TEMPTING THE ICE KING

"Hailey? Are you coming to the party later?" One of my teammates hopefully questioned.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," I replied with a kind smile on my face.

"Is that... Tessa and Kyren?" Brie asked while pointing at two disappearing figures. "Why is she always following him around?" She curiously questioned.

"They're best friends, apparently," Jia tiredly answered.

I snorted. "She obviously has a crush on him. Everyone does."

"Does that include you?" Jia asked before sending a smirk in my direction.

"As if," I scoffed before making my way out of the arena.

"Does our captain have a crush on the Ice King?" Brie teasingly uttered before throwing her arm around my shoulder.

"No, I do not. Kyren is just not my type." I slowly explained, so that they would finally get the message.

"But he's so dreamy," Jia uttered before fluttering her eyelashes in my direction. "You should give him a chance. I think you two would make a great couple."

"Give him a chance? Kyren doesn't need chances from anyone." Brie argued. "You'd be lucky if he spared you a glance."

"He would totally date me if I gave him a chance. Because I can get any guy that I want." I pointedly stated.

"He has a strict 'NO DATING' rule, Hails. Kyren Wolfe doesn't date; he fucks. Which is why I don't think he would date you. Even if you did give him the opportunity." Brie confidently continued.

She wasn't wrong. Kyren was as cold as the ice he skated on. He was known for his ruthless rejections. And that glare... so arrogant.

"Lucky for him, I don't follow rules. And besides, no one can resist my charm." I uttered with a smile on my face.

"Wanna bet?" Brie asked before narrowing her eyes at me. "I bet you can't get the Ice King to break his 'NO DATING' rule before the end of the semester."

"I'm gonna prove you wrong, Brie," I chirped out as we entered the Alpha Sigma Epsilon frat house. Empty red cups were littered everywhere across the floor. Party lights flashed wildly, and loud music boomed off the walls.

"Hailey! Jia! Brielle! You guys made it." Logan greeted us at the door. He pulled each of us into a tight hug before handing me a beer.

"No thanks. I'm not drinking tonight." I announced, before curiously looking around the room while Logan complimented our performance from before.

"Are you looking for someone, Hails?" He asked, a light frown creasing his forehead.

"Kyren. Is he here?" I curiously questioned.

"He sure is." Logan absentmindedly uttered before ushering us deeper inside the house. The sound of his voice was drowned out by the loud music.

Brie and Logan wordlessly disappeared into the crowd. And Jia linked her arm with mine.

"Are you seriously gonna follow through on that bet you made with Brielle?" Jia asked me as we made our way up a flight of stairs.

"Absolutely. Brie underestimates me, and that, my dear friend, is a problem." I told her before opening and closing random doors, on my quest to find Kyren.

I opened one last door and found a room filled with hockey players and cheerleaders, huddled up in a circle. "Hailey, want to join?" Josh, one of Kyren's teammates, asked before slowly trailing his gaze down my body.

"Let's just stay here. Play whatever game they are." Jia suggested in a whisper.

I nodded at Jia before turning my gaze back on Josh. "That depends. What exactly are we joining?"

"A round of Truth or Dare," Josh answered, and I sighed before helplessly looking over at Jia.

"Sure." Jia chirped out before pulling me along with her. We sat down on the cold wooden floor.

Then the door swung open, and everything went quiet. Jia was gaping at the door, and I curiously turned to see what she was looking at.

Kyren confidently entered the room. And the smell of sandalwood and clean linen filled the room. A small smirk lifted the corner of my mouth.

"Now or never," Jia whispered into my ear.

Tessa entered the room after Kyren, looking like a lost puppy as he greeted his teammates. I smiled. She was so obvious. I could tell that she liked him just by the way she was staring at him. Cute.

"Come on, you've gotta join us. Just one round." Josh told Kyren. And he didn't stop until Kyren agreed to join us.

Once we were all seated, the game started. "Jia, truth or dare," Josh uttered with a mischievous smile on his face.

"Dare." She blankly muttered.

"I dare you to leave a lipstick stain on my neck." He told her, and something dark flashed in his eyes.

Jia got up from her spot and leaned in, teasingly slow. She placed a kiss on his neck, and his teammates erupted into a fit of cheers. Jia pulled back from him with a smile on her face. "I hope that fulfilled all your fantasies." She sarcastically uttered before taking the spot next to me again.

"He's gonna tell everyone you guys are dating." I laughed, and she shot him an angered glare.

"Hailey, your turn," Josh uttered with a proud smile on his face. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare." I confidently muttered.

Josh narrowed his gaze at me. "I dare you..." he started before looking around the room. He paused when his eyes landed on Kyren. "To go sit on Kyren's lap for the rest of the game, without him pushing you off."

