“Yeah. That’s a great idea, Woody. I see where you’re going. Force him to back off by letting him know we have witness statements. There’s no telling who else that bastard has blackmailed.”
The air left my lungs. My stomach clenched in a painful knot. My forehead broke out with beads of sweat. I chugged a glass of water in front of me, but that only made my stomach seize.
“Jack, are you okay? Are we taking this in the wrong direction? There aren’t a lot of options. We need to move quickly, if we want those charges dropped.”
Noelle needed allies. People willing to be courageous when they weren’t directly affected by what Charlie Babcock had done. People willing to do the right thing even if it was uncomfortable or inconvenient. I thought the air was being squeezed out of all my pores. The shame and regret were suffocating.
I shook my head. “No. No. Keep going.” I stood tall next to the table. “I forgot I have to make a call. I might be a while. Can you get started on this without me? I’ll be back in as soon as I can.”
“Sure. We’ll work out some logistics. Maybe have Dave send in another pot of coffee if you see him in reception,” Rick suggested.
I nodded as I barged through the door. I didn’t look for Dave. I scoured the hallways for an empty office and tapped Stone Adams’s number on my phone.
“Jack? I’m surprised to hear from you this morning,” he answered slowly.
“Are you still in town?” I asked.
“I have a few hours until my flight leaves. I’m headed to the airport in half an hour. What can I do for you?”
“Don’t move. I’m coming to you. I’ll give you a ride to the airport. We can talk on the way.”
“Sounds important.”
“It is. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
I hung up and raced toward the Marriott. I was running out of time to get this right.
* * *
The drive to the airport wasn’t long. I loaded Stone Adams’s luggage in my trunk. “I’ll drive you and listen,” I instructed. I switched the radio to off. I knew I had a short window to get the information out.
“All right. I can do that.” He folded his hands in his lap. There was no notepad this time, or recorder. “I’m really interested in what you have to say.”
I put the car in drive and steered out from the valet overhang at the hotel. “I thought about our conversation yesterday. About watching out for people in the organization.”
I felt queasy. Everything about what Felt had done was dirty and unacceptable. But I had accepted it. All the players did. We did because he was Coach. He was the man we respected when we were on the ice. He called the plays that gave us wins. He hired the best trainers and managers to take us to the next level. I was a better hockey player because of him.
“I know the accusations against him are true.”
“How do you know that?”
“I didn’t see it. I didn’t witness it. But a man who could live a double life the way he did—be one person on the road and one person at home, probably isn’t capable of shutting off the darkness when he’s home. I said I believed he was just blowing off steam because that’s what I wanted to believe. He was lonely away from his family. He needed company.” I exhaled. There was a lot more to tell the investigator.
“I knew he liked three-ways.” I clutched at the steering wheel. “He talked about them. I tried not to listen. But one time he let one of the names slip.” My heart beat hard and fast. “He always talked about it in the abstract, so I thought maybe he was talking about when he was in college, or before he met Randi. Bragging about his outrageous sex life. Trying to one up the younger guys on the team. But one time, he said a name.”
“Do you remember the name?”
“Yeah. I do.” The exit for the airport was up ahead. “It was Lake. The girl’s name was Lake. And it stood out because it’s an unusual name. I’d never heard it before until I had my first problem in payroll and a pretty girl named Lake issued a deposit for me. When Felt said her name, I suspected it was her, but I didn’t ask. I just walked away. I didn’t want to know that about him.”
“Lake Capshaw is one of the women who filed the complaint.”
There was a parking guard at departures directing traffic. She let me pull up to the curb to deposit Stone on the sidewalk. I put the car in park and walked around to the trunk. Stone met me.
“I want to change my statement. I want to help her. And the others. That’s all I have. I don’t have evidence. I don’t have confessions. I heard him say her name. That’s it. But if it will help her, I’ll do what you need me to do to make sure he’s not working around women anymore.”
Stone’s mustache flicked under his fingers. I had surprised. I knew I did.
“I’ll amend it right now,” he stated. “I’ll let you know if we need you, Jack.” He pressed his lips together. “Thank you. I’m sure Lake would thank you too for speaking up for her.”
“I didn’t speak up fast enough,” I admitted.
“I can tell you with what I have, Tom Felt isn’t going to coach again. Not even a pee-wee league. I can’t say if the women are going to file civil suits. They did take money from him, so it gets messy. That’s their call to make. But he’ll be out of hockey for the rest of his life.”
“Keep me posted?” I asked.
Stone gripped my shoulder. “I will. Thanks for the ride.”
He wheeled his suitcase along the sidewalk and disappeared inside the airport.
33
Noelle
I gasped when Charlie Babcock walked into my new office. His face was covered in a white bandage, held in place by a plastic shield that attached to the back of his head. He looked awful. He could have starred in a horror film. I had a second of pity for him, but it evaporated when he opened his mouth.
“Are you responsible for this?” He pointed at his nose. “I give you ten million dollars, and this is what I get? A broken nose. I’m looking at three surgeries minimum.”
I pushed to standing. “Charlie, I told you I didn’t want this position.” I had to steady my voice, so it didn’t crack. “You threatened me. What did you expect my boyfriend to do?”
