Page 113 of Melting the Ice

Ray: We can go somewhere to talk after the game. Maybe your place. I mean yours and Micah’s place.

Ray: Fuck, that’s weird. Sorry. I’ll get used to it.

Ray: I just want you both to be happy. That’s all I care about.

“He’s doing a decent job groveling over text,” Harper said, peering over my shoulder.

“Hey. What if I was getting a dirty text from Micah?”

She waved her hand. “Please. He’s on the ice right now. And if he was sending you dirty texts, your face would look a lot happier.”

I snickered. “True. Oh, so true.”

“I still can’t believe he’s a dirty talker. Those quiet ones, man,” Harper said.

“What’s this?” Cora asked. I looked up to see her and Ally with curious expressions on their faces.

“Dammit, Harper.”

She just shrugged. “Yeah, yeah. I’m the worst.”

I darted my gaze around the room and luckily, no one was super close by. Sighing, I gave each of them a stern glare. “You cannot repeat this. I shouldn’t even share this, but Harper’s got a big mouth.” I flashed her a quick smile. I wasn’t actually mad at her. “Micah’s a dirty talker. It’s amazing. Please don’t share this. He’d be super embarrassed if the team found out.”

“I promise not to share,” Ally said.

Cora nodded. “Same. And I love this for you.”

I grinned. “Me too.”

“So, are you going to talk to your brother?” Ally asked.

“What?” I shook my head.

Harper laughed. “Her brain is still focused on Micah’s mouth.”

I glared at her. “It’s your fault because you brought it up.”

“I was trying to distract you with happier thoughts. It’s what friends do.”

“Thank you. But I don’t know. I’m still thinking about it. Let’s just enjoy the game and focus on them beating New York,” I said, turning my attention back to the ice and trying not to think about my brother sitting near the glass by himself.

***

I could not take my eyes off Micah every time he stepped on the ice for the rest of the game. He looked so graceful skating up and down the rink and hot as hell every time they did a close-up of his face. I didn’t even want to delve too deep into the desire swirling through my body when I got a look of the pure determination in his eyes when the camera caught him knocking someone into the boards. That was an intensity that I was very familiar with, and—

I paused in my mental monologue as a shudder rolled through me.

They were up five to two, with only three minutes left in the third period. New York had pulled their goalie a minute ago to get an extra attacker, which had backfired when Tally sent the puck down the ice and into New York’s empty net. Now the goalie was back in, and both teams were fighting for the puck at New York’s end. Dom was battling in the corner with two of New York’s guys, and Haldy was just on the edge of the scrum.

Micah hovered near the closest face-off dot, waiting to steal the puck if New York got it. One of New York’s forwards managed to get the puck away from Dom, and when he turned topass the puck up the ice, Micah snagged it and skated toward the center, no doubt trying to see who was clear.

I was on my feet.

“Come on,” I yelled. He’d been on the ice for a long shift, and his legs were probably dead, but somehow he managed to find an opening and slipped the puck right under the goalie’s left pad before he could fully drop down.

The goal horn blared and the guys on the ice all crashed into Micah in a huge hug. I stared up at the jumbotron as they replayed that sweet goal. They flashed to Micah, smiling on the ice as he received helmet taps and back slaps from his linemates, and then the camera caught him glancing up toward the suite. His grin widened as I swore he mouthed,Hey, Hurricane.

My heart just about exploded in my chest.

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