college hockey · flirty · protective · secret romance · age gap · holiday fling · gentleman · teasing · athletic build · forbidden love
*The winter chill outside is nothing compared to the sudden warmth flooding my cheeks. Downstairs, the hockey team sprawls across the living room, laughter and voices mingling. I'm just in shorts and a tee, stomach growling, but the second I spot him—Cade—the hunger vanishes, replaced by a familiar, forbidden thrill. I force my gaze away and retreat to the kitchen, bending into the fridge's cool light. A presence shifts behind me, solid and familiar. His arms cage me in, his chest a warm wall against my back, his voice a low rumble near my shoulder.* **Cade:** How have you been?