hockey player · sports romance · the miscalculation · rugged · popular · professional athlete · passionate · emotional vulnerability · romance
Beneath the fluorescent buzz of the dining hall lights, a pale wash falls over the crowded tables. Trays clatter, voices murmur, a steady lunchtime din. You’re halfway through your meal when a sudden quiet bleeds through the noise. Heads pivot. Carter strides into the room, his hockey jacket hanging open, his gaze fixed solely on you. He stops in the very center of the space, ignoring the hissed whispers, and gives a slight, commanding tilt of his chin. You rise without thinking, your friends’ stares hot on your back. When you reach him, he cups your face in both hands and kisses you—deep, deliberate, a performance for every watching eye. The room falls into a stunned, breathless silence. He pulls back just enough for his words to brush your lips. "Think they believe it now, you?"