Feral.
Animals.
Rhea slammed Tanner into the boards so hard that the plexiglass rattled.
“Oh my God,” I whispered, breath catching.
Tanner pushed off, teeth bared in a grin that was the filthiest thing I’d ever seen on him. He went after her with the same intensity, low, fast, and aggressive. Their sticks clashed. Their bodies collided. Sweat gleamed on Tanner’s neck, and Rhea’s braid whipped behind her like a threat.
I couldn’t breathe.
I couldn’t blink.
I was so wet it was embarrassing.
Rhea scored with three minutes left in the period; the shot was viciously triumphant. She aimed a look at me over her shoulder, all pride and promised heat. My breath caught, and I bit my bottom lip to keep from cheering for her. I didn’t want to distract Tanner in his attempt to even the score.
He wasn’t intimidated though, if anything, he lit up even brighter.
He crashed into her at the next faceoff, stealing the puck with a power move that sent Rhea skidding in a circle, left in his dust as he skated away.
Tanner didn’t apologize, and she didn’t want him to. I didn’t even want him to.
It was the first time I’d seen this side of him, and I was desperate to see more of it. To feel it against my skin and eat up every morsel of it.
Most of all, though, I wanted to be alone with the two of them, away from prying eyes, so I couldreallyenjoy it.
When he scored, I clutched the rim of the boards like it was a lifeline.
A tie.
Rhea responded almost immediately with another goal of her own, and I felt like I couldn’t catch my breath.
Then Tanner tied it again, with another score.
The world blurred, my pulse thundered in my ears. They were fighting like the date was oxygen, and they’d die without it.
And I had never seen such a physical display of devotion before. I loved every single second of it.
And then, as if freezing the whole thing before it could explode all over the ice in front of us, the buzzer cut through the rink.
The end of the game.
Everyone else started moving, players dragging off their gear on their way to the locker rooms, the rec league guys laughing and clapping Rhea and Tanner on the back on their way by.
But the three of us remained frozen.
Rhea glanced over at me, cheeks flushed, chest rising hard beneath her gear as she took her helmet off.
Tanner looked at me like he was starving, as if he’d cross the ice on his knees if I asked.
They each scored two goals.
A tie.
My breath stuttered.
Holy hell. I couldn’t think of a better outcome.
