Hands Off The Ice King novel Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Hope’s POV

“Levi and Hope sitting on a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G-”

“Desmond,” I warned through gritted teeth.

But that only made him louder.

“K-I-S-”

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A hockey glove flew straight at his face coming from Levi. Desmond caught it with ease before bursting into laughter, while Spencer shook his head from across the locker room.

“Wrong sport,” Spencer muttered. “Save the throwing for the ice.”

The entire locker room erupted into snickers.

Meanwhile, I stood there wondering how my life had turned this way in less than twenty-four hours.

I had managed to survive Connor and Delaney. Only to accidentally create a completely different disaster involving Levi.

Desmond was still laughing to himself while the players continued gearing up around the locker room. The atmosphere buzzed with adrenaline.

Players shouted across the room. Music blasted faintly from someone’s speaker.

And through all the noise, I could still feel Levi’s presence from the other side of the room.

Beth suddenly nudged my shoulder hard enough to make me jump.

I turned toward her and found her slightly breathless, clipboard tucked under one arm while she rushed around helping organize the media team and accommodate the Gotham Pucks’ staff.

“So,” she started with a grin, “you actually like Levi?”

My eyes widened instantly.

“No!”

The denial came out way too fast and way too loud. A few nearby players immediately looked over.

My heart started racing for absolutely no reason whatsoever. And against my better judgment, I glanced up.

Levi was seated in the middle row of lockers, halfway through pulling his jersey over his head. His abdominal muscles flexed as he moved, the sharp lines of his body disappearing beneath black compression fabric before the orange jersey settled

over him.

I immediately looked away. However, Beth caught the action, and her grin widened.

“Your cheeks get red really quickly, huh?”

I pressed a hand against my face.

“It’s because Desmond has been teasing me since this morning,” I sighed. “I don’t like Levi. It’s just…”

I trailed off. How exactly was I supposed to explain that I only said his name to survive humiliation? That I panicked and

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Chapter 18

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dragged the team’s biggest star into my mess because my ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend looked too smug?

“It’s okay,” Beth said with a laugh, patting my back. “Honestly, despite Levi’s attitude, I can’t even blame people who like

him.

She leaned closer conspiratorially.

“That man is dangerously handsome.”

I snorted softly. Dangerously was definitely the correct word.

“Just know that it’s all one huge misunderstanding,” I clarified quickly.

Beth only hummed.

“Mhm.”

“That’s the truth.”

“Mhm.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“You don’t believe me.”

“I believe you,” she replied innocently.

She absolutely did not. Then her expression softened slightly as she glanced around the locker room.

“But honestly? This atmosphere is lighter than I expected.” She smiled at me warmly. “Your addition here is actually really great.”

That caught me off guard. I smiled back at her softly.

But before I could respond, the locker room suddenly quieted.

Beth straightened immediately.

I followed her gaze toward the doorway.

Dennis Rhodes walked in with his daughter trailing proudly beside him.

Coach Rhodes wore his usual orange Glaciers polo stretched tightly over his beer belly, a piece of gum moving lazily between his teeth. Delaney mirrored him perfectly, arms crossed and chin lifted like royalty.

Aiden appeared nearby too, camera already rolling as he filmed the pre-game atmosphere.

I straightened instinctively beside Beth.

“Long time no see, boys,” Dennis greeted loudly.

The players answered with scattered greetings while continuing to adjust their uniforms.

The coach smirked.

“Glad to see everyone’s still in one piece.”

Something about the way he said it rubbed me wrong immediately.

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Chapter 18

I had heard enough stories about Dennis Rhodes over the years to know exactly what kind of coach he was.

Aggressive. Demanding. Old-school to a fault.

The kind of coach who viewed injuries as inconveniences instead of actual health concerns.

Ironically, he’d been forced into early retirement himself after destroying his body during his playing years.

Yet somehow, he still pushed players past their limits.

And somehow, it worked.

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Ever since Levi joined the team around the same time Dennis became head coach, the Glaciers had been unstoppable.

Championship after championship.

Win after win.

They showed results people couldn’t argue with.

“Well,” Dennis continued with a grin, “go out there and break a leg. Not literally. Our new PT’s still adjusting, isn’t she?”m

A few players laughed while I forced a smile.

Forest suddenly stood from the center bench and slammed his fist against his chest.

“Gather up!”

Instantly, the room changed. The joking disappeared and the teasing stopped.

Every player moved closer until they formed a rough circle in the center of the locker room, energy crackling between them like electricity.

Then Forest shouted-

“Ice in our veins!”

And every single player roared back at once.

“GLACIERS!”

The sound slammed into me like a physical force. I felt chills race down my spine. I’d heard that chant hundreds of times before through television screens and arena broadcasts.

But hearing it here was completely different.

The team finally broke apart and headed toward the tunnel leading to the rink.

Levi remained at the far end of the group, quiet as always, his helmet dangling from one hand while his equipment bag

rested over his shoulder.

Beth, Aiden, and I followed behind them.

Aiden immediately focused his camera on Levi.

As we walked. I found myself staring at the slight stiffness in his shoulder again.

My brows furrowed. Before I could stop myself, I reached out and lightly tapped his arm.

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Chapter 18

Levi slowed immediately and turned toward me.

The hallway lights reflected sharply against his dark eyes.

“Can you play?” I asked quietly.

For a second, he simply looked at me.

Then he bit lightly against his lower lip before the corner of his mouth tilted upward.

“If there’s one thing I can do without fail,” he said smoothly, “it’s play.”

Then he walked ahead again like he hadn’t just delivered the most arrogant sentence I’d heard all week.

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I stared after him and shook my head. It was ridiculous, and yet I already knew his fans would absolutely lose their mind if they heard him say that.

The silence grew louder the closer we got to the ice. The practice game wouldn’t have an audience, so it was just the two teams and their staff.

Still, the energy hit me all at once the second we stepped near the ice.

On the opposite side of the rink, the Gotham Pucks arrived. Unlike the Glaciers bright orange uniforms, the Pucks wore black and gray, looking darker.

Their players skated onto the ice with open confidence, especially their captain.

Liam Moretti glided across the rink with his hockey stick resting lazily over one shoulder, dark hair messy beneath his helmet and a cocky smirk permanently attached to his face.

I could feel the tension tightening between both teams despite them not saying a word to each other.

It felt like I was witnessing a storm waiting to happen.

Eventually, everyone settled onto their benches.

Dennis took the center position immediately, barking instructions while assistant coaches organized rotations.

Delaney, Beth, and I sat farther down near the end of the bench closest to the Gotham Pucks.

Apparently, management staff stayed near the edges to “reduce tension.”

Personally, I thought nothing on earth could reduce hockey-player tension.

Still, I sat quietly and observed.

I knew some things about the Gotham Pucks already. Not as much as the Glaciers, obviously. Connor had always preferred the Glaciers.

But hockey fans knew Liam Moretti. If Levi Reeve would have a rival, it would definitely be him.

I glanced toward the opposing bench out of pure curiosity but froze instantly.

Liam Moretti was already staring at me.

I frowned slightly. Maybe I was mistaken. Maybe he was looking at someone behind me-

But then, while looking into my eyes, he did the unexpected. He winked, a small smile playing on his lips.

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