I didn’t think I’d ever be so happy to see Kyle again my life.
As he approached he had a puzzled expression on his face. “What’s going on?” he stated as he looked back and forth between me and Blake. “Dr. Simmons is getting ready to hand out the exams.”
This time when I pulled my arm away from Blake, he let it go. The tough guy isn’t so brave when someone else is around, I thought. What a coward.
“This isn’t over.” The look in Blake’s eyes froze me to the core. Not only were his cold dark eyes still filled with lust, they were now infused with rage on top of it. Not a good combination.
Kyle’s eyes filled with concern and he grabbed my elbow instinctively and pulled me away from Blake. “Come on,” he said. “We need to get inside. Dr. Simmons said he’d wait exactly three minutes.”
I nodded and Blake’s dark eyes followed us as we turned and headed toward the building. Another shiver ran through me because I could feel his icy eyes on me even as we walked away.
“I’m not even going to ask what that was about right now because we have to get our heads wrapped around Stats but you will talk to me after class.”
I had never heard Kyle show so much force and display so much moxie. I kind of liked it.
“Thanks,” I said as we hurried into the classroom. “I owe you a lot more than an explanation.”
“Stats exam,” he reminded me. “You’ve got to get an A in this class.”
I nodded and took my seat. When I looked up at Dr. Simmons I expected him to be angry but he wasn’t. He looked more concerned than anything else.
I was one of the last students to finish the exam and I knew I didn’t do as well as I could have or would have liked to. I just couldn’t get Blake’s words out of my head. And all I kept thinking about was what if Kyle hadn’t shown up when he did…Blake could have raped me.
Luckily, I had a perfect score in the class going into the final, so I could still get an A in the class even with a low C on the exam. The problem was that I wasn’t sure I even answered enough questions correctly for a C and I really wanted to do well to get a letter of recommendation from Dr. Simmons.
“Is everything okay?” Dr. Simmons asked as I placed the exam on his table.
How could I possibly tell my professor that I was almost raped right before his class?
I gave him a weak smile.
“Let me know if I can be of assistance,” he said and his eyes held concern that I hadn’t seen before. “I have twin daughters your age. They’re finishing up their undergraduate studies at Stanford.”
“Thanks,” I muttered. “I just don’t want you to be disappointed when you see my grade.”
“Ms. Thompson, being in this class isn’t just about the grade you earn it’s about what you’ve learned and if you’re able to apply it. I feel as though you’ve learned more than most students and I also believe you’ll be able to apply it when you enter a doctoral program next fall.”
That brought a genuine smile to my face. “Thanks, Dr. Simmons.”
“You’re very welcome.”
Kyle was waiting for me outside of the classroom. “I think I owe you lunch,” he said as I approached.
I frowned. “Why?”
“Weren’t we supposed to go to The Twisted Mug the day I made a total ass of myself and completely ruined our friendship?”
“Yeah, I guess so. But isn’t it a little early for lunch? It’s only 10:30.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe. But it’s never too early for a peach smoothie.”
“That’s true,” I agreed.
As we started walking toward The Twisted Mug, I saw my sister run right by us, her flowing white shirt was unmistakable. Then she made a dead stop, turned and seemed shocked to see us standing there.
“Kyle?” she muttered as she walked back toward us. “What are you doing here?”
I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at my sister. “A better question is where were you this morning? Blake grabbed me outside the psychology building and was doing and saying some pretty scary stuff until Kyle came looking for me.”
My sister grabbed my arms. “I’m so sorry,” she groveled. “I don’t have any excuse. I didn’t stay at my apartment last night and I overslept. I swear it won’t happen again.”
I couldn’t stay mad at my sister. She just was the way she was and nothing was going to change that. But I knew I had to make other arrangements for the last few weeks of class before winter break. There was no way I was going to give Blake another chance to get me alone.
“Could someone please tell me who Blake is and what is the deal with him?” Kyle asked, clearly concerned.
Between me and my sister, we filled Kyle in on all the details.