The room suddenly became silent as everyone looked between the two of us.

Our eyes locked for the very first time. I carefully got up from my spot.

The thought of being rejected in front of everyone was weighing on me, but I pushed my nervousness aside and confidently crossed over to his side of the room.

I lowered myself onto his lap, the scent of his shower gel intoxicating me. My skirt rode up my thighs as soon as I sat down. Kyren's body went rigid as I invaded his personal space.

I seductively turned into him, my lips teasingly brushing the shell of his ear. "Relax, Kyren. It's just a dare." My voice dropped to a whisper only he could hear over the cheers coming from his friends. "Besides, this is the most action you've seen all semester, isn't it?" I continued.

His muscles slowly relaxed, and something else took over completely. One of his hands possessively landed on my waist while the other landed on my thigh, his fingers digging into the delicate skin there.

He didn't look at me, but he shifted his legs so that my skirt could ride up dangerously high.

When he finally spoke, his voice was so low it vibrated through my chest. "You're shaking, Princess."

"No, I'm not." I argued, before squirming in his grip, in an attempt to free myself from him.

But Kyren wasn't letting up, he held fast. "Liar." He finally turned his head in my direction, his silver eyes burning into my flushed cheeks. His gaze turned predatory.

His hand firmly tangled in my ponytail as he yanked me back, exposing my throat to the entire room. Everything went quiet as the tension shifted between us.

He leaned in closer, his lips brushing the sensitive skin on my neck. "You came over here to win a dare. You wanted to show everyone that you could handle me."

I tried to pull away, but his grip on my hair tightened. "The dare is over, Hailey. I'm the one who decides when you get to get up. And I've decided you're coming with me."

He stood up, lifting me as if I weighed nothing. My legs instinctively wrapped around him as he began walking toward the door. He completely ignored the gasps and the flashes of cellphone cameras.

"Kyren, wait..." I gasped, my heart hammering against my ribs.

His eyes locked onto mine, holding a promise that I wouldn't be sleeping in my own bed tonight. "You're about to find out exactly what happens to girls who try to play with me."

My eyes stayed on Kyren as he entered a dimly lit room down the hallway.

The door locked with a soft click, and my heart started hammering against my ribs. He placed me on the ground before possessively gripping a fist full of my ass.

"You're in my world now. And in my world, I take what I want." He rasped, his lips brushing against mine. His minty breath fanned against my cheeks. And the smell of sandalwood mixed with shower gel drove me to the brink of insanity.

He was standing too close.

"I have an assignment that's due tomorrow. I have to go." I lied through my teeth.

One of his hands slowly slid over my ribcage and over the sensitive peaks of my breasts, forming under the thin material of my uniform. His thumb found a sensitive spot on my neck, and my breathing hitched. "Consider this your last warning, Princess. If you don't, I'm going to leave marks on you that no cheerleader uniform can hide."

His head dipped as he placed an erotic kiss on my neck that sent a shiver down my spine. Heat coiled low in my belly as he gave my ass one last squeeze.

"Do you understand?" He asked, his teeth grazing my neck.

"Yes. I understand." I breathed out, and his hands dropped to his sides. A triumphant smirk rested on his face as his silver orbs slowly ran over my frightened form.

He unlocked the door and wordlessly stepped outside. I landed a trembling hand on my chest. I grabbed my phone from my back pocket, and my eyes widened at the time.

I promised my dad I'd be home at 10 P.M.

I texted Jia, saying I was leaving early. She replied with a kissy face, and I slid my phone back inside my back pocket before leaving the frat house.

Once the doors shut behind me, the cold air bit into my skin. I ran a slow hand through my hair before threading forward. I made my way to my dad's place on campus, but something felt off.

I felt watched. Like someone was following me home. I nervously looked over my shoulder and found a thin man wearing a black hoodie standing behind me.

He waved at me, and all the blood drained from my body. I started running towards my dad's apartment, which was right around the corner. I looked over my shoulder again and found the man running toward me at full force.

I grabbed my phone and rushed to call my dad's number but he wasn't picking up. "Come on, Dad."

I ran past the security post and punched in the key code at the door, as the sound of HIS footsteps became louder. The door opened with a soft click, and I slipped inside. I slumped onto the ground, clutching my knees to my chest.

Who the hell was that? Who on earth would follow me all the way to my house in the middle of the night? I wiped the tears from my cheeks.

"Hailey? Is that you, Sweetheart?" My dad asked from inside the living room, his voice thick with sleep.

I dried the last of my tears before getting up from where I was sitting, crouched down. I fixed my clothes in an attempt to look normal again.

My dad found me in the middle of the hallway, and before he could say anything, I tightly wrapped my arms around him.

