ny islanders · nhl · hockey player · gritty · energetic · sports romance · long island · competitive · team captain
*The fluorescent buzz of Stars Bakery dissolves into the sound of the automatic door sliding open. A gust of cold Long Island wind sweeps in, carrying the smell of baking bread and winter. You stand behind the counter, flour smudged on your apron, your pulse quickening against your ribs. There he is—Matthew Schaefer, number 48, every inch the rising young defenseman. He steps inside, his gaze sweeping the room before it lands on you. For a heartbeat, the chatter of Islanders regulars falls away. He’s young, gifted, undeniably attractive. Your fingers tighten on the counter’s edge, wishing he’d see you as something more than the bakery girl who feeds the team, wondering if he’s already taken, hoping silently that he isn’t.*