Breakout (A Dallas Demons Hockey Romance) (11 page)

I gaze up at him and see the utter look of amazement in his Mediterranean Sea eyes. We’re sitting in CiCi’s living room, stealing a few minutes alone while everyone else has headed into the dining room for the dessert buffet that is the final part of the Thanksgiving meal.

Niko chuckles softly, stroking his hand over his stubble. “How does a kid from a Greektown bakery end up
here?
” I watch as he looks around CiCi’s expensively outfitted, equestrian-themed living room. “I’ve never been around this much money in my life.”

I hesitate for a moment. It hits me that Niko has no idea that I come from even more money than Kenley and Amanda do.

Insecurity ripples through me. Does that matter to him? Could it make a difference in how he sees me, if he knew I came from a wealthy background, one very different from his own?

I clear my throat.

“Does this make you uncomfortable?” I ask, needing to know.

Niko tilts his head back toward me, a thoughtful expression passing over his face. “It’s just
different.
I’ve never been to a
home
where people waited on me.” Then he smiles. “And usually on Thanksgiving, I was the person waiting on customers and cleaning up. Funny where life takes you, isn’t it? I never dreamed I’d ever be in a place like this.” Then he stops for a moment. “And with a girl like you,” he adds softly.

My heart stops. I can’t breathe. I see the way he’s gazing at me through those long, dark eyelashes, and I want his mouth on mine so badly I can barely stand it. We’re so close. His arm is resting across the back of this sofa, and his head is tilted toward mine. I’m inhaling his rich cedar-and-spice scent and am getting drunk on it by the second. I study his full lips, willing him to press them ag—

“Niko, Lexi, are you coming?”

I whip around, startled by the sound of CiCi’s voice in the doorway. We both quickly stand up, and flustered doesn’t even begin to cover how I’m feeling right now.

“Yes, we’re coming,” I manage to say.

I see CiCi’s eyes dancing at me, and now my face feels hot.

“Well, please, get some dessert and meet us in the media room. As soon as the Dallas Cowboys are finished, which I hope is soon because football is
dreadfully dull
, we’re watching
My Little Pony: A Very Minty Christmas.
I know you don’t want to miss that.”

I smile at CiCi. Ryan and Nate have her wrapped around their fingers and if they wished to watch football after the meal, they got it. And then Claire gets her wish of watching the first holiday show of the season with
My Little Pony.

She steps to leave the room but stops. “By the way, this is called a kissing ball,” CiCi says, gesturing to the elaborate fresh floral display hanging from a rich red ribbon over the doorway. “You need to kiss under it to pass through to the dining room. You might want to make use of it.”

Then she grins wickedly as she exits the room.

I turn to Niko, mortified that he’s been pressured to kiss me.

“Give me your hand,” Niko says.

I extend my hand to him, thinking he’s going to ignore what CiCi said and simply warm it up, remarking how cold I always am, but he doesn’t. Instead, he laces his hand through mine.

Sparks fly the second our fingers are entwined. His hand is warm and rough and strong, and my breath catches in my throat from the sensation of feeling his skin.

Niko leads me to the doorway and stops right underneath the kissing ball. He removes his hand from mine, but lightly places it against the curve of my waist, like he did earlier.

Every nerve I have dances from his touch. I draw a breath of air, and Niko takes his other hand and begins slowly brushing the side of my face, his fingertips gently grazing my cheekbone, climbing up to my hair, where he strokes it behind my ear.

“We’re coworkers,” Niko whispers, his eyes flickering at me. “Normally I’d never do this. I’m not that producer who comes in and hits on girls at work.”

“I’m normally not the kind of girl who would
let
you do that,” I say smartly.

A grin lights up his face, and my heart accelerates in response.

“So you’re telling me you’ve rethought this theory?” Niko asks.

“I have. And I changed my mind. I think it’s okay for coworkers to go out if they want to,” I say, finally putting what has been in my heart out in the open for him to see.

Niko searches my face as he processes my words. He slides his arms around me and draws me into his strong body, and I instinctively wind my arms round his waist. Both of his hands are in my hair now. Niko’s eyes are locked on mine and I find myself lost in his gorgeous sea of blue.

“I go out to St. Louis and Denver for a two-game road trip after the game tomorrow night,” he whispers as he continues to slowly, sexily, caress my hair in his hands. “But I’ll be at work on Monday. We can talk more when we’re alone in my office. Because what I want to speak to you about I need to do it in person.”

