Page 21 of Expose on the Ice

“Me too, actually,” she says, sliding off the table with a grace that draws every eye in the room. “First story is due to be filed after the game tomorrow.”

I feel a flash of fear at the mention. I know I’m the prime target of her exposé, and I have no idea what she’s dug up. I’ve given her nothing, but have others? Does she have enough to pry loose the veneer covering my past?

Yet even in my panicked state, which I don’t dare show a hint of, I can’t help but notice the sway of her hips as she heads for the door, the way her skirt hugs her ass perfectly. I tear my gaze away, only to find Tank watching me with a shit-eating grin.

“Our little reporter is getting under your skin more than any defender I’ve seen, Knox,” Tank says with a laugh. “Maybe you should swim with the tide, knock on her door with a bottle of wine, and…”

I open my mouth to tell him exactly where he can shove that idea, but Coach chooses that moment to walk in, effectively ending the conversation. A minute later, we’re deep into talking strategy for our upcoming game.

I try to focus. But my mind keeps drifting.

The flash of her smile…

The threat of that pen in her hand…

The curves of her body…

The danger of what she might have scribbled on her notepad…

The fire in her eyes…

I’d thought having her around would be annoying. Inconvenient. But this? This is dangerous. Because as much as I hate to admit it, Lily Grant is getting to me.

The meeting passes in a blur. I know plenty has happened during the time, but I don’t say a thing or remember a word. I’m too angry, frustrated, intrigued, distracted.

Afraid.

She’s thrown my life into disarray in only a few days, without even publishing a thing. She’s everywhere, always watching, to the extent I’m surprised she isn’t waiting for me in the elevator after the meeting.

After the meeting, I ride the lift to level nineteen, where my hotel room promises rare sanctuary. I just want to get to my room, slam the door, and forget this whole day. But, of course, the universe has other plans.

As the doors open,she’swaiting.

“Jesus Christ,” I mutter, stepping out.

Lily raises an eyebrow, her green eyes glinting with amusement. “Hi.”

“What are you doing here?” I say.

“I’m staying in this hotel too.”

The narrow corridor suddenly feels suffocating. I can smell her perfume, something light and floral that makes my head spin. We’re too close, the space between us too charged with an energy I don’t want to name.

“Look,” I growl, trying to regain some control over the situation. “You need to back off, okay? Stop disrupting the team. This little stunt you’re pulling?—”

“Stunt?” Lily cuts me off, her voice sharp. “I’m doing my job, Knox. The only one disrupting anything here is you.”

I laugh. “Me? I’m not the one worming my way into team meetings, cozying up to the guys, looking – always looking – and?—”

“Looking?” She scoffs, taking a step closer, getting right inside my space. “You’re the one who can’t keep his eyes to himself.”

That catches me off guard a little. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I saw you staring at me in the meeting room,” she says. “And don’t think I didn’t notice you… looking for a name badge… the first time we met.”

Heat rushes to my face, a mix of anger and embarrassment. “I wasn’t?—”

“Save it,” Lily says, her voice low and challenging. “You’re not half as subtle as you think you are, Carter, nor a quarter as mysterious as you try to be…”

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