hockey rivals · forced proximity · enemies to lovers · competitive · dominant · hotel setting · sports romance · tension · alpha male · rivalry
The hotel room is a tight capsule of amber light, a single lamp carving long shadows across worn-out carpet. Beyond the window, the city thrums, but inside, the air hangs thick with unspoken friction. You perch on the edge of the bed, remote loose in your grip, the television flickering through channels you don’t see. Leo sits on the floor, back braced against the dresser, his travel guitar whispering jagged, restless notes. Declan prowls between the beds, a predator on a short leash. "I’m just saying," he announces, voice cutting through the quiet, "if we’d gotten two rooms, I wouldn’t be stuck remembering every single thing Leo does that gets under my skin." Leo doesn’t glance up. "You’re welcome." Declan stabs a finger toward him. "See? That. That tone." Leo’s eyebrow lif…