Page 16 of Icebound Attraction

Cassy just laughs and puts her arm around my shoulders.

“We should probably reward ourselves with a waffle too!” she says.

“The best idea of the day!”

We go to the campus bar and place our order.

Behind the counter, the handsome barista on duty calls out to me.

“You're Emily, right?”

“Yes...” I answer, surprised that this guy knows my first name.

“My name's Chase! I play on the hockey team with Liam Scott,” he explains as he prepares our order.

“Nice to meet you, Chase,” I exclaim. “And this is my roommate Cassy,” I say as Cassy digs her elbow into my ribs and clears her throat.

“Hi,” she says confidently.

Am I dreaming or is she batting her eyelashes?

“Will that be all?” asks Chase.

He hands us our cappuccinos and seems captivated by Cassy.

“We'll have two waffles with that, please,” I say, breaking eye contact between the two of them.

“Coming right up,” says Chase, getting down to work.

So, he plays on the same team as the arrogant team captain... I should have known. But with their helmets on, it's hard to recognize them off the ice.

Chase hands us the still-warm pastries and we pay.

“Thanks again for your article, Emily. The whole team liked it. Especially Liam, to tell the truth.”

I can feel the red slowly creeping up my cheeks.

What the hell! So, I'm incapable of behaving myself when people talk to me about this guy. What do I care if he liked my article? I didn't write it for him!

“You're welcome. It's my job,” I assert to calm my hormones and appear detached.

With drinks and waffles in hand, we head back to our room. On the way, Cassy can't stop raving about Chase. She describes every tiny detail of his face as if it were a poem. I just laugh at her remarks.

Once we've had breakfast, I change quickly. Today, I want to go to the library to study. In a quiet, studious atmosphere, I'll certainly be able to concentrate better than at the café, or even here, away from the chatter of my lovely roommate. I've got lessons to study, and I still need to work on my hockey knowledge.

The path leading to the library is lined with trees and little benches in the sun. It almost makes you want to stop there, but I give in to temptation, telling myself I'd be more comfortable sitting at a table. I'd also be able to fall asleep and wake up three hours later...

Once in the building in question, I find a secluded table and get down to work. Media law is not my strong point, but it's a really important subject for understanding the legal and ethical aspects of my future profession.

Fortunately, the library is rather empty. I don't like working when there’s too many people around. I always feel uncomfortable. Here, I can concentrate to my heart's content and pile up all the documentation I want in front of me. Because, yes, when it comes to research, I'm rather old school, and I like to go straight to the books for information, rather than the Internet.

After an hour of intense concentration, as I stifle a yawn, my gaze is drawn to the opening and closing of the automatic door. My heartbeat quickens instantly as Liam Scott enters.

What the hell is he doing here?

Our eyes meet briefly before I turn away to dive back into my book, silently hoping that he'll ignore me, as he has so far. Even as his heavy footsteps approach, I keep my eyes downcast.

To my surprise, a shadow looms over me and I deduce that he has stopped right in front of my table.

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