Page 158 of Twisted Play

Uncertainty warred with desire in her expression, but she finally moved toward Cole. He met her halfway, his hand cupping her face as their lips met, vulnerable rather than cruel. My chest cracked open at the sight—raw and perfect.

Cole’s eyes found mine over Eva’s shoulder, bright blue and full of questions. Then he was reaching for me too, pulling me into the kiss. His lips were warm and desperate, tasting like Eva and want and everything I’d been craving since that first night in the locker room.

When we broke apart, all three of us were breathing hard, the air electric with possibility.

“Now him,” I said, gesturing to Alek, my voice steady despite the earthquake thundering beneath my ribs.

Alek’s eyebrows rose slightly, a challenge in his gaze that made my cock stir again. He didn’t protest when Eva crawled toward him on all fours, her movements deliberate and enticing. He wrapped his hand around her throat andnuzzled her neck, gently kissing her cheek rather than her lips.

“Good girl,” I murmured, and Eva’s cheeks flushed crimson at the praise. I stood and gathered Eva’s scattered pajamas, full of unexpected hope. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” Cole asked, wariness creeping into his voice.

“Back to our rooms.” I pulled Alek’s hoodie over Eva’s head. She looked adorable bundled up like that, her hair wild and her lips swollen from our kisses.

“We have to catch the bus,” Alek said, but his tone held amusement rather than objection.

“Then we better hurry.” I scooped Eva up in my arms, ignoring her startled laugh. “Coming, Cole?”

Cole stared at me for a long moment, something shifting in his expression. Then he nodded, climbing out of bed and grabbing his clothes.

“See you on the ice, Coach,” I called over my shoulder as I headed for the door, my voice cocky and confident.

Alek’s low laughter followed us out into the hallway. “Indeed, you will.”

58

COLE

The Hawks were everywherewe were. Each offensive play, they found ways to duck and weave around our formations. And on defense, we were useless against their attacks.

My chest burned with every failed play, sweat stinging my eyes despite the arena’s chill. I caught glimpses of Eva in the stands during line changes—that flash of red hair, those school colors stretched across curves that made my dick twitch even when I was furious with her. She hadn’t worn a jersey today. That absence felt like betrayal, even though I couldn’t explain why.

I was torn between wanting to work off my anger and wanting to gather her in my arms and tell her everything was going to be okay.

We were meeting the Hawks in their own territory, and the crowd hated us. We’d gone straight from the bus to the game, and I hadn’t had a moment to track her down. Not that it mattered how she was doing, if she was comfortable, if she had everything she needed—that I fucking worried about her.

I skated down the ice, chasing a puck, willing the movement to calm my mind like it normally did. Tristan skidded to my left, and I passed. He caught it, and we raced toward the opposing goal.

Tristan’s stick work was fucking impeccable. Massi caught up to his other side, and together, we defended him, until?—

Fuck!The opposing center took out Massi, sliding right into him and knocking him on his ass as one of their defensemen skated between Tristan and me.

Tristan lined up, aimed, and just as he swung, an opposing player slammed into him from the back, knocking him forward. The puck pinged off the metal of the goal, and Tristan swore angrily.

We couldn’t get ahead of them.

We couldn’t surprise them.

We couldn’t do shit.

Over and over and over again.

When the final buzzer rang, we’d lost 0-3, our worst loss of the season—our worst loss of the pastthreeseasons.

Tristan had been counting on this game—counting onme—and I hadn’t been able to assist him into a goal once.

“What the fuck?” Massi swore, slamming his stick into the wooden boards that protected our bench. Haruto shook his head as he skated toward us, his expression stricken. He’d played well—but the hits kept coming and coming and coming. We’d never had a game like this. I fucking wished I knew what the hell was going on.