I felt him go a little stiff around me before loosening up and happily hugging me back. After a long minute, Liam took a slight step back and I felt my cheeks flush a little with embarrassment.“Sorry, I um...”Liam gave me a genuine smile that made my stomach flutter. “Don’t be,” he said.I wrapped
I was glad that Liam and I were able to properly clear the air between us but I wish we had more time to ourselves. Before we knew it, the second match was upon us and all focus had to be placed on the game.I had every bit of faith that Liam and his team would pull off another win. For the sake of
Tonight had not been a night for celebrating. Quite the contrary, in fact.Because of Arthur’s devious plotting to win the second match, Liam and I were more concerned with the physical state of the team. Many of the players were brought to the nearest hospital to check for any severe injuries while
The way Liam was staring down at me made me feel like I’d just become some kind of prey. And I loved every second of it. Normally I was met with the soft, kind gaze that always made me feel safe.This was not one of those times.Something predatory flickered across his eyes, sending waves of goosebu
[Ella’s POV]I kept my eyes locked on the game ever since the buzzer went off. Much like everyone else who was sitting in the stands around me, my focus was unwavering and intense. When I watched Liam score the first goal of the match, I felt a brief flicker of relief course through me.It was a gre
Again, I felt that same sense of pride. But beyond that point, the conversation went downhill.“After the last game, Arthur’s team doesn’t even deserve to be on the ice.” “He was such an asshole.”“Yeah, but if you think about it, look at the way Liam is playing now...He’s not acting much different
[Liam’s POV]The game was intense. There was no doubt about that.From what I could make out, both my team and Arthur’s team were doing everything in our power to ensure that one of us came out on top. Much to my own surprise, the violence was kept to a bare minimum.That unexpected jolt of energy a
[Arthur’s POV]Nothing fucks your shit up more than hearing from your own mate that she is disappointed in you. It hurt more than falling into a losing streak or taking a nasty punch to the gut. Ever since the second hockey match, I’d been wracking my mind and my feelings over what had taken place.
Without so much as an arguing word, the men moved. Indeed, Arthur had inherited my ability to compel. I was quick to spot Cecilia standing in the center of the large, main room. She looked anxious and eager to see her son. When she spotted Arthur, her eyes lit up with pure excitement. “I knew
[Ella’s POV] I felt like I was floating on a cloud. At first, it seemed like I was being torn to pieces. The pain that resonated within me—it was like a fire had been set to burn beneath my skin. Every nerve was spiraling and coiling beyond control. I almost begged them both to stop. But then,
But that chance was almost taken from me tonight. Had we not gone to see him, the man would have been dead. I can’t let Ella’s mother face the same fate. It needs to stop. All of it. “Alright,” I said firmly. I reached down to grasp Ella’s hand. “I know I kept saying that we needed to wait unti
The car ride back to campus was kept in complete silence. What was there to say? Aaron had been brutally attacked by his own wife and was basically left there to bleed out...That, in itself, was proof that Cecilia had truly lost her mind. What’s even scarier was that apparently, she’s lost contr
They narrowed their eyes. “Well, see about that.” “I just had a very bizarre meeting with Cecilia.” All the blood drained from their faces. Their jaws had all collectively hit the ground and I was certain one of them was going to shout. Liam growled under his breath. “...Ella.” I urged the
I had to do my best to not show fear. The very thought of my mom being put at risk over something that had nothing to do with her was enough to cause my anger and stress levels to rise. I fought to keep my voice as even as possible even though I wanted nothing more than to hurl myself over the t
It didn’t seem like Cecilia was the type to give up. Aaron had certainly warned us all enough times that the woman wasn’t to be underestimated. Yet, it seemed like she had dropped off the face of the earth. With something as big as the Winslow name and reputation at stake, there was no way that sh
[Arthur’s POV] I stared back at the man who, for the better part of my life, was never really present. I suppose in a way, Aaron was just as much absent in my life as he was for Liam. I hadn’t ever really considered that we shared something so personal in common. Something in my gut was tellin
Liam shook his head. “None whatsoever,” he stated. “I told Aaron that my true interests lie in professional hockey.” Wow. Why had I always thought that Liam wanted the title the same way I thought that I wanted it? Then again, it took me a long time to realize that I didn’t much want the positio