Page 62 of Beautiful Collide

After about twenty emails and no clue how much time has passed, I hear the telltale signs of skates cutting across fresh ice.

I tilt my head and look to see who’s here this early and already on the ice.

The second I spot who it is, my cheeks warm despite the cold.

Hudson Wilde skates freely, without a care in the world or if I’m watching. He looks all serious and broody and in an annoyingly typical way, hot as hell.

Of course, it’s him. Who else would show upearly,the man who never shows upearly? Well, there goes my morning.

It’s about to get more complicated. Maybe I did something wrong in a past life. That’s the only answer to this insanity. My luck is shit. Hudson might be right about my nickname.

Hockey players shouldn’t be as hot as Hudson. It’s truly not fair.

My job and life would be easier if they—he—weren’t.

I need to get out of here before he notices me, but obviously, I’m already too late because the bastard chooses this exact minute to glance up.

Oh, perfect. Eye contact. There go my plans to avoid this exact situation.

“Enjoying the show?” He skates closer to where I’m sitting.

I shake my head. “Not even watching.”

“Me thinks you’re lying, Hex.”

And there it is, just as I thought, my damn nickname. As if I need another reminder.

I close my computer. Knowing me, I’ll probably accidentally break it with how enraged this man makes me, so it’s smarter to just put it away now. I’ll finish my work elsewhere.

“I’m not.”

He smirks. The man enjoys pissing me off way too much.

“Then why haven’t you blinked since you noticed me?”

I blow out my breath. “Wow. Cocky much?”

“You know it.” He winks.

My head shakes. “It’s really not a good character trait.”

“Well, it can be added to my long list of shortcomings you must think I have.”

“If it walks like a duc—”

“Quack.” He smiles.

“You’re a toddler.”

“I might be, but at least I learned a few lessons in pre-k. You, however, didn’t.”

“Will you ever get over it? I said I’m sorry. I don’t even know why you’re so upset. You’re doing amazing.”

“Despite the consequences.”

“What consequences? Oh no. A few years ago, you got benched from one game.”

“My first, Hex. My first game, and Coach has never given me a chance since. Why do you think I’m here so goddamn early every day? Why do you think I practice so much—”

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