Chapter 27
TORI
That was the hottest sex I’ve ever had in my whole damn life.
The stuff fantasies are made of.
Except Bennett Steele is very, very real.
And I let him control me — dominate me — working my body with the same ferocity he shows on the ice.
He’s collapsed on the bed next to me, his strong fingers tracing light, lazy circles on my arm. The only sound in the room is our shallow breathing.
“I should go.” My voice comes out a raspy whisper, cheeks heating as I come down from the sex-fueled high.
“Sunshine—” He grabs my hand, pulling me over onto his strong chest. We’re face-to-face and he strokes my cheek with his calloused thumb, sending another quivering wave through me.
This man’s going to undo me.
“That was fucking hot.” His mouth tips up in a slow grin and he kisses me hard. Deliberate. Nipping at my swollen lower lip, every nerve ending in my body still on fire.
“Nice line, Steele.”
He pulls away slightly, brushes the hair from my eyes. “Gimme some credit here. My lines are more original than that.”
I half-snicker, half-laugh, and he kisses me again, gentler this time.
“Thanks for losing control with me.”
So honest, so sincere.
So dangerous.
“Don’t tell anyone. You’ll ruin my reputation.”
He chuckles, cupping my face and pressing his lips to mine.
“Your secret’s safe with me, Sunshine.”
And I actually believe him.
“Seriously, I have to go. You need sleep.”
“Fine. I suppose I’ll let you sneak out.” He squeezes my bare ass, giving one cheek a light smack.
Reluctantly, I peel away from him and get dressed, shimmying into my panties and bra. Bennett leans back on the pillows, arms behind his head, watching me throw on my shirt and zip up my skirt.
“Shame.” He shakes his head as I run my fingers through my tousled hair, trying to compose myself. “I do like the just-fucked look.”
I smack his foot. “Shut up. We have to act normal, like nothing happened.”
His eyes darken, a dangerous sea of blue.
“So you’re admitting something happened.”
I swallow hard, my chest tight. “Yes.”
Because of course something happened.
This is no longer a one-off thing. We broke the rules I made less than twenty-four hours ago.
Shattered them.
Rapidly moved the relationship from a reckless secret to a conscious choice.
A wave of panic swoops through me, clawing at my chest. One photo, one rumor, one team group chat. That’s all it takes.
But now’s not the time to sit here and analyze the situation.
“It’s late. We’ll talk about this later. Get some sleep.”
I slide on my shoes, grab my bag. I’m reaching for the door when Bennett comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. He leans down and kisses me, slipping his tongue into my mouth. The elevator dings down the hall and he pulls away.
“Sweet dreams, Sunshine.”
“Night, Bennett.”
Cracking the door open, he leans out and surveys both directions.
“All clear,” he whispers, swatting my ass. “See you tomorrow.”
I slip into the quiet hall and hustle toward the elevator, my heart racing a mile a minute. With a shuddery breath, I smash the button and wait.
It’s almost midnight now, well past curfew. No players should be roaming this late at night.
Ding.
In the empty hallway, the elevator chime sounds like a freaking siren. The gold doors open to an empty car and I rush inside, pressing the button for the floor all of management is staying on. I lean against the mirrored wall, fiddle with my necklace.
Almost in the clear.
The doors slide closed and I exhale the breath I’m holding.
Safe.
Ding.
The doors pop open again and I jump. Dr. Sparks steps in, a steaming paper cup of tea in one hand and an iPad in the other.
She’s in a white button-down, dark jeans, and a cardigan, her hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail.
Her team lanyard’s dangling around her neck—she must be coming from an emergency session with a player.
“Ms. Prince.” She tips her head in my direction, peering at me over the dark rims of her glasses.
“Dr. Sparks.” My voice catches and I almost choke on her name. Blood roars in my ears as I stare straight ahead at my reflection in the mirror. Bright pink cheeks, the skin on my neck and chest mottled, lips swollen, the waves of my hair loose and wild.
I should have taken more time fixing my hair.
Dr. Sparks makes no commentary, her eyes flicking to mine only once.
No judgment. Just a quick, clinical appraisal.
We ride up to the next floor with only the soft instrumental music playing in the background. Every inch of my skin’s humming and I make a concerted effort not to fidget.
She knows.
Maybe not the details, but enough to burn us.
If she flags this, Bennett could be benched. And if my father finds out? I’m not the fixer anymore — I’m the problem.
She exhales, a tired sound, filling me with guilt.
I shouldn’t be sneaking around like this. I’m supposed to be the guardrail, not the cliff.
The elevator stops and Dr. Sparks steps out, her steps steady as a metronome. I follow behind, trying to slow mine down. I’d love to run, disappear into the safety of my room. Forget I ran into the one person the team pays to notice everything.
I’m almost to my room when Dr. Sparks stops at her door, glancing over her shoulder at me.
“I don’t need to remind you that secrets don’t keep in hockey. Not with locker rooms, security cameras, and social media. Even when you’re cautious.” Her voice is low, a quiet warning. “Be careful, Tori.”
She locks her gaze on mine for a long beat, then ducks into her room.
Leaving me alone in the hallway, my hands shaking so hard I drop my room key.
Fuck.
What am I doing? My job’s supposed to be keeping Bennett out of trouble. Not screwing things up even more.
Shoving into my room, I collapse against the door and suck in a huge breath of the cool eucalyptus-scented air.
Dr. Sparks is right — I should leave him alone. Go back to Manhattan and my carefully controlled life.
But after tonight, I can’t just walk away anymore.
Bennett Steele’s in my bloodstream…and I’m afraid I’ll never get him out.
All I can do now is run damage control. I need boundaries so hard they leave bruises.
Because wanting him like this is already making me careless.
And in hockey, careless costs you everything.