Heated Rivalry (Game Changers, #2)

by Rachel Reid

“I have ruined you,” Rozanov said when they broke apart. “No one else will do.”

Canada’s hopes had been heaped onto his seventeen-year-old shoulders and he had let them all down.

Shane was not easily shaken by anyone, but that goddamn smirk threw him off balance every time. Maybe it was just that, after a life of playing at a level above everyone else, Shane had finally met his match.

For the rest of his life, Shane Hollander would have to live with the fact that he had ended his

NHL draft day by getting himself off to thoughts of Ilya Rozanov.

Ilya had more important things to think about than freckles and polite Canadian boys.

He felt the bed shift as Rozanov stood up. Shane had the stupid urge to ask him to stay. He imagined falling asleep in his arms and what the fuck?

Shane wanted to tell him to fuck off, but Rozanov was kissing his throat, scraping his teeth over the sensitive skin, so instead he threw his head back against the wall like the eager slut he apparently was.

“Did you buy a building so we would have somewhere to fuck, Hollander?”

Ilya didn’t let Hollander finish his sentence. He gripped Hollander’s arms and pushed him back against the closest wall and kissed him. Hollander had bought them a fucking building.

he was now consumed by one thought: No one makes me feel like Ilya Rozanov does.

“When will I have you for as long as I want?”

but Ilya had also slipped in an “and on top of everything, I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you and I don’t know what to do about it.”

“I am not alone,” Ilya said. “You are here now, yes?” Shane’s hand flew to his chest to make sure his heart was still beating; he could have sworn it had just melted into a gooey puddle.

“I’m fucked,” he murmured in Russian. “I am so fucking in love and it’s horrible.”

Shane kissed the tips of two fingers and reached out and touched them to the screen. And Ilya’s heart fucking stopped.

He was never supposed to have fallen in love with Shane Hollander. He should have ended it long before because now it was going to hurt so fucking much.

Fucking your biggest rival over the course of your entire NHL career was something that no one would understand. Not one person.

Ilya couldn’t believe what he had been reduced to. He was...infatuated. It was disgusting.

Shane looked so happy. Somehow, Ilya made him happy. Ilya wanted to always make him happy.

“Mine.” Ilya’s breath tickled Shane’s skin when he spoke the single word. “Yours,” Shane said dreamily. “All of this. For two weeks. Is mine.” Forever, Shane wanted to say. Forever if you ask.

But mostly he just wanted to hold Shane close to him in this place where no one would ever find them. He wanted to stand in the spotlight of the campfire under the endless stars and feel Shane’s fingers stroking his hair and not think about his horrible father or his wonderful, desperately sad mother. He didn’t want to think about hockey, or rivalries, or what was going to happen when these two weeks were over.

All of these beautiful women and I am always wishing they were him.”

“I love you.” Shane froze. And then Ilya froze. “Holy shit,” Shane whispered. It wasn’t how he had meant to respond. “I...” Ilya’s eyes were so wide and so scared. “I love you too,” Shane said.

Ilya was wearing a Boston Bears T-shirt. Shane made a face. “That’s not going to help.” “Oh, do they not know I play for Boston?” Shane rolled his eyes.

“But...you hate him,” Mom said. “No, I... I don’t. I mean. Sometimes I do, kinda. But mostly I...love him. Actually.”

“I have been with lots of women. That was not...fake. But...” He looked at Shane, and Shane held his breath. “I have only been in love with one person.”

“If you mix that with cranberry juice I will drown you in the lake.”

“This has been the weirdest day of my life.” Ilya wanted to tell Shane that it had been one of the best days of his life.

How can you even be thinking about sex right now?” “Because it is a beautiful day. And we are alone. And I met your parents. And I want you to calm the fuck down. And I love you.”

Especially when Shane looked at him like he was looking at him right now—like Ilya was worth all this trouble. Like he was worth loving.

“Get fucked, Rozanov.” Ilya’s lips quirked up. “Was planning on it.”