Butterflies shift manically in my stomach from his words. He’s going to ask me out. I know he is.

And with Casino Night being next Saturday....

My heart leaps in excitement. Could our first date be Casino Night? With me in my gorgeous dress, and Niko wearing a sharp black suit? I don’t know if I could handle the hotness of a first date like this.

“Okay,” I manage to say.

“All right, so one more thing to do before dessert,” Niko says, jarring me from my fantasy of him looking all dashing and hot in a suit for Casino Night.

“What’s that?” I say, faking calmness my body does not have at the moment.

“I need to kiss you. CiCi’s orders, you know.”

Niko bends down and slowly brushes his lips against my cheek. I close my eyes, relishing the feel of his warm mouth briefly on my skin. Niko then steps back from me, and I can’t even believe the feeling sweeping over me.

I gaze at him, knowing he’s everything I’ve been looking for. No matter how many questions I answered from The One Online Dating Service, they could never find me a man with such strength, intelligence, determination, and compassion. One who is funny and sexy and who makes me feel like I’m the only woman in his world. He’s gentle and protective. But I know he would be a warrior if he needed to be.

Niko’s my man
.

And next week is the true beginning of our story together.

Starting with Casino Night.

Chapter 15

The One Online Dating Service Profile Question:
Would you describe yourself as an emotionally driven person?

My write-in answer:
I never thought I was until now . . .

“Hey, Lexi, can I pick your brain on something?”

I swivel in my seat. Chip is looking over at me from the other edit machine, where he’s working on the open for the Dallas Demons game Friday night.

“Yeah?” I ask, going back to my newly assigned task of editing an open for this week’s high school sports magazine show.

“Um, you know, I’ve been really busy and haven’t watched the Demons game from the other night.”

I freeze. Of course he hasn’t. He doesn’t care about hockey. Not like I do. And the fact that he’s getting that edit assignment pisses me off.

But I shove that thought aside and try not to let it consume me.

“And?” I ask, adjusting the volume on my edit.

“Um, I was thinking you can’t go wrong featuring Harrison Flynn, right? I mean, Niko mentioned he wanted defense featured in this open, but Flynn would still fit that, wouldn’t he?”

It’s all I can do not to explode in my seat.

“Actually, in the last game of the road trip against San Francisco, JP Rochat has some tremendous defensive plays that cemented the win. And because tomorrow is his first game against his former team since he was traded here last month, you should feature him.”

I see nothing but epic vacancy in Chip’s eyes.

“Right,” he says, nodding.

“You know he was traded here from Buffalo, right?”

Chip stares at me.

Blankly.

I swear if Niko weren’t coming into work this afternoon, I’d have to take a mental health day because I’m about to lose it.

“You must be talking about JP,” Kimberlee says, stepping through the doorway. “He’s such a
sweetheart.
We’re personal
friends,
you know.”

If Niko isn’t here on time I really might need to go home.

“Hey, Kimberlee,” I say, forcing a smile on my face.

“JP is so charming. And he’s
Swiss.
”

“Oh?” Chip asks. Then I notice his eyes move straight to Kimberlee’s boobs, which are barely restrained by the tiny, tiny extra-small black Dallas Demons T-shirt she’s wearing.

I resist the urge to smash my forehead on the keyboard.

“You’ve got to love those sexy imports,” Kimberlee says, laughing. “Right, Lexi?”

“I love imports who are left-handed two-way defensemen,” I say.

And cue the cricket chirping.

Kimberlee clears her throat. “Right. But I wanted to swing by and let you know I want you to bring my color up a bit on the next edit,” she says pointedly. “I looked a bit pasty.”

Riiiiiiiiiiiiight.

“I’ll do my best,” I say diplomatically.

She nods as she swipes things on her phone. “Please do. I can’t look bad due to negligent editing.”

Okay, I’m not having this.

“My editing is
not
negligent,” I say, standing up for my work.

“Well, you might have had an off day,” Kimberlee says as she types on her phone. “And did you look at my video from
Rate Me to Date Me!?
Because that editing team did a phenomenal job. You could pick up some techniques if you are willing to learn from some
true professionals.
”

Oooooooooh I hate her. I hate her with the intensity of a thousand flaming suns.