“You never mentioned him to me, Noelle. You never told me you were dating a muscle maniac. A hockey player? Really? Where’s the art in that? Can he spell? Is that why you didn’t want to tell me about him?”
“My personal life is my personal life.” I glared at him.
“Our business arrangement is our business arrangement,” he countered. “He shouldn’t have gotten involved. He doesn’t know yet what it’s going to cost you. He had no right to interfere in our business.”
“It’s one-sided and it’s false. You fired a competent and respected director from this museum. I don’t see how that is a smart business decision.” I folded my arms across my chest.
“You need to stop seeing him. He’s violent, Noelle. He could hurt you.”
I gawked at Charlie. “He’s not violent. He punched you because you deserved it.”
“This isn’t over.” His eyes narrowed. “Your Neanderthal is going to discover he jumped into the ring with the wrong opponent.” Charlie turned for the door.
“If you think that somehow, you’re going to walk away from this with me in your corner, you’re wrong. You have to pay me to be in the same room with you because there’s no other way I could stand the sight of you,” I snarled. “Think about that every time you write my paycheck.”
“You are still mine. I own you.” His eyes flared.
Charlie slammed the door on his way out of Albert’s former office. The portraits on the walls rattled with bursts of dust.
I immediately threw up one of the windows to air out the smell of his cologne. It didn’t matter how cold it was, I couldn’t stomach the odor.
I sank into my chair. I had a new fire in my belly to fight Charlie Babcock whatever it took. The despair started to creep in when I realized that no matter which way Jack and I turned
we couldn’t come up with a way to get him out of my life. I refused to believe it was hopeless. Not when I finally had Jack. Not when we had dedicated ourselves to each other. I refused to believe a man as horrible as Charlie could destroy our happiness.
* * *
I waited in the carpool line for Phoebe, inching up with the loading of children in cars. She hopped in the backseat.
“Hi, Mommy.” There was a wide smile across her face. Her blond hair stuck out from her hat.
“Do you have both your mittens?” I asked. I saw one bare hand.
“I think the other one is on the playground somewhere. I can’t find it.”
I groaned. “Phoebe, that’s the third pair of mittens I’ve bought since Christmas.”
“I never lose my hockey gloves,” she countered.
I drove cautiously out of the school semi-circle. “You can’t wear hockey gloves to school.” As much as they cost, she should be able to. Hockey gloves didn’t help when I had a basket with mis-matched mittens.
By the time we arrived home, Jack was waiting for us. He sat on the porch swing.
“Hi, Jack.” Phoebe ran toward him. He lifted her in a hug. My heart expanded with each beat.
“Hi, kid. How was school?”
“I lost a mitten.” She rolled her eyes. “But we had chicken sandwiches at lunch. So, it was pretty good.”
“Sounds intense.” He watched her wide-eyed.
I opened the mailbox. On the top of the stack of mail was an envelope with Phoebe’s names typed on the front. Oh shit. It was from the Ice Puppies.
“What’s that?” Jack glanced at the pile in my hands.
“Ice Puppies,” I explained. “I can’t believe it’s already time for the next camp. I’m not ready for this.”
“Is it with the Dires?”
“No. This one is kids only.” I rattled the keys to open the door. Phoebe skipped inside. She pulled off her shoes and hung up her backpack.
“Was your day as rough as Phoebe’s?” Jack asked.
My shoulders slumped. “Worse.”
His arms wrapped around me. “Me too.”
I could hear the certain thump of his heart as I pressed my ear to his chest. I felt safe and protected. I wished I could wrap up in Jack’s arms every second of every day. It seemed like the safest way to go through life.
My eyes lifted to his. “Should I open a bottle of wine?”
“Two,” he answered.
I laughed. “Still a work night.”
“I know. I have early practice in the morning before the game tomorrow night and then Wednesday we fly to Denver.”
“Are you starting?”
He nodded. “I am.”
“Why don’t you look happier?” I studied the darkness in his eyes. It was as if waves were crashing behind his gaze.
“I want to stay here. How do I leave in the middle of this? I don’t want to leave you here with Charlie. The man is deranged.”
I inhaled. “Do you want company in Denver?” I ran my palm along the planes of his chest to his shoulder and down again.
“Are you serious?”
“You can’t stay. But I could go with you. Between my family and Lucy, I think they can handle getting Phoebe to school. They always want to help. It’s their big break,” I teased.
“Yeah. Go on the road with me.” He brushed his lips over mine. His mouth was warm and firm. I sighed as our tongues met. Jack’s kisses were intoxicating. I melted into his arms.
“It’s not a vacation. You know I have practices and press. It’s two quick nights.”
“I just want to be where you are.”
“Me too.” He kissed the side of my neck. “About that wine?” He waggled his eyebrows.
“On it.” I hustled to the cabinet in the kitchen. Phoebe was rewriting her vocabulary words at the table. I poured two glasses and walked back into the living room.
Jack sat on the couch. I rested my head on his shoulder. For a minute I could pretend that everything was perfect, if only for a moment.
