Playing With Fate Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Epilogue

  Playing With Fate

  Ava Thorpe

  Ava Thorpe Books

  Contents

  Sneak Peek

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Epilogue

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  About Ava

  Playing With Fate © Ava Thorpe.

  Amazon Kindle Edition.

  Edited by Andromeda Editing.

  Cover design by Resplendent Media.

  All rights reserved. No part of this story may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the copyright holder, except in the case of brief quotations embodied within critical reviews and articles.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  The author has asserted his/her rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book.

  This book contains sexually explicit content which is suitable only for mature readers.

  Giant thank you to Ed, Zach, Amelia, Cait, and Dillon for cheering me on as I wrote this. Your support means a lot.

  To Aubrey and Erica—this book would not have happened without you two. Thank you!

  For E. Thank you for everything.

  Sneak Peek

  Carter

  When Luke knocked a few minutes later, Carter jumped out of his seat, startled. He rolled his shoulders back, trying to relax.

  “No barking, okay?” he warned Puck, before going to the doorway to greet Luke.

  He opened the door, and was immediately pushed against the wall, Luke’s lips finding his. The kiss was messy, sloppy, and everything Carter had been waiting for all weekend. He clung to Luke’s hips, holding him steady, as he opened his mouth for Luke’s tongue.

  Carter felt his cheeks flushing as Luke deepened the kiss, his heart rate becoming more erratic. Luke’s hands were roaming all over his stomach, under his shirt, tracing the ridges of Carter’s abs. Wanting to return the favor, Carter trailed his fingers along the waistband of Luke’s jeans, feeling the strip of skin there.

  Luke whimpered, and Carter swallowed all of the noises coming out of him greedily. Panting, they eventually pulled away, Carter still peppering small, tiny kisses all over Luke’s face.

  “Hi,” Luke said breathily as they came down from the high.

  Carter wrapped his arms around Luke, pulling him close. He kissed Luke’s ear. “Hi.”

  “Sorry about that,” Luke said shyly. “I didn’t plan on mauling you, but you were there, looking amazing, and I couldn’t help myself.”

  “That’s the absolute last thing you should apologize for,” Carter said. He nibbled at Luke’s ear gently, and Luke arched his neck, giving him more access. “It was hot. You should definitely greet me like that every time.”

  Luke moaned when Carter sucked on his neck. “Wouldn’t want you to, ah, get spoiled.” His voice was coming in short, jagged rasps. Carter was going to have to take note of how sensitive Luke’s neck was. He could feel the other man shiver against him as he licked a tender stripe over Luke’s neck.

  They walked unsteadily toward the couch, still tangled against each other. Carter laid Luke down on the couch, bracing himself above Luke.

  “Hi again,” he said. “You look good under me.” Carter almost regretted saying that, but Luke pulled him into another kiss.

  “Admit it, you missed me,” Luke said playfully when he let go.

  Carter smirked, his lips curling up. “Maybe a little,” he said. “But I’m willing to bet you missed me more.”

  Luke wrapped a hand around the back of Carter’s neck. “No comment,” he teased. They kissed again, the angle surprisingly awkward, but Carter didn’t care.

  He couldn’t get enough of Luke.

  Luke tasted like sunshine. His lips were so warm, and Carter caught himself in a hungry, needy kiss. Carter put some of his weight on Luke, and their lower bodies touched. Luke broke the kiss, groaning, his other hand running lightly all over Carter’s back.

  “You feel so good,” Luke said, hesitantly, like he was afraid of Carter’s reaction to his admission.

  Experimentally, Carter ground his hips down. Christ. “You feel good, too,” he said. “You feel amazing like this.”

  He could feel Luke’s hardness under him. Carter thought it would weird him out, or worse, freak him out. It didn’t happen. All he felt was want and desire. He needed to feel more of Luke, to feel just how turned on he was.

  “I don’t want to rush into anything, but god, I want to touch you.” Luke slipped his hand under Carter’s jeans. “Can I?”

  Carter didn’t need to think about it. He nodded eagerly. “Yes, anything.”

  Chapter One

  Luke

  If there was one thing Luke Bailey hated most, it was law school applications. Unfortunately for him, he was knee deep in them, his bedroom desk covered with paperwork from the various schools he was applying to. It was endless, and Luke was over it.

  He fiddled with his Spotify playlist, trying to find something that would pump him up. Or at the very least, something that would stop him from falling asleep. Luke huffed out a breath, combing his fingers through his hair as he tipped his chair back in boredom.

  “Shit,” he exclaimed. He almost fell when his phone blared out loudly. Grabbing his phone, he punched the accept button without looking at the caller ID. It was a welcome distraction, whoever it was. “Hello?”

