Page 26 of Blindside Sinner

One of the Angels unloads a cheap shot at Dixon from behind, but before it even connects, Beck is there. He charges into the offending asshole shoulder-first, sending the poor bastard crashing to the ice with an echoing thud that gives me phantom pains.

It’s brutal. But it’s also… well, I’m not sure of the word. There’s something about a man that’s willing to go to any odds to protect his people that gets to me.

Stop it,warns the voice in my head.He’s a job, not a fuck buddy or a fantasy. You better keep this shit professional.

But the longer the game goes, the more I can see exactly why I’m drawn to him.

Beck is a venomous snake. Gorgeous and deadly, vibrant and enchanting enough to suck you into his atmosphere, inviting you to get close enough to touch. And just when you do…Bam!Dead.

He’s the kind of guy to trap you in his snare and never let you go.

I’ve got enough of that already. There’s no way I’m letting Beckett Daniels be the end of me.

14

SLOAN

By the time the game’s over, I’m wired. The Wave won by a landslide and the crowd lapped up every single second of it. I push against the onslaught of people exiting after the final buzzer until I find my way to the team tunnel, flash my security badge to the guard posted there, and then post up to wait out of the way.

When Beck steps out of the locker room, joking and laughing with his boys, I pretend I don’t notice how edible he looks.

No, not edible,I tell myself sternly.No eating Beck. Not unless you want to call Poison Control.

But the image of enjoying him after a win stays with me. He looks relaxed in a way I’ve never seen him.

“You going to stare all night or can we go?”

I jerk myself out of my thoughts and find Beck very much in my space. I pivot and force myself to walk ahead of him so he can’t see the blush threatening to swallow my face. “Just waiting on you.”

“Sure thing, babe.”

I want to snap back, but then I’m reminded of our conversation earlier. Beck will do whatever it takes to get rid of me. Hell, he thinks celibacy is an easy way to get me out the door.

I can’t let that happen, so I swallow my words. The silence between us is heavy enough to cut, but I refuse to break it.

At least, until we’re nearly back to his house.

Say something nice, Sloan. You need him. You need this job. You can do it.

With a deep breath, I flick on my blinker and do what I have to do. “I haven’t seen you play like that before. You’re really good.”

I’m not even lying. He was amazing on the ice. So much so that I could barely take my eyes off him.

“No shit. Did you think they shell out six figures for the assistant of ashittyplayer?”

And just like that, I wish I’d watched literally anyone else. I wrinkle my nose. “I was just trying to give you a compliment, asshole.”

“Well, don’t. Pretty sure it’s not your job to stroke my ego. And if I wanted a fan to stroke something else, I could have stayed at the stadium.”

Well, screw you, too.The fact that he’s lumping me in with the puck bunnies is enough to make me see red.

Breathe, Sloan. Say it with me: you need this job. You need this job. You need this job.

I have a feeling working with Beck is going to take more Zen than a yoga studio.

I don’t answer him, though, choosing silence as I pull into the driveway of his mansion. As expected, the second we pull in, Beck hops out and grabs his bag.

He goes to shut the door, then stops himself, leaning down instead so I get a good look at his eyes. “I’m staying in tonight,” he announces. “So do me a favor and stay the hell away.”

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