Simmering Ice

by Veronica Forand

  Alec’s rich chuckle sent tingles up her spine. “I need to erase that image from my mind. You have to join us now, Annie.”

  Heat pulsed into her cheeks. She liked the way her name sounded coming from his lips. “All right.”

  Mikael led the way. He dropped into the opposite side of the booth from Alec, taking up the entire space, leaving her no choice but to sit next to the hulking blond. His arm brushed hers, heat pumping like a furnace. She fought the urge to keep the connection and slid further away.

  Mikael glanced at them and grinned as if enjoying his own private joke. “I’ve been telling Alec for months that this place is better.”

  She turned to Alec, and her question about the other diner died on her tongue.

  His gaze was fixed on her face. “I’m realizing now that I was missing out.”

  Heat crept into her cheeks. Was he flirting? With her? Before her disaster with Corey, she wouldn’t have been so unsure. “I’ve never been disappointed.”

  Mikael stood. “Well kids, I’m off.”

  “What about dinner?” Alec’s question echoed her own.

  “I’m getting it to go. I forgot I have a date tonight.” With a grin and raised brows directed first at Annie, then at Alec, he left.

  The grin and the brows were so obvious. She knew Mikael well enough to know he’d never forget about a date. He lived for romance. Fresh heat flushed her cheeks. From Alec’s expression, he’d realized the setup too. But she couldn’t tell how he felt about it. She cleared her throat, wishing for water, tea, coffee, anything to cure her suddenly parched throat. “Maybe I should go, too.”

  He raised a brow. “Why?”

  “Well…” She fingered a button on her coat. Setups were so awkward, especially ones spontaneously sprung.

  For a moment, a glimpse of vulnerability appeared in his eyes. The same thing she recognized in herself. “How about it, Annie? Stay and eat with me?”

  The deep timbre of his voice pulled at her resolve. Was he just being nice? But if he didn’t want her company, he wouldn’t have asked, would he? “All right.”

  His grin slid back into place. If he were taking this change of plans in stride, she could too.

  She moved to the other side of the booth, shrugged out of her coat and tossed it on the seat. “I’m here at least five times a week after work.”

  “Then Mikael wasn’t lying, this place must be good.” Alec’s large frame dwarfed the booth. “I can’t cook. At all.”

  She tilted her head to the side, studying him. He looked far more tempting than anything on the menu. “Really? I bet I can top your cooking horror stories. Burned pancakes, ruined roasts, and gummy pasta.” Being the daughter of a chef, and the sister of one, made her screwups a million times worse. Laughing eased the sting in her stomach.

  “My excuse is I was always too busy with hockey practice to spend time in a kitchen.”

  “Basketball, soccer, and lacrosse kept me busy growing up.”

  “I knew you’d be an athlete.”

  What did he mean? Threads of critical comments made over the years by her mother kept her sensitive about her height, her features, and her frame. But his words hadn’t been delivered in derision, more like approval.

  Before she could think too much about it, Stella arrived. She poured coffee into their cups, and then left the pot in the center of the table. “Here you go, Annie. A fresh pot just for you.”

  Annie added creamer to her cup and laughed at Alec’s quirked brow. “Maybe I do come here too often. But it’s close by and the food’s awesome.”

  “I’m pretty close, too. I hardly ever eat at home.” He didn’t elaborate, but she guessed he lived near Mikael’s million-dollar neighborhood.

  The waitress dropped off their orders. Annie stared at the roast turkey triple-decker sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries in front of Alec. It looked better than what she’d ordered, but maybe that was due to the man sitting behind it. She swallowed a mouthful of the creamy tomato broth. “Growing up in Maryland, I was always a fan of Washington’s team. I still follow them but since moving to Atlantic City, I’ve adopted the Hustlers as my favorite.”

  “So you’re rooting for two teams in the same division? That’s not allowed.” He shook his head and hefted his sandwich to his lips.

  She shrugged. “I’m a rebel.”

  His bark of laughter pleased her. He shifted his plate forward and motioned for her to take some of his fries. A casual gesture not shared with a stranger. Annie blinked and slowly reached for a handful.