  The reception on the other line was tinny. “Luke? Hey, it’s Marjorie, do you have a minute?” Marjorie sounded harried and so unlike her usual calm, collected demeanor. Marjorie was the owner of Paws and Claws, the pet services company Luke worked for part-time. He mostly worked as a dog-walker for them, with the occasional pet-sitting. It was a great gig, and Luke loved working for Marjorie.

  “Yeah, what’s up?” Luke asked. He wasn’t scheduled for any walks today. He had a seminar on Wednesday afternoons, usually, so he had today blocked off on his work schedule, but his professor canceled at the last minute.

  “Are you free today? I could really use your help,” Marjorie said. Luke could hear barking in the background. Th
e agency must be in full swing today. “Charlie had a family emergency and he can’t walk one of our VIPs. Can you do it? I know it’s last minute, but I’m minding the doggy day care today, and everyone else has a full group.”

  Luke didn’t have to think twice. Walking a dog or law school applications? Easy choice. “You’re in luck, my afternoon seminar got canceled today.”

  Marjorie breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank god. You’re a lifesaver, Luke.”

  “Wait, you said this one was VIP? Uh oh, anything I need to know in particular? I’ve never walked a VIP before,” Luke said. Paws and Claws had a very varied clientele. Marjorie had been in the business for a long time, and was well trusted in the city. Her clients ranged from your average overworked Joe to government officials, and everyone in between. While all of the dogs and cats at Paws and Claws were treated well, the VIP clients always got extra special attention due to the status of their owners.

  Luke mostly walked a group of three to four dogs at a time. Theoretically, walking a VIP was an easier job, because it meant he was only going to walk a single dog, but it also meant there was added pressure to make sure the dog was well cared for.

  “Come by the office to pick up the keys, and I’ll give you a short briefing. Puck is a great dog, though, so you don’t have anything to worry about,” Marjorie said. Luke could hear her shushing the dogs around her as she spoke. Paws and Claws held a doggy day care on site, and Luke was sure the place was full of overexcited puppies. “Can you make it for 2? It’s in the Glebe, at the new condos.”

  Luke looked at the clock. It was just after noon. “Yeah, definitely. I’ll be there soon.” The Glebe wasn’t too far from his shared house in Sandy Hill. He should be able to grab a quick bite to eat before heading to the Paws and Claws office to pick up the keys he needed.

  “All right, I’ll see you then. I have to go, these munchkins need my attention,” Marjorie said before hanging up.

  Slipping the phone in his pocket, Luke headed to the kitchen. His two roommates, Tessa and Jay, were gone for the day. He pumped his fists when he saw a plate of curry on top of the microwave with his name on it. Tessa was the best. She was a culinary student, and she often left plates of food for Luke and Jay. Downside, that usually meant the kitchen looked like a hurricane ran through it after she was done cooking.

  Luke didn’t mind. He would happily wash dishes, if it meant he could get more of Tessa’s cooking.

  It didn’t take him long to scarf down his plate. After a quick clean up in the kitchen, he wrote a thank you note to Tessa on the chalkboard wall beside the fridge. It had been Jay’s idea to paint a small portion of the wall with chalkboard paint, and Luke had to admit, it came in handy.

  Opening the small garage unit that the three of them mostly used as storage, Luke grabbed his helmet and his bike. Normally he drove to Paws and Claws. It was a requirement of the job, as he needed a car to pick up the dogs for his group walks, but with this being a VIP walk, driving his car seemed extraneous. Besides, he could use the exercise. He’d been sitting on his chair all morning, some fresh air would be good for him.

  He took the scenic route by the canal. The travel time was a few minutes longer, but the view was worth it. The leaves were just starting to turn, and the canal was dotted with a beautiful swirl of autumn colors: reds, oranges, yellows, mixed with evergreens. It was definitely the better route, and it made the twenty minute ride to Paws and Claws go by faster.

  Luke chained his bike on the bike rack a couple of doors away from Paws and Claws. He took off his helmet, and wiped the thin layer of sweat on his forehead. His hair was probably a mess—it always was after a good bike ride, and he tried to straighten it as he made his way to the office.

  Marjorie was there to greet him when he opened the door, the familiar sound of jingling bells resonating in the room. “Luke, seriously, you’re the best. I hate that I interrupted your day off, but I had no choice. I owe you one,” she said, smiling.

  Smiling back, Luke shook his head. “No, thank you. You saved me from the perils of law school applications. This is much better, trust me.”

  “Still working on those applications, huh?” Marjorie made a disapproving noise. “Your talents are better served elsewhere, Luke, but you know that.”

  Not for the first time, Luke wished that his parents were more like Marjorie. She understood him well, and unlike his parents, she didn’t place any expectations on him. “I’m not sure my parents see it the same way, but I appreciate it.” Luke tried to peek at the doggy day care room. “How are the puppers today?”

