All Chapters of Owned on the Ice M/M Romance: Chapter 281 - Chapter 290

They landed just after noon, the airport buzzing with fans in team jerseys. Lukas inhaled the familiar mix of jet fuel and bad coffee and felt something ignite in his chest. Playoffs. God, he’d missed this.Aiden walked beside him, rolling his suitcase with one hand, the other flicking over updates on Lukas’s medical file like a man incapable of turning his brain off. “We’re meeting them at the hotel,” he said. “Mac texted five times in the last ten minutes.”“Yeah, he’s subtle like that.”***The hotel lobby was loud. Players coming and going, staff directing luggage, a TV over the bar broadcasting pre-game predictions. But Lukas spotted the familiar voices before anything else.A cluster of Stormriders sat in the bar having what counted as breakfast for athletes: pancakes, eggs, and enough bacon to cause a national shortage. Mac sat with his luggage at his feet, knee bouncing so hard the table shook. Every few seconds he shot a desperate glance at the door.When Lukas walked in, Mac

Lukas came off the ice like he was underwater. Everything around him felt loud and bright. Helmets clashing, gloves tapping, guys yelling, sticks banging against the boards, but it all skimmed over him like sound trapped behind glass.Everyone was celebrating. Everyone was buzzing. Everyone was high on the win.He went through the motions.He tapped gloves with the other team. He skated the victory lap. He let Milo crash into him from behind in a hug that nearly knocked the breath out of him. He forced a grin at Josh’s slap to the back. He posed for the group celebration shot at center ice.But none of it touched the hollow space spreading in his chest.His legs felt heavier the longer he skated. His shoulder itched with ghost pain, like his body couldn’t decide if it wanted to remember the injury or invent a new one.By the time they hit the tunnel, the noise behind him roared into a frenzy, and the guys were hyped, shoving each other, laughing, reliving every play.Lukas pulled off

Mac had never sprinted off a plane faster in his life. Crestwick air tasted different. Cleaner, warmer, familiar in a way nothing else was. Or maybe it was just because Theo was here.The Hanley family home was still cluttered with baby gear, half-packed boxes, and the aftermath of a newborn tornado. Ell was downstairs sorting through infinite baby bottles while Mac packed a box upstairs, trying not to cry over a onesie that looked too small for any human.He must’ve messaged Ell a thousand times in the week he’d been gone. Photos, videos, “any updates?”, “is he smiling?”, “did he miss me?”, “does he remember me?” Like a deranged golden retriever with a phone.Nothing compared to the real thing.Theo fussed in his crib as Mac reached for another stack of tiny socks. He set the box aside immediately and scooped him up, pressing him to his chest.“Hey, hey. C’mere, little man,” Mac whispered, rocking him gently.Theo rooted straight into his pec like he was starving.Mac froze. “Woah—no

Aiden had always loved watching Lukas play.But this was different.Lukas wasn’t just back. He wasn’t just healed. He was climbing, game by game, from shaky ground to something sharp and dangerous again. Not reckless. Not blind. Just, precision. Hunger. Brilliance.And Aiden watched every second of it from the owner’s box like a man trying, and failing, to pretend he wasn’t seconds from pressing his forehead to the glass.He’d come here as a physician. An advisor. A calm presence who understood regulation, injury timelines, and rehabilitation protocols.Now he stood like a transfixed idiot with his hands curled on the railing, every muscle locked as Lukas flew down the ice.God, he was beautiful out there.Strong, fluid power. Hips cutting tight turns. That stupid, arrogant smirk when he stole the puck. The flash of lethal joy when he forced a turnover. The tiny glance, always toward the owner’s box, always checking Aiden was watching.Aiden could quit medicine right now and become L

“Well, it would be an even bigger mistake to ask you to marry me, right?”Everything froze. Lukas’s smile died instantly. Aiden’s hand went motionless in his.Lukas felt the panic rise fast and sharp. “I—uh—that was a bad joke—”“Pause.” Aiden’s voice cut through the spiral like a blade.It hit Lukas like taking a puck to the chest. Before he could pull away, Aiden tightened his grip on Lukas’s hand.“Please,” Aiden murmured, leaning forward, voice gentler now. “Lukas. Just for dinner. Just long enough for us to get through one real date.”Lukas swallowed hard. “Sorry, I didn’t—”Aiden shook his head. “No. You didn’t do anything wrong. But if you keep saying things like that, even as a joke, I’m going to drag you out of this restaurant and fuck you in the backseat while feeding you pizza.”Lukas’s brain short‑circuited. “Jesus—Aiden—”Aiden’s thumb stroked his wrist, soothing him. “You deserve at least one real date. A slow one. A good one. So please… can we just pause? And have a pro