About Last Knight (Knoxton Knights, #1)

by Michaela Cole

A pair of eyes the color of gunmetal and just as lethal stare me down, boring a hole straight through me. They’re situated on a handsome face that is still handsome despite his pinched eyebrows and the lips turned down into a deep frown.

It’s not the eyes themselves, it’s the owner of those eyes. I blink a few times to clear my vision, but nope, it’s still him. Ryne Sutton. The wingback of all wingbacks. Five feet eleven inches of tan, sculpted, muscular glory, all glaring at me right now.

I hear Dad’s words echo in the back of my mind. Game time, bubs. Game face. Focus and finish.

“It was just a game. I’m as down with ostracizing someone as much as the next asshole, but I don’t see what the big deal was.” “It’s the principle of it,” I mutter. “He was there one minute and gone the next. No explanation, before or after. Unreliable.” Roman scoffs. “Didn’t realize he owed you his life story before stepping out of a game.”

Do I want to pound his face into the pavement a little bit? Yes. Do I also want to shove him up against a wall and stick my tongue down his throat? Absolutely yes.

I run one hand down my face and plop my head back against the headboard. If Becker makes the team—and let’s be real, he’s going to—my life could go from normal to shitstorm-level weird very quickly.

“Did we just become best friends?” Evie jokes. “The exchanging of phone numbers is a sacred activity and must not be entered into lightly.” I slowly nod, wiping all expression from my face. “We so did. I save you from an epic trash disaster, you promise me baked goods, we exchange numbers. It’s like the most serious BFF oath among all oaths.”

The peach cobbler smells amazing. Grabbing my spoon, I dive in and shovel a huge bite into my mouth without ceremony. My eyes roll back and I groan as the sweetness of the brown sugar and peaches, the warmth of the cinnamon, and the cool creaminess of the slightly melted vanilla ice cream hit my palette. So. Good. Opal is my new hero.

I’m Tyler Grimm, by the way. I know we haven’t really talked at practice.” “Yeah, I know who you are. It’s not that big of a soccer team and I’d be a real idiot if I didn’t know the captain’s name.” Tyler chuckles and nods. “Fair enough.”

“Thank you for telling me your truth, Dacen. I already absolutely adore you, and now I do even more for trusting me.”

“Aww, all of my favorite people all in one spot! What a wonderful thing to come home to.” She beams at her kids and then looks at me. “That includes you, Dacen.” Have I mentioned how much I love Mrs. Tanner? Evie’s mom is like my second mom. She’s wonderful.

“You better get home and get your stuff. And then it is ON.” I hold back my cringe. This sounds so out of my comfort zone, but Evie is wicked excited. “So on.” “On like Donkey Kong.” “Your nerd is showing again, Ev.” “Shut up.” Lord help me. I don’t know what I’m about to get myself into.

Evie’s cheeks color a deep rosy shade and she clears her throat. “Right. Okay. Looking to make some friends. Not looking to get laid.” A laugh pours out of me, and I wrap an arm around her shoulder, squeezing gently. “I mean, I’m not not looking to get laid in general. Or to date someone. I am a teenage male with hormones, after all. But I’m here to hang out with you and meet people. You know, fulfill my need to chat half the population up. In case you haven’t noticed, I like to talk.” I give her another squeeze and then pull my arm away. “A lot.” Evie laughs and straightens her sunglasses. “I’ve noticed, and I approve.”

“Noah Keller.” After a firm shake, we drop our hands again and he runs one through his hair. “It’s nice to meet you, Dacen Becker.” The way my name comes out of his mouth sounds a little flirty. The corners of my lips turn up, but I keep my eyes neutral and steady. He’s cute but not my type. I gravitate more toward tall, handsome, and jackass, apparently.

Ryne just gives me a surly glare; what I now believe to be his default look. Like resting bitch face for the angsty-but-trying-to-act-chill teenage male.

“Well, if it ain’t Noctis, Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto, in the flesh,” I remark dryly.

“Did you... did you just bite my ear?” Ryne’s deep voice is tinged with surprise. “Uh-huh. Licked it a bit too.”

