“Just one peek? No one will even know we’re in there.”
If possible, his frown only hardened. “Press only.”
Hadley frowned and turned back to the waiting area when I grabbed her elbow. “Wait!” Both the guard and my friend turned to stare at me. Okay, I just needed to come up with something. One little lie. “My fiancé is in there.”
Okay, onebiglie. But once the words came out of my mouth, the guard’s eyes narrowed on me. Too late to take it back now. “And he’s…nervous when he has to talk to the press. Please, just give me five minutes. I’m worried about him.”
His scrutinizing glare turned to me, and my knees buckled a little at the intensity. “You’re marrying Jace Lyons?”
“Yep,” I said, far too chipper to be truthful. “He’s my fiancé. Love of my life.” His eyes darted down to my bare finger, and I tucked it behind my back. “The ring was a little too big, so we needed it resized.”
“Right,” he drawled. Hadley kept her wide eyes on him as I tried not to pass out, sweat pouring out of all the worst places. Just as I was about to beg his forgiveness, his face broke out into a wide grin. “Don’t tell the bosses, but I’m rooting for the guy. Love a redemption story.” I nodded, unsure how to answer. He continued, lowering his voice so only we could hear. “Five minutes, not a second more. And if anyone catches you, you slipped past me.”
Hadley grabbed my hand, dragging me through the side door before I could mutter my thanks. As soon as we entered the press room, my heart rate skyrocketed. So many people in such a tight spot. At least fifty reporters filled the room, some seated up frontwhile others stood along the back wall, all with their phones out, recording every second of the conversation happening in front of us.
Jace sat behind a table, his smirk a mask as he stared out toward the crowd. Benny, the team manager, sat on one side while Cam took the other, looking much more approachable than the other two.
“How are you feeling about your chances this year?” one woman’s voice broke out through the group.
“Good,” Cam said, leaning forward into the microphone. “Our team’s working hard, and we’re ready to make a go of it this season. But there are a lot of games left to play, so we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.”
“And what about you, Jace?” another voice drawled. “How is it being back with the Hawks?”
“Good.”
One word. That was all he said, just giving the crowd the same cocky smirk as when we walked in. Reporters mumbled under their breaths, probably familiar with his noncommittal responses. But they were undeterred, continuing to hurl questions at him, despite his face contorting with more annoyance with each one. Our time was ticking by, and by the time our five minutes were up, Jace was downright glaring.
“Let’s go,” I whispered to Hadley, moving toward the exit.
“Jace—who was the woman in the stands tonight? Are you two dating?”
My feet stilled, and, although we needed to leave, my body refused to budge until I heard his answer.
“No comment.”
The words sliced through me. As much as I tried, it felt a lot like rejection, and my cheeks heated with shame. But before I could spiral too much, the reporter lodged another question,once again aimed at me. “Everyone saw you two on the cameras. Are you settling down?”
Jace moved closer to the microphone, and his eyes darkened as he glared at the reporter. His smirk had shifted into a lethal frown. He was so far from the man I usually spent my time with, the one who laughed with our daughter on his lap and loved to make me smile.
“Listen,” he seethed. “You can ask about the game, ask about my performance all you want. I’ll sit here, answer the same questions you always throw at me. But my relationship? You’re not touching that. It’s private, and I’m not about to let anything get in the middle of it, especially not a bunch of vultures who are just looking for a sound bite. So this is the last time I’m going to speak about it. Keep her out of your mouths.”
The crowd went quiet, and Benny had to cover his amusement with his large palm. Cam just shook his head, but the corners of his mouth turned up as well. My heart pounded in my chest, loving how fiercely protective he was. This wasn’t shame; it wasn’t him hiding me from the rest of the world.
This was him claiming our lives together for himself.
“Okay,” Hadley sighed as she tugged me back through the door. “Now I’m starting to get the appeal.”
“Cam going all possessive does it for you?”
Her cheeks blushed. “Does it make me a bad feminist if I say yes? Not like irrational jealousy or anything like that, but when Cam gets all growly and protective over his family?” She fanned her face. “Gets me going every time.”
We snuck back into the friends and family area, no one the wiser about our absence. The group had shrunk since we left, and now, there was only a handful of us waiting for our players on the other side of the door. Minutes later, Cam and Jace walked through, their faces all too casual as Melanie glared at them from the doorway. She tried to stop Jace, but when hefound me waiting, he shook her off. Dropping his bag onto the floor, he rushed to me, scooping me up into his arms.
My arms tightened around his neck as his hands gripped my thighs, holding me up and close to his chest. “Fuck,” he mumbled against my skin. “I missed you so damn much, Kins.”
His heart pounded beneath his shirt, beating a song that echoed my own. His summer scent filled my senses, and, for the first time in days, I relaxed. Leaning back, I pushed back some of his damp hair, smiling down at the man holding me in the air. “That was a hell of a game, hotshot.”
“It was all for you, mama. Had to show off a little for my girl.”
