Page 137 of Born of Ice

“The puck bounces off Zima to Quinn. Is he going to go for it himself? That’s what we’re used to seeing all season long.”

“No! Pass to Goram. But Zima is right there. Look at that! Goram slides the puck under Zima’s stick, reaches around him and he takes it!! SCORE! What a beautiful shorthanded goal!”

“Goram scores for the Outlaws with a beautiful pass from Quinn. What great teamwork!”

“This is what we’ve wanted to see all season long. The arena is going wild! The Outlaws are in the playoffs!!!”

37

We are born of the same ice

Exton

The guys are stillsinging and screaming as we come back into the locker room. They are all cheering, ecstatic over the win, and so am I! But I need out of here. I need to go see my girl.

She’s here! She’s been here the whole time, and I don’t know what that means because if she tells me she’s leaving figure skating, I won’t be able to take it.

I rush into the shower as soon as I can, and just as Coach comes into the locker room, I’m leaving it, pulling on my T-shirt on the go.

“Where are you off to? I was going to talk to you all.” He frowns.

“Coach, I love you and all, but right now I need to go see my girl, okay? It’s life or death.”

My crazy eyes must convince him because he steps aside with a half smirk on his face and calls out. “Buckle up, prickly pear. She looks mad.”

“Not you too.” I groan, and his laugh follows me into the hallway. I run to one side and then the other, but she’s not here.I check other rooms, and even stick my head into every woman’s restroom, calling out her name, but still not a sight of her.

“Where are you, little star?” I muse to myself. Could she have left already? But then my eyes snap to the open doorway to the arena and I follow the thin silver thread pulling me into it as I heave a sigh of relief.

One tiny angry elf is tapping her foot against the ice right smack in the middle of the rink. I just stand there, mesmerized by the sight of her. It might’ve only been one night, but it was one night too many without her. One night of not knowing where we stand. Electra is pacing the ice, those arms still crossed over her chest and her strawberry lips puckered.

She must sense me because even though I’m partially hidden in the small entry hallway, her eyes snap to mine and she charges at me. I meet her halfway, just as my sneakers hit the cold ice and her little finger digs into my chest before she lets any words out.

I’m surprised I hear any of them because her intoxicating scent wraps around my sore body and I all but collapse at her feet.

“You…you…I don’t even know where to start!” Despite that statement she gets right into it. “How dare you make choices for me, you asshole! How dare you decide our future all on your own and thinking I’ll just go along with your brilliantly stupid plan, you lunatic—”

“You’re here…” I break her rant, and she glares at me.

“I should leave just out of spite! Give you a taste of your own medicine!”

“What does it mean? You being here, what does it mean?”

Electra opens and closes her mouth a few times before steam comes out of her ears and my cock hardens. I have a real problem when it comes to her. That angry elf energy totally does it for me every damn time. But now is so not it.

“It means I love you!” She stomps her little foot. “It means I’ll always be here! It means we are it forever and ever, Exton!”

“But your figure skating…Olympics…your dreams…”

“Are all still happening,” she interrupts me, and I just stare at her.

“How? The training camp, it stars today, no?”

“What in the world made you think I’ll ever go back to skating with Erik? How could you even consider that possibility?”

I open my mouth to answer but nothing actually comes out.

Howdid Ithink that was possible? Hell, how could I ever let her back out on the ice with him? Not because I’m a jealous asshole, but because I wouldn’t trust that fucker to take care of my laundry let alone the most precious person in my life.

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