Page 14 of Off the Ice

“You’re just full of ideas, aren’t you?”

“Hey, this was your condition, remember?” He straightened, folding his arms across his chest. “No surprises, no impromptu stories. I’m laying it all out for you.”

I hated that he sounded so damn reasonable. “Fine,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “But we’re keeping this believable. No over-the-top PDA, no ridiculous backstories.”

“Deal,” he said, holding out his hand. “Come on, baby. Shake on it.”

I rolled my eyes but took his hand, ignoring the warmth of his grip. I stared at him for a moment longer, debating whether I could trust him even this much. But then again, trust didn’t matter. I wasn’t doing this for him. I was doing it for the story, for my career.

I took his hand, his grip warm and steady. “If you screw this up,” I said, “I’ll make sure every paper in Chicago knows it.”

“That’s my girl,” he said with a smirk that made me regret agreeing to this.

***

Back in my apartment, the quiet settled around me like a blanket. The steady hum of traffic outside my window was the only sound as I sank onto my couch, replaying the evening in my head.

Logan was an enigma, a mix of charm and arrogance, confidence and something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on. He made my blood boil one second and caught me off guard the next, like he was playing a game I didn’t know the rules to.

I thought about the drive back to my apartment after we’d wrapped up our “strategy session” at his place. Logan hadn’t pushed, hadn’t tried to blur the boundaries I’d so clearly set. He’d been… easy. Respectful. It surprised me how natural it felt, sitting in the passenger seat of his sleek black SUV while he navigated the city streets.

He didn’t fill the silence with empty chatter, didn’t try to charm me into liking him more. Instead, he let me pick the conversation when I felt like it, and for once, I didn’t mind the company. By the time we pulled up in front of my building, I’d almost forgotten the entire night was part of some elaborate PR stunt.

“Good night, Carlisle,” he’d said as I climbed out, that infuriatingly smooth voice of his making my name sound like it belonged to someone else.

I’d nodded, murmuring a distracted “thanks” before heading inside. It wasn’t until I was halfway up the stairs that I realized I’d been smiling.

Now, sitting alone in my small, quiet apartment, I felt the full weight of what I’d agreed to. This wasn’t just about navigating public appearances or figuring out how to sell a relationship that didn’t exist. It was about Logan—the person behind the headlines. The man who wasn’t as simple as I’d assumed. And that was dangerous, because the more time I spent around him, the harder it was to keep things strictly professional.

But this wasn’t about him. This was about me. My career. My dad’s bills. The byline that could finally put me on the map.

I grabbed my laptop from the coffee table and opened a new document, the cursor blinking at the top of the blank page. “Logan Bennett: The Redemption Arc,” I typed, the title staring back at me like a challenge.

If this was going to work, I’d have to dive in completely. Research his background, his career, and the scandal from every angle. I couldn’t afford to get caught off guard.

My phone buzzed with a text, pulling me out of my thoughts.

Logan

Hope you’re ready for date #2. Big plans coming your way.

I groaned, flopping back against the couch. Charity galas, hockey games, lunches out and about with Logan Bennett and he has an entire playbook mapped out.

The worst part? Some small, treacherous part of me didn’t hate the idea of spending more time with him. This was going to be a long few weeks.

Ten

Logan

“OperationLettingtheFansSee Me Woo,” I said with a grin, shrugging into my jersey in the locker room.

Jaymie, halfway through lacing up his skates, snorted. “You’re seriously calling it that?”

“Why not?” I said, leaning against the bench. “Sounds better than ‘awkward fake date in front of thousands of people.’”

Jaymie shook his head, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. “You’re insane, you know that?”

I grabbed my stick and pointed it at him. “I prefer ‘committed to the cause.’ You’re helping, by the way.”

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