“You're on my ice now, Princess. My rules, so shove it.” My smirk can’t be contained, and she rolls her eyes at me, but she’s biting her lip to hold her laughter in.
“Whatever you say, Captain. Are you sure you're okay?” She can’t help herself, and that pleases me that she cares about me like that.
I feel like shoving my gloves off and pumping my chest with my fist like a fucking caveman. She does weird things to me, but it’s good weird things.
“Don’t know what you're talking about. Didn’t feel a thing,” I tease her, loving the way her eyes soften. I puff up my chest as I’m skating away, just to hear her raspy and warm laugh.
Her laugh follows me, and I don’t even care that I was smacked into the ice by Jeff. I’m proud because I’m the fucking one who made her laugh. Only me. Beast skates over to me and gives me a nod that says ‘you good?’ so I nod back to say ‘I ain’t no fucking pussy.’ We share a fist bump and turn to watch the coach tearing Jeff a new asshole.
“If I see you pull that stunt one more time, you’re off the team. Am I fucking clear, Gold?” Coach yells in Jeff’s face, but you can tell the prick doesn’t give a damn as he spits on the ice and doesn’t bother responding.
Why is he even still on this team? Coach blows the whistle and shuffles back to the bench, waving me back over.
“What’s up, Coach?” I ask once my skates come to a gliding stop in front of him.
“Your team is a fucking mess, Captain. You’re going to run some drills until you guys start acting like a team again. I want sprints until the end of practice,” he commands, wiping sweat off his forehead and putting his cap back on. “You did well, kid. I expected you to go after him when he sent you flying but you didn’t. Why?” he questions, but I see him side-eye Kat, who’s pretending to find her nails fascinating as she secretly listens in.
I can tell he already knows my answer, and his lips twitch when I glance back at him after staring at Kat for a few seconds.
“Felt right, Coach.” My voice comes out dry with a small shrug, and I hope he doesn’t ask more.
“Right, Wilder. Now go get your team ready for sprints. By the time you guys are done, you’ll be puking your guts out. Start on my whistle.” I nod and skate over to my team, already yelling orders in a booming voice.
“Get in line, ladies. Coach says to start when the whistle blows, and we’re not stopping until practice is up.” I ignore their groans as we all stand in a single straight line, waiting for our torture to begin. I don’t miss the way some of the guys glare at Jeff at the end on the right side of the line, and that warms my fucking heart.
We have a half-hour of sprinting to the middle of the rink and back. Then the whistle blows, and I already know some of us will be puking by the end of practice.
Thirty-five minutes later, half my team is lying on the ice, gripping their stomachs and groaning in agony. Someone starts gagging, and I slowly stand up from my kneeling position, hyperventilating. My whole body feels like one big bruise, and my sweat has sweat. Jacob almost faceplants when he starts moving towards the locker room, so I throw his arm over my shoulders and help him along the way. Coach is blocking the door to the locker room and stands with his hands on his hips as he stares at all of us.
“What did you learn today?” Silence meets his question, and I look around at my teammates to see confusion gathered on their sweaty faces.
“That no man gets left behind,” someone yells from the back.
“Pain is gain, and you work hard to get to that end goal,” Jacob mumbles next to me with another groan as rippling pain passes through his body again.
“Our team is a fucking mess, and I’m going to put it back together,” my voice rings out gruffly, echoing in the silence until I’m getting another round of slaps on the back as everyone cheers like a bunch of wild animals.
“That’s what I’m talking about. Hit the showers,” Coach says with pride in his voice, and he pats me on my shoulder on his way out.
Jeff plows into Jacobs and I on his way in while throwing a glare over his shoulder. God, I hate that asshole with a fierce passion.
I said I’m going to try to put this team back together while grinding my teeth and bearing it. Princess is already changing me…into a better man. Someone worthy of her.
14
Kat
I’ve never known how brutal or extremely hot it was to watch hockey players dominate the ice like Vikings heading into battle. But then again, I only watched Granger as he took charge, his skates hardly touching down as he moved with a speed and strength that had me mesmerized. I wondered where else he would take charge. Maybe the bedroom? I’m betting he’s commanding, but with gentle hands, making you enjoy every last delicious thrust until you're weeping with pleasure as he makes sweet, hot love to your body. My God, what is wrong with me? Why can’t I stop thinking of him worshiping my body and leaving me wanting more? Mary is rubbing off on me.
No more dirty sex thoughts, Kat! Don’t think of Granger working your body into a sweaty mess and gasping as he stares at you with those green eyes that seem to know your every desire as he spreads your thighs open for him to fit between.
I wrap my arms around myself while leaning against the cold cement walls outside the men's locker room. I’m waiting in the tunnel
