Page 17 of Puck Me Back to Life

Then Ash appearing seemingly out of nowhere.

For reasons I don't entirely understand, my face grows warm. I look away first.

Coward. The thought arrives immediately.

Probably because of how aware I suddenly am of him. His size. His voice. The way he looks at people directly instead of dancing around what he means. It's unsettling.

Ash shifts forward slightly, bringing him close enough to touch. Close enough that my pulse notices.

Then his gaze drops. His fingers brush the side of my ribs. My breath catches.

The contact lasts less than a second. Barely anything. A simple assessment. A hockey player checking an injury. My entire nervous system reacts like he's electrocuted me. The warmth of his hand burns through my skin.

I hate how much I feel it.

Ash frowns slightly. “That's going to be ugly tomorrow.”

My brain struggles to catch up with the conversation. “What?”

“The bruise.”

Right.

The bruise.

Not the fact that his hand is still hovering dangerously close to my side.

The bruise.

Obviously.

I clear my throat. “Probably.”

Ash's expression shifts into something firmer. More commanding. The same tone he used on the ice. The same tone he used when he told that guy to shut the fuck up.

“Go get that looked at.”

The words shouldn't affect me, but something about the certainty in his voice settles beneath my skin. Not because he's ordering me around. Because he sounds like he genuinely cares whether I'm hurt.

(And maybe a little bit of a thrill from him ordering me around.)

I nod immediately. “Yeah. Okay.”

Brilliant response. Very articulate. I mentally curse myself.

Ash's mouth twitches like he's trying not to smile. “Good.”

I stand there for another second longer than necessary. The silence stretches. Not awkward but just charged in a way I don't fully understand.

Ash opens his mouth. For a moment, it looks like he's about to say something else.

Instead, he shakes his head. Whatever thought was there disappears. “Go.”

He smiles. “Before the trainer comes looking for you.”

I laugh softly. The sound surprises both of us.

Then I nod once. “Thanks.”