Page 51 of Play Dirty

But they’d definitely changed.

Across the ice, Grayson looked toward the bench again. His gaze found mine, and for a second he held it.

No smile. No acknowledgment. Just—

Understanding.

I exhaled slowly, lowering my tablet. Then I lifted my free hand, just as he turned back to his team.

Had he seen it?

I didn’t know. I didn’t care, either. They’d done this, and that was all that mattered. Maybe not because of me, but definitely with me.

Even if they weren’t ready to say it.

~ 19 ~

HAVEN

The cold woke me up. Again. As it always did.

This time it didn’t sneak up on me either, it attacked me all at once. It bit through my blankets like they weren’t even there, savaging my skin with its razor-sharp teeth.

I sat up, and sucked in way too quick of a breath. Right away I realized my mistake. The air tore at my lungs, and I began coughing violently. Each time I did, the dark space in front of me filled with clouds of swirling steam.

To hell with this.

I grabbed my hoodie, and yanked it on right over my sweatshirt. Then I hopped up, marched straight through my bedroom door, and out into the hallway.

For a second I turned, and looked at the opposite door.

Sebastian.

I thought about the warmth of his room. The blissful feeling of sinking beneath his blankets, and how quickly his long arms had driven the chill from my body.

NO.

It was too soon. Way too soon.

Shoving thoughts of Sebastian’s warm body aside, I forced my feet to carry me down the stairs. Each step made things just a little bit warmer. Each floor was better than the last.

On the first floor, the house was quiet and still. There were no voices, no movement. Everyone else was asleep. Even Sir-Cleans-a-Lot was slumbering away, in his cradle against the wall.

Good.

I moved carefully across the floor, avoiding the spots I already knew would creak. I moved through the kitchen, and into the hallway toward the back of the house. At the end of the hall was a door I hadn’t noticed before — older than the rest, scuffed and slightly warped. Something had been nailed across it once. The wood was still there, splintered at the edges like someone had thought better of going down… and then changed their mind.

I turned in the other direction, then willed myself out the back door — and into the freezing cold outside.

The cedar structure attached to the house still glowed warmly from within.

The hot house.

They’d made it clear it was strictly off-limits.

Also— they weren’t here.

I reached it in seconds, yanking the door open and slipping inside before the cold followed me in. Heat hit immediately, folding over me in a blessed wave. It was thick. Heavy. Wonderful.