Since there was no way around it, he made his way over to the bench. It took everything he had not to land a not-so-friendly hip check on the other man for talking to Shelby with that hey-baby smirk of his that had landed him on billboards with millions in endorsement deals. That, of course, made no sense. There were a billion other reasons to put the weight down on Christensen, but flirting with Shelby? What the hell did he care?

“So Alex here”—Shelby smiled at Christensen as if he were hot chocolate on an icy morning—“doesn’t think he has tells when he’s mad at himself during a game.”

“Are you kidding?” Christensen asked with a chuckle. “I’m always cool.”

Ian laughed. Out loud. A huge belly laugh that made his abs ache.

Christensen’s jaw squared, and his eyes narrowed. “Fine. What’s my tell?”

“There are about a billion of them.” He flicked the top of the other man’s stick. “If you don’t stop messing with the tape after you miss passes, the other teams are going to notice, and then the Rage are going to tear you apart.”

The Ice Knights’ biggest rivalry games were always preceded by hours of watching film of the other team to gain any edge—no matter how small—to take the other team out. There was no way the players on the Cajun Rage weren’t doing the same thing.

“It’s a new play,” Christensen said.

“So practice.” Until every move was like breathing.

Christensen scoffed. “What, you’re ready to show me how it’s done?”

More than ready. Watching the games from the visitor’s suite was torture. “Let’s do it.”

He’d been on the ice with Christensen running the passing drill under Coach’s watchful eye for close to thirty minutes before he realized Shelby wasn’t there anymore. One moment she’d been on the bench watching them, and the next time he looked over, she was gone. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think she’d set up this little “brotherly” practice session.

Christiensen came to a fast stop next to him, the edge of his skates sending snow-cone-thin layers of ice flying. “You know she did.”

Had he said it out loud? Was he finally losing it? Nah. There’s no way. “What are you talking about?”

“I can still read you like an unlocked phone. She totally made this happen right after she was telling me what a great coach you’d be.”

Fuck. Was he that easy to maneuver? “You’re both a pain in my ass.”