“Dude, what the fuck.” I shrug nonchalantly. “You want to manhandle me? Then in return, you’ll get licked, bit, sucked...” I trail off, shrugging again.

If I’m going to make the pros like Dad, I need some solid playtime in college for visibility. Being a walk-on, I’ve gotta work five times as hard to earn a chance. To sustain that level of effort day in and day out, I’ve got to get and stay in the best shape possible. I’ve gotta be better, faster, stronger, smarter than every other player.

I know I’m a selfish bastard, and if Dacen Becker continues to parade himself around me, taunting me, we’re liable to end up tangled together somewhere, preferably naked.

“Hey, Dacen, look at me.” I peer down at her, and she smiles gently. “This is going to be a great year. We're going to have a ton of fun. Let’s go kick butt.”

“And just so you know.” Evie tugs on my wrist and I look down again. “You’re worth every hand squish that has happened and may happen in the future. Okay?” How did I get so lucky as to have this girl as my best friend? She’s amazing, warm, caring, understanding, super funny, and wicked smart. And that’s just scratching the surface of everything that is Evelyn Tanner.

I clear my throat. “Nice shirt. It’s very…” “Hot.” Tyler fills in the blank for me from where he stands with a giant grin on his face. “Don’t look at me like that, Ryne. I can appreciate your aesthetically pleasing nature and still be grossed out by the thought of ever doing anything with you.”

My stomach churns and blood rushes through my veins. Oh God, I am one of those weird, clueless Northerners. It’s like when someone from the U.S. asks someone in another country what state they live in. There’s more to the South than heat, gnats, and sweet tea. Apparently, camo patterns are a sacred entity and I’ve committed an egregious sin with my lack of knowledge.

Tyler’s funny and super nice but he’s also freaking hot. Not Ryne-levels of hotness, at least to me, but he’s gorgeous in his own right. His shaggy blond hair, full lips, and eyes such a pale blue they’re almost silver really work for him. And he has the cutest chin, which is maybe a weird thing to say but it’s the truth.

Evan and Roman are really easy on the eyes too. It’s no hardship watching the four of them together anywhere, from an aesthetic standpoint anyway.

Tyler hands me his phone. “Put your number in and I’ll text you later to let you know where we’re going.” I take his phone and input my number. “Sure, but you could also just let me know at practice?” I smile so he knows I’m teasing.

Tyler winks at me again, but in less of a hey, I’m flirting with you way, and more of a let’s see how far I can push Ryne way. He swings a leg over the bench and sits down, straddling the seat and facing me. “I could, yeah, but then I wouldn’t have your number for other less innocent reasons.”

I purse my lips and look down my nose at Tyler, then smile. “He’s gonna blow a gasket one of these days if you keep it up.” Tyler nods. “Yup, that’s the goal, Dacen. That’s the goal.”

Evie unscrews the top from her bottle of juice and takes a sip. “It’s really a wonder they haven’t all killed each other yet.” It’s a downright miracle.

“Ah, yes, that’s right. Suck, fuck, and duck, I think they call it.” “God, Nathan. You sound like Roman. Please shut the hell up.”

I’m starting to see why Evie calls them the horsemen. They do have a sort of intense vibe, even with Evan being a big goof as I’ve come to learn, and Tyler being so friendly. The four of them together come across as more than a bit intimidating, and given the right—or wrong?—circumstances, maybe even a little frightening. They’re intriguing, particularly Ryne. I have so many questions about him, and frustratingly few answers.

“Lucy asked me to find volunteers for the Homecoming Committee. I figured you like people. You like talking.” He holds his hands up in a ta-da sort of way. It actually sounds pretty interesting. “What does one do if they join the committee?” “I’m glad you asked, Dacen.” Matt speaks in a silly voice sounding a bit like a used car salesman. “You’d have the privilege of helping decide the homecoming dance theme including decorations and shopping for them, what the theme should be for each day of Spirit Week, and you’d get to help decorate the gym for the dance.” “Okay, you could have stopped like thirty words ago. You had me at ‘decorations and shopping.’ I’m in. Assuming it doesn’t conflict with soccer.”

