Page 45 of Ice Devil

He waved, even flirting with the crowd while rounding the corner heading in my direction.

When he was only a few yards away, his smooth and easy skating slowed. He lifted his head and I knew the second we locked eyes by the way heat rushed from my muscles straight into my core.

He turned in a full circle, making exaggerated moves including placing both gloved hands over his heart. I shook my head in response, even pointing my finger at him.

What I should have done was slink back into the shadows, but that wasn’t like me. I wasn’t the kind of woman to hide from anything or anyone.

The flight had been last minute since no one had known the Kendrick brothers would be at the game. Matthew wouldn’t have taken no for an answer, but in truth, I’d wanted to come. Just to talk to Beck.

And to warn him.

Whether or not I’d been the sole recipient of the email was still on my mind. There hadn’t been another email, no weird phone calls or anything out of the ordinary. But the damage had been done. I’d continually felt as if everything I was doing was being watched.

But the nagging remained in the back of my mind. I had tried to discover the identity of the guy in the hallway, even sweet-talking the person at the hotel.

Nothing had worked.

As soon as he passed, I moved through the crowd, heading to the back. Some of the fans were already trying to disperse, which made getting to the back difficult. I had to push my way through several groups, reaching for my press credentials so there wouldn’t be any holdup. By the time I made it, at least ten minutes had passed.

I was already at a disadvantage not knowing when the media would be allowed access.

When I approached the coach, he pointed to the media scrum area where a few players had been chosen to face the throngs of people. Getting this close to the playoffs, the night’s win had been a big deal.

Since Beck had been a huge reason for the team’s win, I suspected he was one of the chosen ones. I was right. He was sitting with his brother at a table, looking about as uncomfortable as I’d ever seen him.

I found a place on the side, curious as to how the session would go.

The usual questions were asked first, the reporters all very excited to be with the members.

“How does it feel to be this close to clinching a playoff spot?” one reporter asked.

Beck referred the question to Ford.

“Are you kidding me?” Ford stated. “A dream come true.”

“How did you know the Gory would alter his play?”

Beck grinned. “Because that’s what Ford would have done and from what I can tell, the Gory is fascinated by my brother.”

The press corps adored his answer. There was always a little ribbing, all in fun.

“What’s it like being brothers on the same team?” The female reporter wasn’t exactly swooning, but she had moved as close as the reporters were allowed.

I had to admit I understood why women were so enamored with them. Together they weren’t only a force to be reckoned with on the ice, they were both GQ material.

“I’ll answer that one,” Beck said with a little growl.

“Be careful,” Ford cautioned in jest.

Once again, the group was happy and taking notes, the flashes going off from all corners of the room.

“Serious,” Beck continued. “I wouldn’t want to be here without him.”

“I feel the same.” Ford winked.

The collective sigh brought a laugh. They were also both hams.

“Just a couple more questions, folks. We need to let them rest.” The coach was certainly protective.