Mag-log in“We shouldn’t be doing this,” Imani whispered, her voice trembling more from want than from fear of her brother barging in and catching her leaning in to kiss his ex-best-friend now turned enemy. “Then stop me,” he murmured back, his fingers brushing her jaw, his breath hot against her skin. But neither of them moved. The distance between them had already disappeared, along with every rule she’d promised not to break. *** When Imani Grayson, a quiet psychology major, is assigned to mentor the university’s star hockey captain, Nicolas Jameson, she expects arrogance not the kind of chemistry that keeps her up at night. What begins as a simple assignment spirals into late-night tutoring sessions, stolen glances, and kisses that blur every boundary she’s ever set. But with jealous teammates watching, old wounds resurfacing, and a love too intense to hide, the game they started might be the one that shatters them both. Imani will soon learn that some games can’t be won without losing everything, and Nicolas, that even in the game of hearts, the strongest player can fall to his knees.
view moreImani’s POVWhen I agreed to hangout, I told myself the evening was harmless.That it was just an opportuniy for me to get to know Ryder better outside classes and the occasional hellos. I convinced myself that it was just Nicolas still trying to make amends and I wanted to show him some grace.That was the story I repeated in my head as I walked back to my apartment, my keys clutched tightly in my hand, the cool night air brushing against my skin. The evening had been harmless. Normal. Friendly.Just people hanging out. Just Ryder being kind. Just Nicolas being… there.Nothing more.And yet my heart hadn’t stopped racing since I left. Being in Nicolas’s personal space made me feel like I was seeing another part of him. Sure Ryder was nice and he was fun to hangout with him, but I couldn’t get my mind off Nicolas. One thing was for certain.I was so fucked.I unlocked the door quietly, slipping inside and closing it behind me with more care than necessary. June wasn’t home yet, whic
Nicolas’s POVWhen the idea first hit me, I told myself it wasn’t manipulation. That was the first lie.The second was that Ryder had anything to do with why I wanted Imani at my place. It had fuck all to do with him, but I knew she wouldn’t show up if it we were going to be alone.I stared at my phone for a full minute before texting her, thumb hovering like the truth might crawl out if I waited too long. My apartment felt unusually quiet around me, like it knew what I was about to do and disapproved.I hadn’t crossed any boundaries lately. I’d been careful. I’ve played by every one of her rules and kept a respectful distance during our tutoring sessions. I hadn’t even brought up the fact that she told me to teach her how to kiss. It was something I still obsessed over.But being careful didn’t suddenly mean I was innocent.So I took the leap and texted her.Ryder’s coming by later. He mentioned wanting to hang out with you sometime. Thought I’d ask if you wanted to stop by.I watche
Nicolas’s POVI didn’t like thinking about Ryder.Which was inconvenient, considering Ryder was one of my friends.We weren’t inseparable or anything dramatic like that, but we’d known each other long enough, shared classes, shared practices, shared enough late nights and bad decision that there was a level of trust there. He was solid. Honest. Annoyingly perceptive when he wanted to be.And lately, he’d been looking at me like he knew something was off.I should’ve seen this coming.We were in the student gym, sprawled across the benches after a brutal morning workout. Sweat clung to my skin, my muscles aching in that dull, familiar way that usually helped clear my head.Today, it wasn’t working.Ryder tossed me a bottle of water. “You’ve been weird lately.”I caught it one-handed. “Weird how?”He snorted. “You’re asking questions. That’s how.”I rolled my eyes. “Real funny.”“I’m serious,” he said, leaning back against the locker, arms crossed. “You’re quieter. Grumpier. You’ve got
Imani’s POVI hadn’t expected Nicolas respecting my boundaries to feel like this.That was the part no one warned you about.I thought putting distance between me and Nicolas would make everything easier, cleaner, quieter, safer. I thought once he stopped pushing, once he stayed firmly on his side of the line, I’d feel relieved.Instead, I felt… unsettled.Our last tutoring session had been textbook perfect. He arrived early. He stayed focused. He didn’t tease me, didn’t provoke me, didn’t flirt. He didn’t linger when it was over.He followed every rule I set like they were sacred. And somehow, that hurt more than when he’d been reckless.I stared at my notes for the third time without actually reading them, my mind replaying the way he’d stood at the door that night, the look on is face deliberate, restrained. Like he was afraid one wrong move would shatter something fragile.Maybe it already had.I closed my notebook with a soft thud and leaned back against the couch just as June wa












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