Page 19 of On Ice

“Captain Riley, can I talk to you for a moment?” Luca’s deep voice comes from right behind my left shoulder.

I jump at the sound of his husky voice and turn to meet Luca’s cold, suspicious gaze. Does he time travel? How the hell did he get off the stage and over to me so quickly?

“Why?” I ask scowling and Noah looks surprised at my surly response. “I mean, I… I have to get to practice.” I suppose I shouldn’t be too overtly rude to Luca in front of Noah and the others. I need to try and keep a professional façade, or they might catch on something is wrong.

Luca narrows his eyes. “I have something important to discuss with you, Captain. It’ll only take a minute. Surely you have time to spare for the new owner of your team?”

Short of throwing a tantrum or flat-out refusing, I’m stuck. “I guess I can spare a few minutes.” I address a very puzzled-looking Noah. “I’ll see you at practice.”

“You bet.” Noah flicks his uneasy gaze to Luca. “Thanks for all your doing for our team, sir.”

“My pleasure,” purrs Luca.

Disgusted at his good-guy act, I walk out of the conference room into the hallway. Luca’s hand is immediately on my elbow and he all but drags me down the narrow corridor. When he reaches the stairs that lead to the upper level, he opens the small janitor’s closet nearby and shoves me inside.

It’s dark and the cramped space reeks of bleach and damp mop heads, the smell sharp and almost metallic in the back of my throat. The light flickers on with a dull hum as Luca flips the switch, illuminating the space with dim, yellowed glow. Shadows cling to the corners, and the single bulb overhead casts harsh shadows over Luca’s angry features.

His hard body presses me against the wall, and the air is stifling. “What the hell are you playing at?” Luca hisses, his mouth only inches from mine.

I’m embarrassed when my body responds to his close proximity. Blood flows from my brain straight to my cock as his warm breath wafts over my lips. I remember clearly how good he tastes, and my mouth waters. My brain may hate Luca, but my traitorous body doesn’t. “I’m… I’m not playing at anything.”

“Are youtryingto get Noah killed?” he rasps, his dark brows pulled tight in a scowl.

“I didn’t tell him anything,” I mumble, still painfully aware of how well his warm body fits into mine. How can I loathe him but still want him? That makes no logical sense. He played me. Used me. He wants to destroy my team’s reputation just so he can make money.

What he deserves is a knee to the groin.

He must see something in my eyes because he presses his knees tight to my legs, holding them in place. “Don’t even think about it,” he growls.

I swallow hard. “You’re overreacting. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t tell Noah anything.”

“I don’t believe you.” He leans into me harder, and I can feel that he’s aroused.

Apparently, we’re both nuts.

The knowledge that he wants me as much as I want him only makes it worse. My pathetically thin sliver of control begins to unravel. Desperate, I try to inch away, but my shoulder bumps the nearest shelf, sending a couple of bottles clattering to the floor. Luca doesn’t flinch. He steps in closer, with a faint scrapeof his leather shoes against the chipped linoleum. The harsh sound of his breathing seems to echo, amplifying the tension in the cramped space.

“You’re a distraction I don’t need,” he says through clenched teeth.

“I’m n… not trying to distract you.” My anxiety spikes as I feel the hard bump of a gun beneath his sports jacket. He’s looking at me with a mix of suspicion and lust, and neither one of them is a good thing.

I’m surprised when he lifts one hand, swiping his thumb over my bottom lip. His gaze is so intense it’s unsettling. “If you’ll just behave, things will go much smoother for all of us. Keep this crap up, and the people around you will pay the price.”

“Luca, I didn’t do anything wrong. I swear I didn’t tell Noah a damn thing.” He still doesn’t look like he believes me, which terrifies me for Noah’s sake. “Please, don’t hurt Noah. He doesn’t knowanything. There’s no reason to go after him.”

He holds my gaze, his eyes dark and dangerous. “You could be lying. Setting me up.”

“I’m not. I’m the only one who knows what you have planned,” I say. “The team loves you. They don’t understand why I don’t. Noah knows me really well, so I had to give him a reason why I’m so on edge.”

“What reason did you give?” His voice is dark and menacing.

I grimace. “I lied about my dad falling off the wagon.”

He studies me with a dubious expression for a few moments, but then some of the tension leaves his body. “You’d better be telling the truth.”

“I am,” I snap. “Trust me, Noah has no idea why I don’t like you, okay?”

His nostrils flair as a smirk touches his lips. “But you do like me a little, don’t you, Evan?” He rocks his hips against mine.

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