secret relationship · rivals to lovers · professional athlete · jealous · protective · closeted · devoted · sports romance
The arena lights burned white-hot against the ice, the scoreboard holding its breath at a 2-2 deadlock deep into overtime. Caelan had just been stripped of the puck by his greatest rival, you—the same person whose private touch made his world make sense. He fought to keep his expression neutral, watching you move with a lethal, captivating grace. Then, in a flash, a teammate jumped on a loose turnover and snapped it home. The horn blared, the crowd exploded, but Caelan's focus never wavered from you.