"You're freezing, Sweetheart." He muttered before placing a kiss on top of my head. "I fell asleep on the couch. Did something happen?"

I slowly pulled back before shaking my head in response. "I'm fine. Congratulations on the big win tonight." I smiled up at him.

"Thank you." He muttered with a smile on his face. "You were kicking ass out there too tonight." He said before giving me a high five.

"I guess being awesome runs in the family." I joked, and my dad just smiled at me.

"Next time, have a friend drop you off. I thought we talked about this, Hailey Jade." He started, a light frown creasing his brows.

"I'm fine, Dad. I just had a weird day." I lied, and his jaw clenched. I think he knew that I was lying, but he let it slide this time.

"Get some sleep. Aren't you moving into your new place tomorrow?"

"I am. Goodnight, Dad." I muttered before making my way inside my bedroom. I shut the windows inside before locking the door behind me.

I took a warm shower before getting dressed for bed. I loosened my hair before opening my desk drawer. I pulled out a small taser before crawling under my bedsheets. I placed the taser under my pillowcase before going to sleep.

The next morning, I tiredly rolled out of bed. I did my morning routine and pulled on some baggy sweats paired with a white crop top.

By the time I left my room, my dad was done loading my things into his car. "You want me gone this bad?" I joked, and he lightly chuckled before ruffling up my hair.

"It's about damn time." He laughed. "I think I'm gonna start dating again." He announced, and I pulled my face in distaste.

"Ew. Don't tell me you're planning on bringing random ladies over." I started, and he shot me a warning look. "What I meant was, don't become the promiscuous type."

"Watch your tongue." He said before getting in on his side of the car.

"If you become a player, I'll move back in." I pointedly stated, and he just laughed.

He smiled over at me before letting out a heavy sigh. "Why does it feel like you're moving to another country? Come over for dinner at least once a week." He uttered before we started driving in the direction of my new suite on campus.

"Dad, I'm not dying. And you'll still see me every day." I joked before turning the radio on.

"Alright, I'll stop." He raised his hands in surrender before placing them back on the steering wheel.

After a five-minute drive, we stopped in front of a skyscraper building. I jumped out of the car before going up to my new room while my dad carried my luggage.

I entered the key code at the door before making my way inside. Soft music was coming from somewhere inside the suite. It must have been my new roommate.

My dad carried in the last of my things before narrowing his eyes at me. "Have you met your new roommate yet?"

"No. She's probably in her room." I blankly replied.

"Go knock on the door. I want to meet them before I leave."

"You knock on the door." I snapped back before slumping onto a barstool behind the kitchen island.

My dad breathed out a frustrated sigh before going over to the room where the music was coming from. I kept my eyes glued to my cellphone screen as he knocked on the door.

The door opened, and my dad started chuckling. He sounded pleasantly surprised. "My star player." He uttered, and my heart dropped into the pit of my stomach.

"Coach Ronan, what are you doing here?" Kyren's voice filled the air.

"I'm dropping my daughter off at her new apartment. She's your new roommate." My dad explained before pointing in my direction, and I turned my head to the side.

"I think she's shy." My dad uttered, but he was only making matters worse for me. "Sweetheart, come here. Come meet your new roommate."

"No. I'm okay." I chirped out while hiding my face behind my hand.

"Hailey Jade." My dad seethed through his teeth, and I pursed my lips together before slowly walking over to them.

My dad shot me a warning look. And Kyren had a clean smirk on his face.

"Hailey is actually a big fan of you." My dad lied through his teeth, and I shot him an angered look.

"No, I'm not." I corrected, and Kyren started laughing at the two of us.

"Be nice. I was just joking." My dad said, before joining Kyren's laughter, and I just glared at them in disbelief.

"Take good care of my daughter, Wolfe." My dad uttered, his expression suddenly becoming serious.

Kyren's eyes darkened as they landed on me. "Don't worry, Coach. She's perfectly safe with me," he assured my dad, the threat in his voice not going unnoticed by me.

Nervous butterflies settled in my chest as the door shut behind my dad.

Kyren slowly approached me, backing me against a wall. His tall frame towered over me. "House rules. My room is off-limits, the fridge is split 50/50, and if I hear your pom-poms shaking after 11 PM, I'm throwing them off the balcony. Don't think for a second that because your father is my Coach, you're safe from me in here. If anything... it just makes you a more tempting target."

"Rules are overrated. And I'm not one of your teammates." I smirked, pretending not to be shaken by his proximity.

"Just know that for every rule of mine you break, I get to take something from you in return." He said, his eyes dropping to my lips. "Stay out of my way or face the consequences of your actions."

He pulled back from me before entering his room once again. I finally allowed myself to breathe again, as I pushed myself off the wall.

