Crossing the Line (The Baltimore Banners Book 1)

by Lisa B. Kamps

  If she hadn't already, in the way that meant the most.

  "I'm sorry I acted like an ass from the very beginning. And I'm sorry that I never told you how I feel. I'm sorry that the one and only time I ever took you out, it was to a strip club. I'm sorry that I treated you like one of the guys and I'm sorry for not making you feel special. And I am so sorry that when Brandi first showed up at the rink, I tried to laugh it off. It didn't mean anything to me, and I never even stopped to think what it meant to you. I—"

  "You humiliated me, Alec. Worse than that, you hurt me."

  Her softly spoken words made him pause. Of all the emotions he might have expected, humiliation had never crossed his mind. He pulled back just a little and looked down into her face, realized that her eyes were open and staring over his shoulder. He had no idea what to say, and was saved from saying the wrong thing when she spoke again.

  "All that other stuff...doesn't matter. But that day at the rink... You thought so little of me that you let me go as soon as she came up to you. She pushed me away and you let her. If it hadn't been for Ian, I would have fallen flat on my face. It's a moment in time frozen for prosperity forever. I know, because the pictures—the ones that didn't make it into the paper—were sent to me."

  "AJ, I didn't—"

  "Yeah, I know, you didn't mean to. She caught you off guard. I get that. But right after that? You disappeared. And then...you laughed about it. Like it was some big joke. No big deal. You have no idea...how much...that hurt." She paused, took several deep breaths, and Alec knew she was doing her best to keep him from seeing her tears. But he did see them, and it was tearing him apart inside. "And then, I start seeing pictures of you two together, and all I kept hearing is how the two of you are back together. Real funny...considering how you told me...she was nothing. And you have no...idea how much...that hurt."

  "Yes, I do. Because if it's anything like how I felt when I saw you with Ian yesterday...if I made you feel even a little bit like how I felt, then yes, I do. And God, I am so sorry, AJ. So sorry." He held his breath, waiting, then, slowly, he lowered his face and touched his lips against hers, the barest of brushes. He trailed his lips across her cheek, tasting the saltiness of her tears, feeling her anger and pain.

  "AJ, I am so sorry. For so many things, but most of all for hurting you. And I don't know what to say, I don't know how else to tell you what I'm feeling. But it's tearing me apart seeing you like this, knowing that it's all my fault. Please..." Alec paused, swallowing against the lump in his throat, not knowing what he was asking for, struggling for the right thing to say, struggling for the right thing to do.

  AJ finally turned her head and looked up at him, her eyes shining in the darkness. He swallowed again as their gazes met, as he saw a mix of emotions swirling in the blue depths of her beautiful eyes. The moment hung between them, suspended, and it felt like they were waiting. For what, he didn't know.

  Finally, afraid it was the wrong thing to do, afraid it would push her away forever, he dipped his head towards hers, his lips closing over hers in a tentative kiss. She didn't turn her head, didn't pull away, so he gradually, hesitantly deepened the kiss. Her mouth opened on a soft sigh and he seized the opportunity, swept his tongue into the soft darkness of her mouth, exploring, claiming.

  Her body relaxed under his, and she reached up and ran one hand through his hair, then down along his neck and shoulder. He waited, afraid she would push him away, then groaned when she pulled him closer, her tongue darting out and dancing with his.

  His kiss became more urgent, his touch almost desperate as he shifted, moving his body over hers, trying to show her what he couldn't put into words. He pulled back, afraid of going too fast, of pushing her. Alec didn't want there to be any regrets in the morning, he wanted her to be sure before he went any further.

  But when he pulled back, she reached for him. When he tried to speak, she crushed her mouth against his and robbed him of speech. And when she wrapped her legs around his waist and thrust her hips against his, he lost control of all thought except how to show her that she belonged with him, that he belonged with her.

  That they belonged together.

