All Chapters of CROWN OF ICE: My Rival Captain Forgot Our Bond(MM ROMANCE): Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Leo POVTwo weeks after the hit-and-run, the bruise across Jax Miller’s jaw had faded into a dull yellow stain.The Boston Grand Hotel lounge sat on the mezzanine level, bathed in amber shadows and low jazz music. Heavy velvet curtains blocked the rain-soaked city outside. Most of the hotel guests had retired for the night, leaving the dim plush booths empty.I stood near the top of the carpeted stairs, my hands jammed deep into the pockets of my Chicago track jacket.In the farthest booth, tucked under the dark canopy of a decorative palm, sat Jax.He wore a dark blue hoodie, his broad shoulders leaning over a thin tablet resting on the polished mahogany table. A half-empty glass of amber whiskey sat beside his elbow, completely ignored. His dark eyes flickered as he swiped through high-definition security camera footage from the arena loading bay.My pulse jumped against my synthetic collar strap.He was supposed to be in bed. The medical report from the hospital stated he had two c

Adrian POVI dragged him by the collar across the rug, his boots skidding uselessly over the floorboards and leaving grey streaks where broken glass had cut through the leather. I hauled his weight into the hallway closet, wedging him upright between the folding ironing board and a rack of thick hotel bathrobes.I yanked a pair of heavy plastic zip-ties out of his vest, pulled his wrists together behind his back, and cinched them down until the ratchets clicked tight. Then I ripped a strip of black duct tape off the roll on the desk, sealed his mouth, wrapped his ankles, and pulled the door shut.The brass lock snapped into place.When I turned back around, my lungs were burning, and sweat was stinging my eyes.On the bed, Noah was coming apart fast. Sweat had glued his hair flat against his forehead, his chest working in short, jagged hitches as a dark flush spread down his neck. The room was thick with the scent of raw sea salt, so sharp and heavy it caught in the back of my throat

Adrian POVMy jaw clamped so tight my back teeth throbbed.I tried to pull my wrist out of Noah’s grip, backing up until my heel hit the cold stone base of the fireplace. The flames popped behind me, casting long orange shadows across the log walls."Let go, Bennett," I growled, my voice raw and scraped thin. "I’m trying to keep my hands off you.""Why?" Noah took a step closer, holding onto my arm like an iron clamp. "Because that doctor filled your head with lies? Because you think you’re taking advantage of me?""Because I don't remember!" I snapped. I slammed my free hand flat against the mantelpiece overhead, rattling brick dust down onto the hearth rug. "I don't remember signing those papers! I don't remember the apartment in New York! I look at you, and my chest feels like it’s being ripped open, but my brain is a blank wall."I dragged a ragged breath through my teeth, fighting the sweet, heavy wave of sea salt choking the room."If I touch you like this, while you’re in Heat,

Adrian POVMy boots hit the floorboards beside the king bed, and I dropped Noah onto the thick mattress.The mattress groaned under his weight. His skin glowed gold in the dim light of the hallway fire, damp with sweat, his chest heaving in short, ragged hitches. The scent of pure sea salt rolled off him in a heavy wave, saturating the bedroom until the air burned my throat.I didn't wait. I climbed onto the bed, crowding over him, pinning his thighs with my knees."Adrian," he choked out, his dark eyes wide and glossy in the shadows.I didn't answer. I cupped his jaw with one hand, my thumb pressing hard into his cheekbone, and brought my mouth down onto his.The kiss was filthy, wet, and heavy. Our tongues slid together without restraint, tasting like coffee and wild heat. He made a noisy, desperate sound in his throat, his hands flying up to clutch my shoulders, his short nails digging into my bare skin.My Alpha body knew every inch of his frame. My memory was gone, but my muscle

Adrian POVA sharp, violent pain cracked straight down the center of my skull.It was no mere migraine; it felt as though an invisible wall behind my eyes had splintered to pieces. My hands, still locked around Noah’s waist, began to tremble uncontrollably. The dim bedroom dissolved into a blinding white glare, dragging me out of the present with terrifying force.The dull fog Mercer’s medication had built inside my mind shattered completely.I was no longer in the cabin.Three years ago. A small, wood-paneled cottage tucked deep within the Maine timber. Heavy rain slammed against the windowpanes in rhythmic sheets, blurring the dark pine trees outside.I stood beside a stone hearth, dressed in a faded black flannel shirt. Standing directly before me, his dark eyes gleaming in the warm firelight, was Noah.A silver chain hung around his neck. His hands shook as he reached up, pressing his bare palm flat over my beating heart."Are you sure about this, Cross?" Noah whispered in the mem