The Puck Secret (Fairfield U Book 1)

After spending most of the day with my mom, celebrating and looking through old photos and stuff, I wasn’t at the house to rein the guys in. So by the time I get home the place looks like a freaking haunted mansion. As usual, Alexander Reign has gone overboard, not used to anyone ever telling him no. Not that I can blame them, and I guess my own birthday party is no different. I should have known that him and Archer teaming up would be a bad idea, and when I got home and asked Jake about it, he just shrugged and said there was nothing he could do.

I just shook my head and headed straight to my room to get ready. My costume is simple and probably a little overplayed, but it was Archer’s idea. He is the Goose to my Maverick. I am wearing a white tank, green flying jacket, black jeans and boots, and black aviators. Like I said, simple. I’m not really one for Halloween parties, which is saying something considering how many of them I have attended on my birthday each year, but it is what it is.

As the house starts to thump with the bass of the music, I make my way downstairs to join the fun. There are cobwebs everywhere, smoke machines both upstairs and down to create a kind of foggy atmosphere, and ghoulish decorations falling off every surface. I have to hand it to the boys, the place looks sick. They have even rented some light machines that make the house look more like a club, and I’ll be surprised if we don’t get a noise complaint at some point tonight.

Not bothering to worry about that, I head straight for the kitchen to grab myself a drink, which is where I find my three housemates waiting for me, along with most of the guys from the team. “There’s the man of the hour!” Reign booms, swinging an arm around my neck and pulling me in close to ruffle my hair with his hand.

Pushing him off with a laugh, I rise to find Archer smiling wide, holding a glass of champagne out to me. “Champagne, really?” I question him, taking the glass, knowing full well that he remembers the last time I drank champagne I fell into a bush in the yard and slept there all night.

“Of course champagne,” he smiles, holding his glass up for a toast. “Tonight is the last Halloween we will all spend together, some of us won’t be here next year.” His words are sobering, as I look around at some of the guys and see similar expressions on their faces as I am sure is on mine.

I hold my glass up in the air as I say, “Arch is right, we are together now, and even though we will move onto bigger and better things one day, we deserve to celebrate the good times now.” A few of them begin to nod, holding their glasses up to match my own.

“To the birthday boy,” Reign says with a smile. “The best damn Captain the Fairfield Flyers have ever seen,” and the crowd of guys around us cheer in agreement. I feel a ball of emotion crawl up in the back of my throat, and I push it down before I embarrass myself. Bottoms up I guess.

The next hour or so passes in a blur of drinks, guests, and birthday wishes from an array of Halloween themed party goers. By the time I have gone around the room once I am already exhausted, and before I can escape back to the kitchen to top up my drink, I am accosted by a pack of bunnies with Brianna at the center. She is dressed as some kind of witch I think, and I smile because of how fitting I find it.

“Well, aren’t you wearing the perfect costume,” I tease, and she preens under the attention, my joke obviously lost on her.

She leans in and purrs, “Maybe later I can show you my magic.” I cringe slightly at her words, did she really just hear herself say that? But before I can respond, a new arrival demands my attention.

When I said before that Madeline Peters is the bane of my existence, I wasn’t ready for her in her Halloween costume. She looks devilishly perfect, and like every fucking wet dream I will ever have again, as she steps through the door and into my house. Her outfit consists of some kind of fluttering red dress that reaches her mid thigh, that she has paired with matching knee-high boots, and red horns. She looks every bit the devil I always imagined her to be, except now I don’t want to punish her, I want to possess her.

Ignoring Brianna and the bunnies completely, I watch as Maddie and her friend Hallie look around the room casually, until they spot Reign and Archer as familiar faces in the kitchen and make their way over there. They all exchange hugs, and I grind my jaw when Gray and Reign put their hands on her, before they move away to grab both girls a drink. Not able to keep myself away from her any longer, I stalk away from the girls, leaving Brianna mid-sentence until I reach the kitchen.

Maddie is leaning against the island laughing and chatting with Archer and Reign, as a few of the other guys from the team pretend they aren’t drooling over her. Which I can’t say I blame them, from this angle her ass looks fucking glorious, but if one of them touches her, I’ll rip off their fucking hands. My two friends eye me like they can read every thought in my mind, and that only pisses me off more, as I eye the rest of the team and hopefully convey with my look that they need to back off.

Why the fuck did I not invite Josh to come tonight? It seems the team needs a reminder about the hands off rule for his little sister.

Hallie spots me first and hides a knowing smirk in her cup, as I lean onto the island next to her friend without her noticing my arrival. “Looking a little slutty tonight, Princess, I dig it.” I ensure my words are loud enough for the rest of the kitchen to hear, in an attempt to keep up this hatred-filled ruse between us.

The princess-turned-devil cocks her head to the side and appraises me with glossy eyes. “Isn’t that what you begged me for, nineteen, to dress slutty for your birthday?” Oh it seems my princess is a little drunk and mouthy tonight, she is going to be even more fun than usual. I watch as her eyes drag over my body and I do the same in return, mapping every inch of skin she has on display that I want to trace with my tongue.

“It’s a very nice outfit, that’s for sure.” I smirk as I lean down and add in a whisper, “If you were mine, I’d fuck you right here in front of all of them so they know exactly who you belong to.”

Goosebumps rise along her exposed skin as she turns her body fully into mine, trailing her hand up my torso. “Oh yeah, would you pin me down and leave marks that won’t disappear?” Her fingers scrape against my chest as her words wash over me, and I have to swallow down the groan in my throat, especially under the watchful eyes of the team.

“If that’s what you want, Princess.” My words seem casual, but I see her eyes harden. She understands the challenge, the audience, and instead of backing down she just smirks.

“No, but it’s what you want,” she purrs, using her hand on me to push me back. “What a shame you can’t have it.”

She tries to slip away, but I grab her hand and halt her in place. “You should know by now that I usually take what I want, even if I shouldn’t have it.” There is a dangerous edge to my words now, a new game she is creating between us, and like a moth to a flame, all I want to do is play.

“Fuck you, Darkmore.” Oh so I’m back to Darkmore now. I can’t hide my smirk as she rips away from my touch as if I have burned her.

“Be careful what you wish for, Princess,” I warn, relishing in the cold, dark look she offers me before she turns and stalks away from me, her little friend quick to follow.

I keep my eyes on her as someone comes around the island to stand beside me, and I only know it’s my best friend when he talks. “You really are fucked,” he says, sipping his beer with his eyes on the girls, as they begin to dance and sway with one another.

“Yep,” I sigh in agreement, not taking my eyes off my new prize.

Archer watches for a few more seconds before he slaps me on the back, “Bring her to the den when you’re ready, I have a surprise for you.” When I turn to look at him in question he just shrugs. “It’s your birthday, you get whatever you want.”

I flick my eyes back to Maddie and smile. The only thing I want is her, and as I watch her body move to the beat of the music, I know exactly how I am going to get her. Game on Princess, and I never play to lose.