Page 44 of Shots & Echoes (The Crestwood Elite Hockey Academy #12)

With every repetition, each suicide burned more than the last; my legs screamed for mercy while my breath came in ragged gasps.

But beneath all that pain lay a thrill—a wild rush—that pushed me forward into uncharted territory where nothing else mattered except proving myself to him… and maybe to me too.

I pushed through the last lap, my legs burning like they were on fire.

Every stride felt heavier, each breath came in ragged gasps.

Knox stood there, watching me with that cold intensity, silent and unmoving—like a goddamn executioner.

It was brutal and relentless, but beneath the punishment, I could feel it. The desire. The control.

With every step I took, he was claiming me—reminding me that no matter what the team saw? I belonged to him. I wasn’t just another player; I was his focus, his obsession. And there was something electric about it that made my heart race faster than the drills.

As I finally collapsed onto the boards, sweat drenching my skin and exhaustion wrapping around me like a heavy blanket, I closed my eyes for a moment to catch my breath. But before I could find any semblance of relief, his shadow loomed over me.

I opened my eyes to see Knox towering above me, his expression fierce and unreadable. My heart pounded in response to his presence—his voice low and rough sent a shiver down my spine.

“You’re not going to that fucking bonfire,” he said, each word weighted with an authority that left no room for argument.

“What?” The word slipped from my lips before I could think better of it. Confusion mixed with indignation as I pushed myself up on one elbow, looking up at him.

Knox’s gaze narrowed, dark and unwavering. “You heard me.”

His posture was predatory—almost possessive—as if he was preparing to strike or maybe even devour me whole. The intensity of it stirred something deep within me.

“It’s just a bonfire,” I protested weakly, but even as I said it, doubt crept into my mind. Would being around Chris and the rest of the team really be worth the risk of losing this connection with Knox?

He stepped closer, invading my space as he leaned down slightly so we were eye-to-eye. “I said you're not going.”

His words hung in the air between us like an accusation—a reminder of everything at stake if I let myself slip away from him.

“You don’t get to tell me what to do,” I snapped, the words bursting from me like a dam breaking.

Knox leaned in, teeth gritted, his expression fierce. “The fuck I don’t.”

Fury bubbled up inside me, mixing with frustration and something else—something darker that made my pulse race.

I pushed back against his intensity, trying to reclaim some of the control he seemed to steal away with every word.

“It’s a cover. That’s what you wanted, right?

No one suspects because I have Chris. Because I’m normal. ”

His eyes narrowed, and the air between us thickened with tension. “Or would you rather everyone know I’m getting fucked on your desk?”

The heat of my own anger fueled my response, but as soon as I spoke those words, I could see the flicker of something in his gaze—possessiveness and a primal desire that sent shivers racing down my spine.

Knox grabbed my wrist, his grip tight but not rough—just enough to make me feel it. My breath caught as he leaned closer, his voice dropping low and dangerously intimate. “I don’t want you near him.”

His words hung heavy in the air, resonating deep within me as if he had pulled at an unseen thread tying together all my conflicting emotions. The fear of losing him battled with the guilt of lying to Chris, but beneath it all lay an undeniable need that left me raw and exposed.

I softened just a little under his gaze, my heart racing as the fight drained from me. “It protects you,” I murmured, almost against my will. “It protects us. You said you didn’t want to ruin me… This is how we keep it quiet.”

But even as I said those words, doubt gnawed at the edges of my mind—what kind of future was this? A hidden relationship built on deception? Would it always be like this? The thought twisted in my gut like a knife.

I looked into Knox's eyes and saw everything swirling within them—desire, anger, confusion—and wondered if he could see how desperately I wanted him even when everything about this felt wrong.

He exhaled, his breath a low growl that rumbled through the space between us.

I could see the battle playing out in his eyes, the flicker of frustration and something darker simmering beneath the surface.

He hated that I was right—about the protection, about everything.

But I could feel it; this wasn’t just about keeping me safe anymore.

It was about possession.

As the tension hung in the air like an electric charge, our argument twisted and morphed into something rawer, more primal.

