Page 30 of Ice Cold Heart
Cole crossed his arms, his face dark. “You have your own ice.”
Tobias let out a sharp laugh. “Not right now we don’t. Easton had a little problem with the maintenance and our rink is fucked. TU graciously offered to share theirs, provided their hockey team wasn’t using it. Then again, if you’re busy, I’m happy to keep your puck bunny entertained in the meantime.”
In a flash, Cole lunged toward Tobias. I grabbed Cole’s arm, not expecting to have any leverage. To my surprise, he stopped immediately, and I slammed into his side. Cole’s eyes never left Tobias, but he wrapped an arm around my waist to keep me upright.
“Watch your mouth, Kane.”
The other guy laughed. “Or what, Mathis? You going to defend your turf? I have as much right to be here as you, and as much right to your lady if she chooses me.” He eyed me up and down, ending with a smarmy grin at my breasts.
Cole tried to shove me behind him again, but I wasn’t the damsel type. I chewed up brutes like Tobias Kane in my sleep.
I took a step toward Tobias, as far as Cole would let me go before his arm tightened, and offered him a sweet smile. “I’ve heard of you. It’s funny, though. Your stats this year aren’t quite as strong as last year. Not as many goals and way less ice time. Strangely enough, that drop coincides with Elliot graduating and Kasinski transferring to Minnesota. What’s the matter? Are you having trouble looking like a hotshot when you’re not surrounded by talent?”
Tobias’ smile melted into a scowl. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“No?” I asked with wide innocent eyes. “Maybe we should call up your sweet little girlfriend and ask her. While we’re at it, we can discuss your nasty habit of hitting on women who clearly have someone better.”
Cole chuckled and hauled me back against his chest. “You heard the lady. She’s not interested. Enjoy your ice time.”
He led me away, graceful despite the blades strapped to his feet, and leaned down to whisper in my ear.
“You knew an awful lot about him for someone who doesn’t like hockey.”
“I never said I didn’t like hockey. I said I didn’t like hockey players.”
I didn’t mention I had personal knowledge from my last school. Scott had been an armchair quarterback for a whole slew of sports, and naturally, he rooted for the home team. Go Easton.
Mom taught drama classes at their downtown Dallas campus, so naturally, I’d pursued my journalism degree there. I assume she found a petty satisfaction in knowing Dad worked for the rival school. Up until I moved out and transferred there. She was probably less happy about the circumstances now, but I didn’t regret a thing. My Easton hoodie was shoved somewhere in the back of my closet, a physical representation of what I’d like to do with the last two years.
Tobias Kane, and his girlfriend, were frequent topics of conversation with Scott. Despite Cole actually playing the sport, we’d barely touched on hockey in all our exchanges. I frowned as we strode through the tunnel to the locker rooms. Cole’s whole life centered around his sport, and he’d only asked questions about me. Questions I’d mostly refused to answer. Suddenly, the discrepancy didn’t seem so nice.
I wasn’t about to admit I’d come directly from the enemy, but I could take an interest instead of being closed off and selfish. Especially since he’d gone out of his way to defend me.
Cole didn’t relax his hold on my waist until we reached the entrance to the locker room. His fingers slid off my hip with a caress, but he didn’t go through the door. Instead, he leaned on the wall and raised a brow.
“Go ahead,” he nudged. “I know you have something to say.”
“You don’t always have to be the hero, you know,” I said quietly.
Cole’s gaze warmed as it lazily traveled over me, eliciting an entirely different response from when Tobias had done it. “Maybe I like being the hero for you.”
I couldn’t handle that look while standing in the hockey arena an arm’s reach from my dad, and I certainly couldn’t handle it alone in a back hallway with only my bitterness to keep me from making a very reckless decision. Cole Mathis hit me just right, and I was desperate to protect myself from a lifetime of hurt.
Despite my mind screaming at me to back away, rebuild my walls, take the out he’d offered me when he let go, I stepped up until my toes nearly touched his skates. “I don’t need a hero, farm boy. I need an interview. If you can’t provide that, I’ll have to find another hockey player who will.”
The muscle in his jaw ticked, and his voice went low and rough. “I’ll give you your interview. For a price.”
“Oh?” I asked innocently, in almost the same tone I’d used with Tobias.
He leaned into my space, backing me up until I hit a cinderblock wall. His palms flattened on either side of me, caging me in, and for the second time, I got a glimpse of Cole when he let his dark side come out to play. A band tightened across my chest, stealing my breath and making me feel like I ran all the way across the arena and back.
Cole noticed. He always noticed.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he murmured.
“I know.” I wasn’t scared. I was fucking turned on. “What’s your price?”
“One kiss.”