Page 22 of Twisted Play
“Fuck yeah!” Cole shouted, skating around us and shaking his stick in the air. “This is our year.”
Last year, we’d missed the championship by one goal.
Our sophomore year, we’d won, but neither Cole nor I were first line for that game. He’d touched the ice for a few minutes, but I hadn’t.
I nodded, but my attention was already slipping back to Eva. She stood by Dr. Parker, her brow furrowed as she took notes on a tablet. When she glanced at the ice again, her expression hardened, a mask slipping into place.
“Baptiste!” Massi’s voice calling my name snapped me out of my trance.
“Captain,” I said, sliding to a halt in front of him.
His gaze flicked to Eva, then back to me. “Keep your dick in your pants until after practice,” Massi snapped.
Was there anyone on the ice who hadn’t seen me mooning after that girl? My cheeks heated.
“No distractions.”
“Got it, boss.”
But I already knew I was going to make her mine.
After practice,I skated up to the barrier between thebench and the ice, where Eva chatted quietly with Dr. Parker.
“Can I help you, Tristan?” Dr. Parker said, lifting an eyebrow and letting me know she saw right through me. Dr. Parker’d taken one look at me during my first practice, straight off the plane from Colorado, the only Black player on the team, and made sure I had everything I needed to survive in the cutthroat world of Yorkfield University.
I held out my arms to her. “No hug?”
Dr. Parker laughed and let me embrace her over the boards. “Welcome back.”
I peeked over her shoulder to see Eva watching us with a slight smile. “Ah, shecansmile,” I teased.
To my surprise, Eva’s face immediately closed down.
“I’m Tristan,” I said, sliding off my glove to offer my hand.
“Eva,” she answered, moving her hand out of range, her posture ramrod straight, and her face utterly devoid of emotion.
“Our student medic,” Dr. Parker said, her tone a hair shy of approbation.And off limits, she communicated with her warm brown eyes. I ignored her, studying the closed-off woman in front of me.
“We’ll be spending plenty of time together then,” I said, cracking the smile that usually had women falling at my feet.
To my surprise, Eva stepped away, leaving only her sweet vanilla and citrus scent in her wake.
“Dr. Parker, I have to get going, but thanks so much for showing me the ropes today,” she said, turning her attention away from me.
“Let me walk you out,” I offered.
Eva looked me up and down. “I’ll be gone by the time you change, but thank you.”
And then she left.
I couldn’t remember the last time a girl had dismissed me so clearly. I hated it. And I wanted her—wanted to wipe that blank expression from her face and see what she looked like when she lost control, wanted her to look at me with respect instead of just another fuckboy hockey player, wanted—fuck. I wantedher.
Dr. Parker politely held back her laughter. “Good luck, kiddo.”
Yeah, I was gonna need it.
9
