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SILAS

THREE WEEKS LATER—FIRST WEEK OF TRAINING CAMP

S ummer bloomed in Sutton and while the town was packed with tourists, the campus had thinned out.

I didn’t mind at all.

In fact, since classes were done, I’d taken extra shifts at Verdant and played hockey at the rink twice a week with Finn. But I hadn’t seen Damien since our team gathering. I knew he was around somewhere, but his office door was always closed. Probably best that it was.

Not that I was tempted to go near him. Why would I need to do that?

Today, though, I was nervous like I never was.

Our first day of hockey training camp and I was already screwing up.

First, I slept past my alarm. Then, when I was well on the road to campus, I realized I forgot my phone and had to drive back home to get it.

And finally, I spilled my coffee—iced, thank fuck—all over my jeans.

By the time I arrived at the rink, I was late, wet—not in a good way—and irritated at myself.

When I spotted Damien talking to Dean Chancer in the parking lot, things only got worse.

Coach had his back to me, but he was wearing his usual Sutton sweatpants, and for some reason, I couldn’t stop staring at his ass.

This time, however, he wore a tight T-shirt instead of his usual jacket.

Of course he did, it was hot outside, a balmy seventy-one degrees, so duh, naturally he didn’t have a jacket on.

With his hands on his hips, I could see the long lines of his powerful back, and the way his biceps strained against those sleeves.

Presumably hearing the rumble of my truck, Damien looked over his shoulder and spotted me.

He had those black sunglasses on again, and I couldn’t read his expression, though I did see his lips press together, like he was holding back his temper.

I was late and Damien was going to ream me out good.

I couldn’t fucking wait.

My cock started to fill in my jeans and wasn’t that what I needed right now? A boner for Banning. I nearly laughed out loud at my train of thought and mistakenly hit the brakes too soon.

After realizing what I’d done, I quickly pulled into a nearby spot and parked. I took a sip of what was left of my coffee, did a quick countdown to deflate my horny dick, and reached for my duffel bag.

Feeling calmer, I stepped out and slammed the door.

Every step closer to the entrance, to Damien, had my heart taking off like a sprinter on the starting block.

“Dean Chancer,” I acknowledged as I walked past the two men. “Coach Banning.”

“Moss,” Damien hissed and crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re late.”

“I apologize. It won’t happen again.”

“You know my rule. Either you’re committed to this camp or you’re not,” Damien bit out. “Make up your mind and fast.”

“I’m here, aren’t I? I said it won’t happen again,” I bit out and kept walking, ignoring Damien’s molten glare.

I didn’t know what was hotter, him dressed in that T-shirt and sweats, or his attitude, all riled up, that sharp mouth aimed at me. Even with his sunglasses on, I felt the burn of his gaze on my back.

“Ease up, Coach,” I heard the dean whisper behind me.

“I know how to do my job, Dave.”

I left their comments, and my frustration, behind and pushed the door open. The cool, damp air of the rink wafted over me, and I finally felt myself settle. Once I had my skates on, once I hit the ice, I’d be good.

The locker room was empty of course. It was weird to see only six stalls with stuff in them.

I quickly changed, got my skates and helmet on, grabbed my stick and headed for the ice.

The rest of the guys in the camp were already warming up, Dane, Finn, and Ethan at one end of the ice, and Sean and Colin, the other.

“Ten minutes late, bro,” Finn announced when he spotted me. “Coach’s been waiting on you and getting angrier by the second. He was pacing up a storm behind the boards.”

“I know,” I muttered. “He was standing in the parking lot with Dean Chancer when I pulled in. I got warned.”

“You know how he is about being on time.”

“It was an accident. My stupid alarm. It won’t happen again.”

“Better not,” Finn added. “Go get warmed up before Coach comes back.”

I did some easy laps, my usual stretches, and a bit of one-on-one with Finn.

By the time I was loose and limber, Damien reappeared with his jacket on and his sunglasses off. I got the full impact of his blue glare, but it had the opposite effect he intended, making my heart race for an entirely different reason.

Fuck, not this again .

Instead of letting my reaction worry me, I decided to push my luck and offered him a cocky smile in return. His pissed-off gaze said he wasn’t impressed by my attitude, even though I swore he was fighting a smile.

When he stepped onto the ice, gliding over to join us, I braced myself for whatever he was about to throw at me.

“Training camp day one,” Damien announced and pointed at me. “First rule, if you’re going to be late, don’t bother showing up at all. Understood?”

I nodded, feeling my cheeks unexpectedly heat.

“Second rule, this isn’t time for you to socialize.

We’re here to work and work hard. Most days will go something like this.

After your warmup, we’ll spend two hours on drills.

We have a short break, in the lounge, and then we’ll review strategies and plays for another hour.

After lunch, we have a scrimmage, followed by Q&A.

On Wednesday afternoons, things will look a bit different.