“I’ll walk you to class,” Kyle declared. “I’m not going to let that sick pervert anywhere near you.” Kyle turned to me. “And I’m a little pissed that you didn’t ask me sooner. When I think about what he could have done to you today, if Dr. Simmons hadn’t let me try to find you, it makes me sick.”
“We haven’t exactly been on speaking terms,” I reminded Kyle.
“I know,” he said sadly. “And we need to talk about that.”
My sister gave a forced half smile. “I guess I’ll leave you two to do whatever it is that psychology geeks do.” She gave me a big hug and whispered. “I’m really sorry.”
“I know,” I whispered back. “I hope he was worth it.”
“They,” she corrected. “And they were definitely worth it.”
“Two?” I asked almost afraid the number might even be higher.
She nodded and gave me a sly grin. “They’re brothers,” she mouthed and my eyes went wide.
I knew my sister was rarely monogamous but I never thought about her being with multiple partners at the same time. And brothers? Wow.
As my sister hurried away, Kyle said, “Are you sure the two of you are related by blood and that one of you isn’t adopted?”
I laughed. “Positive.”
Kyle shook his head. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Me, too.”
Kyle and I both ordered peach smoothies and sat at a corner table. Since it wasn’t quite lunch time yet, The Twisted Mug was nearly empty.
“I want to apologize for the things I said to you. They were awful and I really didn’t mean them.”
I nodded and took a sip of my smoothie.
Kyle continued. “It’s not an excuse but I was angry. I always imagined someday in the future that we’d be together and when I realized it wasn’t going to happen, I was hurt. And I was jealous. I see the way you and Kian look at each other.”
“How is that?” I asked.
“Like the whole world disappears and there’s only the two of you. I wanted you to look at me that way but you never did. I realized that you love Kian and that you’d never love me that way. That’s why I said all of those things. I’m really sorry. I know I don’t deserve it but I hope one day you can forgive me. I miss my best friend.”
“I understand.” I gave him a warm smile. “I never wanted us not to be friends. I just wanted you to realize that’s all we’ll ever be.”
“I realize that now,” Kyle said. He took a sip of his smoothie. “You’re not walking to class alone again, got it?”
“Yes, sir,” I replied. “Anything else, tough guy?”
He grinned. “Yeah, finish your smoothie. We’ve got to get to your next class soon.”
***
Even though Kian and I talked on the phone every day while he was out of town, I didn’t want to tell him about that happened with Blake outside of the psychology building. Not only because I knew he would feel like he let me down but also because I knew he’d feel helpless to protect me while he was away. I also didn’t want him to worry and instead concentrate on winning his games.
But I was dreading having to tell him about Blake when he came over Thursday night. My stomach tightened when I heard his
knock on my suite door. To my surprise, he was holding a small velvet box when I opened the door.
“For my princess,” he said as he handed me the gift. When I opened the box, I saw they were diamond stud earrings.
“Oh, my God!” I exclaimed.
Kian grinned. “Do you like them?”
“I love them. But you didn’t have to get me anything. And especially not something this extravagant. I know you’re saving for your sports bar.”
“Every princess needs to have jewels,” he stated.
Kian closed the door behind him and then embraced me in a tight hug. “God, I missed you.”
His lips crashed into mine and he kissed me with such ferocity, I felt like he was trying to reclaim me.
I had to admit that I missed him, too. I missed his musky scent and his salty sweet taste. I missed the way that he held me tight as if he could protect me from everything bad in the world. I missed his rough touch that he tried so hard to make soft just for me. I missed everything about Kian and I missed the way I felt when I was with him.
When he broke from our kiss, he looked into my eyes and said, “I have news.”
“So do I,” I stated.
He frowned as if he wasn’t expecting me to say that. “You go first,” he offered.
I heaved a sigh then began telling him about the encounter I had with Blake. I could see every muscle in his body tense as I shared the details. By the time I was done, his face was as hard as stone and his fists were in tight balls.
“I’m going to kill that son-of-bitch,” Kian spat. “I can’t believe he touched you and threatened you. And I can’t believe I wasn’t here to protect you. That won’t happen again.”
I placed a hand on Kian’s chest and he tensed. When I looked up and his eyes locked with mine, I could see his eyes were fiery with rage. “It’s impossible for you to protect me every second of the day. You can’t blame yourself for what Blake did.”