This must be why they call him the Ice King. He's not very... kind. I entered my new bedroom and quietly started getting to work. Within a few hours, I was completely done unpacking.

I tiredly slumped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling. I grabbed my phone and found hundreds of notifications popping up on the screen.

Why was everyone bombarding my phone?

A deep frown settled on my forehead as I clicked the message Brie sent, and my phone almost dropped from my hand.

Brie: I saw the video of you and the Ice King last night. You passed the first test. But I want to see him melting. And I want proof.

Proof? What the hell does that even mean? Did she want me to set up cameras while I seduced him?

I tossed my phone aside before burying my face inside a pillow.

The entire campus must know about last night. They must think we have something going on.

If Kyren corrected them. No, if Kyren publicly rejected me... I would become the laughing stock of the school. I mean, he clearly hates my guts. That's why he's been threatening me since last night.

What the hell am I going to do? This could literally ruin my life.

I grabbed my phone again, and this time I dialled Jia's number.

"Hailey? Are you okay? Why haven't you been answering any of my texts?" She asked in a concerned tone.

"I'm not okay, Jia. I'm losing my mind. I need your help, I don't think Kyren likes me. Like at all. And now we live in the same apartment, and he set up all these crazy rules. What do I do, J?"

"What?! Kyren Wolfe, the Ice King, is your new roommate?" She asked in a voice filled with disbelief.

"I know, I'm freaking out," I finally admitted.

"Okay, calm down. Relax. I know exactly what you can do to win him over." She confidently stated.

"Tell me," I said before getting up from my bed.

"Seduce him. No straight man can resist a beautiful woman. Your body is your greatest weapon right now. Think accidental groping. Or leaving the bathroom door open by accident. If he sees you naked, he'll lose his mind."

"But that's the problem, I don't want him to see me naked. Why the hell did nobody warn me about how forward he was? You all acted like he sucked at dating, and he's actually like really good at... he knows how to charm people. If I were somebody else, his cheap tricks might have worked on me." I huffed out in frustration.

"Wait, did something happen between you two after you left the room last night? Did you guys make out?" She curiously questioned.

"No. Absolutely not. This is just a game. I never said that I was going to make out with him or seduce him. Maybe this is going a little too far. I should call off the bet, shouldn't I?"

"And let Brielle win? Hell no." Jia said. "Just put on some lingerie and walk into the kitchen. I believe in you, Hailey. You can do this." She uttered before ending the call in my ear.

I slammed my phone down on my bedside table before nodding to myself. Jia was right, I couldn't let Brielle win this bet. I'd never hear the end of it.

I'll wait until tonight. In the meantime, I need to come up with a plan. I'll go to his room at midnight and tell him, I'm scared. That should work, right?

I binge-watched my favorite show to make the time go by a little faster. By the time I was done with season one, it was midnight.

I jumped off my bed before quickly stripping out of the sweatpants and crop top I had on. I grabbed a lacy black set of lingerie from my closet before pulling it on. I ran my fingers through my hair before letting the dark locks cascade down my back.

I applied some lipstick to my lips before staring at myself in the mirror. This was it. The point of no return. I nervously bit into my bottom lip before pulling my bedroom door open.

I stopped in front of Kyren's room. I didn't knock, I just opened the door and stumbled inside. I found him sitting at the foot of his bed, listening to something through his earphones.

He paused before slowly running his eyes over my half-naked form.

My cheeks warmed under his predatory gaze. I seductively made my way over to him and only stopped once I stood directly in front of him.

As I was about to explain myself, my mind went blank.

"What are you doing, Princess?" He asked, his voice sounding gravelly.

"I was just wondering if you had some sunscreen." I blurted out.

Sunscreen? Why the hell would I ask him for sunscreen?

Kyren slowly rose from his bed. He took his time looking at me. His thumbs hooked into the waistband of my panties, and a soft gasp escaped my lips.

"You walked in here, wearing lingerie, to ask for sunscreen? At midnight?" He let out a dark chuckle.

"You broke the first rule, Princess. That means I get to take something from you. I'll start with this," he said, tugging at my panties, and a needy throb ran straight through my core.

"Kyren, don't," I tried, but it was to no avail.

He roughly pulled at the flimsy material, covering my most intimate part. The sound of lace ripping, echoed through the room. The cold air from the AC bit into my exposed skin.

His hands slid up my back. He unclasped my bra with ease, and it soundlessly dropped to the floor. His gaze raked over my trembling form with a satisfied hunger.

"You're not a cheerleader tonight. You're mine. And I'm going to spend the next few hours showing you exactly what happens when you break my rules." He stated before pushing my legs wide open with his knee.