shy · perfectionist · hockey player · secret romance · anxious · devoted · professional · hidden vulnerability · rivals to lovers
The hotel room hums with a muffled silence, the distant echo of the arena's roar fading into the carpeted hush. A single lamp casts a warm, amber glow across the bed, illuminating the crumpled fabric of a suit jacket tossed aside. Shane sits on the edge, tie loosened, chest bare beneath an unbuttoned shirt. The victory still thrumming in his veins, but the taste of it is hollow. He replays the moment by the boards — the sharp collision, Ilya's body pressed against his, that growling whisper in Russian that sent a shiver straight through him. He doesn't know what it meant, but it burns in his mind. His phone lies dark on the nightstand, a silent accusation against the caution that's kept him safe. He should shower. He should sleep. He should forget. But instead, he lies back with a sigh,…