Page 8 of Game Misconduct

His normally cheerful face was filled with anger now. Leif felt a moment of regret for what he’d said.

And fear.

Tanner was two inches shorter than him, but he was also strong and scrappy, and Leif had seen him take down bigger guys than him on the ice.

And they had no padding on right now. One wrong shove or bad hit could torpedo both their careers.

The blare of a horn out on the street made them both jerk and Leif used to the opportunity to shove Tanner away.

“I mean it, Clayton. I’m not doing this again. Irefuse,” he spat, turning to leave. He didn’t like the person he turned into around Tanner Clayton.

“Coward!” Tanner called out after him. “You know arguing with me gets you hot.”

Leif ground his teeth together hard enough to make his jaw ache and kept walking, smoothing down his shirt. It was all rumpled from where Tanner had grabbed it.

I won’t let him goad me into anything else,Leif promised himself as he tucked in the fabric with shaking fingers.I’ll go somewhere and cool off, and I won’t have to see him again until we play the Harriers next season.

The thought was calming and he dragged in a few breaths to steady himself.

As he reached the mouth of the alley, he squinted at the brightness of the sun, debating for a brief second before he turned right.

“Hey, where are you going?” Tanner called after him. “Hotel’s back the other way.”

“I’m … tell the guys I had something to do,” Leif choked out. “I’ll meet them at the hotel later, okay? I just need … I need some air.”

He said that like there wasn’t air all around them—as choking and stinking as it might be. But he couldn’t breathe with Tanner around.

Henevercould breathe with Tanner around. He consumed all of the oxygen around them both. He made Leif lose his cool. Lose his head.

Hell, he’d made Leif lose his shot at being drafted by Boston.

Not that Leif was unhappy playing for New York. Far from it. But he would never forget the way Tanner had fucked him over. The way Tanner’sfunhad torpedoed every plan that Leif had for his future.

“Coward!” Tanner repeated, laughter in his voice this time. “You’ve always been a coward, you stupid-ass, Viking-namedice princess! You know you want me.”

Leif didn’t look back as he left the alley to the sound of Tanner’s laughter, mocking him as he wove through the crowd leaving the nearby theater, desperate to get away from the reminder of the way he’d lost control.

Tanner seemed to know that Leif was always hanging on by a thread. That every time they argued he camethis fucking closeto kissing him.

He knew Leif was afraid if he was alone with Tanner again, he wouldn’t be able to stop.

That sooner or later, he’d give in.

Again.

CHAPTER TWO

OCTOBER

Stupid fucking Viking-named asshole,Tanner grumbled under his breath as he got into position for the faceoff.

Stupid pretty-faced Viking-named asshole.

Leif Rasmussen really shouldn’t look like that.

It was rude of him.

Distracting.