“What a sick fuck,” Kian spat. “If he ever touches you again, it will be the last thing he ever touches. And if he ever even looks at you again, it will be the last thing he ever sees.”
“Kian,” I said as I looked into his eyes. “As much as I want you to protect me, and as much as I want Blake to be out of my life for good, I don’t want you to risk your career and everything you’ve worked so hard for, just for me.”
Kian’s eyes blazed. “Do you have any idea what it would do to me if anything happened to you, if that monster had his way with you? It would kill me. It would tear my insides into a million pieces. Nothing, not hockey, not my career, not even my own life, is more important than you. Do you understand that?”
The intensity of Kian’s words sent a chill through my entire body. He pulled me close and held me so tight that I almost couldn’t breathe.
“I love you,” Kian whispered so softly I almost didn’t hear him. Then he placed a soft kiss on the top of my head. “I can’t live without you. You’re my everything.”
“I love you, too.”
After a moment, I pulled away and said, “You haven’t told me your news yet.”
Concern filled Kian’s eyes and his brows furrowed. “It’s not important anymore.”
“What do you mean?” I suddenly felt scared, like he was keeping something important from me.
“Our major league affiliate team in Seattle was struck with a lot of serious injuries and they don’t have enough players for the rest of the season. I was called up to play with them.”
My eyes went wide. “Oh, my God, Kian! This is what you’ve been working for your whole life. I’m so happy for you.”
“I’m not going,” he said sternly. There was resolve in his eyes that I didn’t understand.
“Not going?” I was completely confused. “You have to go.”
His jaw tensed and his face grew rigid. “I’m not going to leave you. I promised to protect you and I’m going to keep that promise. It’s my decision and it’s final.”
I shook my head so hard I was nearly dizzy. “No!” I practically screamed. “I won’t let you give up your dream for me. I know you love me and want to protect me but if you give up your dream for me, I’ll never be able to forgive myself. You have to go. If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for me.”
“Who will protect you? Obviously not your sister.”
I knew it wasn’t going to be easy for him to hear it but I had to say it. “Kyle said he’d walk me to every class. He won’t let anything happen to me while you’re gone.”
His jaw clenched again and I knew he wasn’t happy about leaving me only to have Kyle back in the picture.
I continued. “I talked to Kyle. He knows I’m in love with you and that he and I will only ever be friends. He’s okay with that.”
Kian’s expression was still somber and I could see there was something else troubling him. I put a hand on his cheek and stroked it lightly. “What is it, Kian? Tell me what’s wrong.”
I could see that Kian was blinking back tears. “I’m afraid I’ll lose you,” he admitted.
When his gaze met mine, there was an exchange of energy that was so intense, I nearly fell to my knees. “I’ll always be yours.” I tried to assure him. “You and only you.”
He cupped my face in his hands. “Promise me. No matter where I am, you’ll be mine.”
“I promise.”
He kissed me again and this time his kiss was so desperate and so urgent, it completely took my breath away. Then he rested his forehead on mine.
“I don’t want to leave you,” he whispered. “How can I go anywhere when my heart belongs to you?”
“My heart belongs to you, too. And I know you’ll be taking it with you wherever you go.”
He gave me another soft kiss. “Are you sure? I want you to be one hundred percent sure this is what you want. I can only do this if you want it.”
“I’m one hundred percent sure,” I stated firmly. “I want you to go kick some hockey butt in the major leagues. And I’ll be right there with you because you’ll have my heart.”
“I love you,” he said but this time with more assurance and commitment. “I’ll always love you. You and only you.”
“I know. I love you, too.”
He gave me another kiss and I knew wherever Kian and I ended up living, whether in the same city or miles apart, I’d always have his heart and he’d have mine.
Coming in September 2013
About the Author
Dakota Madison has been writing since she learned to read and fell in love with books. When she's not at her computer creating spicy new romances, Dakota is traveling to exotic locales or spending time with her husband and their bloodhounds.
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Fire on Ice (Fire on Ice Series) Page 18
