Chapter 2

~ Alex~

Lila. Had to be her.

I was still staring when the lights flickered once, twice. I spun around. Damien stood in the doorway, holding a couple pieces of my shredded jersey like they were nothing.

“Looks like someone’s jealous,” he said, voice calm but his eyes were anything but. “But don’t worry… I’ll handle it.”

He stepped inside. The door slammed shut behind him so hard the walls shook.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I snapped, backing up a step without meaning to.

“I saw Lila leaving the building looking like she wanted to kill someone. Figured she pulled some shit. Guess I was right.” He tossed the torn jersey onto the ruined bed. “Nice artwork on the mirror.”

“And you just happened to follow her all the way here? Or were you following me?”

He shrugged, moving closer. “Maybe I like keeping tabs on where you are. Makes things easier.”

My back hit the wall. He stopped right in front of me, close enough I could smell his soap. “You don’t get to just walk in here and act like you’re doing me some favor. You’re the one who slammed me into the boards like you wanted to break me.”

“Yeah, and you liked it.” His voice went quieter. “Don’t lie to me. I felt you react. Your pulse jumped under my hand. You got hard right there on the ice.”

“Get out of my room.”

“Make me Alex, I own this room..” He put one hand on the wall beside my head, caging me in without touching. “Or admit you want me to stay and finish what I started out there.”

I shoved at his chest. He didn’t move. My hands stayed there longer than they should’ve, feeling the muscle under his shirt. “You’re such a fucking asshole.”

“Tell me something new.” He leaned in, breath brushing my mouth. “But you still want this. I can see it. So who’s really the mess here, Alex?”

I wanted to knee him in the balls. I wanted to yank him in and shut him up but I knew his game. He’d do anything to accuse and throw me out of here. So  Instead I just stood there breathing fast, angry and turned on and hating both. “You’re such a petty asshole. Please leave me the fuck alone.”

He laughed softly, right against my lips almost. “Keep telling yourself that.” Then he stepped back, grabbed the rest of the shredded jersey, and headed for the door. “Clean your shit up. I’ll talk to Lila. And Rivera? Next time you try to show me up on my ice, I won’t be nice about reminding you who runs things around here.”

The door clicked shut. I slid down the wall, head in my hands, heart still racing like I’d just finished suicides. “What the actual fuck is wrong with my life?”

I didn’t sleep for shit. When I finally passed out it was into this screwed-up dream, Damien’s hands rough on me, pinning me down, claiming every inch, mixed with these softer flashes I couldn’t pin down. Someone else’s touch, gentler, like they actually gave a damn. I woke up gasping, sheets twisted around me, dick hard and aching so bad it hurt. I punched the pillow hard enough to make my knuckles sting and got up. No way was any of this getting to me. What was going on with me.

Practice the next morning was brutal. Damien was already out there barking orders at everyone like he was god. During drills he  tripped me, and sent me sprawling. Then he hauled me up by the collar, bodies pressed together for way too long, his grip tight on my jersey.

“Fight back harder Alex baby,” he whispered, smirking right in my face. “I like it when you squirm.”

I yanked free, breathing hard. “Call me baby one more time and I’ll make you eat that puck Damien.”

He just laughed and skated off, leaving me standing there with the whole team staring. Great. Exactly what I needed.

In the showers after, steam thick everywhere, I thought I was finally alone. Then Damien cornered me under the spray. Water ran down his chest, over every line of muscle, and he braced one hand above my head, caging me against the tile.

“You think you can ignore this?” he said, voice low and rough over the water noise. His thumb dragged slowly across my lower lip, pressing just enough. “This thing between us? You feel it every time I get close.”

My breath hitched hard. I almost leaned in. Almost let it happen. Then I snapped out of it, kneed him in the thigh, and bolted, grabbing my towel on the way out. “Stay the hell away from me!”

His laugh chased me through the steam. “You wish, Rivera. You fucking wish.”

I got dressed fast, hands still shaking, cursing under my breath the whole time. “This is bullshit. Total bullshit. I’m not doing this. Not with him. No way.”

But my body hadn’t got the memo yet, and the way my heart kept racing told me this was only getting started.