  **

  The phone vibrated again, skipping across the surface of the desk. AJ gritted her teeth and tried to ignore it, then grabbed it and tossed it across the cubicle. The phone hit the bulletin board hanging on the fabric wall, bounced off, and clattered to the floor. The battery popped out and bounced across the tiled surface, coming to a stop near her feet. She grunted and kicked it away, then laid her head down on the desk with a frustrated sigh.

  Several minutes later, the extension in her little office began ringing. With a muttered curse, she lifted her head and stared at the phone, her jaw clenching when she saw the number on the Caller ID readout. She reached out and yanked the cord from the base, silencing it.

  AJ wondered if it would work, but didn't dare get her hopes up. Every phone around her had been ringing nonstop for the last two days.

  Since she had spent the night with Alec.

  Since she had slept with Alec.

  Since Alec had told her he loved her.

  But it was a mistake. It had to be. He did not love her. He couldn't love her, not when he had just been seeing his old girlfriend. She believed him when he told her that nothing had happened between them, but she couldn't believe he loved her. It was a mistake, emotion born out of guilt.

  She had tried telling him that, but he refused to believe her. And he kept calling. And calling.

  AJ laid her head back on the desk, wondering if it would help if she banged her head against the hard surface. She sensed a shadow cross over her, confirmed by a rough clearing of the throat followed by the impatient rustle of paper.

  She didn't need to look up to know it was Tim.

  "How's that article coming?"

  "What? The one on the little league team? I just emailed it to you." Yeah, that had been a rough one that had really stretched the limits of her abilities. She briefly wondered if he was here to give her another hard-hitting assignment, something even more far-fetched and worse as punishment.

  He grunted, and she heard more rustling. "I still love this headline: 'Baltimore Ball, Baltimore Brawl'. Catchy, don't you think? Great story, too."

  She flinched when the paper hit her in the head and she looked up, her gaze sweeping across the bold head line. "Tim, I said I screwed up. I know I did. How many times do I have to say I'm sorry? How long do I have to grovel?" She looked from Sunday's paper to her editor.

  Or maybe it was soon-to-be ex-editor. Getting fired would fit perfectly into the mess she had gotten herself into. One night. That was all it had taken for her to plummet into the bowels of hell.

  If not for the pain and anger still simmering inside her, she may have been able to find some twisted humor in the situation. Especially since, when you got to the bottom of it, the entire thing was her fault. If she hadn't had the migraine...

  Alec wouldn't have tried to save her.

  Ian wouldn't have created a distraction.

  She wouldn't have gone home with Alec.

  There wouldn't have been a huge fight between players from three of Baltimore's sports teams.

  She wouldn't have slept with Alec.

  Alec wouldn't have told her he loved her.

  AJ swallowed a groan and put her head back on the desk, unable to look at Tim when he fired her. She deserved it. She knew she did. He had gone out of his way for her, showed his trust and belief in her and got her the job she had wanted for years.

  Yet she couldn't even cover a plain, simple awards ceremony. Yeah, she was sharp and talented alright.

  "AJ, you're disappointing me."

  The plainly spoken words fell over her like ice water, shocking, sobering. She swallowed and nodded her head, waiting for his next words, knowing she was getting fired.

  "You would have never put up with this a month ago. Where did all your fight go?"

  She raised her
head and stared at Tim in confusion. "What?"

  "You heard me. A month ago you would have hit me with so much attitude over an assignment like the little league one. Now you just roll over and give in. I'm disappointed."

  Her mouth opened, then snapped shut as she tried to figure out what to say. "But...Tim, I screwed it up and—"

  "Yeah, you did. So suck it up and move on."

  "But...Tim, it was my fault. The whole thing."

  He took two steps toward her and rested his hip against her desk, staring down at her with calm eyes. "You said you had a migraine. You got sick. Even I can't blame you for that."

  "But..." AJ lowered her gaze to the newspaper on the desk and took a deep breath, then gave Tim all the details, starting with the onset of her migraine and ending with Alec taking her home. She didn't say whose home, but the look on Tim's face let her know she didn't have to. And then...he started laughing. A small chuckle that quickly grew into a hearty belly laugh.

