Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 24614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
"You should really learn to skate if you're going to do this professionally, Kingston," she mutters.
If I thought the arena was laughing before, I was wrong. They roar when she lifts one dainty foot and steps over my body, her chin in the air like I don't even exist.
I grin like a madman as she walks away, her hips swaying with every nervous step, like she's worried she's going to end up on her ass on the ice beside me.
Fuck, she's perfect.
Ishower at record speed after the game, determined to find Evie before she escapes without giving me her number.
Coach has other ideas.
"Since you decided to put on a show tonight, you get to talk to the press," he says, grabbing me before I can duck out of the locker room.
Goddammit.
"But I need—"
"Save it, Monroe. She's already gone," he says.
"What?" I whirl to face him, scowling. "Where'd she go?"
He stares at me levelly for a long moment and then shakes his head, sighing so hard Jesus probably feels his breath on the back of his neck. "At least you didn't try to feed me a line of bullshit. You're smarter than you look, Monroe."
I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not, so I just motion for him to hurry it the fuck up. He has intel I need. I'm willing to do shady shit for it at this point.
"She ducked out about twenty minutes before the game ended," he says. "If I had to guess, I'd say she was trying to avoid whatever questions the press wanted to ask her about your little stunt on the ice."
Ah, dammit.
Did I cause problems for her?
Fuck, probably. When isn't the press a problem?
I don't even do anything, and they find reasons to make up shit about me—like the time they swore my cleaning lady was pregnant with my kid just because she was my cleaning lady and pregnant. Her husband was thrilled about that.
I'm guessing they do the same thing to Evie. With a voice like that, she's probably fodder whether she likes it or not. And I probably made it worse tonight.
Fuck my life.
"I'll go talk to the press," I mutter, resigned to making up some bullshit story to get them off her back. She will not be getting me off hers, however. I don't care if she did flee like her life depended on it. If I gave up easily, I wouldn't be a professional athlete. No one makes it this far if they aren't relentless.
Maybe I need to rethink my approach, though. I need her to give me a chance, not step over my body like I don't exist again.
"You do that," Coach says, holding open the door for me.
I duck out, catching up with Royce in the hall.
He glances over at me, smirking. "Did Coach find you?"
"Yep. I'm on press detail with you."
"Figured." His grin grows. "They're going to eat you alive out there."
"Yep," I agree, not worried about it. I can handle whatever they throw at me. I always do. "What do you know about her?"
He doesn't ask who I'm talking about. He knows.
"What makes you think I know anything about her?" he asks instead, looking at me out of the corner of his eye.
"You wanted her autograph, motherfucker." I narrow my eyes on him. "You got a thing for her?" I like Royce, but I will fuck him up if he's thinking about making a move.
His laugh bounces off the cinderblock walls. "You read like a fucking book, you jealous asshole. No, I don't have a thing for her. Rain likes her music."
Well, shit.
Royce's brother was born with a heart defect and several other severe medical issues. Paying for his care was the only reason Royce decided to pursue hockey professionally.
"My bad," I mutter.
"It's all good." Royce grins at me. "But he could tell you everything there is to know about her and Kasen. All I know is that she's the next big thing. People are lining up to get a piece of her."
"Kasen?"
"Kasen Alexander." Royce looks at me like I've lost my mind. "You know, her dad?"
Kasen Alexander is her father?
"Ah, fuck me."
"You didn't know?"
I shake my head, muttering a curse. Kasen Alexander is one of the world's biggest stars. By all accounts, he's also one of the biggest pains in the asses in the world. The man literally kidnapped his wife twenty-five or so years ago.
If Evie is his kid, she won't be easy to impress. And he is not going to be thrilled. Doesn't mean that's going to stop me or anything, but damn. I would fall flat on my face for the one woman on the planet who doesn't need me, my bank account, my protection, or my bullshit. I'm not sure what that leaves, but I guess I need to figure it out, don't I?