Page 113 of Frozen Hearts
I munch on my food while the teams warm up on the ice and the seats around us fill with spectators. Several times, my eyes clash with Logan’s as he sits in the center of the ice, stretching out his muscles before the game, but just as quickly, one of us always looks away, and eventually all of the players head back into the locker room to get ready for the game.
Shortly before the game is due to begin, I spot the older man who sat beside me at the last game ambling down the aisle. I wave at him, and he returns it with a nod before moving to sit on the opposite side of the aisle.
“Who is that?” Grayson snaps, glaring daggers at the man.
“My sugar daddy.”
His head whirls around to face mine so quickly that I’m shocked he doesn’t pull a muscle.
“Oh my God, you should see your face right now!”
“Dude, she’s right,” Royce agrees with a rare laugh. “You look like you’re about to lose your shit.”
He does. Interesting. I wonder why that would be.
“Asshole,” he grumbles, glaring daggers at Royce before dismissing us as the stadium lights dim and the music builds in crescendo. The same adrenaline-fueled thrill I felt last time starts up inside me as names are called over the speaker system, and one by one the Halston Huskies pour onto the ice.
The stadium erupts when Logan’s number, seventeen, is called, and I clap and hoot alongside everyone else when he shoots onto the ice, stick raised above his head as he does a loop of the rink. He slows as he passes, tilting his chin to Grayson and Royce. However, his eyes remain glued to mine, an intensity I haven’t seen since the last time I was here shining back at me.
The force is enough to suck the air from my lungs as I stare unblinkingly back, a tidal wave of emotions threatening to drag me under and pull me out to sea. It’s almost a relief when he lets me go, tossing me back into the ocean as he continues on his loop for his adoring fans.
Looking away, I find Royce watching me, and when I catch his gaze he quirks an eyebrow. “Still fooling yourself?”
“Shut up,” I grumble, stuffing a handful of popcorn into my mouth as the game gets underway.
* * *
“Yes! Go, Logan! Go! GO!”
I’m on my feet, screaming alongside everyone else as Logan shoots toward the goalie with the puck. If he gets this, it will be his fifth goal of the night. Something that is practically unheard of—according to Royce and Grayson, who have been talking over my head like I don’t exist every time there’s a break in the play.
I can feel both of them watching me quizzically every time I jump to my feet and scream for Logan. They’re probably as surprised as I am, but it’s impossible not to get caught up in the atmosphere. The entire stadium is rooting for the Huskies. At least, that’s how it feels, and I tell myself it’s the team I’m screaming for, even if it’s Logan’s name on my tongue.That’s only because he’s the one scoring all the goals.
Yeah, right.I don’t even believe myself.
He sets up the shot, swinging his stick, and the puck goes sailing past the goalie and into the back of the net right as the final buzzer blares.
“YES!” I scream, bouncing up and down on my feet.
“Holy shit!” Royce’s grin is the brightest I’ve ever seen as he cups his hands around his mouth and whistles. Glancing down at me, his eyes skate over my face as if seeing me in a new light. “Maybe you are his lucky charm.”
Blushing, I turn my attention back to the rink as Logan untangles himself from his teammates, and pulling off his helmet, he skates toward us, grinning like a damn golden retriever as he pushes his sweat-slicked strands out of his face.
“Did you see that?” he yells through the plexiglass as he slams his gloved hand against it.
“See, what?” Grayson teases. “Did you do something?”
Logan sticks out his tongue at Grayson, and their antics make me laugh despite the odd situation I’ve found myself in.
Hearing me, Logan’s gaze snaps to mine as though we’re two opposing magnets. My teeth sink into my bottom lip at the heat I find reflected back at me. I know it’s probably just his residual adrenaline, but still, it goes straight to my core and sets it on fire.
“Well done, man,” Royce yells. “You played amazing. Now, go change so we can go home and celebrate.”
Every muscle in my body pulls taut, images of how they plan tocelebratefiltering through my mind as Logan’s gaze turns practically feral.Oh, fuck. When I pictured myself dancing for them around that pole, I imagined myself hating it. Hating them. But with the way Logan is looking at me and how my body is responding, I’m not so sure I’m going to despise it as much as Grayson hopes I will. As much as I thought I would.
Licking his lips in the sexiest way possible, he pushes off the plexiglass and skates away.
“Let’s go, Babydoll. Now it’s your turn to put on a show,” Royce whispers in my ear before nudging me down the aisle after Grayson.
