Alle Kapitel von Off the Ice: Kapitel 11 – Kapitel 20

The team doctor pronounced Liam entirely uninjured, save for a minor bruise forming on his left hip from the impact with the boards. But by the time Liam walked out of the training room, the damage to his peace of mind was irreversible.He spent the rest of the morning session standing near the player benches, his whistle hanging loosely around his neck. He gave cold, precise technical feedback to the rookies, but his eyes kept betraying him. They kept tracking the number 88 jersey cutting brutal, powerful lines across the ice.Jaxson was playing like a man possessed. He was skating faster, hitting harder, and completely ignoring everyone around him. Whenever his rotation brought him anywhere near Liam's side of the rink, Jaxson deliberately kept his head down, his dark eyes locked onto the puck, his jaw clamped shut.The heavy, confusing intimacy of the training room—the feel of Jaxson's calloused thumb tracing his lower lip—hung between them like a thick wall of f

The next morning, the rules were put to the ultimate test.By 8:00 AM, the ground floor lobby of the Horizon Center was completely overrun. Flashbulbs erupted in a blinding, continuous rhythm against the glass facade, and a dozen sports reporters were shoving microphones past the security barricades. Sarah’s PR strategy had reached its peak: today was the official joint press conference broadcasted live on ESPN.Liam stood in the green room behind the main media theater, adjusting the collar of his tailored grey blazer. His reflection in the vanity mirror looked pale, his eyes slightly hollowed from another sleepless night spent tossing and turning on the living room sofa.The door clicked open, and Jaxson walked in.True to Rule Number One, they hadn't spoken a single word to each other since the blowout over the kitchen counter. Jaxson looked entirely corporate—sharp, pristine, and lethal in a tailored black suit that emphasized his massive frame. His dark hai

Jaxson didn't stay to be introduced.The sight of the gorgeous blonde standing in his kitchen, casually eating a pastry after pressing her lips to Liam’s cheek, was the final, brutal sledgehammer to his sanity. The reality check didn't just hurt; it made him feel physically sick. Liam wasn't confused. Liam wasn't trapped in a breathless fog. Liam was straight asf, completely unavailable, and completely disgusted by him.Without a single word, Jaxson grabbed his leather jacket and his car keys from the counter. He strode past Chloe and Liam like a ghost, his face a terrifying, frozen mask of pure hostility."Uh, nice to meet you too?" Chloe called out, her brow furrowing in confusion as the heavy penthouse door slammed shut with a violent *thud* that shook the glass windows.Thirty minutes later, Jaxson was back at *The Velvet Lounge*. He didn't head to the exclusive VIP section this time; he sat directly at the dark, crowded neon bar."Leave the bottle," Jax

The back alley behind The Velvet Lounge was freezing. The crisp, damp night air hit them like a physical slap, cutting through the heavy haze of dry ice and sour alcohol that clung to Jaxson’s skin."I've got the door!" Chloe hurried ahead, pulling open the back door of the Uber. The driver looked completely terrified at the sight of two men dragging a two-hundred-pound, semi-conscious professional athlete down the concrete steps."On three," Miller grunted, his face completely red from lifting his captain's dead weight. "One, two, three—shove!"With a heavy, chaotic scramble of limbs, they poured Jaxson into the back seat. He collapsed heavily against the leather, his long legs bent awkwardly against the front seat, his head rolling back against the headrest with a low, miserable groan."Thanks, Miller," Liam breathed, wiping a sheen of sweat from his forehead. His hands were shaking from the sheer physical exertion and the lingering adrenaline spike. "Get back

The grand ballroom of the Plaza Hotel was a sea of glittering tuxedos, diamond necklaces, and the soft, clinking cadence of crystal champagne flutes. The New York Warriors Charity Gala was the crown jewel of the organization's social calendar, and tonight, every eyes-on-the-prize investor, front-office executive, and high-society sports blogger was in attendance.The media circus from Chapter 14 had been a breeze compared to this. Here, the scrutiny wasn't behind a barrier; it was standing two inches away, holding a martini.Liam stood near the edge of the polished mahogany dance floor, a glass of mineral water held tightly in his hand. He looked impeccably elegant, his lean frame tailored to absolute perfection in a midnight-blue velvet tuxedo jacket and crisp white shirt. Outwardly, he was the picture of aristocratic poise.Inwardly, he was entirely wound up.His eyes kept darting toward the VIP lounge area where the team owners were huddled. For the last nineteen chapters, this ent