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James fake gags. “Please. I just ate a snack.”

Connor points with his Gatorade. “I’m sorry, did you saytasted?”

“Spin the bottle,” Ethan says smugly.

“Oh, right,” Dillon adds. “The ‘innocent’ party that somehow included you making out with the neighbor’s roommate.”

“She spun. I followed the rules.”

Parker shakes his head. “This team has no off switch.”

Connor smirks and turns to James. "Speaking of off switch, what’s going on with your love life, Casanova?”

“Who, me?”

“Yes, you. Last week it was the yoga instructor. Week before that, wasn’t there a pastry chef?”

James shrugs like he’s giving a press conference. “All in the name of research. I like carbs and flexibility.”

Connor groans. “You’re the reason our team HR exists.”

“Iamteam HR,” James fires back. “Hot and Reckless, baby. HR at your service.”

I snort. “More like Hopeless and Ridiculous.”

The guys lose it, towels flying, someone pounding the bench like it’s overtime.

Coach blows his whistle, but there’s a hint of amusement in his eyes.

“Good team win,” he says. “Enjoy it. Recover fast. We go again Tuesday.”

“Will do, Coach,” someone says.

I finish unlacing my skates, leaning back against the cool wall.

We won. I did my job. We held the line.

But the truth is, I spent most of the game glancing toward the stands.

Watching her.

That smile. That laugh. That spark.

I told myself this season was about proving myself on the ice.

But tonight, she was the only thing I wanted to win.

Chapter six

Mandy

Kira is still buzzing from the game as we walk into our apartment, her voice two octaves higher than normal.

“Can we just take a second to appreciate how cool that was?” she says, kicking off her boots and spinning in a little victory dance. “Like we gotactualtickets. Fromactual players.”

I smile, hanging up my coat. “I know. It felt kind of unreal.”

She drops onto the couch dramatically. “Unreal? Mandy, we were practically VIP. The usher even smiled like he knew we were special. We got the good seats, saw them up close, and now I kind of know which one I’d let ruin my credit score.”