Hands Off The Ice King novel Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hope’s POV

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I tried to push him away, but when my hand brushed against his body, I felt hard, sculpted ridges-defined abdominal muscles, tense beneath my touch.

He was naked! Well, almost. I also felt a towel slung low on his lips, barely there, as I continued to push him away.

“Don’t fucking touch me,” he spat.

His grip tightened, forcing me harder against the wall, my breath catching from the pressure.

“It’s been a while since I’ve met someone this shameless,” he continued. “How did you even get through security? Do you have connections, huh? Did you come to my room expecting something?”

“Sir, I think you’re mistaken,” I shot back, struggling against him. “I thought this was the rehab room. That’s the only reason why I entered!”

“I’ve heard that excuse plenty of times,” he said flatly. “You’re not fooling anyone. Besides, who even are you to be anywhere near the rehab room?”

“I’m your new Physical Therapist,” I said, breathless but firm. “Now let me go, and we can speak like civilized humans.”

“No. I’m calling security.”

I felt him shift behind me. He held both my wrists with one hand, effortlessly, like I weighed nothing.

“Wait, sir,” I insisted, refusing to let my voice shake. “Let’s talk properly.”

“Shut up.”

Fantastic. First day, and I was already pinned to a wall by a lunatic.

The door suddenly opened. My heart dropped, expecting security.

“Levi, I just talked with Apollo Magazine. They want you for their new cover-

Beth’s voice cut off sharply. “Oh my gosh. What are you doing?!”

The pressure vanished. I stumbled forward, sucking in air like I’d been underwater.

Beth quickly pulled me to her side, and that was when it hit me.

The person who held me against the wall was none other than Levi Reeve.

Center Forward of the New York Glaciers.

One of the most recognizable faces in the country.

Even people who didn’t follow hockey knew him. Billboards, interviews, headlines-he was everywhere, despite barely having a social media presence.

Connor used to talk about him all the time. Study his plays. Copy his moves. If there was anyone to look up to, it was Levi

Reeve.

And yet-

11:40 Wed, Jul 15 AMM

Chapter 3

“Who the fuck let her into my room?” he demanded.

So the rumors about his nasty personality were true.

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“I thought this was the rehab room,” I quickly explained, glancing at Beth, who sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Levi, what did I tell you about being more civil?”

He clicked his tongue, already turning away. He grabbed an alcohol spray from the bedside table and began spritzing himself, wiping his skin down with a paper towel like he was scrubbing something off.

My eyes betrayed me, flickering over him.

God. The magazines weren’t exaggerating. Broad shoulders. Defined chest. That sharp V-line disappearing beneath the towel. He was a literal walking headline.

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. “I got dirty.”

My stomach dropped.

Dirty?

I clenched my jaw, heat rising-not from embarrassment this time, but irritation.

“Sorry about him,” Beth murmured, though it did little to help.

“Anyway, cut her some slack. She’s your new Physical Therapist.”

Levi paused mid-motion, tossing the paper towel into the bin before turning slowly. His gaze landed on me again, unimpressed. Still, his face looked like it had been carved by the gods themselves. If he weren’t so insufferable, he’d be dangerous in an entirely different way.

I pushed the thought aside, straightened my posture, and stepped forward.

“Nice to meet you,” I said, extending my hand despite everything. “I’m Hope. I’ll be your Physical Therapist from now on.”

He looked at my hand like it was something he’d scraped off his shoe, ignoring it completely.

“Where’s Nate?” he asked instead. “I need my shoulder checked.”

Beth pressed her lips together. “Levi, Nate has resigned. You already know that.”

“He was here yesterday.”

“He stayed for you,” she replied. “Because you refuse to work with anyone else. He has a life, Levi. His wife is about to give birth, too. Let him focus on it.”

“Call him.”

“If you want, I can check your shoulder,” I said, stepping forward again, reaching carefully this time.

He slapped my hand away before I could even make contact. I froze, then slowly lowered my hand, my expression hardening. Every second with him confirmed it-every rumor, every warning.

“What were you saying earlier?” he asked Beth, dismissing me like I didn’t exist.

“Apollo Sports wants you for their May cover,” she said, already sounding exhausted.

“No.”

Chapter 3

Beth frowned. “Levi, they’re one of our biggest sponsors. We can’t afford to lose them before the season starts.”

“Then find someone else.”

“They’re featuring the entire team,” she clarified. “They just want you on the cover.”

He had already grabbed his phone, scrolling, uninterested.

Beth exhaled. “You really don’t make anything easy, do you?”

Levi didn’t even look up. “Rehire Nafe. I don’t want that woman touching me.”

My hand instinctively moved to my chest.

That woman?

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Beth didn’t budge. “Nate’s wife is eight months pregnant. Besides, he already has a new job lined up, one that has fixed hours. Hope is staying whether you like it or not.”

That got his attention.

He stilled, then slowly lifted his gaze to meet mine. It was intense. Heavy. Like a challenge thrown straight at me. For a second, my body reacted before my mind-heat crawling up my spine, my pulse stuttering under the weight of it.

But I held his stare.

I refused to be the first to look away.

He raised a brow, almost amused, leaning back slightly against the bed like he suddenly had all the time in the world. The movement only made him look hotter than he already was..

“Let’s see then,” Levi said, his voice quieter now.

His eyes didn’t leave mine.

“Let’s see if she can stay.”

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