Off The Ice

"Rule #3: Don't fall for the sharp-tongued physio who sees straight through your armor."

Elias “Eli” Vance is the crown jewel of the NHL. Star first-line winger for the Chicago Wolves, son of a legendary Hall of Famer, and a multimillion-dollar brand, Eli has spent his entire life playing behind an impenetrable mask. He doesn't do distractions, he doesn't do relationships, and he sure as hell doesn't let the world know he’s gay. To Eli, survival means perfection, and keeping his heart locked in the dark. Then a brutal shoulder injury sidelines his season, and Noah Bellamy walks into the training room. Warm, witty, and unapologetically out, the Wolves’ newly hired head physiotherapist isn’t intimidated by Eli’s lethal scowl or his famous last name. Noah knows pain when he sees it, and he immediately clocks that Eli’s hostility isn't hatred; it's sheer terror. Their mandatory rehab sessions start as a war of sharp banter and stubborn pride. But forced proximity on the treatment table quickly turns into stolen coffees, late-night hotel knocks, and a fierce, suffocating attraction neither of them can outrun. In the quiet sanctuary of Eli's penthouse, wrapped in stolen team hoodies, Eli finally learns what it feels like to breathe. Except Noah has one non-negotiable rule: he refused to claw his way out of the closet just to become someone else's dirty secret. When the paparazzi start circling and leaked photos threaten to blow Eli’s carefully guarded world to pieces, the pressure reaches a breaking point. Eli is terrified of losing his career, his father’s approval, and the game he bled for. But walking away means losing the only man who ever loved him for who he is .