I STOOD at the corner of the hotel and watched as bus after bus of hotel patrons left for parts unknown. Earlier, I had just been returning to my room after a late meal in the hotel bar when the fire alarm sounded. I joined the other hotel patrons across the street to watch the chaos unfold. Two hours later, they had put out the fire, and now they were rolling up their hoses and sweeping up debris. None of us had our bags, but thankfully I had grabbed my wallet and passport on my way out. This whole trip felt cursed, and I wondered again if maybe I wasn’t supposed to be here.
A cab rolled up to the curb and Krista stepped out, looking around, not seeing me. She looked different. Her face was free of makeup, and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Curious, I walked towards her.
She flushed when she saw me. “Ready?”
“Yup.”
The back of the cab smelled like her, a faint fresh scent of something feminine. I couldn’t help but turn and stare at her. She looked younger without the makeup.
She gave me a defiant look. “Does trouble always find you?”
Her tone made my cock stiff. Every time that attitude of hers flared, I thought of wild, crazy, hot sex. I wondered if her other clients had the same issue. I knew I needed to focus on hockey and start thinking of her as only my agent, but my dick was not complying. More than half the time, it was immediately trying to get in on the action.
I could see the freckles on her nose. “I didn’t start the fire.”
She huffed and looked out the window.
I wondered where else she had freckles. “I could have moved hotels.”
She ignored me.
I should have moved to a hotel. The less time I spent with her, the better. I tried again. “This wasn’t an emergency. I was trying to keep you in the loop.”
“Why are you staring at me?”
I worked to tear my eyes away from her face. “No reason.”
“I’ll sleep better knowing you’re not burning down half the city,” she added. “And your face looks like shit.”
My face hurt like a son of a bitch, but at least both my eyes were open. I wondered if Brody could say the same thing. “It’s nothing.”
“Where’s your bag?”
I looked over at her. “Still at the hotel. They weren’t letting anyone back in.”
Her emotions went up a notch. “So, all your new clothes are missing?”
“For tonight at least.”
“Missing clothes is my definition of an emergency.”
I laughed, which earned me another look.
“You can’t be that funny and expect me not to laugh,” I explained.
She huffed. “I wasn’t joking.”
I spoke under my breath. “And that’s why it’s funny.”
“I heard that.”
SHE ORDERED the taxi to run the meter at an all-night market while we grabbed some groceries and basic toiletries. It was a rush trip, but it was still past midnight when we rolled up to her condo. I carried the groceries up and, without asking, started to put them away. She made my bed on the couch and then came over and loaded the dishwasher. Our comfortable silence made the situation feel like we had struck some sort of truce.
I appreciated having access to a kitchen. This was better than a hotel. I wiped down her counters and neatly hung the tea towel.
She motioned for me to sit on one of the stools.
Curious, I sat down and watched as she dug through the freezer. She pulled out a frozen gel pack, which she wrapped in a clean towel before stepping towards me.
“Hold still,” she ordered, when I tried to take it from her.
She stepped in between my legs. Then she gently pressed the ice pack to my cheekbone, bringing sweet relief to the throbbing pain. “I told you to put ice on this.”
She smelled so good. I had no intention of crossing any line with her, but I couldn’t seem to help myself. My hands, against my will, slid around her waist, tugging her closer.
I could feel her whole body react to my touch, but she didn’t step back. She stared at me with those wide eyes. I knew this was insanity, but my hands moved higher until my fingers were gently wrapped around her rib cage. I could feel each rapid breath that she drew into her body.
I gently pulled her even closer. “Tell me this is a bad idea.”
Her breath sped up. “This is a terrible idea.”
She made a noise when my lips met hers. I heard the gel pack hit the floor, and then I grunted when her cold hand slid around my neck.
She laughed against my mouth, and I pulled my head back to look at her. She was so beautiful. I recaptured her mouth with my own. I couldn’t get enough of how perfect she tasted.
I kissed her until my head spun.
She moaned deep into my mouth.
My cock raged in my jeans.
She tightened her grip around my neck as she ground her body against mine.
I slid my hands down her back and grabbed two healthy handfuls of her ass, causing her to squirm closer.
My entire body was primed for sex. I couldn’t remember the last time I had been this worked up over a kiss.
Then she shoved against my chest to end it.
With reluctance, I released that fabulous ass and let her step back. We were both breathing hard, and she looked as wild as I felt.
“This can’t happen,” she told me.
