Hands Off The Ice King novel Chapter 109

Chapter 109

Hope’s POV

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Levi and I hadn’t really gotten to spend time together over the last couple of days. Aside from our brief run-ins/at work, he couldn’t stay afterward because Zayla needed help transferring to a new school. I couldn’t demand his time because of it, and honestly, I understood.

Still, with each passing day, the unease inside me quietly grew.

Now, it was the decisive game between the Pucks and the Glaciers. The Glaciers had already defeated the Thunders during the first game, and everyone knew what that meant.

The Thunders and the Pucks had always been considered the strongest teams in our bracket. Winning this game against he Pucks meant that they had practically earned a spot in the semis.

It seemed Margaret had stayed true to her word because nothing had happened after our confrontation. No rumors. Everything had remained strangely quiet.

Yet somehow, that silence unsettled me even more. Maybe I had simply grown used to waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“Hey, can I eat that?” Harley asked, nudging my shoulder.

“Hmm?” I turned to him absentmindedly.

He pointed toward the sandwich we’d bought at the cafe before riding the bus together.

“I’ll eat that since you’re clearly lost in your own thoughts.”

I looked down at the sandwich in my hand. I’d only taken one bite from it.

With a sigh, I handed it over.

His face brightened as he accepted it.

“You know,” he said between bites, “I bet it’s really hard being an adult. There’s always something to worry about.”

I let out a small laugh.

“Is it relationship problems again?” he asked, speaking through a mouthful of sandwich.

I sighed before pressing the button to signal my stop.

“Have fun at your game,” I told him instead, knowing he also had a game today for the intercollegiate league.

“Thanks.” He grinned. “Hope I can channel Levi today. It’s the last game for the qualifiers. If we win this game, we’ll earn a spot to play in the national intercollegiate league.”

The way he said Levi’s name made me smile despite everything.

“I’ll be cheering for you.”

He flashed me another grin before the bus came to a halt.

After saying goodbye, I headed straight to the rehab room. I was preparing everything I needed before making my way toward the locker room, but the door suddenly swung open.

My heart reacted before my mind did.

17:14 Thu, Jul 16 D

Chapter 109

Was it Levi?

“Little Hope!” Desmond exclaimed as he walked inside.

He stopped after seeing my face before a teasing grin spread across his lips.

“Well, you don’t have to look so disappointed just because it wasn’t Levi.”

Heat crept into my cheeks. I chuckled and shook my head.

“I’m not disappointed. Come in.” I gestured toward the treatment bed. “What do you need?”

He let out a sigh before sitting down.

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“I swear, you two are so sweet.” He rested his elbows on his knees. “I even catch Levi smiling to himself sometimes.”

My hands froze.

“You’ve seriously gotten him whipped.”

My heart skipped.

The image of Levi smiling to himself because of me somehow made my chest feel warm.

I cleared my throat before he could notice.

“So…” I smiled professionally. “What can I do for you today?”

“Can you check my ankle? A puck hit it yesterday during practice.”

My smile immediately disappeared.

I frowned as I carefully examined his ankle.

A small area had already turned a deep shade of blue.

“Why didn’t you tell me this yesterday?”

He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Well… it might or might not-have happened after practice.”

I paused. Then, I slowly looked up at him.

“…Desmond.”

“Sorry! Sorry! The twins wanted to play.”

I sighed, unable to stay annoyed for long.

“You really need to stop acting like teens.”

Holding his ankle carefully, I looked up at him.

“Tell me if any of this hurts. Be honest with me, okay?”

He gave me a salute.

“A hundred percent honest.”

17:14 Thu, Jul 16

Chapter 109

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I gently manipulated his ankle, paying close attention to every movement and every subtle change in his expression. His face remained relaxed the entire time.

The bruise looked nasty, but fortunately, it appeared to be superficial.

I released his ankle before straightening.

“It looks pretty good. Still, I’d like you to get an X-ray after the game.”

I looked him straight in the eye.

“Can you play today?”

“Sweet!” he exclaimed, jumping off the treatment bed.

“Of course I can play. Honestly, I was surprised the bruise even showed up this morning. It barely hurt.”

I couldn’t help smiling at his enthusiasm.

“Just be careful, Desmond. You still have a lot of games ahead of you.”

“Of course.”

He flashed one of his signature carefree smiles.

“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m honestly in tiptop shape.”

Then he leaned closer with a mischievous grin.

“I just need to have sex, and I’ll be good as new.”

I grimaced.

“Gosh…”

Poor Lia.

“Anyway,” he continued, laughing at my expression, “can I use the restroom for a minute?”

I nodded.

“Go ahead.”

He walked toward the restroom with a childish bounce in his step, making me shake my head in amusement.

Some people truly never grew up.

Once he disappeared inside, I began reorganizing the supplies in the first-aid kit, making sure everything was stocked before the game started.

A few moments later, I heard the door open again.

I looked up automatically, already preparing to greet whoever had entered.

But the words never came.

Strong hands wrapped around my waist. Warm, familiar lips claimed mine before I could even take another breath.

A soft gasp escaped me. It melted into an unconscious moan as Levi’s kiss completely stole my senses.

Chapter 109

“Mmmh…”

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His lips moved slowly against mine, patient yet desperate all at once, as though he’d been thinking about kissing me for days. When he finally pulled back, I caught the smile tugging at his lips.

My heart fluttered.

“Levi, stop this. Desmond is in the-”

Before I could finish, he kissed me again. This time, the kiss was deeper.

His hand tightened around my waist while his lips lingered against mine, silently pouring every missed day into a single kiss.

My fingers instinctively tightened around the front of his jersey. I had missed him far more than I wanted to admit.

“I missed you,” he murmured softly against my lips.

He kissed me once more.

My thoughts answered before my voice ever could.

I missed you too.

More than I should have.

And somehow…

I’ll miss this again the moment you walk away. The restroom door suddenly opened.

My eyes flew wide.

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