Page 20

Chapter 20

Ryker

I woke up the next morning; the sun streaming through my bedroom window. I dragged myself out of bed and into the shower, letting the hot water wash away the remnants of my dreams. As I dressed in my crisp suit, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of bitterness. I had a back-to-school function to attend, and part of me resented the fact that I had to be there at all.

But as I tied my tie and looked at myself in the mirror, I couldn't deny the fact that there was a part of me that was looking forward to seeing Paige again. I couldn't get her out of my head. The way she had stood up to me, the fire in her eyes, the way her lips had curled into a smirk when she had bested me in our argument. It was infuriating, and yet, I couldn't help but feel drawn to her.

I felt my cock twitch at the thought of her, and I quickly pushed the image out of my mind. I couldn't let myself get distracted. I had a job to do, and I couldn't afford to let my emotions get the better of me.

Driving to the ice arena, I couldn't shake the memories of my father being there. His presence had tainted the place, a constant reminder of his cold, dismissive attitude. And Brendan. The thought of what he did to Paige ignited a fire in my chest. I had to keep my temper in check, had to stay focused.

I parked and headed inside, my steps echoing through the halls. As I approached Paige's office, I noticed the door slightly ajar. Inside, Leo stood leaning casually against her desk, his voice a low murmur.

"And that's when I told him, If you think you can outskate me, you're welcome to try ," Leo said with a chuckle.

Paige's laugh followed, light and genuine. My chest tightened, a sour taste creeping into my mouth. I leaned against the doorframe, watching them.

"You're always so confident," Paige replied, shaking her head with a smile.

"Confidence is key," he said, his eyes glinting mischievously. "Besides, it's not just confidence when you've got the skills to back it up."

He reached out, lightly brushing her arm. She didn't pull away. My fingers curled into fists at my sides.

"You think you're pretty smooth, don't you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'd like to think so," Leo winked. "But why don't you tell me? Am I?"

Her laughter rang out again, but I couldn't take it anymore.

"Am I interrupting something?" I asked, stepping fully into the doorway.

Leo glanced over his shoulder at me and smirked. "Just having a friendly chat with Ms. Adams here."

I didn't respond immediately, my eyes locking onto Paige's. She looked slightly taken aback but composed herself quickly.

"We were just discussing some PR strategies," she said, her tone professional but guarded.

"Right," I replied coolly. "Leo, don't you have practice? You are a rookie this year, aren't you? Even if you are, what, twenty-five?"

He straightened up and shrugged. "Yeah, yeah. I'm heading out." He turned to Paige with a lingering smile. "Catch you later."

She nodded, and he sauntered past me with that same infuriating smirk plastered on his face. I stepped aside to let him pass but didn't miss the way he glanced back at Paige before finally leaving.

I closed the door behind him and turned to face her fully.

“What the hell was that?” I demanded, stepping closer to her desk.

Paige furrowed her brow, confusion painting her features. “What was what?”

“I told you to stay away from him,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous.

She crossed her arms, eyes narrowing. “He's part of the team and he had a question about sponsorship.”

“Yeah? And that's why he touched your arm?” The words left my mouth before I could stop them, anger lacing each syllable.

“Are you… are you jealous?” she asked, incredulity mixed with a hint of amusement in her voice.

The question struck a nerve. My blood boiled at how easily she saw through me. I lashed out without thinking, my fists clenching. “Of course I'm not jealous! I don't care what you do or who you talk to. Fuck Leo, for all I care.”

Her expression hardened, lips pressing into a thin line. “You’re acting like you do care, Ryker.”

I turned away from her, running a hand through my hair in frustration. Why was I so angry? This wasn't me. I didn't lose control like this.

I spun back to face her; the words flying out before I could stop them. "You don't get it, do you? This isn't just about you. It's about the team, the image we project. You getting cozy with a rookie isn't part of that."

Paige's eyes flashed with anger. "Cozy? Are you serious? We were talking about work."

"Sure looked like more than work to me," I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

She stepped around her desk, closing the distance between us. "You have no right to dictate who I talk to or how I talk to them. I'm here to do my job, not cater to your insecurities."

"Insecurities?" I laughed bitterly. "You think this is about my insecurities? You're na?ve if you think that's all this is."