I couldn’t drag my eyes off her face. “It can happen. If we want it to.”
Her chest heaved. “Why are you so much trouble?” she complained. “You’re not even my type.”
I laughed. “You have a type? What’s your type?”
She crossed her arms. “Never mind, but it’s not you.”
I ached to kiss her again. “Tell me what your type is.”
“Why?”
So I know who my competition is. “Just curious.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Anyone not connected to the sports world is my type.”
I stood up, loving how short she was in comparison. “You know when you step up real close to me?”
She held my gaze but didn’t respond.
“It invites me to test your boundaries to see how far you want to go.”
She flushed and remained silent for a long time. “Okay. I deserved that.”
I stepped into her space, liking how she didn’t step back. We were almost touching. “Just admit it.”
Her voice was breathy. “Admit what?”
“I’m your type.”
She stared up at me with those eyes that made me want to kiss her again. Instead, I stepped back.
She let out a long breath. “There’s too much at stake.”
“I know.”
“Good night.”
“Night.”
She looked at the couch and then at me. “I’ll find you a hotel tomorrow.”
She turned and disappeared down the hall. I stood there until I heard the click of her bedroom door.
I SAT across from Mark Ashford at an exclusive, high-end restaurant. I sipped my water and looked around, pretending not to eavesdrop on his phone conversation with Krista.
I dreaded the idea that she might be canceling on us. It was a move I deserved, but I wasn’t sure if I would make it through an entire meal alone with the GM.
Do you want me to go? I mouthed, pointing over my shoulder.
He shook his head. “Thanks for the update. I’ll let him know.”
He turned off his phone and tucked it back into his jacket pocket. “That was Krista. She’s running late.”
But she was still coming. I tried to keep the relief off my face. “Okay.”
“We haven’t had a chance to really talk.” He smiled, motioning for the waiter to step forward.
We placed our drink order, which gave me some time to brace myself for the talk.
“So. What are your first impressions of Vancouver?”
I thought about my morning run down by the seawall. The pedestrian paths here were extensive. “So far it’s been beautiful.”
“What else?”
I decided to be honest. “I was very impressed with the facilities at the stadium.”
His smile widened. “It’s pretty comfortable, hey?”
Mark Ashford had put in a state-of-the-art facility for his players and his staff. “It’s incredible.”
“You’ve been gone from hockey for eight months?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
I didn’t want to talk about the last year, so I stayed silent.
He prodded. “Your story ended with you surfing off some beach in Mexico.”
I worked to keep my emotion off my face. “I just want to play hockey. It’s everything else that seems out of whack.”
He thought about that. “How are things with Krista?”
I worked to meet his intense gaze while I tried to think of something to tell him that wasn’t too incriminating. I married Krista in Mexico and then basically blackmailed her to become my agent. “I feel like I forced her into helping me.”
“I doubt that. No one tells Krista what to do.”
“That doesn’t change how I feel.”
He studied me. “You have some stories to tell, but I understand you want to share them only with someone you trust. One day, I hope I can be that person.”
I knew that as long as I breathed air, I would never want to share my story with him. “Thank you.”
I looked up at the waiter with gratitude when he set my drink in front of me.
Mark lifted his glass to me. “To hockey.”
I leaned forward and clinked my glass with his. “I’ll drink to that.”
“You were born in Brampton, Ontario, but when you were twelve, you moved to Germany to live with your dad.”
I took a small sip of my drink, wishing I could gulp it down. “My mom got sick, and when she became too sick to take care of me, I was sent to live with my dad. He had moved back to Germany after they divorced.”
“How old were you when your parents divorced?”
I shrugged. “Maybe four?”
“And you remained living with your dad after you lost your mom.”
“When he wasn’t deployed.” Screw it. I drank half my drink in two gulps.
He pinned me with his gaze. “He was in the military? What happened when he was gone for his job?”
“They had schools for kids like me.”
“Ah, yes.” Mark looked thoughtful. “You cycled through two military boarding schools before you ended up at a hockey school.”
“That one stuck.”
“Want to talk about that?”
Who does this guy think he is? Why the twenty questions? I took another sip of my drink. “That’s old news.”
“What happened yesterday?”
I could feel myself getting annoyed. “What do you want me to say?”
“I arranged for Brody, Chris, and Rio to show up during your ice time.”
Now the conversation was getting honest. “I know.”
“They’re the top three rookie choices heading into the Wolves’ training camp, and I wanted to see if you could keep up.”
“I kept up.”
