Page 19 of Cold as (N)ice

“Yes. But—” He paused, dragging a hand through his hair, clearly struggling to find the right words. “There is a change… if you’re open to it.”

Irene’s throat tightened.A change?Her mind raced, filling in the blanks with every worst-case scenario it could conjure. “What kind of change?”

Barrett drew in a long, steadying breath, then let it out slowly. “I got a job offer,” he admitted, his words careful, deliberate. “A big one. Massive, actually. But you can’t tell anyone—not Batiste, not anyone, Irene.”

Her eyebrows knit together in confusion.

“I won’t say a word,” she promised hesitantly. “But… what does this have to do with me?”

Barrett’s expression shifted, a flicker of disbelief crossing his features. “It’s a new team,” he explained. “They haven’t announced it yet. But they want me.”

A new team?Irene tilted her head, her confusion growing. “I don’t understand…”

“My agent negotiated a contract,” he continued, his voice dropping as though he were sharing something he couldn’t quite grasp himself. There was a note of awe in his voice, and she could see it in his eyes. “For one-point-two million dollars.”

Her jaw dropped. “Oh my gosh…”

“A year,” he clarified, his eyes wide, his words almost breathless.

“OH MY GOSH,”she yelped, clapping her hands over her mouth as her heart soared for him. Her boss or not, Barrett deserved this. He had done so much for her, for Stephen, without asking for anything in return. Karma had finally come knocking, and she couldn’t have been happier for him.

“I know,” he said, a small, disbelieving laugh escaping him, cracking that stern look on his face – and she couldn’t help but stare. He was utterly devastating when he smiled and seemed happy. “It doesn’t feel real. And that’s just the salary. They’re already talking endorsements. Sneakers, sports drinks, magazines…”

“Oh, mercy,” Irene breathed, shaking her head in wonder. “That’s amazing.”

“It is,” Barrett agreed, his grin faltering slightly as something darker flickered behind his eyes. “But there’s a catch.”

“Whatever it is, you have to figure it out,” she breathed, stunned. “Barrett, that is a ton of money and nothing to laugh at. It would make you so comfortable financially and…wait, why are you telling me what the details are? I’m your maid.”

“That’s the catch,” he said gently, holding her gaze. “I need you to marry me.”

Her brain seized. Record scratch. Bell rung. You name it; it just happened in her head.

“Excuse me?” she balked and stuck her finger in her ear. “Maybe I’m the one who’s going deaf, but did you just say that you needmetomarry you?”

“It’s a condition of the contract,” Barrett began carefully. “They want only married players because there is less of a chance of problems with drinking, gambling, lasciviousness…”

“I’m stunned you know that word.”

“I’m educated,” he smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. “Just because I play hockey and act stupid doesn’t mean that I am. You might be surprised if you gave me a chance to be a friend.”

“We’re friends.”

“We barely talk.”

“Younevertalk to me– and well, actually, it’s true. Younevertalk to me. Youtext. Today was the first time you’ve ever called me or talked with me – and you hung up on me, as a matter of fact.”

“I’m talking now – and I’m asking you to marry me.”

“We barely know each other,” she retorted, dumbstruck. “We can’t get married. We don’t…”

“Before you say anything either of us regret,” Barrett interjected quickly, watching her carefully. “I would be very grateful.”

“What’sthatsupposed to mean?”

“It means you would have access to everything – and I wouldn’t have split accounts between us. If you were my wife, you would have access to the money. We’d take on a new home in Quebec and…”

“Quebec?”Irene practically shouted in shock. “That’s not a different city – it’s a different country! We’d have to get Visas or green cards, learn a different language, and we speak ASL. We’d have to learn French or it would be a different interpreter for Stephen and…”

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