Ryan Talonovich is the star of his college hockey team, until an accident during practice leaves him confined to a wheelchair. The doctors say he'll walk again but a new season is already underway and he's been replaced on the team, which leaves him feeling alone and betrayed. What's the use of fighting to get back on the ice now?<br><br>Then he meets Dante Espinosa, a short track skater on the city's speed skating club. Though he has to work overtime to afford his sport, Dante is hell on ice, and dreams of making the cut on the U.S. Olympic Speedskating Team.<br><br>Their love of the ice brings them together, but too many obstacles stand in their way: Ryan's struggle with therapy. The memory of Dante's first boyfriend. Lack of funding to the event, Dante's harassing boss, a skating friend in love with him, and Wil Dietrich, who will do anything to win.

Power Play

“Am not,” Ryan tells him. Trying to sit up, he says, “Let me show you the message—”


But Dante doesn’t get up—instead he lies down on top of Ryan, folds his arms on his boyfriend’s chest and laughs. A pure, happy laugh, the first all day. “Stay here,” he says, his voice soft, and Ryan wraps his arms around Dante’s waist again, his hands curving beneath his boyfriend’s ass as he pulls him close. “So what’s this all about now?”


“His name is Vasquez,” Ryan says. He likes Dante’s weight on him, but it’s too much pressure on his brace so he eases his boyfriend’s legs apart, rubbing down his inner thighs until he gets the hint and straddles Ryan. This morning after he read the e-mail, once he believed it, he called Marco Vasquez at the restaurant and confirmed the fact that he wanted to sponsor Dante at the State competitions. “Loves sports, family man, always wanted a restaurant of his own. Claims his wife is only thebest Mexican cook this side of the border—”


Chapter 78