He pulled out in silence, fixing his clothes. “Don’t move.” The cold blade never touched my skin. He never hurt me more than he intended, and I’d be sore and bruised enough tomorrow, but never permanently marked.
Never kissed or hugged or loved.
Never touched.
Cool liquid splashed my back, his cruel laugh his final departing gift as my husband poured his used cum on my back, coating me.
“Wash, after I’m gone. Or don’t. See you next year, love.”
The door clicked shut after him, and he was gone, a fading ache where his glove gripped me the final evidence of our obsession that ran so deep neither of us could let go.
“Next year,” I echoed, and closed my eyes.
CHAPTER ONE
4 days to anniversary
WARD
“Keep it moving. Don’t stop,” I yelled at a quarter past five, the Monday morning after the Chimeras’ most recent loss for the season.
Their third overall, and it shit me.
Shannon Incarsen skated past, his glove raised. “I couldn’t hear you, Coach. Think you can yell a little louder?” he stage whispered behind a hand.
I glared at him.This isn’t a fucking kindergarten.Not that anyone would know from the team’s behaviour. “You want line drills after practice, player? Because I’ve got time.”
Shannon skated away, rolling his shoulders, staring straight ahead.That’s what I thought.
“They played hard. Killington were good.” Huxley Radfield, the Chimeras’ captain, sprayed ice in Incarsen’s wake as he stopped beside me.
“They weren't that good.” My teeth ground. “Neither were we. That’s why it’s called extra practice, captain.” I fixed the dark haired player with a hard stare. “Shouldn’t you be making an example of yourself out there?”
He held my glare, unflinching. “I am.”
“By doing nothing? There’s a dozen laps with your name on them.”
Hux watched me a moment longer. A muscle worked in his jaw, then he left for his laps. One of the team’s forwards, Knox,muttered in his ear. I missed that comment, but Hux’s reply bounced across the ice at me plain as day.
“He’s in a mood. Always happens this time of year.”
I clenched my teeth hard enough to grind my molars together.Fuck. This was why I didn’t have a personal life. Except for one fucking day, and I still couldn’t hold my shit together. Maybe I could kick the habit but I just…
“Heads up,” I shouted as a puck skipped off the top of a mis-swung stick.
Valentine lunged forward, grabbed for the puck with his goalie’s gloves, and missed. I streaked forward, plucking the puck out of the air a moment before it would have slammed into Incarsen’s head as he pivoted on end of the blue line.
“It might be practice, but it would be nice if everyone was available for the playoffs.”
If we fucking well made it to round two of the playoffs. Every player on the ice focused on me.
Finally.
“I’m glad I have your attention. If it hasn’t escaped you, we have a crucial game this week that defines the future of this season. It might be more than that.” I held out the puck. “Think of your own future. How you’ve played this year. I don’t have all the answers, and I don’t make all the decisions. But I can promise you that if you put in the hours and if you make it hurt in all the right places every damn day, then we push at that last game, you’ve got the heart of every Chimera behind you.”
The tightness that had reflected in every eye a moment before eased now. Even Hux offered me a short nod. Incarsen stood with his arms crossed over his chest, staring at some point beyond my head. His embarrassment at missing the puck that flew at his head like it was intent on ending his life was his problem right now, though his ego could deal with it later.
I surveyed the team again. “Good. That’s enough soppy shit. I’m not a kind man. I promised someone line drills. You got it, then hit the showers. Go see Hallie afterward. She’s got your new training schedule for the week.”
