“I’ll fight for you, for us, for this. Got it?” The determination in his tone made my eyes fill up with unexpected tears.
“You better.”
He leaned down for one more kiss, a brush of our lips to seal the promise.
Books by Ali Dean
Brazen Series
Brazen Rush
Brazen Steele
Brazen Girl
Brazen Tricks
Defiance Falls Series
Defiance Falls
Defiance Falls Revolution
Defiance Falls War
Pepper Jones Series
Stark Springs Academy Series
Spark Sisters Series
Standalones
Elusive
Doubles Love
Chasing Indigo
About the Author
Ali is a USA Today Bestselling author of sports romance books. She has always loved to read, especially when there's a happily-ever-after, but found that there weren't enough books out there featuring girl athletes. So, she decided to work on that. Like the heroines in her books, Ali is an athlete, with running and skiing her favorite sports these days. Ali hails from Vermont and now lives in her own happily-ever-after in Colorado with her husband, two sets of twins, and golden retriever Pancake. When she's not pursuing an outdoor adventure, Ali's less healthy passions include ice cream, coffee, and beer.
For more about Ali check her webpage: www.alideanfiction.com
Christmas Puck
A BTU Alumni Short Story
Alley Ciz
Author’s Note
Christmas Puck is a short story about my OG characters from my BTU Alumni Series Jake and Jordan. It is their first Christmas together and takes place after Power Play. This story was particularly fun for me to write because it was the first time I’ve gotten to write these two in 1st POV.
Hope you enjoy them!
XOXO
Alley
Chapter One
Jordan
“Anyone with the last name Donnelly better make sure his dong is put away,” I call out as I pull open the door to the locker room inside the BTU hockey arena.
I’m not a prude or anything. I like a good-looking peen as much as the next girl—except if it’s an unsolicited dick pic; no one wants that—but having to come eye to eye with my brothers’ one-eyed trouser snakes is not a life achievement I need unlocked.
“Ugh, JD,” Ryan, my older brother, complains. “What the hell are you doing in here?”
I glance over my shoulder and meet his blue gaze with a wink, happy to note I waited long enough that he’s had time to dress his lower half. Next to Ryan, Jase, our other brother and my twin, snorts as I continue walking past the rest of their teammates dressing without further comment.
I don’t see why Ryan is so scandalized. It’s not the first time I’ve been in one of their locker rooms.
A crack rips through the air a second before I feel a towel smack my right butt cheek. I smooth a palm over the now stinging skin and level my best death glare at Tucker Hayes, my boyfriend’s best friend and my self-proclaimed third big brother, or BB3 for short.
There’s another burst of snorting laughter from Jase, and I flip him the bird behind my back as I continue down the row to the puck head I came here for.
A smile that feels like it’s going to split my face in two breaks free when I find him, sitting on the bench inside his locker space, bent over to pull on a pair of classic white Nike Uptowns…shirtless. *le sigh* The broad, muscled torso that helped earn him the nickname—and text handle—The Brick Wall is bared, and I oh-so-shamelessly take in every dip, valley, and bulge.
The sinews of his thick forearms twist, biceps popping, and the curved balls of his shoulders flex as he pulls the sneakers over his heels. His chest expands and his washboard stomach ripples as he straightens up and stretches.
For as delicious—and yes I mean that in the literal sense too because I’ve licked them—as his muscles are, the effect they have on my girly bits is nothing compared to the way his look-fake-they-are-such-a-bright-emerald eyes light up when he sees me walking his way.
Fuck me! He had to bust out the dimples too. My poor brothers never stood a chance of me keeping my promise not to date another one of their teammates, because Jake Donovan is not the type of guy a girl doesn’t fall for.
And fall I did—hard.
Not that they can really complain because, outside of dear sweet Captain Ryan—at least according to my bestie Maddey (his girlfriend)—you won’t find a man swoony-er than my boyfriend.
“Hey, baby.” Jake reaches for me as soon as I’m in touching distance, one of his large hands cupping me at the nape and tugging me down to cover my mouth with his.
Without breaking the kiss, I shuffle forward, Jake’s knees spreading wider for me to step between them, my arms falling to drape loosely over his shoulders. My hands rise to thread into his dark brown still-wet-from-the-shower hair.
“Get a room,” Tucker bellows seconds before a damp towel hits me in the back of the head and falls open to cover half my face.
Reluctantly, I pull back, but Jake refuses to let me go far and pulls me in until my butt is firmly planted on his thick, hard, goalie-earned thigh. One of his arms loops around my back and I do the same with one of mine, scrunching my nose at his cockblocking best friend.
“Truth,” Jase says, covering his eyes. “A wombmate does not need to be seeing these things.”
“Agreed.” Ryan nods, and I narrow my eyes into a glare that typically has them shaking in their hockey skates.
“Hypocrites,” I say before getting distracted by the way Jake’s abs contract as he laughs. Like a moth to a flame, my fingers find their way into the grooves of his six-pack.
“Lies,” the three idiots cry in unison.
I swear these boys never learn.
Soft lips brush along the side of my neck, warm breath tickling me as Jake buries his face against me to whisper, “Get ’em babe.” I love that he knows me so well.
Dropping a quick kiss to Jake’s smooth cheek, I bring my attention back to the Three Stooges. I lift an arm and, moving from right to left, point to Ryan, Jase, then Tucker. “Dating my best friend (Maddey), adopted your girlfriend into the fold (Rocky), was fuck buddies with my oldest bestie (Skye).” I arch a brow, resting my case and daring them to challenge me.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t care that they date—or in Tucker’s case, bang—my friends. That would make me the same hypocrite I accused them of being, because when one of their closest friends isn’t playing between the pipes protecting the net, he’s laying his pipe into me. No, all I’m doing is reminding them that I know far more details about their own sex lives than any sister should.
The heavy sighs expelled by my brothers tell me I hit my mark and am free to move on without having to concoct one of the revenge plots I’m famous for.
“Did we have plans I forgot about?” A furrow forms between Jake’s dark brows, and I use my thumb to smooth it away. Oh this sweet, sweet boy.