"Then what is it, Ryker?" Her voice rose, challenging me. "What the hell is this really about?"

"It's about control," I snapped, realizing too late how that sounded. "It's about keeping things professional and not letting personal feelings mess with the team dynamics."

She shook her head, disbelief etched on her face. "You can't control everything and everyone around you. People aren't just pieces on a chessboard for you to move around."

I took a step closer, my frustration boiling over. "Maybe if you understood what was at stake here, you'd take this more seriously."

"Don't you dare patronize me," she spat, her eyes blazing. "I've worked hard to be here, just like everyone else. And I've done nothing wrong."

"You think just because you handled a sponsorship meeting that you're suddenly irreplaceable?" The venom in my words surprised even me, but I didn't stop.

Her face fell for a moment before she straightened up, defiance returning. "I'm not looking for your approval, Ryker. I'm here to do my job, and I won't let your issues interfere with that."

I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. "Fine. Do your job then. But remember who you're dealing with."

She stared at me, disappointment in her gaze. "You know what? You're right. I will do my job." She brushed past me towards the door, pausing only to look back once more. "But you need to figure out what's really bothering you before it destroys everything you've built."

She turned to leave, but I grabbed her wrist—the one my brother didn't bruise—and snapped her back to me. My grip tightened as I pushed her into the desk. Her eyes widened, but not with fear. She wasn't scared of me.

"I don't want you alone with Leo Wolfe," I growled, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want you alone with anyone."

"I'm alone with you right now," she pointed out, her voice steady.

I clenched my teeth, frustration boiling under my skin. She leaned closer, her breath mingling with mine.

"I'm not afraid of you," she whispered, her lips almost brushing against mine.

My mind raced, unsure of what was happening, so I said nothing. Her eyes dropped to my lips, and I felt a dark desire ignite within me. My cock hardened. I pushed against her, the sensation both infuriating and intoxicating.

"We need to go," she said, though there was a tremor in her voice. "We're going to be late."

But I didn't care. The heat between us was too consuming, too demanding to ignore. My hands gripped the edge of the desk on either side of her hips, caging her in.

"You think this is a game?" I rasped, my voice rough.

Her gaze locked onto mine, defiant and unyielding. "No, Ryker. But you need to decide what you really want."

I pressed harder against her, feeling the curve of her body align with mine. "What I want?" The words came out like a challenge.

She didn't back down. "Yes. Because this back-and-forth is obnoxious and unprofessional. You can't have it both ways."

I leaned in even closer until our noses nearly touched. "Then tell me what you want."

Her breath hitched, and for a moment, vulnerability flickered in her eyes. It was brief, almost imperceptible, but I saw it.

“I want to do my job,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “I want to make sure you and the team aren't penalized any more because of footage. And this is only going to make it worse if it gets out.”

“Hmmm,” I murmured, my gaze unwavering. “And yet, I want you… to stay away from Leo Wolfe.”

“I can't do that,” she said.

A surge of frustration coursed through me. Before I realized what I was doing, my fingers sank into her hair. I yanked her closer and crushed my lips against hers. The kiss was intense, fierce. Our mouths moved together in a desperate dance, tongues clashing as if battling for dominance.

Her initial shock melted into a fervent response. She grabbed my shoulders, pulling me closer still, her nails digging into the fabric of my suit jacket. Every touch ignited a fire within me, burning away any semblance of control.

I pressed her harder against the desk, feeling the curve of her body mold against mine. Her lips were soft but demanding, her breath mingling with mine in a chaotic symphony. It was raw, unfiltered need that neither of us could deny.

I ripped away from her lips, trailing mine down her neck. Her skin was warm and inviting, and I could feel her pulse racing beneath my touch. The sound of her quickened breaths spurred me on. I nipped at the tender flesh just below her jawline, eliciting a gasp from her.

My teeth sank into her skin, not hard enough to break it but firm enough to make her arch against me. She let out a soft moan, and I felt a surge of satisfaction. My lips closed over the spot, sucking gently at first, then harder. I wanted to leave a mark, a visible reminder that she was mine.

Her hands gripped my shoulders tighter, nails digging into the fabric of my suit jacket. I could feel her shiver under my touch, and it fueled my desire. I continued to suck at the spot on her neck, drawing the blood to the surface. Her breath hitched again, and she pressed closer to me, seeking more contact.

