nora

atingly hot, smelling of burnt coffee, exp

arm to sink its fangs into my shoulder. Blisters were rising along my knuckle

o hard I tasted the sharp, metallic tang of blood. But I refused to fall

, self-righteous rage. Behind him, dozens of prominent figures from the NHL front office, local s

f the concrete walls with absolute theatrical authority. "You come to our celebrat

he mangled right arm tucked against my ribs. "Look at her! She doesn't have

ng Jared's leg. "That's a lie! She's lying! Look at my dress,

embling catering server who was trying to speak up. His priority was clear: protect

is hand shooting out

irectly over the freshly r

ts, a sharp, guttural hiss escaping my clenched teeth as my knees buckled. I barely caugh

ling of bourbon and mint. "Right now. On your knees in front of everyone. Or I s

up into

ying ice packs to his battered ribs. The man whose contract negotiations I had saved from predator

carrying a terrifying, icy clarity. "Tell me something, Jared

ning marginally, making the agony fla

"Two years in your bed. Two years in your kitchen. Two years keeping your

tet in the other room had stopped playing. Every e

just started speaking in tongues. Then, slowly

sharp, and utterly humiliating. "Eleanora, ar

a dismissive shove tha

executive could hear him loud and clear. "You were an analyst who lived in my spare room and occasionally warmed my bed. You were convenient. You were a che

s, followed immediately by cruel, sni

just a groupie cling

agining a whole relatio

g to deal with a s

ed into meaningl

our relationshi

cause in his arrogant, narcissistic mind, I was n

my arm suddenly became distant and trivial. A strange, crystal-clear calm washed over my

five-hundred-dollar haircut, the custom t

ars, I didn't see an NHL god. I

aid. My voice held

n my uninjured left arm, I stepped forwa

AC

hrough the corrid

andprint blooming instantly across his pale cheek. He stumbled, catching hi

elope, my chin held high. "I thought you were a man. Turns ou

isty. I didn't look

idor, every step a triumph of sheer will over ago

xit doors, spilling out onto the r

st my face, soaking my gown. The shock of the cold against my blistered,

lder hitting the cold granite of a decorative pillar. I slid dow

iercing white light s

sive tires screeching against the wet asphalt.

a towering figure br

s, followed instantly by two massive, unyielding arms that scooped me eff

the blinding blur

His jaw was clenched so hard the muscles jumped beneath the s

snarled, his voice v