Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“Asshole,” Hayes mutters.
With a wave, Garret skates to his side of the ice to take his defensive position.
Colby watches him before shaking his head. “Just when you think that guy can’t turn into more of an asshat, he jackhammers to an all new low.”
“Yup,” I agree, continuing to glare.
Hayes studies me. “What the hell is going on? It’s not like you to get knocked on your ass.” He jerks his head toward Akeman. “Especially by him.”
“Nothing,” I mutter, not wanting to admit that there’s an issue. My game has been shit ever since Carina cut me loose. It’s like I can’t focus. On anything.
That’s never happened to me.
And now that we’re over, I feel like a dumbass for thinking that it was anything more than fucking.
Because clearly, for her, that’s all it was.
Some D between boyfriends.
Colby arches a brow as Hayes rolls his eyes behind the cage.
“Sure,” Colby says.
“My guess is that this has something to do with Carina,” Hayes tosses out, watching me closely.
I glower before grumbling, “It doesn’t have anything to do with her. I’ve got a lot going on.”
“Yeah, right,” Colby says with a snort. “I think it has everything to do with her.”
“It’s pretty obvious that something’s been going on with you two,” Hayes adds.
I press my lips into a tight line, refusing to respond. I already feel like a loser. No reason for my teammates to know exactly how big of one I am.
Colby jerks his head toward the stands. “Is that why she’s here?”
Ha! Does he really think I’m going to fall for such a lame trap?
Hayes glances toward the bleachers before grinning and waving.
It takes every bit of self-restraint not to snap my head around and scour the arena. But I know exactly what I’ll find.
And that’s another kick in the ass.
As difficult as it’s been, I’ve kept my distance even though all I want to do is bang on her door and force my way inside. I want to take her mouth and kiss her until she finally admits that what we had was more than physical.
Just a bit of fun…
Even thinking about that casually-thrown-out comment pisses me the fuck off. We were never just a bit of fun.
From the very beginning, it was more.
She was my everything.
Sliding deep inside the welcoming heat of her body was like coming home.
To think that I’ll never feel that again rips my heart to shreds.
“You boys interested in playing a little hockey or you just gonna keep jaw jacking over there?” Coach yells from where he loiters near the bench with three of his assistant coaches.
Rather than respond, we splinter apart, moving into position. The last thing any of us want is to skate suicides.
No fucking way.
As I wait for the scrimmage to resume, a splash of silver catches the corner of my eye, and my head whips in that direction. The moment I spot her sitting in the bleachers, every muscle goes whipcord tight.
Our gazes lock and hold for a heartbeat.
Then another.
I’m jarred from the trance as Hayes and Madden fight for possession. Madden quickly passes the puck to Colby who races toward the goal. I dig my blades into the ice a second or two too late and swear under my breath as I focus on the play unfolding around me instead of the girl who’s been filling my every waking thought.
And the not so waking ones as well.
It’s like there’s no escaping her.
No matter how much I try.
Ryder and Bridger sweep their sticks out in front of them, waiting to see what he’ll do next. Colby passes off the black disc to Hayes who drives it up the middle before getting swarmed and passing it back to me. Ryder picks up speed as I race toward the net, faking a pass to Hayes before aiming for the five hole and sending the puck flying.
Wolf falls to his knees and catches it with a gloved hand before flashing a lazy grin. “Nice try, asswipe. Better luck next time.”
I circle the net and head back to my side of the ice. That’s exactly how the next thirty minutes of practice go. As much as I try not to get distracted by Carina, every cell in my body is intensely aware of her.
But then again, that’s how it’s always been.
Even when I tried to distance myself and move on in high school.
I couldn’t do it.
By the time practice ends, I’m a sweaty mess. I head to the locker room and take my sweet damn time showering. As I stand under the hot spray, it occurs to me that she could be here to see another guy. Every muscle tightens as that thought circles savagely through my head. If that turns out to be the case, I swear to fucking god, I’ll wring the asshole’s neck.
From day one freshman year, I made it crystal clear that she wasn’t to be touched. Hell, I don’t even want these dipshits looking sideways at her. If she realized that I made her off-limits, she never said a word about it.