Six Hockey Players' Rival, page 1
Six Hockey Players’ Rival
A Reverse Harem Romance
Love by Numbers 2
Book 5
Nicole Casey
© Copyright 2023 – Nicole Casey All rights reserved.
It is not legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
1. Leah
2. Hugo
3. Jed
4. Leah
5. Leah
6. Hugo
7. Leah
8. Hugo
9. Leah
10. Leah
11. Leah
12. Colm
13. Leah
14. Hugo
15. Leah
16. Colm
17. Leah
18. Leah
19. Leah
20. Leah
21. Hugo
22. Leah
23. Leah
24. Leah
25. Leah
Epilogue: Leah
Free Preview: Seven Tattoo Artists & A Single Mom
1. Madison
2. Marlo
3. Madison
About the Author
About this book
Six hockey players, one fearless captain, and a sizzling tale of love, rivalry, and secrets.
When I join Yale's ice hockey team, my goal is clear: to prove that women deserve their place in the game.
Tensions simmer between the men's and women's teams, but fate has a different plan in store. One unforgettable night, passion ignites between me and several members of the men's team, blurring the boundaries of rivalry and desire.
Their touch, their alluring charm, opens a door to a world I never expected.
Hugo, the smoldering captain, challenges my resolve at every turn. Stephen, the irresistible center, tempts me with his magnetic charm. Mikael, the passionate left winger, sends shivers down my spine with his tantalizing touch. Anthony, the devoted right winger, fuels my desire with his captivating gaze, leaving me yearning for more.
And then there are Colm and Jed—locked in a secret affair that adds a sinful edge to our already intense encounters.
Back on campus, I find myself helplessly drawn to these guys, feeling a magnetic pull growing stronger. But they are my enemies, and I swear to resist their temptations.
As the women's team achieves unprecedented success, tensions mount. But a scandalous event threatens to crumble everything we've built.
Yet, the men surprise me with a grand gesture I never expected.
Can I find a way to reconcile the fierce rivalry and the undeniable chemistry that exists between us?
Step onto the ice and brace yourself for an unforgettable journey with these six daring hockey players and a relentless captain, where rivalries, secrets, and passion collide in a game that leaves you breathless.
Chapter 1
Leah
The sound of my heartbeat thudded loudly between my ears as I walked down the hallway toward my new dorm room at Yale University.
Sheer determination gripped me as my eyes swept the busy hall as other students hurried to move all of their things in or meet their new roommates. This was the beginning of a new chapter of our lives, and everything was about to change.
I was going to prove that I belonged here.
“Wow, this place is fancy.”
My sister Madison’s voice drew me out of my head, prompting me to nod as we both admired the grey tile flooring and sleek, black doors to the dorm rooms. This place was the real deal, packed full of super smart people and overachievers. My grades were good in high school, but the main reason I was here was for athletics.
Specifically, ice hockey.
I scored a scholarship that I couldn’t refuse, and I saw being the goaltender of Yale’s women’s ice hockey team as a way to shut up every single person who doubted me or a woman’s place in the sport of ice hockey.
I couldn’t count how many times men had turned their noses up at the thought of women playing the sport, claiming that it was for men or that women couldn’t handle the intensity and physicality.
I strove to prove all of them wrong while playing the sport I loved so dearly.
“I just can’t believe I’m finally here,” I told her as we dragged my bags to the dorm room at the end of the hallway on the left. It looked like the door was already open, strained huffs sounding from inside.
“You worked hard for it!” Madison reminded me as she flashed me an encouraging smile. “Honor roll. Captain of your high school hockey team. Scholarship winner. Now, you’re going to be Yale’s best ice hockey captain and politics major. Or I’m going to kick your ass over it.”
A grateful smile crossed my face as I nodded. She was right. I did work hard.
Madison and I were raised by a single mom after our father left early on, which meant money was tight. I knew that there was no way that my mom could afford to send me to college and keep us fed, housed, and clothed at the same time, so I pushed myself to get a scholarship so that I could further my hockey career.
It was either that or be stuck in our small town full of small minds.
When I walked into my dorm room, I spotted another girl struggling to put together a simple display bookshelf, screws and parts littering the floor near her knees as she sat on the wooden floor.
“Do you need help?” I asked her as I dropped my things off near the bed that wasn’t made yet. It seemed like the left side was going to be my side of the room.
The girl looked behind her shoulder and immediately smiled in a friendly manner as she rose to her feet. She stuck her hand out to me, a few strands of her hair falling against her forehead.
“Hey, I’m Jourdanne,” she introduced herself.