“Anyway, look at that, would you, Lex?” Then she drops her phone into her designer purse. “Listen, I’d love to discuss this further but I’ve got to run. I have a date tonight, and I want to look
ravishing
for him.”

“Lucky guy,” Chip says, grinning like an idiot at her.

“He is. And I bet Niko Xenakis would tell you that himself if he were here right now.”

Surely I didn’t understand that correctly. Or Kimberlee babbled her sentences together incorrectly.

“You . . . did you say Niko?” I ask, incredulous.

Kimberlee’s eyes sparkle at me. “Yes. We’ve been exchanging texts while he was out on the road, and we made plans to have dinner tonight. I’m sure he’s picked out something fabulous for us. After all, a man only gets one chance to impress me on a date, so he knows what the stakes are. Anyway, gotta go get ready for him. See you!”

Panic fills me. My brain is trying to make sense of this, but it can’t. I try to draw a breath of air, but I can’t breathe.

Niko asked out Kimberlee?

I turn around and stare at my computer screen in shock. No. No, something’s not right. Not after the way he touched me and kissed my cheek on Thanksgiving. There’s no way he’d ask out Kimberlee.

No.

I don’t believe it.

I refuse to believe it.

I get up, but as I stand, I find my legs are shaking. My stomach is tied into a huge knot. I swallow hard and force myself to walk down the hall, to see if Niko is in his office.

And he is.

With Kimberlee.

He’s laughing with her and chatting, and all of the sudden my world crashes around me.

Was I simply the
back-up
plan this whole time? Until a girl more in his league came along?

A girl like Kimberlee?

Tears fill my eyes, but I’ll be damned if anyone is going to see them.

I spin around to leave but I hear Niko call my name.

“Lexi, come on in,” Niko calls out.

I freeze.

So now is the time he’s going to make it clear that he’s the really nice guy who wants to be my friend, like every other guy in my life?

Once again, I’ve been rejected. I’ve been rejected by my birth parents. Rejected by boys who could only see me as a friend.

But now I’ve been rejected by the only man I’ve ever fallen for, the one man I truly let into my life.

And that thought has destroyed my heart.

I force myself to turn around. And when I see Niko smiling at me, I feel nothing but pain ripping me apart.

“Just leaving,” Kimberlee says, winking at me. Then she glides past me and out the door. “Later, Niko.”

“Right,” Niko says, nodding at her.

As soon as Kimberlee is out the door, I step inside Niko’s office.

“Hey, I couldn’t wait to see you,” Niko says, moving past me and going to shut his door. “I just got here.”

After he shuts his door, he turns to me. Niko reaches for my hands, but I pull them away.

“Don’t.”

Niko’s eyes flicker in confusion. “What? Because we’re at work?”

I can’t do this. I erupt before I can stop myself.

“Don’t play me. Whatever you do, don’t play with my emotions like this. I deserve better,” I say, my voice shaking with anger. “I’m not a fucking toy for you to toss aside when something shiny and prettier comes along.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Niko asks, raising his voice. “Lexi, what is going on?”

“I’m not stupid,” I spit. “And if you want to go out with beautiful idiots then you’re not the man I thought you were. And definitely not the man I want to be with.”

I storm past him, but Niko grabs my arm and spins me around.

“Do you want to let me know what the fuck is going on here?”

“Oh, stop it,” I snap. “Go out with Kimberlee. She’s gorgeous.”

Recognition flashes in his blue eyes. “Come again?”

“I know you have a date with her tonight,” I cry, my voice rising. “She told me so. That you’d been texting her and you’re going to take her somewhere nice this evening. So fine, go ahead. I don’t care. Be with that reality show reject if you want to. But if you expect me to sit on the sidelines and wait for you to see me as a date when she doesn’t work out, you can forget it.”

Niko releases my arm. And now I see nothing but pure fury etched on his face.

“So that’s what you honestly think?”

I swallow hard but don’t say a word. And I can tell my silence is upsetting him.

“Nice. Really nice, Lexi. Because I thought you knew me better than anyone else, but if you think that, you don’t have a fucking clue,” he says, his deep voice reverberating with anger.

“Don’t put this on me. I don’t want to hear it.”

“Too bad, you’re going to hear it. Yes, I’ve been texting Kimberlee. After she texts me with questions about
Demons Magazine
. She has been hounding me to go to dinner so I can help her with her reporting technique. I relented and agreed to do it tonight. In fact, I just agreed to it an hour ago, and I didn’t even have a chance to tell you about it.”