  “My brothers play for two teams on the West Coast, but my parents are die-hard Chicago fans, regardless of whether any of us kids are playing against them or not.”

  “Your dad played professionally too, didn’t he?” She broke a fry in half. A wisp of steam escaped. “I imagine following in someone’s shadow wasn’t easy.”

  “My parents just wanted us to be happy. My dad taught me everything I know.”

  He sat tall in his seat, wide shoulders relaxed, his voice calm and happy. What would it have been like to grow up in that kind of family environment?

  They finished their meal and then lingered over coffee while swapping stories of his on-ice experiences and her interactions with the kids she treated in physical therapy every day. For being a giant nearly as large as the trees who shared his name, his quiet demeanor and gentle humor were a pleasant surprise.

  She leaned closer. “Mikael gave me some videos of the team working out in the weight room and on the ice. It really helped motivate the kids in our rehab program. I’m taking a group of them to your game tomorrow.”

  “Really? What section?”

  “One-fifteen. Right behind the bench. The kids are really excited.”

  “Coach mentioned some groups would be stopping by after the game for a meet-and-greet.” His eyes focused on her hands, then her face. “I’m glad you’ll be there.”

  “Me too. I love being at the rink, seeing a game live. Mikael’s always offering me tickets, with the stipulation that I bring a friend, preferably female, and preferably blonde. I don’t think he appreciated it when I brought my landlady. She’s blonde, but about seventy-five.”

  He smirked and downed his coffee. “You see Mik a lot?”

  “He stops by to visit one of the kids in the rehab program once a week. We usually grab dinner afterwards.” Why did he care? She studied his features. “He mentions you a lot.”

  He didn’t say anything. She assumed Mikael hadn’t mentioned her to Alec at all, but why would he? Mikael and she were friends, nothing more, and as much as he’d urged her to date, it wasn’t like Alec needed Mikael to fix him up. Not that she was his type. She peered at him through lowered lashes. What was his type?

  When the waitress put the bill on the table, Alec swiped it up and then handed her a wad of cash. He glanced at Annie. “Ready to go?”

  “You didn’t have to pay for me. But thank you for dinner.”

  “Anytime.” He led the way outside. “Where’d you park?”

  “I took the bus today. My car’s in the shop. It needs a new radiator.”

  “I’ll drive you home.”

  “I only live a few blocks away. I’m fine with walking.”

  “It’s cold and dark. Come on.” He nodded in the direction of a large, black SUV. His Escalade was a far cry from her ten-year-old Ford.

  “I’m fine, really.”

  “I insist. You can call Mikael and let him know I’m taking you home, if that makes you feel safer.” He held out his phone.

  “I should call him, just to see if he’s really on a date. It would serve him right if my call interrupted him during a crucial moment.”

  Alec’s eyes gleamed. “Let’s do it.” His fingers swiped across the phone, then angled it so they could both listen.

  Within seconds, Mikael’s voice came through the speaker. “How’d it go with Annie?”

  “Well…”

  “Don’t tell me you’re not int
erested. I saw how you were looking at her.”

  Annie’s mouth dropped open. Her eyes darted from the phone to Alec’s face. She should speak and alert Mikael to her presence, but curiosity to hear Alec’s response held her back.

  His lips quirked in a smile. “She’s great. But she’s—”

  “Hold up there, buddy.” Mikael’s voice sharpened and grew louder. “She’s special. And you have a hell of a lot in common with her. Don’t go writing her off like you’ve done to every other woman you’ve met since Tamara.”

  A stricken expression overtook Alec’s smile.

  Giddiness faded in a flash. Heat rushed over her limbs. She opened her mouth to speak, but Alec pressed the phone to his ear and turned away. “She’s standing right here…Yeah… It’s fine.”

  But it wasn’t fine. His voice had gone hard.

  Awkwardness and embarrassment clawed at her stomach. His face had paled when Mikael mentioned Tamara’s name. She brushed at imaginary lint on her coat while Alec ended the call.

