Breakaway: An Accidental Marriage Hockey Romance (Sinners on the Ice)

Sauntering to the Thompsons’ house with Nevaeh beside me, I can’t stop myself from smiling. It’s been like that since the moment we got into my car. Or even earlier, when she snapped at my neighbor. Her jealousy was so evident, and it’s hard not to be fascinated by it.

Even if fascinated is the last thing I should be feeling.

Her ex and his daily bouquets, her story about her parents…all reasons for me to keep my distance. The girl’s been through way too much already, and she’ll be better off without my shit. Yet convincing myself to stay away from her is becoming almost impossible. Almost…because not letting my selfishness win is one of the toughest challenges I’ve faced lately.

At this point, I’m genuinely curious how long I’ll be able to resist her; I hope at least until the season starts. Away games will be a blessing.

“You think everyone’s already here?” Nevaeh asks as we get to the door.

“Maybe.” I knock, glancing at her. The skirt of her summer dress flutters in the wind, drawing my attention to her toned legs. Her sun-kissed skin glows in the sunlight, making my mouth water. I move my gaze up her chest. Her dress contours her round tits and hugs her body like a second skin. She is such a beautiful girl, dammit. I can’t take my eyes off her.

The door opens, and Colton’s voice follows. “Punctuality is definitely not your strong suit.”

I shoot my gaze in his direction, instantly noticing his widened eyes as he glances between me and Nevaeh.

“Hey, Colt,” I say in greeting. “Didn’t think two minutes meant being late. You remember Nevaeh?”

He nods, stepping aside to let us in. “Of course. Come on in.”

Nevaeh walks in first, and I follow her every step into the house until I hear Colton close the door. Wheeling around, I stop beside her and meet my friend’s gaze. He watches me with his eyes slightly narrowed, a smile still playing on his lips. Thompson has one of the best poker faces, but now it’s failing him.

“The girls are in the kitchen,” he says to Nevaeh. “My wife, being her stubborn self, refused my help, even at her own birthday party. If you want⁠—”

The sound of approaching steps makes me turn my head, and I see Angie hurrying over from the living room. She’s in a floral dress that’s wrapped tightly around her waist, showing off her growing baby bump.

“I thought I heard the door opening.” Angie lines up with us and wraps her arm around Nevaeh’s waist. “Hey, Nev.” She gives me the quickest once-over, and my smile dies. “Roman.”

Okay, she’s definitely not my number one fan right now.

“Hey, Angie.” I hide my hands in my pockets, suddenly feeling out of place.

“I need to steal Nev from you,” Angie says sweetly, making Nevaeh follow her.

Colton and I stay silent, watching them disappear into the living room. A nudge to my shoulder forces me to stop staring and look at my friend.

“Let’s go out back,” he suggests, and we head down the hallway. “Everyone’s already here, except Xander, Bella and their kids. They’re running late.”

A burst of laughter rings through the air as Colton and I make our way out to the terrace. I notice Drake sitting at the table and talking to Clay Rodgers, our team’s new goalie. Clay and I have met before, not only during games, when he was playing for the Chicago Hawks, but also at different parties at Thompson’s house. He’s Colton’s best friend, and a really nice guy, always funny and kind. Not to mention incredibly talented. I really believe that with him on our team, we’ll have a chance to finally win the Stanley Cup.

“Hey, Drake, Clay,” I say, lowering myself into a chair across from them. Colton sits beside me.

“Finally, the man I’ve been waiting for!” Drake puts his elbows on the table and leans forward.

“Wait…” Colton drawls, looking between Drake and me. “Did you know about him and Nevaeh?”

“Of course! Nevaeh came over after Angie and I got back from France, and she told us about her and Roman’s drunken wedding in Vegas.”

“Their what?” Colton turns to me, his jaw is ready to hit the floor. It’s probably the first time I’ve seen him so stunned. It’s kind of hilarious. “What the hell happened? I thought you were going to Vegas alone.”

I rub my palms over my face as Colton and Drake continue to gawk at me. Clay, on the other hand, looks highly entertained by the whole situation. Da blin⁠1. Can’t they just let it go? With a sigh, I sit straighter and start explaining what happened and why Nevaeh and I agreed to stay married till the season ends. When I finally finish, there is only silence. And it troubles me.

“Damn, man,” Colton mutters, locking his hands behind his head. “I understand why, but it’s still fucked up. That’s, like, almost a year away…What if you meet someone you really like? What if Nevaeh meets someone?”

