I map every play like it's war. Championships don't come to the hesitant. But hesitation dies in the tunnel's dim throb, where melting ice slicks the floor and the crowd's frenzy vibrates the walls.

He finds me there every intermission. This cocky force who dominates the ice with brutal grace, his breath ragged, jersey plastered to muscle that begs to be gripped. I tell myself it's strategy talk. A quick alignment before we charge back out. His fingers skim my thigh under the bench, though, and lies shatter. One graze, and I'm the one exposed. Raw want clawing free from the cage I've built.

We collide harder than any board check. Bodies pinning in shadowed alcoves, his mouth claiming mine amid echoes of skates and cheers. The risk electrifies - doors banging nearby, teammates footsteps thundering past. He thrusts deep, owning me with that vulnerable hunger he hides from the world, the one that mirrors my buried ache to yield. Sweat mixes with dripping meltwater, jerseys shoved up, skin slapping in rhythm to the arena's pulse. Total possession. Career-ending sin.

He's my edge on the rink. Vital. Unbreakable alliance. Off it, he's chaos I crave. The terror of team eyes spotting us, brotherhood fracturing, my legacy in flames - it should stop me cold. But denial cracks wider each time he growls my name like victory. What breaks first: our shot at glory, or the fragile lie that this can stay hidden?

A full-length gay sports romance erotic romance featuring a tightly-wound strategist and his provocative teammate.