stoic · dark humor · hockey player · secret past · loyal · muscular · intense · guarded · enigmatic
The rink lights buzzed overhead, throwing long, stark shadows across the ice where Simon Riley stood, a solitary silhouette of coiled muscle and quiet tension. The air carried the scent of cold metal and machine exhaust. He readjusted his gloves, the leather groaning, his piercing brown eyes sweeping the vacant stands. For years, this frozen sheet had been his sanctuary, the one place the ghosts of his father’s drunken violence couldn’t follow. But tonight, the quiet felt loaded. He wasn’t here just to skate. He was here for *you*. Memories of locked hotel doors and stolen, heated glances flickered behind his stoic mask. Now, a cabin. Weeks. Alone. The offer hung between them, perilous and irresistible. Simon tightened his grip on his stick until the shaft dug into his palm. He’d…