“Leah. This is my sister Madison,” I said as I shook her hand.
Madison smiled at my new roommate and shook her hand. She was effortlessly sweet and certainly the favorite sister when people in town compared us.
With long, brown hair and a curvy figure, all eyes shot to her, leaving me on the sidelines.
Hockey was the only instance where I felt like I was a big part of the game.
For everything else, Madison was the star, but we were still close. She couldn’t help the fact that she was more likable and beautiful, while I was rougher around the edges and certainly more athletically built.
Jourdanne placed her hands on her hips as she eyed my sports bag.
“Are you an athlete?” she asked me.
I nodded.
“I’m on the women’s ice hockey team,” I told her, bracing myself, expecting her to be surprised or skeptical like so many other people.
Instead, Jourdanne beamed at me.
“That’s so cool!” she said before laughing. “I have no athletic ability whatsoever, but at least one of us is in shape. This shelf is kicking my ass.”
I cracked a smile, already liking her optimistic attitude. I had a feeling that we would meld just fine, and I just hoped that I got along with the girls on the team too. I would be the captain of the team, so I not only had to get along with them, but I had to lead them as well.
The pressure of leading weighed on me slightly like it did for any person, but something about these other girls relying on me to rally them and lead them to victory inspired me more than anything else. And I didn’t harp on some fancy trophy we would get or even bragging rights. I told them to focus on the self-fulfillment that they would feel. The people they would prove wrong.
That was better than any gaudy trophy.
After getting most of my things set up, Madison pulled me into a tight hug.
“I should get back to Chloe. I’m so proud of you, Leah,” she told me.
Chloe was Madison’s daughter, a cheery and sweet six-year-old. She embodied so many of the good features of my sister from her kindness to her patience. I loved her to death, and I wished that her father hadn’t been such an aggressive, selfish jerk. I was glad that Madison left him, but I hated that she wasted so much of her high school experience being with him.
At least she was happy now.
My chest ached as I realized that I would be away from my mom, sister, and my niece for longer than ever before. They were my biggest source of support, my foundation of motivation. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to rise to this point, and I just hoped that I could make them proud.
“Thank you,” I said.
“And Mom would’ve loved to have been here too,” Madison reminded me.
I nodded, knowing that was the truth. She couldn’t get off work for the trip, so we had our own goodbye over breakfast for dinner the night before I left. Honestly, it was the best goodbye we could’ve shared.
“Drive safe,” I told her. “Text me when you get home.”
Madison gave me a firm squeeze before letting go and looking over at Jourdanne.
“It was nice meeting you,” she said.
J ourdanne waved goodbye until the door to our dorm room shut. She faced me with an eager expression, standing next to the bookshelf she finally constructed.
“There’s a welcome event happening on campus. Want to go? Have a little fun?” she asked.
I was tired from traveling and getting all of my things put away, but this was the first day of this new chapter in my life. This was my chance to forge the path I always wanted to walk, so I needed to kick it off with a good step forward in the right direction.
“Let’s do it,” I said as I slipped my black sneakers on.
“Awesome!” Jourdanne chirped before heading out of the room.
I followed her and took in my surroundings, reality settling in. For the next four years, this was essentially my new home, my chance at being the person I wanted to be. All I had to do was rally my team, keep my grades up, and not lose this chance.
If I had to drag myself back home in defeat, I feared that I wouldn’t ever find another opportunity to leave and make something of myself. Coldness washed down my back in a chilling wave, prompting me to shudder and hurry up my pace to catch up to Jourdanne.
I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t go through more moments of watching disbelief and amusement glint in people’s eyes when I told them about playing hockey or going to Yale for my athletic career. I had seen that look in my own father’s eyes when he shook me by the shoulder and reminded me that sports were for men. Not women.
We weren’t strong enough. Fast enough. Skilled enough.
I was going to make every single person who doubted me eat their words. No matter what it took.
The first week went by in a flash, shuttling me through days full of classes, meeting new people, and adjusting to my new life. I learned how to do plenty of things on my own while growing up since my mom worked so much, but this was a whole new level of independence and responsibility. I had to juggle everything.
In the mornings, I exercised with my team, who were the most talented group of women hockey athletes I had ever played with in my entire life. I spent a lot of time with Anne and Naomi because they were my defenders and my last line of defense against the enemy team. They had my back on the ice and off the ice and were a bit more relaxed than our center and offensive wingers.
But whether they were laidback or serious, they were great teammates. We put the game and the team first, and the level of effort in college was ten times what I experienced from my team in high school. Everyone here was determined to prove themselves and to make the most out of their hockey career.
