Iced Hearts And Half Time Kisses [Hockey Romance]

The winter morning in Stonebridge bit through every layer of clothing, a sharp, relentless cold that seemed to claw at the skin of anyone who was outside the winter morning. Skye Emerson trudged across the nearly deserted school grounds as she approached the school gate, her breath puffing out in small clouds that dissolved into the frosty air while she shivered from the cold. Her gloved hands clutched a well worn sketchpad, its edges frayed from months of constant use, while a thick wool scarf covered high around her neck, brushing against her chin. Her dark brown hair peeked out from beneath a knit beanie, strands catching the faint falling clouds as she moved. Most students hadn’t arrived yet. Her goal was simple, slip into inside unnoticed as a new student. She’s just another shadow in the halls of Stonebridge High. She’d only been at the school for a week, and so far, she’d managed to keep her head down, her presence barely registering among the cliques and chaos of high scho

The faint glow of the emergency lights still cast eerie shadows across the Stonebridge ice rink, sharpening the angles of Knox Callahan’s face as he stood mere feet from Skye Emerson. The dim illumination clung to the curve of his jaw, highlighting the tense set of his mouth. Skye swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest, not from fear, she told herself, but from the unsettling closeness of him in the near-darkness. The air was filled with the chill of the rink.Then he spoke.“Probably just a breaker,” Knox muttered, his voice low, his breath doing some strange things to her body as his voice cut through the silence. But then, he stepped past her, his shoulder brushing hers as he moved toward the maintenance door at the far end of the rink. The brief contact sent a jolt through her, and she instinctively tightened her grip on her sketchpad, still tucked under her arm. She hesitated, then pulled out her phone, flicking on the flashlight to walk through the murky darkness. The

Skye Emerson sits at a wooden table in the Stonebridge High library, her sketchpad open to a half-finished design for the Valentine’s Day fundraiser. One she’s drawing as a sample for those who would be partaking in the drawing competition. She’s focused as her pencil scratches across the page, outlining a real looking living heart entwined with vines, but suddenly, her focus drifts away as it keeps slipping, her head occupied with some thoughts. She looks across from her where Knox Callahan slouches in his chair as he flips through a stack of budget notes with an unreadable expression without saying a word to her since he got there or giving her a soft glance. He’s quieter than usual, his usual cocky smile replaced by a tight-lipped focused face on the notes. His dark hair falls messily over his forehead, and his eyes, mischief and distant. Skye’s stomach churns with unease. ‘Is this it?’ she wonders inwardly, her fingers tightening around her pencil. ‘Was that kiss in the storage

At home…Outside the compound in the corridor, Skye sat with her back pressed against the cinderblock wall, her sketchbook placed on the table in front of her. She’d been staring blankly at the same sketch for ten minutes, it’s a smudged outline of a face, half-drawn, mirroring the unease churning in her gut as unknown smiles curved out her lips. Her thoughts are occupied by Knox touches and how her body felt and how embarrassed she felt when he touched her down there. This feeling is all new to her. As a virgin who read r18 novels, she’s always wished to experience what it feels like and now she did, all she could do was smile at the thought. Even the sound of Maya's laughter coming from the inside, floated from the living room barely registered in her mind. But the smiling moment didn’t last long. Skye’s thoughts suddenly drifted back to the shadow at the art room window in Stonebridge. She told herself it was nothing, probably just a janitor, but Knox’s reactions and words, on

Skye watches Knox from across the booth, her fingers curled around the chipped ceramic mug as she couldn’t take her eyes off him. His jaw is tight, a muscle ticking beneath the stubble as he stares out the diner’s window, where the snow falls in heavy, swirling flakes. His dark eyes flicker with something she can’t quite place, like he’s mentally running through a dozen worst-case scenarios. His hands are still. “It’s nothing to worry about,” Knox says suddenly, his voice low and casual, like he’s trying to convince himself as much as her. His gaze flicks to her, then away, settling on the empty counter where Darlene, the waitress, is now polishing a glass with a rag.Skye’s brows knit together, her lips parting to press him further, but before she can, he’s already sliding out of the booth, his leather jacket slung over one shoulder. “We have to leave now,” he says.“Why?” Skye’s voice is sharper than she intends. She leans forward, her navy scarf slipping off one shoulder.Knox do