steamy nights with the rival captain

ICE COLD REALITY

~~KIRA ~~

My head throbs the next morning as I hold my phone to my ear, whispering as loudly as I dare while sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You did what?" Neisha scream through the speaker. "Wait, slow down. You went to a club, drank six shots, and slept with a total stranger?"

"Keep your voice down!" I whisper, rubbing my temple. "Yes, I did. I was mad, Neisha. Jax was in the living room with Chloe, and I just lost it."

"Girl, you've been acting like a nun for three whole years, and the one night you go out, you pull a handsome mystery guy into bed?" She lets out a dramatic gasp. "Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?"

"It was a mistake," I say, though my cheeks heat up thinking about him. "I was drunk. He was trying to stop me from drinking, and then it just happened."

"Was he hot at least? Tell me he was hot."

"He was huge," I admit softly. "Broad shoulders, deep voice... he looked like an athlete."

"Oh, amen," Neisha laughs. "Look at you! But wait, did he notice anything weird? Like leftover makeup or anything?"

"No," I say, checking my reflection in the dark screen of my phone. "I hid all the Leo stuff in the car before I even got to the club. To him, I was just a sexy girl in a red dress having a breakdown."

"Good. Keep it that way. You're never going to see him again anyway."

A sharp knock on my bedroom door makes my heart jump.

"I have to go," I tell her quickly.

"Call me later with details!"

I end the call and rush over to the full-length mirror near the closet. I check my reflection carefully, making sure my disguise is in check—the chest binder is tight and the jawline shading looks natural.

Satisfied that Leo Sterling is back, I walk over and open the door.

Jax stands on the other side, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Where the hell were you last night?" he asks, his tone sharp.

I step back, keeping my shoulders broad and lowering my voice into Leo's deep register. "I was out."

"Out?" Jax chuckles, but there's no humor in it. "Look, Leo, you're staying under my roof until your apartment renovation is done, but you need to abide by the rules. Coming home at four in the morning isn't going to work."

I narrow my eyes at him. "Your rules? I'm paying my share, Jax. You're not my dad."

"I don't care," he steps closer, his jaw tight. "You play for our biggest rival. The last thing I need is you dragging drama to my front door or stumbling in drunk like you own the place. Keep your mess outside this house."

The irony almost makes me laugh out loud.

"My personal life is none of your business," I say, looking him right in the eye. "I'll be at my practice on time, and you can worry about yours."

"Just don't come home late again," Jax snaps. "I'm not dealing with your nonsense."

He walks away, slamming his bedroom door shut behind him.

I grab my gear bag and head out to my car before Jax can say another word.

Minutes later, I'm at the sports arena. The locker room is quiet when I arrive. I quickly put on my gear, throwing the oversized Frost jersey over my head. This is it—just a few more months and I'll be out of here after I gather enough money to save our ice rink from that monster Mercer.

I tie my skates tight and grab my stick.

When I get to the rink, the place is dead silent. None of the other team members are here yet, which gives me a few precious minutes to myself.

I drop a puck on the ice and push off.

Jax thinks he can control my life. He hasn't even finished managing his own.

He acts like he has everything together, giving orders and lecturing me about rules. The nerve he has to try and boss me around after everything he pulled.

I dig my edges into the ice, coming to a sharp stop that sprays snow against the boards. I hit the puck hard, sending it slamming into the back of the net. He has no idea who he's dealing with now.

The sound of high-pitched screams echoes from outside the rink.

Curious, I step off the ice and head toward the main entrance to see what all the noise is about. I see a sleek black car pulling up. A crowd of fans, mostly girls, are yelling and waving signs as my new teammates start piling out. The Frost team have arrived.

I smile at how the girls are practically throwing themselves at the guys. I guess this is how they throw themselves at Jax.

Right in the center of the crowd is a guy everyone seems to be surrounding. Tall, ridiculously broad shoulders, and moving with total confidence. That must be the team captain.

A reporter with a news camera rushes up, shoving a microphone in his face for a quick interview. He answers smoothly, barely missing a beat as he keeps moving.

Then he heads through the doors with the rest of the team behind him. They start walking directly toward me. My heart races.

One of the guys steps up, eyeing me up and down. "You must be the new walk-on."

My body instantly tenses, but I force my shoulders back and keep my voice low. "Yeah. My name is Leo Sterling."

"Welcome to the Frost, rookie," he says, slapping my shoulder pads with a smile. A couple of the other guys clap me on the back, welcoming me to the squad.

Through all of it, the team captain hasn't said a single word. He just stands there in silence, tall and imposing, watching me.

Slowly, he reaches up and pulls off his dark sunglasses.

My heart stops. My mouth goes completely dry.

Underneath those shades are the exact same sharp eyes and calm expression from last night. It's him. The guy from the club. The guy who carried me to bed.

He's my team captain.