The anger that had fueled our fight faded, leaving behind a heated awareness that crackled between us.

Knox’s gaze dropped to my lips, and a thrill ran through me at the realization.

He wanted me—just as badly as I wanted him.

This was what we did.

We destroyed each other with words, with heated exchanges that ignited fires within us. And then we took—took whatever we needed from one another, surrendering to a hunger that never seemed to fade. I watched as he moved closer, his breath brushing against my skin like a whisper of temptation.

My heart raced, every nerve ending alight with anticipation. This was dangerous territory—both of us on the edge of an abyss where nothing else mattered but each other. The way he loomed over me made me feel small and fierce all at once; I was trapped in a storm of desire and fear.

I licked my lips nervously, aware of how Knox’s eyes darkened at the movement. A shiver ran down my spine as his fingers curled around my wrist—a possessive grip that sent waves of heat flooding through me. He leaned in closer still, his voice dropping to a husky murmur.

“You don’t get to act like you’re fine with this,” he said softly but firmly.

The weight of his words settled heavy on my chest. Did I really want to act like everything was okay?

That I could juggle Chris’s affections and Knox’s demands without falling apart?

But deep down, I knew—I didn’t want it to be fine anymore.

Not when Knox stood before me like this, full of fire and determination.

The air between us thickened as he held my gaze; there was no escaping it now. We were two forces colliding—and neither of us had any intention of backing down.

He shoved me against the glass, my stick clattering to the ice as I barely registered the sound.

My breath hitched as his hand found its place on my throat—not hard, just enough to remind me who was in charge.

The pressure felt both terrifying and thrilling, igniting a fire within me that I had never dared to acknowledge.

“Say it,” he demanded, his voice low and commanding.

I gasped, my body arching into him instinctively, a response I couldn't control.

“Say what?” I managed to stammer out, the words trembling on my lips as I fought against the rush of desire coursing through me.

His mouth grazed my jaw, sending shivers down my spine. “That you’re mine.”

A shudder ran through me at his words. The weight of them hung between us like an unbreakable tether, pulling me closer to him. My nails dug into his chest as if trying to ground myself amid the storm swirling around us.

Because I wanted it.

I had always wanted it.

“I’m yours,” I breathed out, surrendering to the inevitable pull between us. The moment hung heavy in the air—charged with tension and something darker that had been brewing beneath the surface since we first locked eyes.

His grip tightened just a fraction more, enough for me to feel every heartbeat thudding between us like a war drum echoing through the rink. There was no going back now; we had crossed a line neither of us could uncross.

Knox groaned, low and animalistic, as if he had been waiting for those words to fall from my lips.

He flipped me around, pushing my face into the cold glass of the rink's wall.

The chill sent a shiver down my spine, but it was quickly replaced by a wave of heat as he undid the strings to my hockey shorts and tugged them down along with my tights.

The cold air hit my exposed skin, making me gasp, but I was already dripping with desire. I could feel his fingers digging into my hips as he positioned himself behind me. He slammed into me without warning, and I had to balance carefully on my skates to keep from falling.

It wasn't gentle. It wasn't slow or romantic. It was fast, messy, and desperate. We both knew someone could walk in at any moment, but we didn't care. The risk only added to the thrill, making every thrust more intense.

I could hear the sound of our skates scraping against the ice, mingling with our ragged breaths and the slap of skin on skin.

My heart pounded in my chest, drowning out the noise of the world around us.

All that mattered was the feel of him inside me, the way our bodies moved together in a frantic dance.

We were both on the edge, teetering between pleasure and pain. I could feel the pressure building inside me, threatening to spill over at any moment.

He leaned in close, his breath hot against my ear as he whispered, "You like that, don't you? You like it when I fuck you like this."

His grip on my hair tightened, pulling my head back to expose my neck. I gasped as his teeth grazed my skin, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Yes," I managed to choke out, my voice barely above a whisper.

He chuckled darkly; the sound sending a jolt of pleasure straight to my core. "You're so tight, Iris. So fucking tight."