Collide (Off the Ice, #1)

by Bal Khabra

Summer doesn’t answer. She also doesn’t look at me. My confidence is withering by the second. “Can I at least apologize?” Silence. “Come on, Sunshine.”

WE GOT A NICKNAME OH MY GOD

but I don’t move. I need her, and if I have to deal with her uptight behavior, so be it.

“Fine, I was an asshole, and you deserve an apology. I’m sorry for the way I acted in Kilner’s office,

and hes apologizing😩

“Will you give me a chance?”

“Let me prove to you that I’m not the asshole you think I am.”

“I haven’t said yes yet.”

I smile. “You will.”

he’s the same guy who got a job freshman year to pay my fees when my dad died.

hes so kind what?

He lets out a breath and skates to stand just a few inches from me. He’s so close that I can smell his clean scent as he towers over me. How he manages not to smell disgusting is beyond me. If the locker room is any indication of how bad hockey players can stink, he’s an anomaly.

“Fine. You win. I’ll do your sessions without complaint.” Honestly, even if I won, I would have done anything she wanted. It was a miracle she let me on the project to begin with.

“So, you like reading?” “Yes.” “Like real books?”

“What about hockey? Don’t you have a dream team you want to go to?” “I’m already signed to them.”

a huge flex fr

Then I’ll probably marry an accountant and have two kids, a boy and a girl.”

this girl😭😭

I’m not even going to touch the fact that she had the kids all figured out. She probably knew what zodiac sign they would be, too.

lmao😭😭

“So, you want to marry a robot.” “I want to marry a stable man.” “A stable man who probably can’t make you come.”

my gaze soften. “Please?” I almost don’t recognize my voice, but this girl is damn stubborn, and I don’t want her walking alone so late.

she makes him soft😌

She laughs suddenly, forcing me to look at her to fully grasp the sound. I thought a laugh from Summer Preston was the last thing I’d ever get to hear. I’d made attempts at jokes with her all night and nada, not even a smile. But now that I know what it sounds like, I want to make it happen again.

The last time I had any family in the stands I was thirteen and both my parents had come. I remember that feeling like it was yesterday. I was full of joy, and it was one of the best games I ever played. So good I got recruited to the major junior team as a bantam player. That was also the last game my parents ever attended, and though the stands are filled with screaming fans wearing my jersey, it has never felt the same. I have a feeling it never will.

He’s in red swim trunks and nothing else, obviously, but I’m stunned. Trying to bring my eyes to his face is challenging because the guy is shredded.

Just as I’m about to hop off the edge and dive into the pool, Aiden’s arm hooks around my waist, and we spin into the water, his back hitting it first. I’m engulfed in chlorine-treated water, and him. When we break through the surface I’m still trapped against his hard body.

A large hand encircles my arm and stops my rapid movements. Aiden pulls me in so we’re only a few inches apart. Concern etched on his features. “What’s wrong?”

“Don’t apologize for your feelings. Especially not to me,” he says, meeting my eyes.

💀😭😭😭😭im crying💀💀

That’s one way to get my attention. Though unfortunately for her, I am focused on a different girl tonight.

I would never lie to you, I promise.”

The barely-there top of her dress would have me sporting a semi if she wasn’t so mad. Who am I kidding? I’m still hard, even as she glares at me like she’d rather see me covered in dirt.

Trying not to stare at Summer’s ass this five-mile hike is my own personal brand of torture. She’s wearing tights that outline the perfect curve of her ass and a matching long-sleeve that leaves her midriff exposed. After last night, it’s been hard for me not to think of how close she got to me.

There’s something about her voice that makes me itch to hear it.

“I haven’t talked to you all day. I’m thinking this punishment is a bit cruel,” I whisper against her ear. She shifts to look at me. “Not talking to me is punishment?” “The worst kind.”

As soon as I smell her sweet scent, I hold her tighter. She’s close enough that something is happening to my chest.