I’ll rotate working one-on-one with each player while the rest of the group practices. Any questions so far?”

Finn raised his stick.

“Go ahead Finn,” Damien urged.

“Have you confirmed the visiting pros?”

Damien nodded. “I have. More news on that next week.”

“Cool.”

“Anything else?” Damien asked.

Silence.

“All right then, I’ve got some new drills that I want to try out today.

Ones that will challenge the way you play.

We’re going to do a bit of role reversal, with defensemen playing offence and vice versa.

These exercises will get you thinking about the game in a holistic way.

I want you to see the bigger picture so you can take advantage of an unexpected play.

Hockey is about action and reaction. Things don’t always go to plan, so you gotta be ready for anything.

That means, a defensive player needs to be able to take the puck all the way if the situation warrants it and that an offensive player can protect our zone as needed. ”

There was something about the way Damien talked, the passion in his voice when he spoke about the game, that I didn’t get with previous coaches.

Maybe part of it was because he was a player in mindset too.

Sure, most coaches provided guidance and instruction, but they tended to favor the star players and leave the rest of us to fend for ourselves.

But with him? It felt like he was talking directly to me .

I wanted to be the best and I knew that with hard work, I’d get there.

“Silas, you’re first up with Dane.”

Not surprising. Damien was going to make me work my ass off as punishment for being late. Like I told him in that text exchange weeks ago, anything he could dish out, I could take.

An hour later, however, played out, wrung out, I was about to eat my words. Damien had pushed me harder than ever before. Not that I’d ever admit that to him.

“Do it again, Silas,” Damien called out. “And this time, don’t hesitate when you get near the net.”

I didn’t get a chance to respond given the high-pitched whine of his whistle in my ear.

And this was only day one?

I grabbed hold of the puck and made my way down the ice again, exactly as he’d instructed. My slapshot wasn’t like Jace’s or Dane’s but I managed to hit it hard. Hard and accurate. This time.

My teammates clapped behind me, and I raised my stick in response. I don’t think I’ve ever sweated so much as I did this morning.

When Damien finally called for a break, I downed a whole bottle of water in record time. Then another. My breathing came in fits and starts, like I’d been running a marathon, but at full speed. I used the bottom of my jersey to swipe the perspiration that rolled down my face.

“Towels are on the board,” Damien called out as he stared at me.

I followed his line of sight.

“Oh, thanks.”

I was so tired that I hadn’t even realized.

I’d left mine in my bag, since I was already late and was rushing like mad to get to the ice.

I skated over and swiped one of the white towels draped over the boards, breathing in the smell of bleach.

My hair was soaking wet too, but I didn’t dare take my helmet off yet.

This was a break, not the end of the day.

“Take fifteen, guys,” Damien called out.

Everyone but me skated off the ice. I waved at Finn, still trying to catch my breath.

“That includes you, Silas.”

I turned around at the sound of Damien’s voice.

“I’m good right here,” I panted. “I don’t dare pause or sit down.”

“Afraid you might not last the day?” Damien challenged as he drew closer.

I would’ve skated backwards, anything to keep the distance between us, but I was already up against the boards. Where the fuck was I gonna go? Thankfully, I had the towel in my hands to distract me.

“Not at all,” I replied as I wiped my face again. “I’m just getting started. I don’t wanna break my stride.”

“You did very good. Despite the late start.”

I ran a hand down my beard. “Sorry. My stupid fucking alarm.”

“I don’t accept excuses.”

I knew that. I bit my lip, holding back a sharp response. Instead, I nodded.

“You’re going to have to work at this pace for the entire camp, you know that, right?”

“Yeah.”

“If you want to get drafted, you can’t ease up. Not for a play, not for a second.”

“I get it,” I bit out.

“I don’t think you do. There are younger players hot on your heels, guys with just as much talent and drive.”

“Don’t tell me what I already know,” I snapped. “And I don’t care about anyone else. I don’t think about them. I focus on me and I’m going to make it.”

Damien stared at me for a long moment, and I shivered at his turbulent blues. How could one look say so much and affect me like no one else? Why did this man get to me when nothing else did?

“I’m not questioning your ambition,” he added, standing toe to toe with me.

“But temper it with realism. Don’t make the mistake I did and make playing your entire reason for being.

Because if your plans don’t work out, if something doesn’t go your way and shit happens, you have to find a way to deal with the situation you find yourself in. Hockey doesn’t last forever.”

“Life has already kicked me in the balls one too many times,” I replied bluntly. “I know how to defend myself. And to pick myself up when I fall.”

Damien nodded and started to skate backwards.

“As long as you have a plan,” he returned. “Don’t get blindsided by the potential for fame and big money. It’s great but it’s fleeting. You can easily lose sight of everything.”

I saw the pain on Damien’s face before it turned into an icy mask again.

“Is that what happened with your knee injury?” I asked him. “You didn’t lose hockey, but yourself?”