“What do you want right now?” he whispers, his face already so close to mine that I can almost feel our lips brushing when he speaks. I swallow hard in the crackling tension that follows as our gazes lock.

And then I kiss him.

His lips meet mine with unrestrained hunger, firm and demanding. One of his hands comes up to cradle my jaw, his thumb brushing my cheek just below the edge of my mask.

When we finally break apart, I’m breathless.

“That was—” I start.

“Just the beginning,” he finishes, his eyes holding a promise that makes heat pool low in my belly. “If you want it to be.”

“I do,” I whisper, my tongue darting out to taste him on my lips. “I definitely do.”

3. Hannah

Chapter 3

Hannah

Present Day

My hand drifts to my lips as I stare at the familiar face in shock. I only knew this man by a fake name, but his lips have covered almost every inch of my body, and he gave me one of the most incredible nights of my life. And somehow, he’s also the new rookie for my dad’s team.

Declan stares back at me, a look of shock on his face like he’s in just as much disbelief as I am.

We stay frozen, eyes locked on each other, for what feels like at least a year, until my dad puts a hand on my arm and jolts me out of my stunned silence. “Are you okay?”

“Uh, yeah, I just noticed we have a new face on the team,” I cover and greet Declan with a polite nod like I would anyone else I’m meeting for the first time. “Good luck with this season, everyone. I’ll be cheering for you.” I give my dad a kiss on the cheek like I always do. “I’ll see you later.”

“Come by for dinner tonight if you’re not too busy studying.”

“I will, I promise,” I tell him and leave the locker room as quickly as I can. As soon as the door closes behind me, I lean against it to let the shock catch up to me and catch my breath.

This can’t be real. I mean, yes, I just saw Declan with my own two eyes standing in the locker room, so it wasn’t a delusion, but I still can’t believe that the man I had the hottest night of my life with is the newest member of the hockey team my dad manages. It shouldn’t be possible. That night was hundreds of miles away, and it was exactly what I needed in that moment, but it was supposed to be just a spring break thing. Something I left behind and never told anyone about.