Breakout (A Dallas Demons Hockey Romance) (16 page)

“Speaking of work,” I say seriously, “how do we handle this?”

“What?” Niko asks.

“Us.”

Niko flips over on to his back, and I move over on my side so I can study him.

“I’m not hiding us,” Niko says, glancing at me. “I’m not going to advertise it at TATS, and we’ll be professional at work. But you’re my girl. If someone asks, I’ll tell them.”

Happiness sweeps through me. I’m his girl, and Niko doesn’t care who knows it.

“Unless you don’t want me to,” Niko says in response to my silence.

I see a concerned expression flicker through his Mediterranean Sea-colored eyes.

“I agree,” I say happily. “We won’t advertise it in front of others, but we won’t deny it, either.”

“How am I supposed to keep my hands off you at work?” Niko wonders aloud.

“When I figure out how to do the same regarding you, I’ll let you know,” I tease.

Niko’s face lights up in a brilliant smile as he lifts his arm over his head. I see the tattoo inked across his arm, and I swear I’ll always get turned on whenever I see it.

“What?” I ask, sitting up and tucking the sheet around me.

“You’re different from anyone I’ve ever been with,” Niko says. “I like who you are, Lexi. You’re true to yourself.”

I’m about to say something when Niko’s phone vibrates on the nightstand. He doesn’t even move toward it, which melts my heart. Most guys would be reaching for it the second they heard it.

“You can check it,” I say, inclining my head toward it. “I don’t mind. And I know hockey is 24-7 with trades and injuries and stuff.”

“And Matt Rhinelander,” Niko says, rolling his eyes.

“What?” I ask, furrowing my brow.

“He’s got so much talent.
Sick talent
. And he’s a kid, only twenty-one. That’s the problem. Matt’s on a team with guys who are settled. Harrison’s married, Nate might as well be married, and they go home to their girls. But Matt is at the age where you’d go out in bars in college and pound beers and chase girls, so that’s what he does. Which nobody would even care about if he weren’t a Dallas Demon.”

In my head I see the trail of pictures on social media of Matt, always with a different bimbo-like girl, always doing something stupid. Often with the hashtag ‘fuckboy’ attached to it.

“Right now it’s all fine and good because he shows up and plays great games,” Niko says, interrupting my thoughts. “But if he has a misstep, inside word is it’s going to be ugly with management. The Demons are known as one of the classier organizations in the league. Look at how Flynn handles himself on and off the ice. Nate is in the same mold. I think the Demons were hoping Matt would mature under Harrison’s wing, but so far it hasn’t happened.”

“I really hope it doesn’t come to that,” I say aloud.

“I know, me too. But right now I keep waiting for
that text
. The one saying he did something stupid. You know what he needs?”

“Um, a smack upside the head and a shot of maturity instead of tequila?”

Niko laughs. “Good thinking, but no. He needs a Lexi in his life. But he can’t have mine,” he adds, winking at me.

Butterflies dance happily in my stomach from that comment. Niko then reaches over and grabs his phone off his nightstand. I watch as his eyes scan the message, and his brow furrows as he does. Then he tosses the phone down and rubs his hands over his face. “Ugh, Kimberlee. The bane of my existence as a producer.”

I find myself sitting up straighter at the sound of her name.

“What did she want?” I ask.

Niko pushes himself up so he’s sitting beside me. “She wanted to see if I could meet for breakfast and discuss what she should focus on for this week’s magazine show.”

Anger bubbles up in me. Of course she did. Because it’s another way to spend time with him, and she’s totally the type to manipulate the situation to be around Niko.

“If she wasn’t an idiot, she’d know what to focus on,” I blurt out.

“Agreed. Hey, I forgot, but I never told you what she said to me the other night.”

I give him a sideways glance. “During your pizza date?”

“It was
not
a date.”

My anger subsides a bit, and I manage a smile. “Just because you split the bill doesn’t mean it wasn’t a date.”

“Don’t go there,” Niko teases. “But do you want to hear this or not?”

“I do.”

“She wants to be the Dallas Demons second sideline reporter,” Niko tells me.

“
What?
” I shriek. “Are you
kidding?
”

“I’m fucking straight up serious.”