I feel my heart spiral into my stomach. I see the hurt on his face, and I know I’ve made a horrible, horrible mistake.

“And that’s it,” Niko continues. “But if you think after all the time I’ve spent with
you,
that I’m after some blond bimbo’s tits and ass, then you’re not the person I thought you were. And we
definitely
shouldn’t date.”

“Niko,” I say, my voice breaking. “I—”

Niko angrily strides past me to his door. He puts his hand on the doorknob but stops to look at me with nothing but hurt and anger in his eyes.

“By the way, I was going to ask
you
to be my date for Casino Night today. But I’m going to ask Kimberlee now. Apparently she’s more my type, right, Lexi?”

Then he jerks open the door and storms out.

Somehow I manage to keep it together at work until it’s time to go home. I drive on autopilot back to Uptown, fighting back tears as I head to the apartment I share with Kenley. I turn the key in the lock and find it dark, as Kenley is staying at Nate’s tonight.

And as soon as I shut the door behind me and flip the lock, I burst into tears.

I keep replaying our entire fight on a loop in my head, cringing when I get to me throwing ridiculous accusations in his face. How pissed-off and hurt Niko was by the fact that I could even entertain these thoughts in my head, let alone believe them.

I head to the couch and flop down on it, grabbing a throw pillow to sob into. And thanks to my own insecurity, I shoved him right into Kimberlee’s waiting arms.

Suddenly my phone buzzes. My heart jumps, and I fumble in my purse for it. Maybe Niko is responding to my apology text. Maybe he’s calmed down enough so he’s willing to talk.

But my heart sinks when I look down and see that it’s Kenley calling me.

I swallow down my tears and answer. “Hello?”

“What the hell is going on? Why is Kimberlee posting pics of Niko on her Connectivity Pic Chat page? Why is she saying she’s on a date with him? Why are they are sharing a romantic Italian dinner with the hashtag ‘don’t be jealous’?”

I feel like I’ve been punched. I want to throw up. And I can’t breathe.

Of course Niko isn’t going to text or call me.

He’s on a date right now.

And the thought of him being with her and asking her to Casino Night makes me lose it.

“Lexi! Lexi, what’s wrong?” Kenley asks, her voice filling with concern at the sound of my sobbing.

“I shoved him right into her arms, how about that?” I manage to get out.

“No. I don’t believe for a millisecond that he’s interested in Kimberlee. Not after what I saw on Thanksgiving,” Kenley declares. I hear Nate’s voice in the background, and then Kenley continues. “Nate agrees with me. And I don’t care what you could have done, there’s no way Niko likes her.
No way
.”

“Kimberlee’s an idiot,” Nate yells so I can hear him.

“Well, I accused him of wanting to go out with her and keeping me as a back-up plan, how about that for starters?”

Kenley is silent for a moment, and I bite my lip to keep another sob from escaping my throat.

“I’m coming home. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“No,” I say firmly. “Please don’t. It will make me feel worse knowing I’ve ruined your evening.”

“You’re my best friend, and I’m going to be here for you. Right now. You’re going to tell me everything, and then we’re going to fix it.”

She hangs up, and despite the fact that I hate ruining her plans with Nate, I’m so grateful she’s coming back tonight.

And maybe, just maybe, Kenley can help me figure out if I can fix things with Niko after all.

After going through a box of tissues and a few glasses of wine, and endless episodes of
Say Yes to the Dress
on TV with Kenley, I start to get a better perspective on things.

Kenley pointed out several things I couldn’t see in my state of panic. Like that while Niko is furious right now, he’s not
irrational.
He wasn’t going to like Kimberlee simply because he was mad at me. And even if he did ask her to Casino Night, it would be to upset me and nothing more.

“But I don’t think he’d do that,” Kenley declares, tucking a lock of her long, wavy blond hair behind one ear. “He said that out of anger.”

“But that won’t change how much I hurt him,” I admit.

“You need to tell him
why
you drew that conclusion,” Kenley says. “Your
past
drove you there, Lexi. Niko would get that. I know he would. This is nothing you both can’t resolve when you are calm enough to talk.”

Then she sits straight up on the couch. “And we can give him a shove on Casino Night.”

I see how her blue-green eyes are lit up, and I know there’s a plan she’s coming up with, much like she does when she formulates a new truffle flavor and has the eureka moment.