BREAKAWAY (The Dartmouth Cobras) Read Online Free Page B

that you do," Sloan said.
    Max remained behind for a moment as the other men continued down the hall. He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly. "Stay out of trouble, you hear?" He grinned when she nodded and glanced over at Akira. "Don't look so scared, hon. Not one man on this team will touch you unless you want him to. Any try and you come talk to me. Understand?"
    Akira must have done something besides tremble behind her, because Max inclined his head and strode off to join the others.
    Jami turned around and laughed when she saw the stricken look on Akira's face. "Haven't you met any of the players before?"
    Lips moving soundlessly, Akira shook her head.
    "Well, as you can see, they're pretty cool—"
    "They're so big." Akira hugged herself and stared down the hall. "Oh god . . . I don't know if I can do this."
    At first, Jami had assumed that Akira was just overwhelmed because, like all the other girls, she idolized the players. But Max was right. She was scared.
    "What is it, Akira? Is it the try-outs that scare you? Or . . . ." Or what? Big hockey players? Not one girl here didn't love the game. Except Jami. But she was good at faking it. "You just said you'd rather be on the ice with me. Don't be ditching me now."
    "I'm not." Akira didn't speak again until they were at the doors to the forum's workout room. Then she pressed her eyes shut and put her hand on her throat. "I just don't like men getting too close. I love watching them out there, but . . . ."
    Aww fuck. The poor kid. Jami gave her a one armed hug. "You want to talk about it? We can take off for a bit, grab something to eat and chat?"
    Akira shook her head. "No. I have to do this. It took forever to talk my parents into letting me try out. I'll get over it. I told them I was over it."
    "You came all the way from Calgary by yourself?"
    "Yes. But it's okay, I'm used to travelling alone." Akira wrinkled her nose. "And dealing with people like Amy Drisdain —the red-head." She added at Jami's blank look. "I've been all over for figure skating competitions, but my parents couldn't support my dream of going professional anymore and I wasn't winning any medals. Thankfully my father loves hockey, or he wouldn't have given me this last shot at a career on the ice. I'm hoping to use the prize money to open my own school in a few years. Help other girls succeed where I haven't. I can't give up now."
    Jami inhaled deep. "Damn girl, you are my new idol. I wish I had half your dedication. I'm doing this because I thought it might be fun. Pretty shallow, right?"
    "Is that really the only reason?"
    Making a face, Jami pushed open the door to the gym and shrugged. "I've never supported my dad. Never cared about what he was doing. I figured maybe this was a good way to show I've changed."
    Straightening to her full height of five foot nothing, Akira faced her. "Well, I don't think that's shallow at all."
    Jami laughed and stepped into the gym, deciding that she'd made a new friend and she'd knock some teeth in if anyone else dissed her. Inside, a dozen girls stretched out on the mats, eyes fixed on the tall woman in the center of the room wearing a black leotard.
    And the massive, muscular, drop-dead gorgeous stud beside her. Sebastian Ramos, the new Cobra defenseman. She might not pay much attention to hockey anymore, but she’d snatched up the magazine with him on the cover and shamelessly drooled over his photos for weeks. And he was even more mouthwatering in person. Her pulse beat double time. Her palms dampened. His black hair, done up in a low ponytail, flowed over one broad shoulder, thick and glossy as the mane of a prize stallion. His white tank top and black shorts revealed thick, tanned arms and thighs which couldn't possibly be as hard as they looked. The urge to test their solidity with her teeth made it so she couldn't even voice an apology when the dance instructor frowned and waved her and Akira into the room.
    "As I was saying, please don't