  AJ pushed away from her desk and stared up at him, wondering if he had finally lost it. Because she didn't find anything remotely funny about the situation.

  Several minutes went by before Tim stopped laughing. "That would have been something to see. And it also explains a lot. Well, you'll be glad to hear you have a chance at redemption. A press conference is scheduled at the practice facilities in one hour, and you were specifically requested. I just got the call."

  "Me? Why?"

  "No idea. But don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Like I said: redemption."

  "Tim, I can't. Somebody else has to do it." Redemption or not, she could not see Alec again. Not after what happened. But Tim obviously didn't care. All traces of his earlier laughter were gone. His face was a blank mask as he leaned toward her.

  "Would you care to tell me why?"

  AJ looked up at him for only a second, then lowered her gaze to her folded hands. She couldn't tell him.

  She couldn't not tell him.

  "Because..." She paused, took a deep breath and let it out. "Because Alec told me he loved me. And...I'm pretty sure I love him."

  Long silence greeted her statement. She finally looked up at Tim, waiting for him to say something, expecting...well, if not sympathy, at least understanding.

  "This is a problem why?"

  "Because..." She trailed off and shook her head. How could she put it into words to make him understand? Said out loud, her reasons sounded weak, foolish. "Because..."

  Tim cut her off with a short wave of his hand and pushed away from her desk with a disgusted sigh. "Whatever the problem is, it's all yours. Deal with it." He walked to the entrance of the cubicle then turned and looked at her, his face impassive, his eyes distant. "But a word of advice, AJ. If you don't get over to that rink, you're risking something a lot more important than just a job."

  NINETEEN

  The door closed and latched with a thud, leaving AJ with the uncomfortable feeling of being entombed in a large cavern. That feeling grew stronger when she realized that the rink seemed deserted.

  She walked further inside, her eyes adjusting to the dim light after being in the sun, and made her way to the interior hall leading to the offices. Noise from the other end of the rink caught her attention and she paused, turning to look toward the far end zone.

  There, gathered around the net, stood a handful of players. AJ frowned, then turned back around and reached for the doorknob, wondering what was going on when the door wouldn't open.

  "Hey Johnson! Over here!"

  AJ turned back to face the ice, still frowning. That had sounded suspiciously like Alec's voice...but different. She glanced at her watch, wondering if she had missed the press conference. Or if she was too early. But no, according to the time, the press conference was supposed to start in a few minutes.

  So where was everyone?

  "Johnson, over here!"

  AJ squinted, trying to make out the faces in the distance, but couldn't see clearly enough. She glanced back at the locked door then shrugged and headed toward the ice, walking around the edge of the boards toward the player's bench. Her steps faltered as she got closer, her eyes widening in disbelief.

  Several players were gathered around the net, huddled together as...

  She stopped and blinked, not believing what she was seeing. She had to be hallucinating. She stepped closer to the boards, staring at the sight of Alec in the net.

  Literally...in the net. It looked like he was tied to the posts. Upside down. Her gaze momentarily got stuck on the sight of all his tanned, muscled flesh before she realized...

  Yes, he really was hanging upside down in the net. And he was wearing nothing but gym shorts, a pair of skates, and his catching glove.

  AJ blinked again and looked even closer, her mouth opening and closing silently. Ian broke away from the group of players clustered around Alec and skated over to her, a grin on his face. She swallowed a gasp when he stopped less than a foot away and winced at the bruises she saw on his face. He waved away her concern and motioned to the player's bench.

  "There's a pair of skates ready for you. Put 'em on and get out here."

  "Uh, Ian. Why is Alec upside down in the net?"

  Ian looked toward the end zone, then back at her and shrugged. "No reason. Just a little bet. C'mon, get out here."

  "Ian—"

  "Hey Johnson, will you hurry up?"

  She turned away from Ian and stared at Alec, still swinging upside down. Even from this distance she could see the goose bumps along his skin, and noticed that his face was starting to turn a nice shade of red.

  "Alec, what are you doing?"