  He turned back to her. The light in his eyes faded. “I’ll take you home.”

  Her heart broke for him. “Thanks.”

  She sank into the soft leather seat and directed him to her house. The car rode much smoother than the bumps and stops and starts of the city bus.

  When they pulled up in front of the duplex, he sat back against the door and watched her for a moment. “Dinner was fun, thanks.”

  Part of her wanted to hug him, to take away the pain. “I know it probably doesn’t mean much coming from me, but I’m very sorry for your loss.”

  “Thank you.” He nodded, the words as wooden as his expression. His gaze shifted to her hair.

  His wife had been a redhead. Oh God, did she remind him of her? Caught between the temptation to tuck the strands into her coat and fear of calling more attention to her locks by touching them, she took a deep breath, her pulse pounding in her neck. “I know what it’s like to have painful memories sprung on you. I’m sorry if I remind you of her.”

  He looked at her, just looked at her. The air grew hot, and the small space seemed to shrink. There wasn’t anything left to say. The urge to cry for him welled until tears stung the backs of her eyes. She reached across the seat and touched the back of his hand, willing some comfort to seep into him. “Thanks for dinner.”

  He nodded again. “I’ll see you around.”

  She trekked across the front walk and up the stairs to her apartment. His engine idling in the street filled the air. Inserting the key in the lock, she glanced toward him. He sat, arm thrown over the back of the seat, watching her.

  Of course, he would be the type to wait and make sure she went safely inside before driving away. With a small wave, she stepped inside the darkened living room and then crossed to the window.

  The Escalade drove away.

  She sighed and leaned her forehead against the cool glass. No matter if he was technically available. One mention of his wife and he’d looked sad, guilty, and angry. She hadn’t missed Mikael’s words, don’t go writing her off like you’ve done to every other woman. What did that mean? It didn’t even matter. She looked like his wife, and he wouldn’t want a constant reminder of what he had lost. Her red hair was her favorite feature. Vicious irony twisted her stomach. Alec was the first man in a long time who’d made her want, who’d made her feel, and she couldn’t have him.

  Chapter Two

  Alec sat on the bench watching Harkness, a defenseman for Buffalo, blindside Sweeney. The force of the hit vibrated the boards straight to where the team was sitting several yards away. The puck ended up in Buffalo’s possession.

  The crowd roared its disapproval for the hit. This couldn’t end well. Sweeney needed to keep his cool and focus on scoring. Instead, his gloves came off the moment he could stand. He hauled ass over to Harkness and swung. The punch was blocked, and the crowd went wild. The game had been tense for three periods, and the commotion of the brawl instigated a couple of other fights as well. Damn. This was not what the Hustlers needed right now.

  Andre, the team’s best defenseman, hopped over the wall to join in, but Alec reached out and grabbed his arm.

  “Don’t. We have seven minutes left, and I need you skating behind me and not sitting in the penalty box. Let them beat each other up. You and I are going to finish the game.”

  The tension in Andre’s arm decreased, and he nodded. “You always were the rational one.”

  “I’ve had my share of broken noses, but I find winning a game feels better than winning a fight. Right now we’re one goal to victory.” Alec hopped onto the ice at the line switch.

  He made a long pass to Zac on the wing, who dodged several defenders down the ice and crossed it back to Alec. He shot the puck between the Buffalo goalie’s legs and into the net. Goal!

  “Yes!” He called out and punched his arm into the air. He lived for these moments.

  The eruption of the crowd added to the excitement. The team sped back to their positions to maintain the intensity for the final seconds of play.

  The moment the game ended, Alec skated over to Zac. Other team members joined them, most slapping him on the back and some trying to lift him into the air.

  “Don’t bother. I’ll skate a lap.” He waved them off. They could lift him up, but drunk on the win, they’d probably drop him half way around.

  He removed his helmet and circled the ice, waving at the fans. As the crowd’s cheers began to diminish, he headed to the bench, receiving a few more punches in the arm and congratulations along the way.

  Sweeney skated next to him, wearing a scowl. “Thanks for the help.”

