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

His friends see Ryan and Dante, though, and stop. Despite the wheelchair, Ryan’s whole body hums with the thought of a fight. Just let them get close enough,he prays—he’ll take them down. Kicking and screaming if he has to, he’ll crush Dietrich’s balls into a bloody pulp for the shit he’s saying about his boy. There’s enough anger and hatred in him right now to take on the whole lot of them.


When his friends don’t respond to his latest taunt, Dietrich stops as well. He sees Dante and grins wolfishly. “Well, look at this,” he purrs, purrs, Ryan hates that voice. “Is it true you two are sharing a room at State? Sharing a bed, that’s what I hear.”


Flipping her hair over her shoulder, Josey says again, “Shut up. It’s a double suite. They all are.”


Chapter 105