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I had work and practice every day, like always, but I spent every minute missing Sierra like crazy.

Somehow, I went from being a normal man to being one obsessed with a woman—his woman.

This morning felt heavier than usual. I was tired, distracted, and stuck in my own head the entire practice. The rink was freezing, the echo of the blades cutting the ice sharp and relentless. My muscles ached more than they should’ve—partly from drills, but mostly from how tense I’ve been lately.

Today’s practice rolled around and Coach Williams had us do suicides as punishment because some of the guys weren’t on time this morning to the rink. It felt like we skated until our lungs gave out and our legs burned.

“Good practice, aside from the suicides part,” Chase says, draining a bottle of water.

“Yeah, it was okay. You got a few good shots. I’m impressed.” I smirk at him, grabbing a towel.

“Oh, fuck off. I’m a God on the ice and you know it.

“Yes, you are. Not the best—because we all know that title belongs to me—but you’re up there, my friend.” Laughing, I start to undress.

Suddenly, and from out of nowhere, I hear a voice I hoped I’d never hear again.

“You had your fun with your little fiancée these past weeks, babe. Everything back to normal now?”

I jerk around to find Samantha standing in the locker room doorway.

“You got rid of her already?”

Exasperated, I ignore her. I’m not doing this again. I hoped she’ll have some pride and stop making a fool of herself.

“You don’t get the hint or the flat-out rejection, do you? Fuck, Samantha, this is actually embarrassing. The man didn’t want you then, doesn’t want you now,” Aiden says, stepping in. “And you don’t have permission to be here, so please, don’t come back again.”

Then he slams the door in her face, frustrated.

Grateful, I give him a pat on the back. “Thanks, man. I really don’t have the patience for this anymore. I still don’t remember a damn thing about that night, and it’s driving me crazy to think I slept with her.”

“She saw a chance and grabbed it with both hands, captain. She knew it was then or never,” Harry, our goalie, says.

“Some women are desperate,” Bryan mutters, shuddering at that thought. “How can you sleep with a man that drunk? What if something happens? Or worse, what if he’s violent and hurts you?”

“They only want one thing, guys—to have sex with a very famous hockey player and trap him in their claws,” Alex yells from the showers, making us laugh.

After a longer conversation in the locker room, I finally head to the office. My body’s sore, my head’s pounding, and the only thing I truly want is Sierra.

But, instead, I spend the rest of the day in back-to-back meetings. And by the time I finish my last one, I’m tired as hell. I need a bed and my fiancée, but I can’t get either right now.

“Alright, gentlemen, thank you for your time. The numbers are looking good, but I want you to prepare a weekly analysis and present it to me or Marissa every Friday,” I conclude, standing up from my seat at the head of the conference table.

“Sure, Mr. Hardy.”

“I’ll schedule the meetings for the next three weeks. You’ll be able to see them in your calendar starting this evening,” Marissa, my assistant, adds.

“Thank you, Marissa. Something else for today?” I ask her as we exit the conference room.

“No, Nick. No more meetings. Please take a look at your emails. I’ve already marked the urgent ones.”

“I’ll do it now. You can leave for the day.”

“Great. Thank you, Nick. Have fun with those reports.” She laughs as I close the door to my office.

I take a seat at my desk and open my laptop. As I go through my inbox, one email instantly catches my attention.

From: Sierra Thomas