Page 22 of Pucking Forbidden

I move closer to the boards and rest my forearms against the railing. She’s a tiny thing, but she moves with a confident, controlled precision that makes it look effortless.

It’s different than what I’m used to. Hockey is about speed, impact, and reaction. Pure power slamming across the ice.

This is delicate and graceful. Kind of enchanting, and I can’t look away. She spins, lands clean, and transitions without hesitation. Her shoulder-length, wavy brown hair shifts with the motion, catching the overhead lights. When she turns her head, I catch a full glimpse of her face.

Recognition clicks in an instant, and my stomach twists with shock.

No fucking way. I’d recognize that pretty heart-shaped face anywhere.

Hadley.

CHAPTER EIGHT: WITHIN REACH

JULIAN

What the hell? Why’s she here on my ice? Why’s she in the fucking country?

My jaw has literally dropped, and I don’t move or say anything. I just continue watching her, stunned. She’s gorgeous, even in simple black leggings and a gray pullover sweatshirt.

Her deep chocolate-brown eyes are fixed on some invisible point ahead of her. She’s so focused, I doubt she has any idea that she’s being watched.

I’ve never seen her like this. She’s so in her element right now. So sure of herself and confident. She’s always been on the quieter side. Almost shy. In her defense, it’s hard not to be a little overwhelmed now and then by our group of friends. Still, I can’t look away.

A few moments later, she slows, gliding to a stop near center ice. As if she can finally sense she’s not alone, her gaze snaps to mine.

There’s a flicker of surprise before her expression shifts into an excited smile.

“Julian!” she exclaims, skating toward me. I push off the boards and meet her halfway. She throws herself into my arms, nearly knocking me off my feet as she hugs me. I’m hit with the fresh smell of citrus and vanilla. I hold her tight. She feels so small and delicate in my arms. Fuck. It feels incredible to hold her. A part of me doesn’t want to let her go, but another part needs to know what is going on.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, my voice rougher than I mean for it to be. I set her back down on her feet, hold her shoulders, and gaze down at her with a furrowed brow. “I thought you were in England. We just texted yesterday, and you didn’t say anything about coming here.”

She just smiles more widely and spreads her arms, spinning in a circle.

“I transferred,” she exclaims. “I’m going to go to school here now. I wanted to surprise you!”

A sharp, unfamiliar flicker of something low in my gut catches me off guard, and I frown.

“Since when?”

“A few days ago,” she shrugs. “Still getting settled.”

“We’ve been talking,” I point out. “You didn’t think to mention that?”

Her nose wrinkles slightly. It’s small, cute, and distracting as hell. “I wanted to surprise everyone.”

I shake my head, a breath of disbelief slipping past my lips. “Unbelievable. How? I thought your dad was dead-set on you staying in England?”

Her eyes glint mischievously. “Let’s just say you and Skyler inspired me to work harder to…convince him.”

I blink. “Me? What the heck did I do?”

“Mmhmm.” She rocks back on her blades, completely at ease. She gazes up at me a moment, a small smile tugging at her lips. “You asked me why I was still there.”

It takes me a moment, but I remember asking her that. “Yeah, okay. How did that change things?”

“It made me finally ask myself the same thing.” She gazes up at me, her eyes shining with gratitude. Holy shit, I didn’t think my words would have such an impact.

The corner of my mouth twitches. There’s more to the story than that, I’m sure, but I let it go for the moment.