Ice Bound Passion

Chapter 4

Emilia POV

What a damn i***t!

He was such a stuck-up, arrogant cocky asshole. God, I couldn’t stand him, and there was no way I could live with him.

It was bad enough that he was my mother’s new husband’s son, but after what just happened, my annoyance had shot through the roof.

I hated how he talked to me. Hated how he looked at me, like I was something dirty he’d stepped in. Hated how my body betrayed me when he was close.

I stormed out of the building, still fuming, but stopped short when I saw him standing near the players’ exit, laughing and talking with a couple of his teammates. He looked so relaxed, so unbothered, like our little confrontation hadn’t affected him at all.

Fine. I wasn’t going to chase after him like some desperate puppy. I’d wait right here until he was done.

I leaned against the wall, arms crossed, trying to look casual. A few minutes later, Nelson walked over, with a boyish smile that made me smile.

“Hey, Emy,” he said gently. “Are you okay? I saw what happened back there. Don’t worry too much about it. It’s just some baseless rumors. They’ll blow over in a day or two. People love drama, but they get bored fast.”

I let out a shaky breath and gave him a small, grateful smile. “Thanks, Nelson. I really needed to hear that.”

He shrugged, looking a little adamant. “Just telling the truth. You’re good at your job. Anyone with eyes can see that.”

“I’ve not even done anything yet.” I laughed,grateful for his attempt to make me feel better.

We talked for a bit, his calm presence was very appreciated. Midway, he glanced toward the exit.

“Weren’t you leaving with Ace?” he asked, sounding a bit awkward.

I nodded. “Yeah, I was waiting for him.”

Nelson hesitated, then scratched the back of his neck. “Uh… he just left. I saw him getting into his car a minute ago.”

My blood boiled instantly.

Bloody bastard! He left without me.

I had my own car, an old, beat-up little Honda I’d left back in New York, but it wasn’t here yet. I was stuck.

Nelson seemed to read my frustration. “I can drop you off if you want. It’s no trouble.”

I looked up at him, feeling a rush of genuine gratitude. At least someone in this place was decent.

“That would be really nice,” I said, smiling at him. “Thank you, Nelson.”

He grinned back, looking happy to help. “Anytime.”

The ride with Nelson was quiet and comfortable. He didn’t push for conversation, and I was grateful for it. My phone buzzed a few times in my bag, more unknown numbers.

I knew it was Lilian again. Trying to reconcile with me. She had done it a few times, reaching out with strange numbers. Once I realised it was her, the call ended.

When we pulled up to the house, I thanked him once more and headed inside.

The moment I stepped through the door, I heard Richard’s voice, sharply berating Ace.

“…you were supposed to bring her home, Ace. She’s new here. She’s family now.”

I paused in the hallway, listening.

Ace’s reply was clipped. “I thought she’d found her own way. She wasn’t picking up her calls.”

I walked into the living room just in time to see Ace looking thoroughly scolded by his father. His jaw was tight, arms crossed, the picture of annoyed arrogance.

A small, smug smile tugged at my lips. Ace’s eyes flicked to me, dark with venom.

His father sighed. “Emilia, I’m sorry about this. Ace was supposed to drop you off and bring you back. He knows better.”

Ace glared at me. “She wasn’t answering her phone. I figured she’d gone home already.”

Oh my God. He was the one trying to reach me.

Before I could even open my mouth to explain that I thought the calls were from someone else, Ace turned on his heel and walked off upstairs without another word.

Richard shook his head, looking embarrassed. “I’ll talk to him later. Welcome home, sweetheart.”

I forced a smile. “I’m sorry for not picking up.”

I went up the grand staircase, going after the angry Ace. I stopped in front of his bedroom door and knocked hard. No one answered.

I held the brass handle and twisted it. To my surprise, it budged. The door swung inward with a quiet, smooth creak. The room was empty.

I found myself momentarily taken aback by his space. I had expected a chaotic mess. The typical breeding ground of a spoiled, chaotic athlete. But Ace's room was meticulously neat and orderly. Everything was perfectly in its place, smelling faintly of expensive cologne and freshly washed clothes.

My eyes landed on a framed picture hanging on the wall. A beautiful woman with warm eyes was hugging a much younger Ace wearing a cheesy, uncharacteristic grin. They had the same eyes.

Seeing him look so happy and carefree, sent a strange, unexpected pain through my chest.

"What the f**k are you doing in my room?"

I turned around.

Ace stood in the doorway, fresh from the shower, wearing nothing but a white towel hanging dangerously low on his hips. Water droplets still clung to his broad shoulders and defined abs, trailing down the sharp V-line disappearing under the towel.

