Page 30 of Not A Chance

Theo’s ass was a work of art in those black sweatpants, the cherry on the top of this encounter.

But in the next moment, disbelief caused my brain synapses to misfire. Surely, Giz had not just slowly walked over to him and stood between his perfectly muscled thighs and was letting him scratch her belly.

Maybe Ihadfallen when he scared me, and all of this was a hallucination resulting from a concussion. If so, I hoped the ambulance would arrive soon.

Theo then proceeded topick her upand tuck her into his coat, leaving only her small snout showing. They were a two-headed monster of cuteness.

But hell would freeze over before I let that feeling show on my face, even if it took all my willpower not to take a picture with my phone.

“Aww. You’re just freezing, aren’t you, girl? What a mean mommy you have, bringing you out here in the freezing cold. And she’s freezing her gorgeous ass off in just a hoodie with the wrong number on it.”

I crossed my arms, scowling. The involuntary shaking of my limbs may have lessened the impact of my displeasure.

“Come on, baby. Let’s get you inside where it’s warm.” His voice was laced with honey.

He started walking toward our building’s entrance, leaving me to follow.

“You’re laying it on a bit thick, Theo. She’ll be okay,” I called out to my dog-napping neighbor.

Looking back over his shoulder, the quick flash of his grin had my breath coming up short. My cheeks heated, and it had nothing to do with the brisk wind.

“Who said I was talking to the dog?” he returned.

I was beginning to see why the reporters were always keen to follow Ryan Campbell around. The assistant captain could make even the most levelheaded person’s head spin.

While Connor had breezed through his feature interview the week prior, I understood why my boss had insisted I supervise when it was Campbell’s turn.

He sat with a reporter fromThe 49th, a nationwide hockey magazine, in the media conference room.

I hovered at the threshold of the room, as if I could have any impact on this interview if Campbell decided to take it off the rails.

“What would you say was the biggest motivator that helped you push your hockey game to the next level?” The reporter glanced down at his notes on his tablet.

That slip of attention made him miss the smirk on Campbell’s face, which he quickly schooled.

“The money. Definitely. I’m only here to make ten million,” Campbell replied, tone serious.

And there he went.

Caught off guard, the reporter opened and closed his mouth a few times, which made him appear as though Campbell’s answer had caused his brain to malfunction.

Perhaps I could have appreciated Campbell’s sense of humor if it wasn’t my job to make sure this interview reflected the image of a team that is committed to making it through the playoffs this season.

I liked to think of myself as a connoisseur of snark. Ryan Campbell was an artist. But at the moment, he was just making everyone’s jobs more difficult.

“Uh, well, I’ve… never heard an answer put quite so… succinctly before.” The reporter made a valiant attempt to steer Campbell away from the topic of money. “Most players talk about a coach or hockey hero that inspired them at a young age?” The man raised his eyebrows, eyes guileless.

“Yeah, no. It was always about getting rich for me.” Campbell put a bright smile on his face as though his comments weren’t completely impolite and designed to cause a reaction. “Sometimes, I’ll spend a whole evening just gazing lovingly at my banking app, watching my money grow.”

Campbell’s response had the reporter actually choking on his own saliva.

That was it! I made my way into the room, stopping behind the reporter and putting on my most saccharine smile.

“Well, look at that, Campbell.” I held up my left wrist, which was sans watch. “We’ve kept Grant here past your interview time. I’m pretty sure Coach needs you in his office.”

My grin was all teeth now. God, I’d have to tell Jermaine this interview would need to be seriously vetted. Campbell’s star power made him a fan favorite. He wouldn’t even get in trouble onceJermaine read the interview transcript. This kind of babysitting was way above my pay grade.

The only thing I had the power to do was get him out of this room ASAP.

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