“Oh dear God, no. With the intensity of a thousand suns, no.”

“That’s a lot of suns.”

“Shut up.”

Niko laughs. “But yeah. She thought she could be on air and bring in fan elements to the game.”

“What does that even
mean?
” I ask, laughing.

“You know, shit like promoting Harrison Flynn bobble head night.”

I burst out laughing at the thought. “No!”

“Oh,
yes.
”

“What did you say?”

“I told her those are drop-in announcements that our play-by-play guy would make during the telecast.”

“Did she look at you blankly?”

“Wow, you act like you know her or something,” Niko deadpans. “Anyway, I’m not having breakfast with her. I’m making breakfast for
you.
”

My anger dissolves with those words.

Niko picks up his phone and begins texting. “But I’m going to have her come in and meet me at TATS before I head over to the arena.” He pauses and glances at me. “Can you be there a little earlier? And meet me in the edit bays?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “What do you have up your sleeve, Niko Xenakis?”

Niko grins slyly and finishes his text. “Oh, I have a little unfinished business with Ms.
Rate Me to Date Me.
And you need to be there to see me finish it.”

Chapter 19

The One Online Dating Service Profile Question:
What’s one of the best things your significant other can say about you?

My write-in answer:
That we fit together. Because I believe with all my heart that we do.

As soon as I get to TATS and put my stuff up, I wander down to the edit bays as Niko asked me to do. He wouldn’t tell me a word about his plan for Kimberlee, and I’m dying to see how he’s going to settle the score with the reporter from hell.

I glance in the window to the edit suite and sure enough, Niko and Kimberlee are sitting side by side, looking at the video on the screen. And I about lose it when I see that Niko has it pulled up to Reid McKenna, the play-by-play announcer for the Dallas Demons.

I know my man. He’s showing her a clip of him doing promo copy. I smile gleefully to myself, as Niko basically struck down her whole role she created for herself with this video.

I open the door to the suite, and they both look at me. A look of annoyance flickers over Kimberlee’s face, as if I’m a fly buzzing around her that she wishes to swat away.

But Niko’s eyes light up the second he sees me. My pulse twitches, as he’s dressed for work in a dark, charcoal grey suit and a crisp whisper-blue shirt that is open at the throat.

Oooooh I
love
that look on him. He has no idea what seeing him dressed like that does to me.

“Hey,” I say casually, sitting down at the other edit machine.

“Hi, Lexi, we’re finishing up here,” Niko says casually.

Oh, this is hilarious. I’ve had the hottest sex ever with this man hours ago—and now he’s
my man
—and we’re going to sit here and act like we don’t know what each other looks like naked.

And I’m totally failing at that whole pretending I don’t know what he looks like naked bit.

“Hi, Kimberlee,” I say, not looking at her.

“Hi,” she says. “Anyway, before we were interrupted,” Kimberlee says pointedly, “I still think I can bring some, um, how do you say? Pizzazz to the telecast.”

I bite down on my tongue to keep from laughing.

“How so?” Niko asks.

“Come on, Niko,” Kimberlee says, “you see beautiful sideline reporters on TV all the time. I can sell. I can sell tickets and get men’s attention on TV. Don’t you agree?”

“That beautiful sideline reporters are on TV? Yeah.”

Bah-ha-ha! I love him.

“Um, yes, but that I fit that mold nicely,” Kimberlee persists. “I’m going to pursue it.”

I act like I’m intently editing something while I continue to listen.

“Well, that’s your call, Kimberlee,” Niko says easily. “Oh, and hey, speaking of pursuing something, I need to talk to you about Casino Night.”

I freeze.
What is he doing?

“What about it?” Kimberlee asks.

“Remember how I told you I had to take off in the middle of a conversation?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, it was to pursue a girl. And I’m
crazy
about her. I’ve been into her for a long time. And as it turns out, she’s kind of into me, too.”

My heart is pounding inside my chest. I don’t dare even glance at them. Kimberlee is silent, no doubt trying to grasp the fact that Niko is not interested.

“You . . . and another girl?”

“She’s amazing,” Niko says enthusiastically. “I mean, she’s
gorgeous.
Most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

I swear you could hear a tumbleweed roll across the floor if there was one around. I know Kimberlee is furious that Niko is going on and on about the beauty of someone other than her.