“Good to know. I’ll throw out all my hair ties because Aiden Crawford likes it when girls wear their hair down.” Wrapping the bandage around her ankle, I glance at her. “Not girls. You.”

And your bed is super comfy. I’m exhausted, I think I’ll take a nap. Aiden: Naked.

A short beat passes before he sighs, and his warm hand stops the anxious movements of my bouncing leg. “Summer, what’s going on?”

“Did I? I feel great. I’m just running the path over there.” “That’s my path!” He throws me a grin over his shoulder. “What a coincidence.”

“This is another thing I can hold over your head to make you do what I want.” I flutter my lashes. “You don’t need blackmail to get me to do what you want, Summer.”

“Now that you mention it, I wouldn’t mind a tip.” “Come here and pull it out yourself.”

🤭🤭🫢 me rn🫣😯😲

I’m in a towel, and she’s pressed against me so perfectly, just one wrong move, and everything is going to get even more uncomfortable. I try to force the thoughts out of my head, but that’s impossible when she brings her lips between her teeth. I have to hold in a groan. I’m wrapped in a bubble of her, and I feel like I’m damn near suffocating. What the hell is happening?

“So you came to the farthest library on campus?” she presses. “Took me three tries.” “For what?” “To find this one.” “The others didn’t have what you were looking for?” I smile. “Not even close.”

“As someone whose head only has a puck running through it, I don’t expect you to understand,” she snipes. “Trust me, I have a lot of things running through my head.”

When I’m done, she touches it. “Not bad. You practice on a lot of girls?” I smirk. “Just you. But I am naturally good with my hands.” “Are you incapable of having a normal conversation?” “No, but I do like seeing you blush.” “I do not blush,” she argues, blushing.

I haven’t ever thought about kissing him. Okay, ever might be a stretch because his lips were right there when he pressed me against the locker room shower, and they were pink and plump and—never mind.

“In your dreams.” “Been there, done that,”

Studying with Aiden would be great if not for his huge distracting body. He studies shirtless like some sort of male model. He’s lying on his bed, annotating the book of the week with his pen between his teeth.

“You have a sex playlist?” He appears unfazed. “Of course. Some girls are quiet.” “Girls? Do you know how awkward it is when guys don’t make a sound?” He shrugs. “I wouldn’t know. I make plenty.” My cheeks heat. If I’m being honest, a man who isn’t afraid to moan? Hot.

Not the best practice, but when academic validation is my drug of choice, I can’t stop the addiction.

she understands me

My dick stiffens in my jeans, alarmingly quickly. Only this girl could give me a hard-on in the middle of a fucking sidewalk.

Summer is a smoke show, and going out with her only to watch her leave with another guy might be the dumbest fucking thing I’ve done all year. And that’s saying something.

Soft tendrils frame her face, and I can’t help but notice how pretty she looks. She would look even prettier on her knees, looking up at me with those pink lips in a perfect O.

oh??🫣

“It’s hot in here, isn’t it?” Summer removes her jacket in what feels like slow motion, my throat grows thick with each sliver of skin she exposes. She pulls it off, and I barely keep my jaw from hitting the floor when I see her outfit up close and under the bar lights. The red top makes her skin glow, and the thin fabric looks like it would be easy to tear off.

“Will you hold this for me, Aiden?” Her smooth voice rolls a shiver down my spine. Hearing my name on her lips has never sounded better. My head feels empty, and I think the Sprite might be spiked. My mouth runs dry, and I get a little dizzy when I hold her jacket and watch her slide her hair around her neck, the intoxicating scent especially strong tonight. The action exposes even more skin, and my jeans tighten. The smell of peaches surrounds me. It’s going to be a long fucking night. Summer stands between my parted legs, bringing a hand to my bicep then sliding it up to my shoulder. I watch the movement in a trance, swallowing the thick ball in my throat. What the fuck is happening?