Which could only mean that he was fully embracing the challenge I gave him.
“Okay,” I said with a grin. “You had me at dinner.”
My stomach growled loudly in response, and he shook his head.
“No more skipping meals.”
“It wasn’t exactly on purpose. Sometimes, I just get in the zone and don’t realize how long I’m working. It’s not until I stop that I tune back in to what my body needs.”
“So, what you’re saying is I’ve got my work cut out for me.”
“Yes,” I answered. Honestly, it was a pretty good conclusion.
He waited patiently while I gathered up my things and closed my laptop.
I contemplated taking it with me for a second, but it would be a pain in the ass to carry.
“Did they give you a key to the office? You don’t have to take everything with you every night unless you want to.”
“They did,” I said. “You’re right. I’ve done enough for today. I can look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow.”
I locked the office and then turned to look up at the alpha.
He looked hesitant at first. Like he didn’t know exactly what to do. After a few long seconds he offered his hand.
It was such a simple, little gesture and downright adorable. This was his olive branch and I didn’t hesitate to slide my hand into his much larger one.
Hayes’s hand was warm, his palms calloused, probably from years of holding sticks during practice and hard work.
I was desperate to know more about the men in my pack, and that definitely included Hayes.
This was a great place to start.
It was only our first day back after the resort, but the resort had been a wonderful way for me to interview everybody fairly quickly. The downside was how focused I’d gotten.
Even as we walked my mind was turning over all the possible ways to edit the article. Having them at my disposal made the interviews easier, this one was very player-focused.
The second one, however, I wanted to take more time with. It was going to showcase more of the game and team as a whole. I wanted to include more hockey stats and aspirations, training, and the effect the coaching staff had on players.
I could spin it so many ways but it all started with research.
After I finished edits on this one.
And checked on my team.
There was so much to do.
“What kind of food are you craving, little bat?” Hayes asked, bringing me back to the present. The more I heard that nickname, the more I loved it. It was so cute that I couldn’t have picked a better one myself.
It was something unique and special, and the fact that he embraced it, too, made me happy.
“Honestly, I could use a good old diner.” Something quick and greasy sounded perfect. Plus, they always had pie.
“North Crossing has a couple of those to choose from, but I’ve got a favorite. Mind if I take you there?”
“Lead the way, alpha,” I said, earning a heated grin from Hayes before he led me out to his big pickup truck.
Instead of helping me climb in, he simply lifted me up and put me in the seat that was way higher than I could’ve managed without having to climb.
