“What do you mean?” I whisper, my voice trembling.

He doesn’t answer. Instead, he backs me into the wall of the elevator and crushes his mouth to mine. His kiss is fierce, tasting of ginger and something sweet. He tugs on my lower lip and I moan, my body responding instantly.

He lifts me and I wrap my legs around his waist, feeling his hardness press into my center. His fingers dig into my thighs, and I’m breathless as his hand cups my breast through the T-shirt I’m wearing. I can feel his cock at the seam of my leggings as he grinds into me over and over again.

“Finn,” I gasp, my hands gripping his shoulders.

He groans, his mouth moving to my neck. “You drive me crazy, Amelia,” he murmurs against my skin.

I can’t think, can’t breathe. All I can feel is him, every hard inch of him pressed against me. My head falls back against the wall and I let out a low moan. His hand slips under my shirt, his fingers brushing against my bare skin.

The elevator dings and the doors open. He steps back, his breathing heavy, eyes dark with desire. I feel like I’m on fire, every nerve ending buzzing.

“We’re here,” he says, a wicked smile on his face.

I can barely stand, my legs shaky. “Yeah,” I say, trying to catch my breath.

“See you tomorrow,” he says, giving Peanut a quick pat before stepping out of the elevator.

I stand there for a moment, trying to process what just happened. Peanut looks up at me, wagging his tail as if nothing unusual occurred.

“Come on, Peanut,” I say, stepping out of the elevator. My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.

We get back to Chase’s apartment and I collapse on the couch, my heart still racing. I can’t believe what just happened. Finn...he’s always been intense, but that was something else.

I know Chase said that we need to be honest, but is this what he meant?Fuck!What the hell have I gotten myself into?

Chapter Eighteen

Declan

We’re all gathered in the locker room and Coach Nate is going over the game plan.

He’s intense, as usual, breaking down the Minnesota Frostbites’ strategies and how we’re going to counter them. My heart’s pounding, adrenaline already kicking in. This is the first game of the season and the stands are packed.

“All right, helmets on,” Coach Nate says, clapping his hands. “Let’s show them what we’ve got.”

I pull on my helmet, adjusting it just right. The guys are doing the same, focused silence filling the room.

As we start to head out onto the rink, Finn pulls me aside. “Declan, wait up.”

I glance at him, raising an eyebrow. “What’s up?”

“I kissed Millie last night,” he blurts out. “I’ve wanted to kiss her again for a long time.”

I stare at him for a second, processing. Finn’s always been the laidback type, not one to stress about much. But now, I see something raw and vulnerable in his eyes.

“Man, that’s...” I shake my head, trying to find the right words. “That’s tough.”

“Yeah,” he says, sighing. “I just thought you should know.”

I nod, clapping him on the shoulder. “Let’s talk about it after the game. Right now, let’s focus.”

“Yeah, okay,” Finn mutters, looking away.

We walk onto the rink, the roar of the crowd hitting us like a wave. The energy is electric and I can feel the buzz in the air.

The Minnesota Frostbites are already out there, skating around, warming up. We line up for the face-off and I can feel all my emotions—the jealousy, the uncertainty—boiling inside me. I decide to harness it, use it to fuel my game.