Page 56 of Daddies on Ice

The sharp sound slices the room like a blade. We jump as if someone doused us with ice water. Ash squeezes his eyes shut, breathing hard.

I scramble off him and reach for the nightstand with a shaking hand. The screen swims for a second before the caller ID comes into focus. My stomach drops.

“Don’t,” Ash says under his breath, but I’m already answering.

“Hello?” The voice that comes out doesn’t sound like mine. It’s husky and a little wrecked.

Static cracks, then my brother’s voice slams through, tight with fury and something that sounds like fear.

“I know what you’re doing,” Trent growls, each word clipped. “And you’d better stop it right now before it gets out of hand.”

19

TISH

Trent’s voice snaps through the phone, sharp enough to slice the haze between Ash and me. “I know what you’re doing, and you’d better stop it right now before it gets out of hand.”

My stomach plummets.

He knows. Somehow he already knows.

My mind races back to the bed, to Ash’s mouth hot on mine, to my own fingers clutching his shirt like I’d die if I let go. Heat drains out of me in a rush of shame.

“I —” My voice cuts out. What can I say? How can I explain almost having sex with his best friend?

But Trent barrels on. “Pretending to be Jake’s girlfriend? Really? That’s your big plan? You’ve completely lost your mind.”

I blink. Wait. What?

The panic stalls, replaced by something else. He doesn’t mean Ash. He doesn’t know about that.

Relief flashes, sharp and short-lived, because the next thought slams just as hard.Ash told him.

I snap my gaze to Ash, my breath still shaky. My brow arches in silent accusation:Did you tell my brother?

His face hardens but guilt flickers across his eyes before he looks away. My chest tightens.

I jab a finger toward the door. The command is clear. Leave.

Ash hesitates. His jaw clenches like he wants to argue, but then his shoulders drop and he moves.

The weight of him leaves the mattress, and the space between us grows cold.

He rakes a hand through his hair, mutters something I can’t catch, and stalks out.

The door closes with a soft click that feels louder than a gunshot.

Trent’s voice spikes again. “Why the hell was Ash in your room?”

How the hell did he know that? Had he actually heard Ash’s mumbled voice?

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Because he’s my friend. Because he’s worried. Because everyone’s decided they get a vote in my personal life.”

Silence on the line except for heavy breathing, like he’s pacing. Then, “You don’t get it. This isn’t just about you. The second word gets out, it’ll hit the team. Carl’s pushing this insane plan, and you’re just…going along with it?”

I shut my eyes and tip my head back. “I’m going along with it because it’s smart. It fixes Jake’s mess before it buries us all.”

“It’s not your job to fix him.”