“There are so many things that could go wrong.” I shake my head. “But I…I can’t imagine my life without hockey. I can’t risk my career.”

“Don’t you think that’s selfish?” Drake asks. “All I hear is you, you, you. Have you even thought about Nevaeh?”

Frowning, I hold his gaze. “I didn’t force her. She had a choice, and this was her decision too. If she’d said she wanted an annulment, we would’ve gotten one in the blink of an eye.”

“Nevaeh likes you,” he states angrily.

“You’re wrong. She’s still not over her ex.”

Drake rears back, his lips in a tight line. “Travis?” I nod, crossing my arms over my chest. “Nevaeh doesn’t love him. She never did. Why would she want to get back together with him?”

“She said it’s complicated,” I mumble under my breath, my confidence waving me good-bye. What if I misunderstood everything when it comes to her ex?

“It is,” he confirms. “Nevaeh wants him to move on, but Travis still thinks she’s the one for him. He’s not ready to give up on her. That’s why it’s complicated, Roman.”

The table falls silent. I chew the inside of my cheek, my eyes moving around the terrace. What if I don’t need to hold back with Nevaeh? If she doesn’t care about her ex, there’s no reason for me to stay away. We can get to know each other and see if things between us could work out. What if we try being together for real? The attraction is there; I can’t deny it. And it’s growing stronger with each day I get to spend with her.

I’ve never liked anyone more than I like her. That’s gotta be something, right?

“I wonder why no one ever said anything about you liking her. It’s so pathetically obvious.”

The hand holding my glass freezes in midair. Kakogo hrena⁠2? I turn my head and gape at Clay. He takes a sip of his drink, not bothered by my reaction in the slightest.

It’s been hours since Nevaeh and I got to Thompson’s house. Food, drinks, and conversations passed the time. Kids’ laughter and jokes about the upcoming season didn’t leave any room for boredom or sadness. It’s probably the first time in a while that I’ve felt so good being around people. My friends and their families. And Nevaeh. Even if I have barely seen her because she’s keeping Angie company, hanging out with Ava, Bella, and Layla. We don’t need to pretend that we’re a couple…but I find it extremely difficult not to watch her. Did Clay notice?

“What do you mean?” I ask, playing dumb.

Rodgers downs his drink and focuses on me. “Benson’s been roasting you about Nevaeh liking you, insinuating that it’s all one-sided. But if he looked close enough, he would know you like her too.”

“That’s—”

“Cut the bullshit, Roman. Not with me, okay?” he says, furrowing his brows. “I know better than anyone here what it’s like to hide your feelings from everyone.”

I follow his line of sight and see Layla. Drake’s sister holds her daughter, Maya, while talking to Ava. The blonde hair cascading down her shoulders makes a great contrast to her daughter’s brown hair, her head resting on her mom’s shoulder. The memories of locker room chatter I overheard come to mind, and I look back at Clay.

“You still like Layla,” I say quietly, and he shoots me a glare.

“Way to change the subject,” he comments snidely, but he doesn’t tell me I’m wrong. “All I want to say is…don’t let your chances go to waste. Stop spending time doubting all the will-she-won’t-she bullshit. If you like her, do something about it.”

I keep silent, the thoughts swirling in my head becoming louder and more prominent with each passing second. A smile blossoms on my lips when my eyes land on Nevaeh running after Michael, Ava and Colton’s son. They are both laughing when she catches him and tackles him to the ground with him landing on top of her, his back pressed to her chest. She tickles him, the sound of his laughter reverberating across the lawn. Isla, Xander and Bella’s daughter, runs up to them, giggling and saying something about Michael losing a bet.

A heavy hand lands on my shoulder, and I shift my gaze back to Clay. He hovers over me, his yellow-green eyes radiating warmth.

“Think about what I said, Roman.” He squeezes my shoulder one last time and walks away, joining Colton at the grill.

I didn’t expect to get relationship advice from Clay Rodgers. But the more I think about it, sitting at the table on the Thompsons’ terrace, the more I realize I should be grateful.

This push is exactly what I needed.

“Did you have a good time?” I ask Nevaeh as we walk into my apartment.

Without turning on the lights, we both stop to take off our shoes and then proceed to the living room. She’s been blabbering about Ava and Bella’s oldest kids, Layla’s daughter, and Angie’s pregnancy nonstop, but she never really said anything about whether she liked being at the party or not.

“Absolutely.” She pauses near the couch and spins around to look at me. “You?”

