Kayden
The house was far too quiet when we reached it. None of us spoke any words to each other. We just headed to our rooms, but I couldn't rest easy.
Even after taking a cold bath to make me forget how Rhys had acted towards me, I couldn't sleep.
Every time I closed my eyes, I felt the phantom heat of Rhys's leg against mine from the interview and the way he had shut me out afterward.
After tossing on my bed for over an hour, I rolled out, shirtless and restless, and headed toward the kitchen. I didn't turn on the light because I didn't need to. The moonlight reflected off the glass walls, casting shadows across the floor.
Then I felt his presence. Rhys was there, leaning against the kitchen island, a glass of amber liquid in his hand, looking out of the window and into the dark trees.
Just like me, he was shirtless, and the moonlight caught the heavy muscles of his back. He didn't turn around when I walked in, but his shoulders tensed immediately when he felt my presence.
''Go back to bed, Kayden,'' he said, his voice dangerously low, vibrating in the quiet room.
I didn't listen. Instead, I walked closer to the cold marble of the floor beneath my feet until I was standing just a few feet away. ''I am not a dog you can order around, Rhys. We are not on the ice rink, and you are not my Captain here.''
Rhys finally turned, his eyes tracking the movement of my bare chest with a slow, hungry intensity he couldn't hide. ''You are getting on my nerves,'' he hissed, setting his glass down with a sharp clack. ''You have been since the second you joined the team. I don't like how you are everywhere."
I took a step closer, invading his space and watching his pupils blow wide in the dark. ''Am I? Or is it just that you are tired of pretending you don't see me?'' I asked and chuckled. ''I know you want me, Rhys. I have seen how you look at me.''
Rhys's jaw clenched so hard I thought it might snap. ''What I see is a distraction, and don't get ahead of yourself, Kayden. I don't want you. All I see from you is a liability who cares more about Instagram followers than the playoffs.''
''Liar!'' I whispered, leaning in until I could smell the whiskey and that intoxicating pine scent of his. ''I see the looks, Rhys. I see it on the ice. You act like you can't stand the sight of me, but you can't keep your eyes off me!''
I reached out, my fingers moving slowly, daringly along the edge of the kitchen counter toward his hand.
''I like it, you know,'' I drawled, my voice dropping to a sultry, provocative edge. ''That stoic, untouchable Captain look you wear. It makes me wonder what it would take, actually, to make you break, and what's under all that ice.''
Rhys let out a breath, his gaze dropping to my mouth. ''You don't know what you are asking for, Kayden. We are Alphas. This… this doesn't happen. We are not compatible and…''
''It's happening right now,'' I countered, my heart hammering hard in my chest as I stepped closer to him until I could feel the heat of his body, my bare chest nearly brushing his. ''You are shaking, Ice Prince.''
''Don't call me that,'' he snarled at me.
I chuckled and took another step closer to him. ''The name is cute,'' I told him. ''Are you shaking because you hate me so much? Or because you are terrified of how badly you want to touch me?''
Rhys made a low sound that was a mix of a groan and a snarl. His hand suddenly shot out, his fingers wrapping firmly around the front of my neck. He didn't just hold me; he squeezed my neck with a dominant pressure that forced my head back.
''Is that what you wanted?'' he growled against my lips, his thumbs pressing into the hollow of my throat. ''You want to see me lose it?''
''Yes,'' I choked out, and a wicked, toy smirk pulled at my lips. I looked up at him through my lashes and chuckled. ''But I think you have been standing on that pedestal for way too long, Rhys. I think it's time you saw what it looks like from a different angle.'' I told him and reached up slowly, prying his hand from my neck.
I didn't pull away; I kissed his palm, my eyes locked on his as his pupils blew out until they were almost black. Then I dropped.
I sank to my knees on the kitchen floor, settling between his legs. I reached for the waistband of his sweatpants, my fingers brushing the skin of his hips, feeling the way he shuddered under my touch.
I pulled the fabric down, and the sight of his cock made me gasp in a way that I hadn't expected. I let out a low, breathless whistle, looking up at him with a provocative, arrogant grin.
''Goodness, Ice Prince…'' I drawled, my voice dropping with mock surprise. ''I knew you were hiding a lot under those training clothes, but your cock is definitely bigger than I expected. No wonder you're always so grumpy. It must be a hell of a weight to carry around.''
Rhys's jaw slammed shut, and he grabbed the back of my neck. ''Kayden, just shut the hell up and suck my cock,'' he hissed, his voice weak and stripped of its usual authority.
''Make me,'' I challenged as I took his cock in my hand, and without giving him another second to think, I leaned in and took his length into my mouth.
His hand gripped the back of my head tighter, and his head thumped back against the cabinets. His other hand found my hair, his fingers digging into my scalp with a grip that was borderline painful.
''Goodness…'' he groaned, his voice vibrating through the floorboards.
My mouth on him was aggressive; I used my tongue to trace the length of him, intentionally pushing him toward the edge to see that stoic mask crumble further. I looked up at him while I sucked him, enjoying the way his eyes were snapped shut and he was breathing hard.
''You like that, don't you?'' I murmured against him, my voice vibrating against his skin. ''How does it feel that this perfect little rookie is sucking you off, Ice Prince?''
Rhys let out a broken, desperate sound, his hips jerking toward me instinctively as I took him in again. ''I am going to… fuck, Kayden… stop talking…''
I didn't stop and sucked him faster, my hand wrapping around the base, pushing him until he was screaming out my name.
The Ice Captain was officially gone, replaced by a man who was falling apart in my hands, a wrecked sound leaving his throat before he finally snapped.
"Kayden…" He groaned my name like a curse, his body trembling as he came, his fingers tightening in my hair one last time.
I rubbed his cock and stayed there for a moment, my forehead resting against his thigh, panting for breath. Then I looked up, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.
''So,'' I whispered. ''How was that for a distraction, Ice prince?"
Rhys looked down at me, his eyes clouded through the moonlight, looking completely and utterly wrecked by the man he was supposed to hate.