34
Jack
Travel days were long. They were worse the morning after a rough game. We’d had our asses handed to us last night in the Dires arena. Every team we played was hellbent on defeating the defending Stanley Cup Champions. I got it. They thought the win meant more. But it also meant the hits were harder. The skating was more intense. The taunts cut deeper.
I almost took another player to the ground when he taunted me with rumors about Coach Felt. I was surprised word had spread so fast, but maybe it was a badly guarded secret. I hadn’t heard from Stone Adams since he left town. I didn’t know where things stood, only that I wouldn’t stay silent if those women needed an ally.
I tapped my key card to the door to the suite. I stumbled in, exhausted and sore.
“Oh my God. You look like you’ve been run over.” Noelle rushed toward me. She had checked in hours ago while I had skated with the team.
My eyes landed on her. We were alone. I realized how valuable this time was. I couldn’t waste it.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” She began to retreat toward the bed. She was wearing one of my T-shirts with a pair of yoga pants. It was cute and sexy. It would look better on the floor though.
“Take your clothes off,” I growled. I kicked off my shoes and tugged on my zipper.
“Why are you so eager to get me naked?” She bit her lip. “I thought I looked cute in your shirt.”
I caught her wrists and pinned them behind her back. My lips crushed hers. “Keep the shirt,” I whispered. But the pants have to go if I’m going to keep my promise to you.”
Her eyes widened. “Everything is crazy and falling apart. Are you still serious about that?”
I let go of her wrists long enough to drag her yoga pants to her ankles. I knelt in front of her. I blew a slow breath over her panties. My finger slid inside dragging through her slit. My teeth latched on the front of the silk and I nipped until her pussy was exposed.
“I’m serious. We’ll get through this. At the end, we’re going to have a baby together. Our own family.”
“Jack,” she moaned through clenched teeth. Her fingers fisted in my hair as I pried her open and began to lap against her pussy. She rocked slowly at first, but my girl wasn’t afraid of the passion in her body. She didn’t turn away from what she wanted. It didn’t take much to coax an orgasm from her and then another. She pushed up on her tiptoes as it canvassed her limbs.
I twisted my tongue inside her again. She stumbled backward on the mattress, begging for more.
“Are you having second thoughts about having my baby?” I asked, ready to fuck her senseless.
I pushed her knees wide and sucked wildly at her clit. I dropped my jeans and let my cock spring free.
“No.” She shook her head. “I want you. I want us.”
“And you want me to fuck you right now?”
“Shit, Jack. Don’t stop what you’re doing. Please,” she whimpered.
I grinned devilishly. “Simple question.”
I nudged it to her entrance as our eyes locked in primal understanding. “Fuck me,” she begged.
I slammed into her as she bucked off the bed with a holler that echoed around the suite. It was music to my ears. She called to me. Needed me. Craved me the same way I craved her.
“Fuck,” I groaned, not slowing down for a single thrust. She tried to scramble backward, but I flipped Noelle on her stomach and propped her ass in the air. I licked between her cheeks, twirling my tongue against her rosebud.
“Oh, Jack,” she hissed my name, wiggling her hips with dirty intentions. I pushed against the tight muscles with the tip of my tongue. ‘Yes,” she whispered. “It feels so good when you kiss me there.” I grinned at my dirty girl.
“If you want more than a kiss, I can do that too, baby,” I taunted. I sucked against the hole. Noelle thrashed. I debated how far to push her. The mission was to make a baby, if we hadn’t already. I had to
stay focused. I tasted her virgin hole once more, before climbing behind her on the bed. My dick spurted with pre-cum. I was turned on but her blazing body. I blessed her backdoor with just a taste of my precum juices and she groaned with the promise of what that pleasure could be.
“You are so damn beautiful, Noelle.” Her hips swayed seductively.
I lowered a kiss to the small of her back. Every part of her tasted like honey. She was beautiful whether she was dressed for work. She was beautiful cheering at a Dires game. She was beautiful in my bed, with her legs spread.
She whimpered as I opened her velvet lips and pushed into her pussy. Her hips curled under and then rolled out, taking me deeper.
“Fuck me,” I growled, digging my fingers into her waist. “I fucking love this.”
Noelle began to convulse around my shaft. She couldn’t stave off the climax as I pounded my cock home while I tugged her clit. She licked her lips and I fucking lost it. My cum shot in explosive waves, filling her. Claiming her. Making her mine all over again.
I fell next to her on the bed and pulled her to me.
“Oh shit,” I moaned. I was worried I might not ever make it out of bed in the morning for practice.
“I was going to ask you if you wanted to order room service when you walked in.”
I chuckled. “We can now if you’re hungry.”
“Starving.” Her eyes widened. “I waited until your practice was over to eat. I think I could devour three cheeseburgers.”
“I’d like to see you try.”
She laughed. “What do you want?”
“I can’t move.”
She giggled. “I’ll take care of you. Poor thing.” She slid off the end of the bed and padded over to the dresser where the room service menu rested on an easel. Her bare ass peeked out from under my T-shirt. Fuck. She was sexy.
Cold As Ice Page 18
