Page 86 of Captured Love

“Well, well, if it isn't the Red Wolves' biggest fans,” he drawls, throwing an arm around Isla’s shoulders. She rolls her eyes but leans into him.

“You played great out there,” Hailey tells him sincerely.

Asher shrugs. “I was alright. Knox though, he was on fire tonight. Did you see that goal in the third period? The man's a machine.”

I smile proudly at the praise for my boyfriend. My boyfriend. I swear I’ll get used to it at some point.

As if summoned by our conversation, Knox appears, a small cut on his cheek and a satisfied gleam in his eye. My heart skips a beat as his gaze locks with mine. He makes his way over to me, ignoring the good-natured ribbing from his teammates.

“Hey, you,” he whispers, slipping an arm around my waist.

I melt into his touch. “Hey yourself,” I murmur back, unable to keep the smile off my face. “You were incredible out there.”

Knox's lips quirk up in that signature cocky grin of his. “Not too bad, huh?” He pulls me closer, his hand resting comfortably on my hip like it belongs there. Because it does.

I'm about to respond when I catch a glimpse of movement out of the corner of my eye. I glance over and see Tessa, lingering near the exit, her gaze fixed on us. Well, more specifically, on Knox's arm around me. Her expression is unreadable, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what she’s thinking.

Knox must sense my tension because he follows my line of sight. When he spots Tessa, I feel him stiffen slightly. But instead of pulling away, he does the opposite. In a move that's both casual and deliberate, he turns his head and presses a quick kiss to my temple.

It's a small gesture, but the meaning behind it is clear. He's choosing me, right here, right now, in front of everyone. Including Tessa.

I can't help but lean into him, but when I glance back at Tessa, she's already turning away to leave.

As Tessa disappears from view, Knox's arm tightens around me. “You good?” he says in my ear.

I nod, turning to face him fully. “I'm good. More than good, actually. I'm so proud of you, Knox.”

His eyes soften, a rare vulnerability peeking through his usual bravado. “Thanks, picosita. It means a lot having you here.”

I brush my fingers along his jawline. “There's nowhere else I'd rather be.”

Knox leans into my touch for a moment before straightening up.

“Alright, lovebirds,” Asher calls out, breaking the spell. “Let's get Levi and Wilder and get out of here.”

With that announcement, Knox moves his arm from around my waist to slip his hand into mine. He brings the back of my hand up to his lips and puts a small kiss on it. And the look in his eyes tells me that is just a small taste of what is to come tonight.

32

SELENE

Aquick sigh leaves my lips as I slide another book onto the shelf. Normally I don’t mind my job but tonight has been boring. It’s been so bad that I’ve spent part of the night picking at my split ends. It’s then that I realize I need to get a haircut. Maybe I can convince Isla to come with and we can make it a little self-care day.

With a yawn, I pull my phone from my pocket, half-expecting a text from Knox. There is none, but I do have a notification: Knox Sanchez posted a photo.

My stomach gives an involuntary flip as I swipe open the app.

The photo is from last night’s game—a shot of Knox skating down the ice with his eyes locked in on the puck.

Damn, he looks good.

I tap the heart without thinking, then scroll through the comments. I find praise from fans, Wilder hyping him up, and a few thirst comments that make me roll my eyes. But then I see this one:

TessaM9352: Good seeing you after the game. Still thinking about it.

What the hell?

My pulse spikes as I reread the words, hoping I somehow misunderstood. But there they are, staring up at me from the screen.