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CHAPTER 2: THE FIRST TOUCH

The practice rink was freezing, but I was burning up. Every time I looked up, Elias was watching me from across the ice, his dark eyes intense and unreadable. Silas, on the other hand, made no secret of his attention — he skated past the glass where I stood, winking, and I had to look away before I melted right there on the spot.

"Focus!" Coach barked, and the team groaned, refocusing on the drill.

I was there to organize equipment, not to fantasize about two men I wasn't allowed to want. But as I carried a box of fresh towels toward the locker rooms, I heard footsteps behind me. Fast. Heavy.

Before I could turn, I was gently but firmly pressed against the wall, a hand resting flat on the brick beside my head. My breath caught. Elias.

"You're distracting everyone," he said, his voice low, rough, sending shivers down my spine. "Especially him."

"Silas?" I whispered, my heart hammering.

"Me too," he admitted, and then his eyes dropped to my lips. "And that's dangerous. Because I'm supposed to be the captain. I'm supposed to follow the rules. But when I look at you… I don't want to."

He leaned in closer, his breath warm against my skin. "One kiss," he murmured. "Just one. And then I'll leave you alone. I promise."

I should have pushed him away. I should have walked out the door and never looked back. But instead, I tilted my chin up. "One," I whispered.

His lips met mine, and the world fell away. It wasn't gentle. It was hungry, desperate, months of suppressed longing pouring into a single moment. He kissed me like I was something precious and forbidden all at once, his hand coming up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing over my skin like he was memorizing the shape of me.

When he pulled back, his eyes were darker than before. "That was a mistake," he said, but he didn't sound sorry. "But I'd make it again."

And then he was gone, leaving me breathless, trembling, and completely ruined for anyone else.