Page 8 of Breakaway

The kids did as Dax asked, stretching their arms and legs in the practiced motions. By the end of the class, everyone was sweating and breathing hard from the exercises he’d taken the team through. I had a good burn going in my glutes, helping to give me something else to focus on.

“Great job today. Be sure to drink lots of water and eat lean protein, eggs, and nuts tonight to fuel muscle development. Good luck tomorrow on the ice. You’re dismissed.”

The team grabbed their stuff as they chatted, wiping their brows and dumping the leftover water over their faces. I’d fallen into a deep meditative state when I felt eyes on me. Opening them up, I was surprised when Jack, Reese, Braden, and a few other teammates stood together.

“Hey. Did you need something?” I asked as I stood.

Jack nudged Reese, who rolled their eyes before stepping forward. “As part of our social media training, we’ve been working with Finley on the right and wrong type of content.”

“Okay,” I said, taking a drink of water. I didn’t know where they were going with this.

“As part of the class, we need to do a project, so we asked if we could do it together,” Jack said, motioning to the six kids present.

“There’s a popular account on LiveIt where a group of college hockey players skate and lip-sync songs. We thought we could do something like that to help promote Lux and our team,” Braden said this time.

I blinked as the words processed through.

“Again, okay. What am I missing?”

“We have to get permission from you since ours would require us to skate and use the rink in our off time,” Reese finished while giving me a look like I better agree and not embarrass them, or I’d live to regret it.

Smiling now that everything made sense, I tapped my lip in thought as I hummed to drag it out.

“Hmm, well, I don’t know. Are you going to be safe? Will you represent the school well? How do I know if you can lip-sync and skate? It sounds very challenging.”

Reese crossed their arms, lifting an eyebrow, their eyes saying everything. “Do you really want to do this? I know all your embarrassing stories.”

Chuckling, I dropped the act as I nodded.

“Yeah, sure, that sounds cool. I can’t wait to see what you do. Just ensure it doesn’t interfere with practices or scheduled ice time.”

“Yes!” a few of the kids in the back cheered. It was a good mix of players with various skills, and I liked how Reese had found themself in a friend group. They walked away excitedly as they discussed what to do for their first video.

“That wasn’t very nice, Petal, teasing your sibling like that,” Dax whispered from behind me, his lips brushing against my neck.

Sucking in a breath, my stomach clenched with need as I tried to hold in the moan that wanted to escape of its own accord.

“Hmm, I think I should punish you for that and your bad mood. You’ve been pushing all your boyfriends away.”

“I haven’t—” I started, but he shushed me, placing his finger over my lips.

“Yeah. We’ve all been busy, but you’ve gone to bed alone every night. So, want to try to lie to me again, Petal? Just keep racking up your list of misdeeds for me and see what happens.”

Shutting my lips, I pressed them inward as I held in the retort. Dax gave me a dark chuckle, the sound lighting up my skin with goosebumps. His teeth sank into my neck, nipping the skin before he stepped away and sauntered over to the door and locked it. Flipping off one row of lights, the room cascaded into semi-darkness.

Dax walked to the mat he’d been using and pointed his finger; his eyes narrowed as he waited for me to follow his command. Sighing, I crossed my arms and walked over, taking my time with each step. Sometimes it was hard not to be a brat.

“Careful, Petal. Your big boss energy is showing. While I love your coach swagger on most occasions, right now, you’re in my domain. In here, you’re under my control. Do you understand, Petal? Or do you need to be reminded?” Dax purred, his voice gravely and seductive. He stepped forward into my space and eliminated all the distance between us.

Again, it was on the tip of my tongue to smart off, to take out some of my aggression on him, but I held it back and nodded. Dax gripped my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. His pupils were blown, the green reduced to a dark ring around them.

“I promise to make it good, Petal. All you have to do is obey. I see you fighting it. Give in to me, Henley.”

His face neared, his teeth taking my bottom lip between them. Sucking in a breath, I opened my mouth, and Dax took the opportunity to plunge his tongue in, taking control of the kiss and reminding me how good he was with it.

“Spread your legs, Petal. It’s time to open you up.”

Gulping in a slight daze, I did as he said. Dax stepped up behind me, spreading my legs further with his foot. His hands landed on my hips, and he squeezed.

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