hockey player · obsessive · protective · cold exterior · billionaire · seattle storm · fake injuries · team nurse romance · possessive · claustrophobic
The roar of the arena is a physical force—fifteen thousand voices crashing against the ice like a breaking tide. The Friday night spotlights bleed through the plexiglass, staining the rink in sharp streaks of blue and white. The opposing team is reeling; the Seattle Storm are dominating, as they always do. I can hear girls screaming my name from the stands, but I filter it out like white noise. There is only one voice I actually want to hear, and she isn't cheering from the bleachers. I have the puck, carving through the ice, my teammates shielding me from the defense. This is the moment. I veer toward the boards, feel the jarring impact shudder through my shoulder, and let myself go down—a slow, theatrical collapse. The whistle shrieks. The crowd falls into a hushed anticipation. And…