My mouth went dry instantly. He looked like a goddamn Greek god who had decided to torture me personally.

I swallowed hard, trying not to stare.

“I… I came to talk,” I managed, my voice embarrassingly breathy. “About what happened today.”

Ace stepped inside and closed the door behind him with a soft click. “Talk about what?”

I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for not picking up your calls. I thought they were from Lilian and I–”

“I don’t need to hear your excuses. Get out.”

Something inside me exploded.

.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I shot back, my anger rising again. “Do you have a stick up your ass or something? It wasn’t my fault that things turned out the way they did, yet you’re acting like I planned all of this!”

Ace’s eyes darkened. He took a step closer, towering over me, voice filled with so much malice and disgust.

“My issue with you is that you’re a slut,” he said flatly. “Just like your mother. Both of you know how to spread your legs and get what you want–”

SMACK!

Before I could think, my hand flew up and skin met skin in a collision. Ace’s head snapped to the side. For a whole three seconds, there was shocking silence.

My breathing came in pants, hand stinging, tears burning in my eyes.

“Don’t you EVER talk about my mother like that,” I whispered, voice trembling with rage. “And don’t you ever call me that again.”

Continued…

The next few days were tense and awkward as hell.

We moved around the house like two magnets with the same pole, always repelling, never in the same space if we could help it. At the rink, I treated him like any other player: polite, professional, and distant. He barely looked at me unless he had to. The team noticed.

Even our parents picked up on it.

One evening at dinner, Mom looked between us with worried eyes.

“Emilia, honey… is everything okay between you and Ace?” she asked gently. “You two barely talk.”

I forced a smile and took a sip of water. “We’re fine, Mom. Just busy with school and everything. You know how it is.”

Richard nodded, but he didn’t look convinced. “If there’s any tension, we can talk about it. We’re family now.”

Ace didn’t say a word. He just kept eating, jaw tight, eyes on his plate.

Then came the big game.

The Frosthammer Rays were playing one of their toughest rivals. The arena was packed, and the energy was too much. I sat in the medical box, watching Ace dominate the ice. He was on fire tonight.

He was fast, aggressive, and super violent in the best way. He threw hits that made the crowd roar, fought for every puck like his life depended on it. For a moment, I almost forgot how much I hated him.

Until he took a dirty hit.

It was a hard check from behind. Ace went down hard, clutching his shoulder. The crowd gasped. The whistle blew. My heart dropped into my stomach.

The coach waved me over immediately. I grabbed my kit and skate-ran onto the ice. Ace was already sitting up, face twisted in pain, but when he saw me coming, his expression hardened.

“Don’t touch me,” he growled as I knelt beside him.

I ignored him, my gloved hands already assessing his shoulder. “Stop being an ass. Let me do my job.”

He tried to pull away. “I said don’t–”

“If you want to lose your career, be my guest,” I fiercely whispered in his face, voice sharp enough to cut through his foolish thoughts. “But I’m not losing mine because you’re too stubborn to let me help you. So sit still and shut up.”

The words came out harsher than I intended, but thank God it worked.

He glared at me for a long second, keeping his jaw clenched, but he finally stopped fighting. He let me examine him, wincing when I pressed on the injured spot.

After being transferred to the medical room, Ace sat on the edge of the examination table, his hockey jersey pulled down to his waist, leaving his broad chest bare. I carefully rotated his arm, my fingers pressing into the delicate muscles around his collarbone.

"It's a minor sprain," I said, stepping back and wiping my hands. "But you're done for tonight. You need to keep it immobilized, or you’ll tear the ligament completely."

"Like hell I am," Ace growled, immediately reaching for his shoulder pads on the counter. "It's the third period. The guys are down by one. They'll lose without me."

"Ace, stop!"

He ignored me, swinging his legs off the table and lunging forward to grab his gear. Panicked that he was going to ruin his shoulder, I threw myself in front of him to block his path.

My sneakers slipped against the smooth linoleum floor. I lost my footing entirely.

"Oh no–"

With a sharp gasp, I fell forward. His healthy arm shot out with lightning-fast reflexes to catch me. He grabbed me by the front of my shirt, pulling my body hard against his chest to stop my fall.

We both froze. I looked down, my breath catching painfully in my throat. Ace’s massive, calloused hand wasn't wrapped around my waist or my shoulder. His palm was flattened completely over my left breast.

A wave of intense heat rushed to my face as the reality of the contact set in.

His dark eyes widened, staring down at the position of his hand in absolute shock.

"You..." I choked out, my face burning with a mix of fury and embarrassment. I pushed his arm away and scrambled backward until my shoulders hit the cold metal of the medical cabinets. "You pervert! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"