  “Focus on the game and forget the revenge. Until then, you’ll remain a string or two behind Zac.” Alec shook his head.

  The rookie didn’t learn. The best fighter was often traded, while the best scorer earned a raise. It was no secret Sweeney wanted Zac’s position. Zac, however, had no intention of giving it up without a battle.

  Sweeney glanced over at Zac speaking to Heather, his fiancée, on the edge of the ice. “He’s losing his edge.”

  “Keep thinking that, rookie.”

  Someone pulled Sweeney away, and Alec headed toward the locker room. Coach gestured him into the pressroom to answer a few questions and meet with some school groups.

  He caught sight of Annie standing with a bunch of kids. Her red hair, still lifted back from her face, made her easy to recognize. Too easy to recognize. He’d always been able to spot Tamara in the stands with her crimson hair. He held back the heartache and stepped toward her. Man, she was pretty. Annie had a lot going for her. Almost too much. He could easily see himself wrapped up in a relationship with her, but she didn’t seem the type to want a just-for-fun-kind-of relationship. Too bad. That’s all he had to offer right now.

  It would be rude not to say hi, so he worked his way toward her, stopping to interact with the children surrounding her. He gave some of the kids high fives, signed a few programs, and posed for photos. When the kids turned to speak to a few other players, he stepped closer to her.

  “Enjoy the game?” he asked.

  “It was great. Nice goal.”

  “Thanks. That was for Emily. Can you tell her when you see her?”

  “Absolutely. I’ll see her Thursday afternoon.”

  “You have a small army with you.” He bent over to autograph one of the kid’s programs.

  “They’ve stuck with their treatments and exercises. They deserve this reward.”

  He talked to a few more of the kids and signed a hockey stick for one of them.

  When he turned back to Annie, she was smiling at him. Propelled by the urge to release that hair and watch it cascade over her shoulders and down her back, he stepped closer. “Your job keeps you busy.”

  “I love helping the kids. And taking them out to see athletes in top shape is inspirational to them.” Her gaze dropped to his chest and then shot back to his face as though caught somewhere she wasn’t allowed.<
br />
  He wouldn’t care if she scanned his entire body, clothes optional. Damn, his thoughts went astray again. It wouldn’t hurt anyone to start something and see where it went. Her lips brushing over his mouth would be a perfect beginning.

  She licked those incredible lips as though reading his mind and stepped back. “I’ve got to take the kids back.”

  “Right. Maybe I’ll see you at the diner sometime.”

  “That would be fun. Good-bye.” She stepped away and bent over to say something to one of her patients, a little boy on crutches.

  Mikael came from behind. “I knew you’d like her.”

  “I don’t even know her.”

  “She eats at the diner almost every night. You should stop by a few nights a week.”

  The thought of a delicious club sandwich and the plump curve of a woman’s bottom lip lingered in his mind. A man did have to eat.

  Annie stepped inside the crowded diner. After a full morning at the hospital, followed by an afternoon surrounded by twenty kids under the age of twelve at a packed hockey arena, her ears were still ringing. She needed a stiff drink. She’d settle for a cup of decaf coffee and a to-go order of French toast. Breakfast for dinner. Her favorite indulgence.

  “Stella breezed by, her arms laden with plates. “I’ll get you a cup of coffee as soon as I take care of my tables.”

  “Take your time. I’m not in any rush.” She waited in the long line at the counter. Her gaze wandered to the table where she’d shared dinner with Alec. He’d been friendly after the game, with no signs of the previous night’s vulnerability. Liking him, wanting him, was silly, a waste of time. But she couldn’t help herself.

  A large hand cupped her elbow. “Hey there, sweetheart. Want some company?” Hot breath rushed over her ear.

  What the hell? Pinpricks of surprise needled her stiffened muscles. Yanking her arm out of his hold, she whirled around.

  Ray Oliveri, part-time security guard at the casino down the street, and full-time annoyance, stood entirely too close. Brown eyes gleaming, expression cocky, he angled his body toward hers. The scent of cheap alcohol, cigarettes, and cologne wafted off his clothes.