Page 76 of Off the Ice

He didn’t answer. Just looked at me like I was the only thing in the world.

And then—right there, in the middle of the ice, with thousands of fans watching—Logan Bennett dropped to one knee.

The arena erupted.

My breath completely stalled in my chest.

“Ava Carlisle,” he said, like it was only the two of us in the entire arena. “You are the best damn thing that’s ever happened to me. You stood by me when I had nothing. You saw me when I couldn’t even see myself.” He exhaled. “You’re my first call. My last thought. My everything.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. My breath hitched as he flipped it open, revealing the most insane diamond I had ever seen.

It wasn’t delicate. It wasn’t subtle. It was huge, a flawless, round-cut diamond that caught the light from every angle, set on a platinum band that gleamed under the arena lights. The stone was bold, commanding, undeniably Logan, not some dainty thing, but something with weight, something that said this is forever. Tiny diamonds lined the band, catching the ice’s reflection, making it look like it belonged in a museum instead of a ring box. It was stunning. It was ridiculous. It was perfect.

“I don’t want to waste another second,” he said. “Marry me.”

The entire stadium was chanting now.

"Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!"

I let out a shaky laugh, my hands still covering my mouth. And I threw my arms around his neck, and whispered the only word that mattered.

“Yes.”

The crowd exploded into cheers.

But all I could hear was the sound of my heart beating with his.

And for the first time in my life, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be.

Thirty Eight

Ava

Themorninglightfilteredsoftly through the curtains, casting a golden glow across the sheets. It stretched across Logan’s bare chest, illuminating the defined planes of muscle, the sharp cut of his collarbone, the faint bruise along his ribs from last night’s game. A rock on my left hand the size of Halley's comet.

His warmth surrounded me, his skin smooth beneath my fingertips as I traced slow, lazy circles over his chest. I followed the curve of each muscle, the steady thump of his heartbeat beneath my palm.

Logan stirred, his breath catching slightly as my fingers drifted lower, skimming the lines of his abdomen. His hand slid up my back, fingers splaying wide, pulling me closer. Beneath the sheets, his grip found my hip, his thumb sweeping over the curve of bone.

“Morning,” he murmured, his voice thick with sleep, rough at the edges.

I smiled against his skin. “Morning.”

His grip tightened, and before I could say anything else, he rolled us, shifting his weight so that I was beneath him. His body pressed into mine, warm and solid, his face buried in the crook of my neck.

“You’re up early,” he muttered, voice muffled against my skin.

I let out a small laugh. “I like watching you sleep.”

His lips curved into a lazy grin against my shoulder. “That’s creepy.”

“Shut up,” I teased, threading my fingers through his hair.

He pulled back just enough to look at me, his blue eyes hazy with sleep. “I missed this.”

I ran my thumb along his jawline. “We were together last night.”

Logan shook his head. “No, I meanthis.Waking up with you. No cameras, no meetings, no bullshit. Just you and me.”

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