Page 64 of My Pucked Up Enemy

Nina straightens in her seat with a smirk. “Relax, boys. You’re not witnessing a romance novel. Just a very advanced psychological case study.”

Alex grins. “Oh yeah? What’s the working title? ‘The Goalie and the Girl Who Knew Too Much’?”

She sips her wine. “More like, ‘How to Handle a Rink Full of Repressed Man-Children.’”

James howls. “She got us there.”

Ethan mock-wipes a tear. “I’ve never felt so exposed.”

Connor deadpans, “Speak for yourself. I’m still trying to figure out what symmetry has to do with my emotional state.”

Nina raises a brow. “It’s everything, Captain. Don’t mess with the balance.”

Alex shakes his head, trying not to laugh. “See? Dangerous with a clipboard. Deadly with a comeback.”

Connor tosses a breadstick across the table at me. “Save it for the ice, lover boy.”

The whole table laughs, the energy loud and light and crackling like fire.

And through it all, Nina just smiles, steady and calm, but her foot’s still touching mine.

The tension builds like a countdown.

And I know one thing for sure…

This isn’t just attraction anymore.

This is trouble. And I’m walking straight into it with open arms.

Chapter nineteen

Nina

“Alright,team.Todayisn’tjust about pucks and passing. It’s about trust.”

Coach Derek’s voice cuts through the buzz of the Acers’ locker room like a slapshot. The guys are in their gear, skates half-laced, eyebrows raised. Confusion radiates from every direction.

“Trust?” James mutters, side-eyeing Parker. “Is this gonna turn into one of those HR trust circle things?”

“Maybe,” Parker deadpans. “Just don’t make me cry in public, man.”

I step into the middle of the room with my clipboard and a grin. “Don’t worry, boys. No crying. Yet.”

The groans come fast. But it’s playful.

“Today’s about resetting mental toughness,” I say. “No sticks. No pucks. Just each other.”

Ethan groans louder. “Is this gonna involve hugging?”

“Only if you drop your teammate during the trust fall,” I shoot back.

James fake-gags.

Coach claps his hands. “Let’s go. Stretch it out. Then we hit the mats and Dr. Nina will take over.”

We start with trust exercises. The guys pair up, and I match them strategically to stir up both challenge and laughter. Alex stands across from Ethan, arms crossed, brow raised.

“You drop me, I’m filing a petition to make you a back-up goalie,” he warns, shooting Ethan a glare. “See how you like being on the other side of the puck.”

---