  "Oh, just hanging around, waiting on you."

  She bit back a laughing groan at his words and walked into the player's box, not knowing what to do. Should she call someone? Or should she just wait to see what happened next?

  Once she had her skates laced up, Ian opened the door for her and she drifted out onto the ice, easing closer to the net and leaning sideways to get a better look at Alec. He offered her a small smile and a little wave, and she still didn't know whether she should be laughing or calling for help.

  "So I take it there's no press conference?"

  "That was my idea." Ian slid to a stop next to her, spraying ice onto Alec, grinning at his swift intake of breath. "I figured that was the best way to get you down here."

  AJ stared at him for a few long seconds, waiting for more explanation. When he offered none, she glanced around at the other players—including Randy and Jean-Pierre—and noticed that all of them were sporting assorted cuts and bruises on their hands and faces from the "Baltimore Brawl". In fact, Alec was the only one unmarred. She cast another quick look at Alec then stepped closer to Ian, her arms crossed, her expression serious.

  "Ian, what's going on?"

  "Did you ever see that ice hockey movie with all the kids?" At her hesitant nod, he continued. "Do you remember how they got the goalie used to the pucks coming at him? They tied him up in the net and just let them fly. We're going to do the same thing to Alec."

  "Uh..." AJ paused, not sure what to think. He couldn't be serious. Could he? "But Alec's upside down. In nothing but shorts. Besides, he's already a good goalie. So I don't get—"

  Jean-Pierre interrupted her, a charming smile on his rugged face. "It's not to make him a good goalie, eh? This is for the other night, for what he did and what he got away with."

  "What he did...What?" AJ practically screamed the last word, mortified as realization sunk in. They were really going to pellet him with pucks because of what happened between Alec and her? She gazed at the serious faces around her, then looked back at Ian, deciding he was the most reasonable. "Ian, you can’t do this. You were there, you know what happened. Alec didn't—"

  "Sorry AJ. But we know how Alec treated you and that he's an ass. It's the least he deserves, especially since he didn't even stand up for you Saturday night when the fight broke out."

  "That's because he was too busy taking
care of—" AJ snapped her mouth closed and stared at Ian. He looked back at her in wide-eyed innocence, with not even a hint of a smile on his face. She narrowed her eyes at him. Ian knew exactly where Alec was when the fight broke out.

  She crossed her arms and stared at Ian for another long second, then turned and stared at Alec. He was still hanging from the net by his legs, watching her closely. She ignored the warm look in his eyes and the sight of all that bare flesh and turned back to Ian. "Okay, you say he deserves it. You're right, he does. So now what?"

  A strangled groan came from Alec but she ignored it, watching as the hockey players glanced at each other, obviously not expecting her to agree so quickly. Ian shuffled his feet, glanced behind her at Alec, then shrugged and offered her his stick. "Well, I guess you go first."

  There was another strangled groan from behind her, followed by shuffling and banging. AJ continued to ignore Alec and reached out for Ian's stick, only to have him pull it out of her reach when he glanced behind her. "That is, unless Alec can really show us he's sorry for being such an ass and that he didn't mean to treat you the way he did. I mean, he did tell us that he loved you, and that he even told you he loved you, but that you wouldn't listen to him." Ian paused, a worried look crossing his face as he skated backwards a few feet. AJ watched him in confusion, wondering why he and the other guys were slowly backing up.

  But he kept talking, glancing behind her as he drifted a few feet further away. "Of course, I don't believe that for a second because if he did tell you he loved you, you would listen to him and—"

  "Donovan, you completely screwed that up."

  AJ jumped at the voice directly behind her then turned and would have fallen on the ice if Alec's strong arms hadn't caught her. She instinctively grabbed his shoulders, her hands clenching against his chilled flesh as he looked down at her, heat in his eyes.

  "AJ, I love you. What Ian was trying to say is—I screwed up. Big time screwed up. And I'm sorry. I was hoping that you'd come here and see this, and take pity on me. That you'd realize I really do love you and that I really am sorry—"