Iced Out

ICED OUT HESTON U HOTSHOTS BOOK 1 VERONICA EDEN ICED OUT Copyright © 2023 Veronica Eden All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author at this website: www.veronicaedenauthor.com This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, businesses, companies, organizations, locales, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons, living or dead, is unintentional and co-incidental. The author does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content. Cover Photography: Wander Aguiar | @wanderaguiar_photography TEAM ROSTER PLAYERS Easton Blake, Captain, #24, center Cameron Reeves, #33, goalie Madden Graves, #27, left wing Noah Porter, #45, defenseman Elijah Adler, #86, forward Alex Keller, #22, left wing (former, currently plays in NHL) Theo Boucher, #14, right wing Jake Brody, #47, defenseman Daniel Hutchinson, #16, left wing Mitchell Manning, #66, defenseman Eric Holland, #38, backup goalie Jack McKinley, #77, forward Nick Briggs, #82, defenseman Caleb Adler, #68, forward (former, currently plays in NHL) COACHES Head coach: David Lombard Assistant Coach: Cole Kincaid Assistant Coach: Steven Wagner Former Head Coach: Neil Cannon, retired NHL player CONTENTS About the Book Playlist 1. Easton 2. Easton 3. Maya 4. Easton 5. Maya 6. Maya 7. Easton 8. Easton 9. Maya 10. Maya 11. Easton 12. Easton 13. Maya 14. Easton 15. Easton 16. Maya 17. Easton 18. Maya 19. Maya 20. Easton 21. Maya 22. Easton 23. Maya 24. Maya 25. Easton 26. Easton 27. Easton 28. Maya 29. Maya 30. Maya 31. Easton 32. Maya 33. Maya 34. Maya 35. Easton Epilogue Epilogue Thank You + What’s Next? Acknowledgments About the Author Also by Veronica Eden ABOUT THE BOOK Dancing on bartops means the night is going great. Exiting the bar hauled over the shoulder of Heston University’s infamous hockey captain? Not my idea of a good time. But my would-be knight would have to do. I needed an escape route from my brother…his biggest rival. Easton Blake is the perfect reminder of why I avoid hockey players. Cocky. Frustratingly sexy. Accustomed to every girl in his orbit falling for his charm. With his sultry smile that tells me he knows all the ways to make girls come undone with his touch, I’m almost the next score on his stats. Except I have no time for distractions when I’m focused on graduating early. Gaining Easton’s attention wasn’t part of my plans. Of course, from the moment he catches me shaking my assets on the bar, he decides I’m his next goal. Instead of sticking to my own rules, I do something I shouldn’t: I dare him to try. Easton’s never met a challenge he wouldn’t accept. He makes it clear he won’t be iced out without convincing me to give him a chance. I swore off hockey players for a reason. Can I risk making the same mistake again? PLAYLIST Can We Pretend That We’re Good? — Daniel Seavey DANCING ALL ALONE — Clinton Kane Tripping Over Air — Aiden Bissett Got Me Good — DNCE ROOM FOR 2 — Benson Boone Coast — Hailee Steinfeld, Anderson .Paak Lavender Haze — Taylor Swift Healing — FLETCHER Until I Found You — Stephen Sanchez Swoon — Beach Weather Nonsense — Sabrina Carpenter uh oh — Tate McRae Charlie Be Quiet! — Charlie Puth this is what falling in love feels like — JVKE Just Friends — Why Don’t We Can I Kiss You? — Dahl Don’t Let The Light Go Out — Panic! At the Disco NIGHTS LIKE THESE — Benson Boone i can’t help it — JVKE Cross your mind — ROLE MODEL Long Story Short — VOILÀ Call You Mine — The Chainsmokers, Bebe Rexha YOU AGAINST YOURSELF — Ruel There’s Nothing Holding Me Back — Shawn Mendes golden hour — JVKE Figure You Out — VOILÀ Oh shit…are we in love? — Valley I.F.L.Y. — Bazzi i like that — Bazzi Before You — Benson Boone Here With Me — Susie Suh, Robot Koch Stranger — Lauv Everyone And No One — Ashley Kutcher It’ll Be Okay — Shawn Medes Conversations in the Dark — John Legend Until I Found You — Ayradel ONE EASTON Losing a game on home ice is one of the worst feelings in the world. It’s a kick right to the dick knowing you’re down in points as the clock is running out, and no matter how many plays you and your boys try to make happen nothing is connecting. Even more rage inducing is when it all goes down against your goddamn rival. Ryan Donnelly’s punchable smirk makes my blood simmer while the two of us face off for the puck drop. “Ready to dance again, Blake?” he taunts. “If the NHL doesn’t want you, I’d say you have a fair chance twirling around the ice in tights. Magic on Ice is calling your name.” This fucking guy. He’s been a thorn in my side since junior league. My teeth clench hard enough to send an ache throbbing through my jaw. I won’t let him get to me. His game is cockier than ever since he was a second round draft pick over the summer during the off season. The only consolation is that the team who picked him has not offered him a contract yet. They must want to keep him in the NCAA for further development. I’m still fighting for my dream of being drafted by the NHL. It’s the goal I’ve been striving for as hard as I can. This is my damn year. I’m making sure of it, taking every chance to prove myself. Freshman