Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 83355 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83355 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
“King,” Willa murmurs, but I don’t spare her a glance, instead noting that Scott takes a step back.
I hold my hand to him and confusion etches his face, but he takes it for a shake anyway. My other hand goes to his shoulder and I lower my voice. To anyone watching, it might appear as a friendly farewell but my words are barbed. “As long as I’m dating Willa, I suggest you leave her alone. Don’t call her, don’t approach her, don’t even think about her.”
“Or what?” he asks, his chin lifting in an attempt to look bold.
I squeeze his shoulder hard. “Or I’ll make you wish you hadn’t.”
Releasing my hold on him, I bestow a friendly smile and nod as I sit back down in the booth. “Have a nice day.”
Scott is flummoxed and he starts to look Willa’s way, but I halt him. “Don’t do it.”
He freezes, lips pressed flat and glares at me. It only lasts a second as I stare right back at him, then he’s spinning on his heel and marching away.
Willa lets out a pent-up breath and I turn to see her sag against her seat. “Hey,” I say, forcing her gaze to me. “He calls or approaches you, you let me handle it, okay?”
“King… this isn’t your problem.”
“You let me handle it,” I repeat.
“You don’t owe me anything—”
“You. Let. Me. Handle. It.”
Huffing out a breath of frustration, she waves her hand at me. “Fine. You can handle it.” I think I’ve annoyed her as much as Scott, but then she gives me an impish grin. “But I have to admit, it was fun to see someone put that man in his place. I guess I owe you.”
“You can pay up tonight,” I suggest with a low rumble.
I expect but don’t get the blush I produced earlier, and instead, her eyes go dark with interest. “I can think of a few things to make us square.”
Christ, if that doesn’t tighten things down below. “Like what?”
“Like you’ll have to wait and see,” she purrs, and then goes back to her salad. I watch her as she chews a bite, and then something strikes her funny as she starts to laugh.
“What is it?” I ask with a smile.
She shakes her head, a tiny chuckle escaping. “It’s nothing. Well, actually… it’s just funny that Scott always tore me down and one of his favorite ways was to mock my charms in the bedroom. It dinged my confidence and I never had the desire or urge to flirt with him.” She shrugs, still smiling. “With you, that stuff just pops out easy.”
“Because I think you have a better level of trust that I won’t do those things to you,” I suggest.
“Maybe. Maybe your youth just makes me sassy.”
I stare at her a moment before busting out with a laugh. “I can’t believe you just joked about our age difference. Does that mean you’re accepting it?”
Her eyes twinkle as she stares back at me. “Maybe.”
CHAPTER 13
Willa
A frenzied excitement vibrates through me as we step into the arena to watch the Titans play. Well, to watch King play would be more accurate, and that’s probably what I’m most thrilled about.
Loud rock music pumps through the speakers and the crowd’s fervent cheers prickle my skin. Brittany, Izzy and I make our way through the concourse, the scent of popcorn, hot dogs, and pretzels wafting through the air.
“Look, Aunt Willa!” Izzy tugs at my hand, her eyes wide with excitement. “I want a pretzel!”
“All right, let’s get some snacks.” We stop at a concession stand and load up—two giant pretzels, a bucket of popcorn, and sodas to start, but then Brittany insists on getting nachos with extra cheese, and I can’t resist the temptation of a hot dog.
With our arms full, we find our seats with an usher kindly guiding us. When the tickets showed up this morning at my office via courier, I was surprised to see they’re front row on the ice. I was practically giddy when I saw they’re beside the penalty box for the Titans and I wonder if King will end up in there tonight. He’s not just a first line defenseman, he’s an enforcer too which means if there’s a fight to be had, there’s a good chance he’ll be involved.
It’s just one of the many details I’ve learned over the handful of dates we’ve had and I’m not sure how I feel about this role. On the one hand, it’s hot as hell that he’s a protector for his teammates and willing to knock heads to achieve his goals. On the other hand, it makes me worry about him as I don’t want to see him hurt.
In fact, we were talking about it last night as we lay in his bed together—after I definitely showed my gratitude for him putting Scott in his place—and we discussed the various zone defenses. Just thinking about last night and the wicked things we did causes me to feel a little flushed under the jersey, which was also delivered with the tickets today. And not just one for me but jerseys for Brittany and Izzy as well. Decked out in the Titans’ purple and gray, we’re all three wearing King’s name on our backs.