“I noticed.”
“I can do better.”
He sat silent for a long moment. “I need to ask you an important question. And I don’t want some bullshit answer. I want the truth.”
I stared at him. Then you’d better not ask me about Krista. “Sure.”
“What made you take a swing at Brody?”
Or that. Stalling, I lifted my glass and slowly drank. Before I even set the glass back down, Mark motioned for the waiter to bring another round.
“That was between him and me. But if you’re worried about my ability to control myself, that’s not an issue. I wasn’t being emotional out there.”
“What would you call that, then?”
“I think sometimes you have to take a stand against bullshit. And if he says something like that again, I’ll hit him again. That is a lesson I’m willing to repeat until he learns it.”
“You want to tell me what he said?”
It felt like someone had turned up the lights a thousand degrees. I tugged at my silk tie. “Nope.”
He leaned forward and focused on me like I was a bug under his microscope. “You told Krista the fight was about her.”
I didn’t have anything to say about that, so I stared back at him.
He tried again. “You were protecting her.”
Damn straight I was. “I didn’t say that.”
“You risked your interview by getting into a fight.”
“At that moment, I didn’t see it like that.”
“How did you see it?”
I took a sip of my water and pretended it was pure vodka. I thought about how Brody had talked about Krista, and I got mad all over again. “He crossed a line.”
“You took some interesting tests with our psychologist this afternoon.”
I did not like where this conversation was going. I tugged again at my collar. “Not sure what a multiple-choice test can tell you about me.”
He smiled. “They told me you scored off the charts in terms of feeling protective of those around you. Good qualities for a defenseman.”
I gave a snort, and my voice was heavy with sarcasm. “Yeah, okay.”
“You don’t think you’re protective?”
Every time I had tried to protect someone in my life, I had failed. “Look around. See anyone in my life that I’ve actually managed to protect?”
He stared at me long enough to make me feel uncomfortable. And then he spoke. “Yes, and as a matter of fact, here she comes now.”
He stood up, so I followed suit.
Krista.
She walked across the restaurant, looking like royalty. She wore a fitted, jade-green dress that showcased her hips and ass to perfection. Her confidence and femininity were undeniable. Weird emotions of relief, joy, and anticipation rolled over me as she approached.
“Gentlemen,” she said, putting her clutch on the table. The waiter appeared from nowhere to help her with her chair.
“Krista, you look gorgeous.” Mark smiled at her. “Can we get you something to drink?”
While she spoke to the waiter, Mark received a phone call. He quietly excused himself.
And then we were alone.
I leaned in close to her. I could only think about her mouth and how much I wanted to kiss it. “You have no idea how glad I am to see you.”
She gave me a small smile. “How’s it going?”
“He’s grilling me,” I complained under my breath.
She leaned in. “He does this to everyone, and everyone gets annoyed. So, I’m going to tell you what I tell everyone else.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She looked fantastic. “What?”
“Suck it up.”
I looked at my watch. She had been here for exactly thirty seconds, and my dick was already fighting to get out of my pants. “You’re right.”
She frowned. “Are you just saying that?”
My eyes dropped to her bright mouth. “Why do you always ask me that?”
“You’re too agreeable.”
“You want to fight?”
That earned me a wicked smile. “Maybe.”
Mark approached the table and sat down. He looked concerned. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to leave our dinner early. My wife’s aunt has fallen and broken her hip, and my wife would like to fly to Vancouver Island tonight to offer our support. Naturally, I want to accompany her.”
“Of course, Mark.” Krista looked concerned.
Mark looked at me. “I’m interested in seeing what you can accomplish when you’ve had the chance to train. The Wolves would like to offer you accommodation, a stipend and access to our training facilities for the next five weeks. At the end of this time, I’d like to reevaluate you and your performance. There is the potential you may get invited to training camp with the Wolves in Victoria this year, but that depends on you and how hard you work.”
I stared at him in shock. “Are you serious?”
He smiled. “More than serious.”
I looked between him and Krista. “I accept.”
He slid a large envelope towards me. “Julie made all the arrangements. If there is anything you need, please don’t hesitate to talk to her.”
I stood and shook his hand. “Thank you.”
He looked between us. “I’m really sorry, but I have to run. I’ll be on my cell if you need anything.”
We watched as he walked away.
“Did you know about this?” I lifted the envelope.
She ignored me as she took a healthy sip of her wine. “Do you mind if we skip dinner? I can have my driver drop you off at your new place.”