I reveled in the sensation of her body against mine, every movement she made igniting a fire within me. My tongue flicked over the reddened skin before I pulled back slightly to admire my handiwork—a dark bruise already forming where my mouth had been.

She tilted her head back slightly, exposing more of her neck to me. It was an unspoken invitation, one I couldn't resist. My lips moved lower, tracing a path down to the hollow of her throat. Each kiss was a claim, each bite a declaration.

I felt her fingers tangle in my hair, pulling me closer as if she couldn't get enough. The desperation in her touch mirrored my own feelings—this need that neither of us could deny any longer.

Her scent enveloped me, intoxicating and driving me further into madness. The taste of her skin lingered on my tongue, salty and sweet all at once. It was overwhelming, consuming every thought I had left.

When I finally pulled away from her neck, panting slightly from the intensity of it all, I looked into her eyes. They were dark with desire, mirroring everything I felt inside. The mark on her neck stood out vividly against her pale skin.

I took a step back reluctantly, still feeling the ghost of her touch on my lips and fingertips.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

I blinked, my mind scrambling for an answer. “I?—”

“We can't do this,” she cut in, her tone firm. “Don't you get that?”

Her hands pressed against my shoulders, pushing me back. The warmth of her touch lingered even as the distance grew between us.

“If you and I get involved, it'll be more scandal for the team,” she said. “And I don't even know if you want…” She shook her head, frustration and something else—maybe sadness—clouding her eyes. “Considering how protective you are about your family. I won't do that to you. I know how important this team is to you, and I don't want to come between that.”

My teeth clenched, the muscles in my jaw tightening. The words were logical, sensible even, but they grated against everything I felt.

“Not that I could.” She laughed a little, a hollow sound that echoed painfully in the room. “I… We need to leave. And I need…” She sighed deeply. “I need to cover this up.”

“Don’t,” I warned, my voice low and edged with desperation.

“I don’t belong to you, Ryker,” she said, her eyes boring into mine with a spark of defiance. “I never did. Just like I know you never belonged to me.” Her glare was fierce but held a flicker of vulnerability that twisted something inside me. “Let it go.”

She turned on her heel and left the office; the door closing behind her with a finality that seemed to echo through the empty space.

I stood there, the silence pressing in around me like a suffocating shroud. My fists clenched at my sides as I struggled to process what had just happened. Her words rang in my ears, each one hitting harder than any punch I'd ever taken on the ice.

Let it go.

But how could I?

What the fuck was wrong with me? My hands trembled as I stared at the closed door. Every nerve in my body screamed to chase after her, to fix whatever mess I'd just made, but I couldn't move. All I knew was this was her fault. She'd gotten under my skin, made me feel things I'd spent a lifetime trying to bury.

I slammed my fist against the desk, the pain sharp and immediate. It grounded me, pulled me back from the edge of the abyss. The memory of her lips on mine still burned, a tantalizing reminder of how easily she unraveled me.

I had to leave before I did something else I'd regret. My breath came in ragged bursts as I yanked open the door and stormed down the hallway. Each step echoed with a hollow finality, each stride pushing me further from her and deeper into my own turmoil.

Faces blurred as I passed them, teammates and staff becoming indistinct shapes in my peripheral vision. My mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions—anger, desire, frustration—all tangled in a knot I couldn't untie.

Reaching the parking lot, I fumbled for my keys, nearly dropping them in my haste. The cool metal bit into my palm as I gripped them tightly, desperate for something solid to hold onto.

I needed to clear my head, find some semblance of control again. Pushing open the car door, I slid into the driver's seat. The clear sky above seemed indifferent to my turmoil.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to steady myself. This wasn't who I was—letting someone affect me so deeply. I'd built my life on control and perfection, on being untouchable.

But Paige... she threatened all of that.

I clenched my jaw and started the car, pulling out my phone to check the address. I thought we'd go over together, but fuck that. Whatever this was between us—it had to end before it destroyed everything I'd worked for.

Fuck, I hated that she was right too.

What had I done? And why did it feel like I'd crossed a line I couldn't uncross?

The questions lingered unanswered as I pulled away from the ice and towards one solution to one problem. But fuck, if I didn't make an even bigger mess than I already had.