At that moment Ryne raises his head and our eyes lock. I don’t look away as I ask Matt my next question. “Has he always been like that? Or did something happen to turn him into a giant grumpy jackass?”

“Maybe he’s just a dick,” Dad offers. “Ira!” Dad shrugs and waves a hand toward me. “This is Dacen, honey. Dacen doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. If someone is being rude to him, it’s a them-problem, not a Dacen-problem.”

He bites his lip like he’s holding back a smile and damn it I have half a mind to be like hey, don’t hold back. Let me see it. Maybe it’ll brighten up this cesspool of a mood I’m currently working with. But no. No. And hell no.

I’m a little distracted today.” I nod my head over toward Ryne. “Would it kill him to smile once in a while?” Noah follows the direction of my nod and then turns back to me. “I mean, it might. It could be a total shock to his system, cause some sort of fatal error, and result in the blue screen of death.” I burst out laughing. “Wow, what a nerd.”

“You don’t want me to be attracted to you, Becker.” His words startle me and the intensity pouring from him washes over me like the tide coming in, invading every nook and crevice within me. With his next words, he sucks me back out to sea with him, his gravitational pull is that strong. “I’d eat you alive.”

“Wow, the loud blabbermouth is actually speechless for once. Amazing. It’s like a once in a blue moon thing, ain’t it?”

“I don’t know, Ryne. First of all, who says I don’t want you to eat me alive?” I give him a pointed stare. “Second of all, you should have more faith in me. I’m fairly confident I can take anything you have to dish out.

Ever since he apologized for talking about me, it’s like, I don’t know, he’s less annoying now. I don’t know why. What I do know is if Tyler’s not just messing around with me, if he actually is into Dacen… My competitive streak flares alive. Tyler’s my boy, but I met Dacen first, and, well, I don’t even know how to finish that thought. So I don’t.

After a moment I dig into Evan’s bag and pull out a handful of pretzels. “Want some?” I shake the bag next to Roman’s ear and the pretzels clatter around inside the crinkled plastic. He swats it away then grabs a handful and takes a bite of one. He grimaces and looks down at the pretzel. “The hell is this shit?” I turn the bag around and read the label. Unsalted pretzels? Why the hell bother? We both dump the food back in the bag and I shove it aside. “He’s like a cross between the village idiot and an old man.”

That slimeball’s next move has a tsunami of cold rage crashing down over my body. He moves his hand lower and lower, until he slips it into one of Dacen’s back pockets, right all up on his ass, and squeezes gently. I clamp my eyes shut and clench my jaw. Get your goddamn hands off him, jackass. He doesn’t belong to you.

I glance back over at the register area. The only solace I have in this shitty moment is I witness Dacen remove the hand from his pocket and sidestep away from Jeremy. I hide my smile in my glass as I take a drink. I told you he doesn’t belong to you, jackass.

I know he doesn’t ask for it and certainly doesn’t want it, but at this moment a little piece of my heart breaks free and skips precariously close to Ryne’s open hand as he draws it back to his side.

“Everyone picked their own partner.” Reaaaaally. “What? And everyone didn’t immediately flock to you?” I joke. Ryne shrugs. “I’m no Tyler Grimm.” I snort and shake my head. “Yeah, no kidding. He’s a big ball of sunshine compared to your dark storm cloud.”

I can’t decide which I want more right now: to flip him off for the sass or shove him down onto the bench and kiss the smirk right off his face. I also kinda wanna lick my way around his stomach, following the lines and grooves like a map to see where they lead.

“Well, the way I see it, it’s not so different off the field as it is on the field. The same strategy applies. You play hard, you get dirty, and ultimately you hope to score.” Evan pipes up before I have a chance to. “But no ball-kicking off the field. Rub ‘em a little bit, sure, but don’t kick ‘em. Save that for on the field.”

I’ve taken up a personal challenge to insert myself into his field of vision as often as possible. I want to push him. I want him to want me. I want him to give in. I want him.

Evie blinks a few times and frowns. “Want me to kick his butt? I’ll kick his butt. I may be short, but height means nothing when it comes to kicking someone in the shin.” My shoulders shake with silent laughter. “Oh my God, Evie. I love you.”