“More than that,” Niko continues, “she’s super smart, and she’s funny as hell. We fit, you know?”

Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!
We fit.
I smile at my computer screen, delighted by his words.

“Well, um, she sounds great,” Kimberlee says flatly.

Ha, ha, ha!
What a lie.

“So I need your advice,” Niko says. “Where should I take her to dinner next? I already took her to a fancy bistro in Uptown. You know, for steak.”

“Oh?” Kimberlee says, furrowing her brow.

“Well, I wanted to impress her. I couldn’t take her out for
pizza.
”

Gah! I quickly begin coughing to cover up the fact that I’m about to burst out laughing.

“No, no, of course not,” Kimberlee says. There’s a pause. “Oh, well, look at the time. I should run.”

“Sushi?” Niko asks, not letting this drop. “Would that be a good second date dinner?”

“Um, sure,” Kimberlee says, and I hear her gathering up her things. “Anyway, I have to go.”

“Did you hear that, baby?” Niko calls over to me. “Sushi for you tonight after the game.”

I whip around in my seat, stunned that he outed us. Kimberlee drops her purse, her eyes moving from me to Niko in shock.

“
Her?
” she spits, letting her true colors show. “You and . . .
her?
”

“Yeah, it’s
Lexi,
” Niko says, standing up. “We’re going to be discreet about this, and I think you’ll be, too. If you want my help on anything Demons related, that is.”

Then he walks over to me. “I’ll pick you up here after the game. Will you be done with the edits for the postgame show by then?”

“Yep,” I say.

He flashes me a knowing smile. “Okay. See you later tonight.”

And then he strolls out the door.

I turn around to Kimberlee, who is staring at me in utter disbelief. Her perfectly waxed eyebrows are knitted together, and her delicate nose is wrinkled up.

“Seriously?” she manages to get out.

“Seriously what?” I say, swiveling in my chair and looking at JP on my screen.

“You . . . and
Niko?
For real?”

Oh, I love this with the intensity of a thousand suns.

I swing my chair back around so I’m facing her. I flash her a huge smile. “
For real.
Isn’t it cool?” I add, ripping a page out of Holly Johansson’s playbook.

Kimberlee can’t take it. She grabs her purse and storms over to the door, but I’m determined to get the final word before she leaves.

“See you tomorrow for editing,” I call out cheerfully. “And thanks for encouraging Niko to get sushi for me tonight. I
love
sushi.”

I watch as Kimberlee’s hand freezes on the doorknob. Oh, I know she’s pissed right now. She can’t even look at me, she’s so mad. Kimberlee jerks open the door and walks out, banging it shut behind her.

I turn around and smile broadly. Score:

Normal Lexi: 1;
Rate Me to Date Me!
Bimbo: 0.

Life is perfect.

Working a game is exhilarating.

After the third period has started, I take a break to go grab a cup of coffee. I laugh to myself. Crud is more like it, but hey, it will do to keep my energy up for the last round of edits.

Cutting game highlights is completely different than doing a show. Interns log the key plays, and I have to hurry and set them to music for the studio hosts to use during intermission. I’ve done three shows now, and it’s a huge adrenaline rush to get them done on time. I work at a frantic pace, against the clock, but I love the challenge.

Of course, knowing I get to be with Niko tonight is also causing a different kind of rush for me.

I grin happily as I stroll down the hallway. While I’m focused on work, Niko is always in the back of my mind, and we shared a few texts during the first intermission period. Every time I think of him my heart skips along happily, something it has never done before, and I feel so
alive
because of it.

I enter the break room and find Tony Esposito there, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“Oh, hi, Tony,” I say, smiling at him. “You’re here late tonight.”

Normally Tony is not hanging around the studio in the evenings, but Ryan said he likes to do the surprise “drop in” to see how everything is going.

“Lexi,” he says, nodding at me. “You are actually on my list to see tonight.”

Why do I think this is a bad thing? My chest draws a little tighter from the frown on his face.

“Oh?” I say, pouring some so-called coffee into my cup.

“I’m not going to mince words,” Tony says, leaning against the Formica countertop behind him. “Your open tonight was crap.”