When I wasn’t doing drills with my defenders, going on runs with our center, Lily, or irritating my wingers by blocking all of their shots during scrimmages, I was being a typical college student. I went to classes all day. Afterward, I did homework and hung out with Jourdanne and sometimes some other people I had met before going to bed and restarting in the morning.
It was a grind, but I worked through every single day, focusing on my grades and the hockey season ahead, especially since practices were about to be thrown in the mix of my busy schedule. I looked forward to getting back out on the ice, though, feeling the chill in the air and hearing the blades of my skates grate against the ice.
I swore I was meant to be out there.
“Have a good weekend everyone. Don’t forget about your test on Monday,” Professor Moore told our History 101 class.
I withheld a groan, knowing that was another hour or two I had to devote to studying. I glanced over at Jourdanne and Marina, a girl who lived down the hall from us, seeing their equally annoyed expression.
“Let’s get out of here,” Marina said before rising to her feet and leading us out of the lecture hall.
“Can you believe he’s giving us another test on Monday?” I asked them as we fell in line with each other. I swore it felt like a new assignment, essay, or test was dropped on me every time I turned around.
Jourdanne let out a sigh as she shook her head.
“I know it’s listed on the syllabus, but I don’t think I’ve had time to even take a look at it since the first day,” she admitted. “Much less my notes. So much has been going on.”
My eyebrows lifted in surprise as we walked out of the building and into the sunshine of a cool, slightly breezy Friday afternoon. She was usually pretty focused on her studies, but she seemed a bit distracted lately.
“Oh my gosh! You’re totally going to fail,” I gasped with a laugh to tease her. I wrote down every little thing that I could, even if our professor spoke a thousand words per minute. One failed class could cost me my scholarship and send me right back home.
Marina looked over at Jourdanne and shook her head.
“No way. You can use my notes to study,” she assured Jourdanne.
“Thanks,” Jourdanne said with a grateful smile. She then looked forward as we continued walking, her eyes growing distant.
Gradually, I noticed more and more that she would often get… distracted. She was on her phone quite a bit or disappeared for hours at a time, which, of course, made me curious. Something was on her mind.
So, what’s on your mind lately, Jourdanne?” Marina asked after a minute of silence. It looked like I wasn’t the only one who noticed Jourdanne’s odd behavior.
Jourdanne shrugged and stayed quiet, her eyes shifting to the ground to watch her shoes.
What would she be so secretive about? Family troubles? School struggles? It could be a list of things.
“Is it a boy?” I asked her as I bumped my shoulder against hers teasingly, trying to lighten the mood.
Jourdanne cracked a hint of a smile.
“Well, I guess I’m just a little homesick, you know?” she replied.
I could understand that in a way. I missed my family, but I certainly didn’t miss my hometown and all of the judgmental people there. Rumors spread like wildfire there, and when people heard about my college plans, it didn’t take me long to hear murmurs throughout town that people didn’t expect me to succeed.
“Oh my gosh! You were so adorable when you first arrived,” I teased her, not wanting her to sink into her sadness. She was a ball of sunshine when we met, so if I had to be that for her to cheer her up, I would.
Jourdanne’s face flushed as she seemed to realize what I was talking about.
“I was? You guys saw me that day?” she asked.
After she invited me to leave the dorm for a little while for the welcome party, we came across two handsome gentlemen who she knew. That was also when we came across Marina, who was moving things into her dorm room.
Marina leaned closer to Jourdanne as we headed toward the dorm building.
“Oh, yeah. You and your dad and uncle were so cute together. They must be so proud,” she cooed.
“My dad?” Jourdanne repeated as her eyes shot wide open.
I narrowed my eyes slightly in confusion, wondering why she reacted like that. Was he not her dad? He was certainly old enough to be.
Marina nudged Jourdanne.
“I get it. I miss my younger sister a lot. We used to have movie nights on Saturdays most weeks,” she said.
That sparked an idea.
“Well, hey, we can do that too,” I pitched, figuring we could all use a pick-me-up. I looked over at Marina on the other side of Jourdanne. “Let’s pick out something for this weekend.”
Marina nodded.
“Yeah. What do you think, Jourdanne? Anything sound good off the top of your head?” she asked.
Jourdanne parted her lips to answer, but her phone suddenly rang. She reached into her pocket to check it.
“Oh, hey, speak of the devil,” she said as she waved her phone and slowed down behind us to answer.
I smiled and lingered around with Marina a little ways off, watching a variety of emotions cross Jourdanne’s face. Confusion. Worry. Surprise. Something was definitely up.
