Page 76 of Heated Rivalry 1
“He is beloved.”
“He is terrible.”
Ilya rolled his eyes and smiled.
“You are playing with Shane Hollander this year, right? In the All-Star Game?” Svetlana asked, as if she didn’t know the answer.
“Yes. Is he also terrible?”
“No! No, Hollander is amazing. IloveShane Hollander.” She sort of purred the last few words.
“Traitor.”
“He’s a beautiful skater. Such talented hands. And so cute.”
“Now you are trying to make me angry.”
“You can’t argue those facts, Ilya.”
“No,” Ilya said, grinding the butt of his cigarette into a small plate he was using as a makeshift ashtray. “I can’t argue them. He is very good.”
“And cute.”
“If you say so.”
She pulled her knees to her chest. “Are we going to fuck again, or should I get dressed? I’m cold.”
Ilya considered her question, then shrugged. “I’m hungry. You should get dressed.”
She looked momentarily surprised, then her features changed to match his own cool indifference. “All right.”
She stood up and began retrieving her clothes from the floor. Ilya watched her, but his mind wasn’t on her slim, perfect body.
Would he have shrugged if Shane had asked him if they were going to fuck again? Would he have turned down his chance to enjoy his body as many times as he possibly could?Don’t you dare put your clothes on, Hollander. I’m not done with you yet.
The truth—the truth that he tried so very hard to ignore—was thatno oneset him on fire like Shane Hollander. All of these women...they were gorgeous. Fun. Very sexy. But he didn’t think about them after they were gone. He didn’t long for them. With them, he could be sated.
He grimaced at himself as Svetlana pulled her shirt back on. Shane Hollander was not an option. He wasn’t ever an option, not really. This thing between them needed to stop. It was bad for both of them, and Ilya knew they should end it.
What scared Ilya was how desperately he wanted it tocontinue.
But not enough to embarrass himself. Which was why he hadn’t even bothered texting Shane when their teams had played against each other in Montreal last week. He had no interest in being rejected by Shane Hollander.
He’d also had no interest in seeing Shane Hollander with his hands all over Rose fucking Landry in a nightclub, but fate seemed determined to rub Hollander in his face. A fuckingnightclub! If he couldn’t be safe from Hollander there, then where?
Ilya wondered if Rose Landry would be joining Shane in Florida for the All-Star Game. He wondered if Rose Landry would be accompanying Shane to everything from now on. Maybe they would get married.
For the first time ever, Ilya was not looking forward to the All-Star Game.
Chapter Sixteen
January 2017—Tampa Bay
Shane was nervous. After six and a half seasons, he was used to his fucked-up arrangement with Rozanov, but something felt different now. Maybe it was because he had finally spoken aloud to someone about his...possible preference. Or maybe it was because of the weird way things were left the last time he and Rozanov had been together, in Ilya’s apartment. Or maybe Shane just felt surer of what he wanted now, after walking away from a relationship that had been almost perfect.
Almost.
Hewantedto see Rozanov this weekend. He wanted to be with him, alone, behind closed doors; he was tired of lying to himself about it.