I freeze. “My high school open?” I ask, my stomach knotting up.

He furrows his brow. “No, the Demons one. Why on earth did you use that music? It was too slow for hockey. And why did you focus on Flynn when O’Riley had a shutout the night before with some great saves. That should have been your open.”

Relief fills me. “I didn’t do the Demons open.”

“What?”

I clear my throat. “I’ve been reassigned to high school sports.”

“
What?
” Tony thunders. “Why the fuck are you doing high school?”

“I was pulled off after my second open.”

I see a vein in Tony’s neck twitching. I know from Ryan that Tony explodes when he’s mad, and if that vein is any indication, he’s about to erupt in ten seconds.

“Wait a minute. Wait a fucking minute. I need a little more information here. Wyatt
reassigned
you?”

“Yes,” I say truthfully. “But I’m more than happy to do whatever I’m asked to do, Tony. I’m so grateful to even be here, it’s an honor to edit anything for TATS.”

“I don’t like wasting resources,” Tony snaps. “You know
hockey.
You’ve proven that with your intermission edits and opens. You will be reassigned. Tomorrow.”

I want to scream with joy. I want to throw my arms around Tony and hug him, so I mentally do that in my head.

“Thank you, Tony,” I say gratefully. “I won’t let you down.”

“Oh, I know you won’t. Unlike some people here.” He storms off, no doubt to fire off a WTF email to Wyatt about what is going on with hockey editing assignments.

I stare at the coffee machine, smiling. I have hockey back. I’m so elated, so on cloud nine, I swear my feet aren’t on the floor. I’m going to do Niko’s opens. I’m editing game highlights. And I’m in charge of the
Demons Magazine.

I finally have the career I’ve always wanted.

And I can’t wait to tell Niko the good news tonight.

“Come here,” Niko says, drawing me into his arms as we stand in his living room.

I smile as I wrap my arms around him. “I’m here.”

“Good,” Niko says, raking his hands through my hair. “I don’t think I’m letting you go home until I leave on Wednesday.”

Then his lips meet mine in a warm, gentle kiss that makes butterflies dance in my stomach.

“Mmmm, I think I can be persuaded,” I say against his mouth.

He kisses me again, this time longer and lingering.

“Okay. Sold,” I tease.

Niko laughs and takes one of my hands in his, warming it between his own. “Do I get to see another crazy T-shirt?”

I grin. “What makes you think I have more than one?”

“I know you.”

Yes
, I think,
you really do
.

“Come on, let’s sit down,” Niko says, leading me over to his sofa. He sits down and pulls me down next to him, immediately putting his arm around me and bringing me into his chest.

I notice he doesn’t flip on the TV. Rather, he’s content to hold me and rub my hand in his. He wants to talk to me, I realize. Niko is going to focus all his attention on me, which is a first.

“So, I have news,” I say, snuggling up against his dress shirt.

“Yeah?”

“I ran into Tony Esposito in the break room,” I say. “And he was really pissed at me about the Demons open tonight.”

Niko jerks upright, dropping my hand. “
Τι στο διάολο
!”

“What?”

“What the fuck?” Niko translates, his eyes flashing. “You di—”

“No, no, it’s okay,” I interrupt. “Let me finish.”

Niko stops speaking. “Okay.”

“I told him it wasn’t mine, and he was
stunned,
” I say. “Then Tony was pissed. He said he didn’t like wasting resources, and I was to be reassigned back to Demons opens tomorrow.”

Niko’s eyes widen as he takes in my words. “So you have hockey back?”

I grin happily at him. “I have hockey back.”

“Hell yes you do!” Niko says, his face lighting up. “Baby, that’s where you belong.”

Belong.
I think of that word as I see the excited look in Niko’s gorgeous eyes.

For the first time in my life, I’m exactly where I
belong.
I’m working for a sports TV network. I’m editing the sport I’m passionate about. And I’m with the man I’m meant to be with, and I know that with all my heart.

Niko interlaces his hand with mine. “We need to celebrate. I have sushi in the fridge for you.”

“Oh, did you follow Kimberlee’s advice?” I tease.

Niko grins wickedly at me. “Nah. I like sushi. And so do you. Easy call.”