Page 9 of Expose on the Ice
This man is as icy as the rink he plays on, maybe even colder.
So, I play my last card: annoyance.
“Look, Mr. Knox,” I snap, unable to keep the edge out of my voice. “I get that you’re not thrilled about this, but I’m just trying to do my job here. A little cooperation wouldn’t kill you.”
His eyes narrow. “And I’m just trying to play hockey. I didn’t ask for this invasive bullshit.”
“Invasive?” I scoff, rising from my chair. “I’m asking about your childhood, not your medical records. God forbid, fans actually learn somethingrealabout thegreatCarter Knox.”
He stands too, towering over me. “They know everything they need to know.”
Whoa, he’stall.
“Oh please,” I shoot back, feeling flushed. “They know your stats and whatever carefully crafted soundbites your PR team feeds them. That’s not who you really are.”
“And what makes you think you know who I really am?” Knox growls, taking a step closer. “You don’t know a damn thing about me!”
I hold my ground, glaring up at him. “I don’t. That’s the whole point of this series. But clearly, you’re determined to keep hiding behind that wall you’ve built.”
“Did it ever occur to you that maybe there’s nothing more to find?” He’s close now – close enough that I can feel the heat radiating off his body. “Maybe this is just who I am – someone who plays hockey and wants to be left alone.”
My breath catches in my throat. This close, I can see the flecks of blue in his stormy gray eyes, the way his jaw clenches as he speaks. The air between us feels charged, crackling with tension.
“I don’t buy it,” I say, leaning forward slightly. “Nobody’s that one-dimensional.”
For a moment, something flickers in Knox’s eyes – a flash of vulnerability that’s gone as quickly as it appears. He blinks, seeming to realize how close we’re standing. We both take a step back, the spell broken.
“Well,” he says, his voice rough. “I guess you’ll just have to be disappointed.”
“Maybe,” I say, smoothing my blouse, trying to regain my composure and speaking with a confidence I don’t really feel. “I’ve got all season to crack you.”
“Good luck with that,” he sneers, heading for the door. “I think we’re done here.”
As he storms out, I slump back into my chair, my heart still racing. What the hell just happened? One minute we were at each other’s throats, and the next… I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. But the memory of his intense gaze and the warmth of his body lingers.
Focus, Lily,I think.The guy’s an asshole, remember?But even as I try to convince myself, a part of me can’t help but be intrigued by the mystery he presents.
Yet even as I gather my things, seething over his evasiveness and general dickishness, I can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to Carter Knox than he lets on. That flash of… something I’d seen in his eyes – it doesn’t fit with the cold, detached image he projects.
He might be an asshole, but he’s aninterestingasshole.
There are layers there, hidden depths I’m determined to uncover. But as I stomp out of the conference room, my predominant emotion isn’t curiosity or professional determination.
It’s rage.
Pure, unadulterated fury at his arrogance, his dismissiveness, his refusal to give me even an inch.
CHAPTER 4
LILY
The entire vehicle shakes as I slam the car door. Hard. My hands are trembling as I jam the key into the ignition, my breath coming in short, angry bursts.
“That arrogant son of a bitch,” I snarl, gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white.
Realizing I need to calm down before I do something stupid, I grab my phone and hit Jessica’s number on speed dial. She picks up on the second ring.
“Hey, girl! How’d it go?” she says.