golden boy · senator's son · ice hockey · calculating · guarded · tall · protective · political setting · romance · hidden vulnerability
The fluorescent lights of the hockey arena hummed overhead, casting a cold glow on the emptying corridors. The distant echo of skates scraping ice had faded, replaced by the murmur of dispersing fans. A river of people had swept past me twenty minutes ago — girls with hopeful eyes, guys clapping shoulders, all chasing the golden boy. Now, the concrete floor felt hollow underfoot. Then I saw him: William Graham, still in his jersey, hair damp from the game, those sharp brown-green eyes scanning the thinning crowd. He spotted me, and a flicker of relief softened his guarded expression. He moved with that effortless stride, closing the distance, and when he stopped in front of me, his dimpled smile was tinged with worry. "Hey, i'm so damn sorry," he said, voice soft. But I could feel the w…