Page 12 of Rivals on Lockdown

Louis snorted, a crooked smile spreading across his face. “I hope it wasn’t anyone from my team.”

Kaden let out a laugh, quick and soft. “Nah, it was my private detective,” he said, flashing Louis a teasing grin.

Louis blinked at him, incredulous. “You’re joking.”

Kaden shrugged, but his grin lingered as he pulled off his coat. Underneath, he wore a thick beige dress shirt that looked like it had been made for him, crisp and elegant. He looked like he’d come straight from some high-society gala, not ambushed his rival on Christmas Eve.

Louis took the coat from him to hang it by the door, but the moment he lifted it, the scent of Kaden’s cologne filled the entryway. It was clean and expensive, familiar from years of proximity on the ice, but here it was intimate—dizzying in a way that made Louis’s pulse quicken.

As Kaden bent to remove his shoes, Louis cleared his throat, desperate to ground himself. “Want some wine?” he asked, his voice a little too casual.

Kaden nodded, and Louis led him into the kitchen. The smell of duck sizzling in the oven filled the air, mixing with the steam rising from a saucepan of hot cranberry sauce on the stovetop. Kaden’s eyes swept over the counter—the salad and mashed potatoes neatly arranged. His expression flickered with hesitation, his gaze lingering for a moment before he blinked.

“Wait,” he said, his voice careful. “Are you expecting someone?”

A faint blush crept up Kaden’s neck as his eyes darted back to Louis, almost panicked, like he’d just realized he might be interrupting.

“No,” Louis said quickly, shaking his head. “I was just planning an evening for myself.”

“Oh,” Kaden said, relaxing slightly, though a frown quickly followed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“No, it’s fine,” Louis interrupted. “I’m glad you stopped by.”

He felt his face heat up at the admission, and when Kaden actually smiled back, Louis’s chest tightened. God, he was so normal now—so unguarded. Whatever had happened last night had done something to him. The mask was gone, and this version of Kaden, raw and real, made Louis’s insides buzz with a strange mix of nerves and excitement.

The silence grew thick again, awkward and heavy. Louis cleared his throat. “Do you eat duck?” he asked, just to break it.

“I eat everything,” Kaden said quickly, grabbing onto the small talk like a lifeline. “But I feel bad—I’m kind of crashing your dinner.”

“You’re not,” Louis said with a shrug. “I made way too much.”

He grabbed another glass, filled it with wine, and handed it to Kaden. Kaden took it but didn’t drink right away, staring at the glass for a moment, his fingers idly tracing the rim.

“I probably shouldn’t drink,” he said finally, his voice quieter. A faint flush crept back up his neck as he glanced at Louis. “After last night…”

Louis froze, the words hitting harder than he expected. He’d figured they’d talk about it eventually, but not so soon.

“I’m sorry about what happened,” Kaden said, his voice steady even as the blush lingered. His gaze met Louis’s directly, unflinching. “I feel like a douchebag.”

The sincerity in his voice left Louis momentarily speechless, the tension between them almost fragile.

“It’s fine,” Louis said, taking a sip of his wine. He shifted from one foot to the other, hesitating before asking, “How much do you remember, exactly?”

Kaden shrugged, his ears tinged red. “Uh…all of it.”

Louis let out a small laugh, more nervous than amused. “Well, there’s that, then.”

“Yeah,” Kaden muttered, his face turning scarlet. “Lou…”

“It’s fine,” Louis cut in, forcing a light tone even as his pulse quickened. “It happens.”

“No,” Kaden said firmly, finally taking a sip of his wine like he needed the courage. “I was just nervous.”

“Nervous?” Louis asked, his throat suddenly dry. “Why were you nervous?”

Kaden let out a short, dark chuckle, his eyes dropping to the floor before lifting to meet Louis’s. “Because it’s you,” he said simply.

Louis’s chest tightened at the words.

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