“Yeah.” I take a step closer to her, my skin igniting instantly, the heat crawling up my neck. The prickling sensation in my fingertips makes my heartbeat throb. A sudden nervousness combines with my growing desire to cross the line. To go all in and see where things take us.

Nevaeh’s lips part, and she slowly takes her purse off her shoulder and puts it on the coffee table. “It’s only ten o’clock. Do you want to watch something?”

“We can,” I coo, taking another step closer. “We can do whatever you want…”

“Whatever I want?”

Cradling her cheeks with my palms, I lower my head to meet her eyes, searching her face, trying to figure out what sort of mood she’s in. My heart beats so violently in my chest, even my breath hitches.

“What do you want, Malyshka? Tell me.”

“I want…” she whispers as I slide my palms down her throat, feeling her heartbeat pulse under the pads of my fingers. “I want you to kiss me.”

I smirk, smugness boosting my ego. With a tilt of my head, I close the distance between us and press my lips to hers. Briefly. Kissing her and moving away as soon as our lips barely touch. Once, then twice. Then over and over, drawing little whimpers out of her mouth any time I lean away. The kisses are just little pecks, but they set my body on fire.

Her fingers clutch my T-shirt; she’s clinging to me and pressing her tits against my chest. She stands on her tiptoes, her hand snaking around my neck to pull me closer.

Sliding my hands down her waist, I hoist her up and put her on the arm of the couch, settling between her legs. Covering her mouth with mine, I kiss her harder, forcing my tongue between her lips. The moan she makes is like the sweetest melody to my ears. I’d kiss her a thousand times just to hear her moan…for me.

“Nevaeh…” I whisper between our kisses. Her tongue swirling around mine makes me lose my goddamn mind. My skin is burning hot, and my hard-on strains against my jeans. It’s not my first time kissing a girl, but it’s definitely my favorite. Every emotion is heightened. Every breath I take is more powerful than the last. Every beat of my heart feels more intense…all because of her. “Ty svodish menya s uma⁠3. Tell me to stop, Malyshka, please.”

“Never,” she says breathlessly, clinging to me harder.

We kiss and kiss, our hands roaming around each other’s bodies. Until the ringing of her phone startles us. I stop, breathing heavily, and press my forehead to hers.

“I hate my phone,” she says, and I chuckle. “It should’ve been on silent.”

“That would’ve been nice. Do you need to answer it?”

“Depends on who’s calling. Can you…?” Nevaeh points at her purse, and I take her phone out of it as it stops ringing. I don’t intend to look, but a missed call from her ex catches my attention anyway.

My chest hurts; it’s like I can’t take a deep breath. I extend her phone to her as a message pops up on her screen. From him.

Trav:

What if after the park we go to that Chinese restaurant you wanted to try? I can make a reservation

“What park is he talking about?” I ask, gritting my teeth. My mood is so all over the place that I don’t even try to hide what I saw.

Nevaeh grabs her phone and reads the text. Biting her bottom lip, she peers up at me. Her hand is wrapped tightly around her phone, and yet I notice the trembling in her fingers.

“I…I promised to meet with Travis tomorrow. At Discovery Park. To take Happy for a walk.”

“So it’s a date,” I state, taking a step back from her.

“No. We’re going as friends. Travis knows I miss Happy, and⁠—”

“And that’s why he wants to make a reservation at a restaurant you wanted to go to? Because you’re friends?”

What a fucking joke!

“It’s not a date. And I’m not going to the restaurant with him. That’s what he wants, but it’s not⁠—”

“You should say yes,” I deadpan. My every word is venomous.

“Roman…” she whispers, pressing her palm to her chest.

“This was a mistake.” I put even more distance between us. “It won’t happen again.”

Turning on my heel, I stalk to my room and slam the door behind me. It doesn’t matter what Drake said about her and her ex. Words mean shit; only actions matter. She’s keeping him close. Giving him hope. She still hasn’t drawn a line.

My brother was in our friend Kirill’s car that night because our teammate told Maks he saw his girlfriend with her ex, a football player she used to fuck when she was bored. Maksim died because Kirill was drunk and lost control of the car, I know that. But the reason my twin even got into that car was because he wanted to confront a girl. A girl who couldn’t decide who she wanted to be with, who was leading guys on and playing games.

I’m done with all that nonsense.

1 Да блин. — Dammit.

2 Какого хрена? — What the hell?

3 Ты сводишь меня с ума. — You’re driving me crazy.