to do what made them grin like little schoolboys?
Thank God Gareth wasn’t here, because she suspected her brother would have a slightly different management style. And Leon really should finally take off the alpaca PJs.
“These rules are very boring,” Matt informed her matter-of-factly. “I think there needs to be more action than just drinking.”
“Oh, sounds good. What do you suggest?” Fox asked.
“The whole team has to drink for every ball hit — and answer honestly an unpleasant question from the opposing team?” Anna replied innocently and batted her eyelashes at her brother.
Jack looked back gloomily — seemingly alarmed. “I think that’s a stupid idea.”
“I think it’s great,” Penny contradicted lightly.
“The boss has spoken!” Leon said loudly. “Let’s go.”
Jack pinched her side. “Little traitor.”
“Well, I want to find out more embarrassing things about you,” she explained innocently and squeezed his hand. “Who knows what else you’re keeping from me? And Anna’s smile suggests there’s a lot.”
Jack groaned while Leon blew the whistle to start the game. He played referee while Jack, Fox, and she competed against Charkov, Matt, and Anna.
Unfortunately, Penny underestimated the accuracy of ice hockey players and apparently, medical students, too, because both Matt and Anna scored.
“Oh, that means two questions for us!” Matt rubbed his hands together while Jack and Fox dutifully drank their beers.
“I know,” Anna called out immediately. “What’s your favorite movie?”
Matt looked at her, irritated. “Uncomfortable! The questions are supposed to be uncomfortable.”
She grinned. “Just wait. Come on, Jack, what’s your favorite movie?”
Penny glanced over her shoulder in surprise — and noticed that Jack had pressed his lips together and was giving his sister an annoyed look.
“Oh, I need to hear this,” she said enthusiastically. “What’s your favorite movie, Jack?”
“It’s Babe, okay?” he mumbled, scratching the back of his neck, uncomfortable.
Fox and just about every other hockey player laughed, but Penny just smiled and wrapped her arm tightly around him. “I love Babe! Definitely in my top 10.” And she understood him: It was about an animal that lost its mother and was looking for a family. Of course Jack loved the movie. “Though nothing beats The Living Desert!”
“Why are you throwing out such incredibly old movies?” Fox asked, shaking his head. “The best movie is…”
“Okay, Jack’s was cool, Fox, we don’t care about your favorite movie,” Leon decided. “Keep playing.”
Fox sighed heavily but nodded and tossed his ball…and hit. Penny and Jack both missed, but it was difficult to aim when you were holding hands. It was silly. They weren’t teenagers. She knew that. But…she didn’t want to let go of him, either. She had spent enough time pushing him away. Now she wanted to do nothing but pull him closer.
“So…” Fox said, grinning. “I hit, so I get to pick a question: Where was the craziest place you’ve had sex?”
Jack groaned loudly. “Fox! That’s my sister on the other team!”
Anna rolled her eyes. “One who’s had sex, Jack. In a hotel checkroom.”
Leon whistled through his teeth. Jack pressed one hand to his ear and sang, “Lalalala,” while still holding Penny’s hand with the other.
“Me, an igloo,” Charkov replied.
Fox frowned. “Wasn’t that cold?”
“I made it warm.” He smiled…and showed the gap in his teeth that he had received on the ice three days ago.
“What about you, Matt?” Penny asked, laughing.
“Um…in my parents’ hallway? While my mom was practically standing on the stairs? Oh, shit. Please don’t tell Maddie I told you.”
Penny laughed. “Oh, no big deal. My mom caught me in our tree house once while I…wasn’t studying math.”
“What?” Jack looked down at her, frowning. “But we didn’t have sex in the tree house.”
“I know,” she mumbled. “It wasn’t you.”
He furrowed his eyebrows. He didn’t seem satisfied with the statement. “I don’t think that’s okay,” he replied, intertwining his fingers with hers. “I should be the guy you had sex with in the craziest place.”
Her cheeks hurt from the width of her grin. “It’s not a competition.”
“I know…but I should still win.”
“You’ve already won me,” she whispered, kissing him gently, loving the warmth, the familiarity, and the challenge in his eyes. It was a look that suggested Jack would give everything to win her every day. For the rest of her life. “But if you insist, we’ll definitely come up with something…”
“I have lots of ideas, don’t worry,” he assured her somberly.
Oh, she was counting on it.
Sierra Lewis 