Heat in the Cold

Chapter 2

“What… the hell… was that?”

Jaxon's words hit the quiet locker room like a slap.

Zane stepped back fast, his shoulders slamming into the lockers with a loud clang. His lips still burned. His heart pounded so hard he was sure Jaxon could hear it. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, trying to erase what had just happened.

“I don’t know,” Zane growled. His voice came out rough and shaky. “You started it.”

Jaxon's eyes were wide, his heart still racing. He looked just as shocked as Zane felt. “No, you shoved me into the lockers!”

“You came in here. You touched my face.” Zane pointed a finger at him. “Don’t pretend this was all me.”

They stood there, breathing hard, just... staring at each other. The air felt thick with tension.

For years they had thrown punches and insults at each other. But now, their mouths had touched in a way that felt nothing like hate. It felt hot… dangerous… wrong.

Jaxon ran a hand through his wet hair. “This never happened. Got it?”

“Fine by me,” Zane snapped. “Stay the hell away from me, Caldwell.”

Jaxon gave a quick nod, but his eyes lingered on Zane's lips for half a second too long. Then he turned and walked out without another word. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Zane alone in the empty locker room.

Zane dropped back onto the bench. His legs felt weak. He pressed his palms over his eyes and tried to breathe normally.

What had he just done? Kissing the enemy. Kissing Jaxon Caldwell… the guy he had sworn to destroy. His stomach twisted. Part of him wanted to throw up. Another part… the scary part… wanted to chase Jaxon down and do it again.

He finally forced himself into the shower. The cold water did nothing to cool the fire burning under his skin. When he got home, he collapsed onto his couch, still wearing his sweats and stared at the ceiling.

Sleep wouldn’t come.

Every time he closed his eyes, he felt Jaxon's fingers on his jaw, his lips against his, the tight grip in his hair. He tossed and turned until he finally fell asleep.

The next morning at Thunder Wolves' practice, Zane was a wreck.

He skated harder than anyone, slamming pucks into the net and checking his own teammates a little too roughly. The coach blew the whistle. “Kessler! Ease up. What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing,” Zane muttered. He kept his head down and pushed even harder. His teammates noticed. They whispered when they thought he wasn't listening.

“Captain is extra pissed today.”

“Probably still mad about the loss.”

If only they knew the real reason.

Across town, Jaxon was doing the exact same thing with the Storm Hawks.

He skated up and down the ice like something was chasing him. His ankle still hurt a little from the game, but he ignored it. Every time he closed his eyes during breaks, he saw Zane's shocked face after the kiss. He kept waving it off. It was nothing… he thought. Just a stupid mistake, leftover anger from the game.

But his body remembered the heat. The way Zane had pulled him closer instead of pushing him away.

That afternoon, both teams had a joint press event at the main rink. The league loved these things… rivalry photos, quick interviews, fake smiles for the cameras. But Zane hated every second of it.

He stood on one side of the hallway with his teammates. Jaxon stood on the other side with the Hawks.Their eyes met across the crowded space for just a moment. Zane felt it like a spark jumping between live wires. His stomach flipped.

They tried to ignore each other. They really tried.

But when the group moved towards the interview room, the hallway narrowed. They ended up walking side by side for a few short steps. Their shoulders brushed… just a quick touch through their jackets.

A jolt of electricity shot through Zane's spine. He sucked in a sharp breath. Jaxon's step slowed for half a second. Neither of them looked at the other. They kept walking like nothing had happened, but Zane's skin burned where they had touched.

The press event dragged on forever. Cameras flashed. Reporters asked the same boring questions. “How do you feel about the loss, Captain Kessler?” “Ready for the next game, Captain Caldwell?”

Zane gave short, grumpy answers. Jaxon flashed his usual cocky smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

When it finally ended, Zane headed straight for his truck in the parking lot. He climbed in, gripped the steering wheel tight, and sat there with the engine off. His mind wouldn’t shut up. That kiss. That stupid, angry kiss. He kept telling himself it was nothing… just a dumb mistake. He concluded within himself that he hated Jaxon even more now.

Just then, his phone buzzed, and a message popped up from an unknown number.

He frowned and opened the message.

“Locker room. Same time tomorrow?”

Zane stared at the screen. He knew exactly who the sender was.

His thumb hovered over the keyboards. His heart started racing again.

Yes or no?

He should say no. Delete it. Block the number. That was the smart thing to do.

But his fingers moved anyway.

He typed one word and hit send before he could stop himself.

“Yes.”