  Marjorie patted his shoulder, allowing him to change the subject. “Oh, you know, rambunctious. They’re all terrible,” she said, but her face was full of fondness. Luke had never met anyone who loved animals more than Marjorie. “Ellie and Zarwah are in there. I was going to send out Zarwah to walk Puck, but then I wouldn’t have anyone manning reception.”

  Luke nodded. “Makes sense.” He leaned on the counter, resting his arms on the wooden panel. “Tell me about Puck. How old is he?”

  “Not that old—still a puppy, really. He’s a yellow lab. Puck has a lot of energy, but he’s also very sweet. You’ll like him,” Marjorie assured him.

  Luke was used to puppies. A lab was usually more energetic than other breeds, but he could work with that. “Anything special I need to know?”

  “You’ll need to feed him, but I have all of the specifics here.” Marjorie handed him a small index card. It had Puck’s food intake on it, along with where everything was located. “Should have everything you need. And here, these are the keys.”

  Reading through the card, Luke felt less nervous. His group walks usually didn’t involve feeding, but that part was easy enough. “I’m not walking the Prime Minister’s dog, right? Because that’s definitely above my pay grade,” he joked, putting the card in his back pocket.

  Marjorie laughed. “No, no, not the Prime Minister’s dog. Though, I would still entrust Puck to you in that situation.” Marjorie sounded very earnest, and Luke chuckled. He was glad Marjorie thought he was good at his job. “Puck’s owner is a hockey player. Carter Welling? He plays for the Ottawa Admirals.”

  Of course a dog named Puck would have a hockey player as its owner.

  Drawing blank, Luke shrugged. He didn’t care much for sports. To be honest, he thought the Admirals were a basketball team. “Good to know,” he said. His eyes caught the clock. “All right, I should go. I’ll be back after to drop off the keys.”

  “Keep them for now,” Marjorie said. “Charlie doesn’t know when he’ll be back in the city. If today works out, you may be walking Puck again.”

  “Sure, that makes sense,” Luke said. He threw a salute at Marjorie before leaving the office. He did a quick Google Map search of the address, and when he had the route down, he got on his bike and pedaled away.

  The place was in the expensive part of the city, in one of the newer modern glass-and-steel condos near the waterfront. Not surprising, knowing that Puck was owned by a hockey player. Marjorie was right, though, it was close to the office, so he got to the condo in no time.

  Letting himself in, Luke prepared himself for the onslaught of slobber and excitement. It never came. Puck kept his distance, looking at Luke suspiciously. He couldn’t blame him. Just like humans, some dogs took to new people well, and some required a little more finessing.

  Puck almost looked out of place in the condo. The unit was immaculately decorated, and it would have been a picture straight out of a home and garden magazine, if it wasn’t for the stack of hockey sticks in one corner of the room, and a bag full of what looked like hockey equipment in the other.

  It was devoid of life. There were no personal knick-knacks, no picture frames, nothing. It was surprising. Luke wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it was certainly not this. He thought there’d be more trophies or other sporting tat present in the unit, at the very least. He wouldn’t have thought this was the place of a hockey playe
r, if Marjorie hadn’t told him about Puck’s owner.

  Focusing back on Puck, Luke approached him gently, murmuring quiet words of encouragement as he got closer.

  “There you go, buddy, see, I’m a friend,” Luke said as he allowed the dog to sniff his hand. He stroked Puck’s fur, and Puck preened under Luke’s attention. He was well behaved, that much Luke could tell. “It’s okay, I’m here to walk you. Charlie will be back soon, but for now, it’s just me and you, okay, bud?”

  Puck barked softly, and Luke took that as agreement. “You ready? We’re going to have a good walk, I promise.” There was a park close to the condo. He wouldn’t be able to let Puck go on a run, but there was a trail they could walk on that should suffice.

  Still looking dubious, Puck nosed at Luke’s leg, following him out to the hall.

  “See? Best friends already.”

  Chapter Two

  Carter

  “Skate, Welling, skate!”

  Carter Welling took a deep intake of breath, letting his lungs get the air they sorely needed. He willed his legs to skate forward. He could feel his knees shaking, his legs teetering at the edge of a bad cramp.

  He pushed, anyway. If there was one thing he was good at, it was ignoring pain.

  Still, every stride felt like hell. He was gassed, as much as he hated to admit it, but there was no way he was going to show any weakness to the coaching team. Not when his season was on the line.

  Sometimes, he still couldn’t believe it. He thought he was going to be sent down to the minors after training camp, like the Admirals had done for the last three years, but almost nine games in, he was still playing with the team. This was his dream come true—something he’d been working on for as long as he could remember. He wasn’t going to let something like exhaustion ruin it for him.