Chapter 131 Chapter 130
Harper POV
The Ice House is chaos tonight.
Music pounds through the walls, bass vibrating through the porch floor. Someone inside is shouting Logan’s name like they’re announcing another goal, and every few seconds a burst of laughter explodes from the living room.
The team is celebrating.
Which makes sense.
They just won.
But instead of being inside with them, Logan is standing out here on the porch with me.
Cold air brushes across my cheeks as I lean against the railing, watching him.
His hair is still damp from the post-game shower, falling messily across his forehead. He pulled on a dark hoodie before coming outside, the sleeves pushed up slightly at his wrists.
He looks relaxed.
Loose.
Still riding the adrenaline of the win.
I tilt my head slightly and study him.
“So, Mr. Shaw,” I say sweetly, “how exactly do you plan on celebrating this win?”
Logan groans immediately.
“Oh God.”
“What?”
“Don’t call me Mr. Shaw.”
“Why not?”
He runs a hand through his hair.
“Because it makes me sound like I’m fifty and yelling at kids to get off my lawn.”
I laugh.
“You do yell at people a lot.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“I’m allowed to yell at people when they’re trying to body-check me.”
I shrug innocently.
“Seems like the same skill set.”
Logan shakes his head, but a smile creeps across his face.
“You’re enjoying this way too much.”
“Maybe.”
For a second he just watches me.
Then his expression shifts.
A slow, devilish grin spreads across his face.
“Oh,” he says.
“That look usually means trouble.”
“I have an idea.”
“That’s never reassuring.”
“It might be.”
I raise an eyebrow.
“Well?”
His eyes drift briefly to my lips before returning to my face.
“I’m thinking,” he says slowly, “private celebration.”
I pretend to consider it.
“You already said that.”
“Yeah.”
“But you didn’t explain the details.”
He steps closer.
Close enough that the warmth coming off him cuts straight through the cold night air.
“Details are flexible.”
My heartbeat speeds up slightly.
“That sounds suspicious.”
“It should.”
I glance toward the house behind him.
“You know there’s an entire hockey team ten feet away.”
“I’m aware.”
“And they’re celebrating you.”
“They’ll survive without me.”
“Marco sounded like he might kick the door down.”
Logan chuckles.
“Marco sounds like that when he orders pizza.”
Right on cue, someone shouts from inside.
“SHAW! IF YOU’RE MAKING OUT OUT THERE WITHOUT US WE’RE CHARGING ADMISSION!”
I close my eyes briefly.
“Oh my God.”
Logan laughs under his breath.
“They’re very supportive teammates.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“Yet you’re still here.”
That stops me.
Because he’s right.
I should probably go home.
Instead I’m still standing here.
Looking at him.
Logan’s expression softens slightly.
“You came to the game,” he says quietly.
“Of course I did.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“I wanted to.”
For a moment the noise from the party fades again.
The cold air.
The porch light above us.
And the way Logan is looking at me like the rest of the world doesn’t matter.
“You were really good tonight,” I say.
He shrugs.
“I had motivation.”
“Oh?”
His eyes meet mine.
“Yeah.”
My heart stutters slightly.
“And what exactly was motivating you, Mr. Shaw?”
He sighs dramatically.
“If you keep calling me that I’m canceling the celebration.”
I laugh softly.
“Fine.”
I step closer.
“So Logan…”
His name comes out quieter this time.
“How exactly does this celebration work?”
His hand slides gently to my waist.
Warm.
Steady.
My breath catches.
“Well,” he murmurs, leaning closer.
“It usually starts like this.”
And then he kisses me.
The kiss is soft at first.
Almost careful.
Like he’s giving me time to pull away.
I don’t.
Instead my fingers curl into the front of his hoodie, pulling him closer.
The kiss deepens instantly.
Logan’s hand tightens slightly at my waist as he pulls me against him, the warmth of his body cutting through the cold night air.
My heart is racing now.
The world narrowing down to just him.
When he finally pulls back, my breath leaves in a shaky laugh.
“That was…”
“Yeah,” he says quietly.
I rest my forehead briefly against his chest, trying to get my brain to function again.
“You are very distracting, Logan Shaw.”
“I’ve heard that.”
His fingers brush lightly along my side, sending a little spark through me.
I pull back slightly.
“You know this private celebration thing might become a problem.”
“Why?”
“Because I might start expecting them.”
Logan smiles slowly.
“That can be arranged.”
Inside the house someone crashes loudly into something.
“SHAW!” Marco yells again. “IF YOU DON’T GET BACK IN HERE WE’RE STARTING A SEARCH PARTY!”
Logan sighs.
“They’re dramatic.”
“They’re drunk.”
“Also true.”
I step back toward the sidewalk.
“You should probably go back inside.”
Logan glances toward the glowing windows of the Ice House.
Music pounding.
His teammates shouting.
Then he looks back at me.
And instead of turning around—
He steps off the porch.
“I’m good.”
I blink.
“What?”
“With the party.”
He walks toward me, stopping close enough that the porch light catches the edge of his smile.
“They’ll survive.”
My heart flips.
“You’re just leaving?”
“For a better celebration.”
His eyes flick briefly down to my lips again.
Heat creeps into my cheeks.
“Logan…”
“What?”
“You just won a game. Your entire team is celebrating you.”
“And?”
“And you’re walking away from that.”
He shrugs.
“I’d rather be with you.”
The simple honesty in his voice steals the words from my mouth.
For a moment neither of us moves.
The music thumps behind us.
The cold night air brushes against my skin.
Logan takes another step closer.
“So,” he says quietly, “are you going to keep standing here looking shocked…”
His hand slides gently into mine.
“…or are you coming with me?”
My pulse quickens.
“Where?”
He smiles slowly.
“Somewhere quiet.”
The implication lands immediately.
My breath catches.
“You’re dangerous tonight.”
“Winning does that.”
I should say no.
Instead I tighten my fingers around his.
Logan notices.
His grin widens.
“Thought so.”
We start walking down the street together, away from the noise of the Ice House.
Behind us someone throws open the door.
“SHAW! WHERE DID YOU—”
The door slams again before the sentence finishes.
Logan doesn’t even look back.
And as we disappear into the quiet campus night—
Neither of us pretends we don’t know exactly how this celebration is going to end.