Page 32 of Something to Prove

We shared a smile that felt like a conversation.This is good. We’re okay.

I strolled away with a bounce in my step, contemplating how funny it was to think of Walker as an ally rather than a foe.

An interesting one too.

I wasn’t ready to let him go.

Don’t ask me what I meant by that. Realistically, we were at the end of our association, and I should have just been glad it hadn’t ended badly.

And I was, but…I wanted more.

Five thousand followers.

Twelve thousand followers.

Fifteen thousand, twenty-one thousand, twenty-seven thousand followers.

The numbers rose every few minutes. I didn’t get it. Obviously, this was Walker’s influence. I thought it was a good thing, but it was weird.

Toby didn’t think so. “You’re blowing up, Czerniak! Blowing the fuck up! I knew that kid was something special. Stick close to him. He might just be your fast pass to some serious playing time in the AHL.”

I didn’t know about that, but…Iwantedto get close to Walker. And it had nothing to do with racking up a social media following.

CHAPTER 11

WALKER

The noise levelat the Smithton rink rivaled a Beyoncé concert. I sat behind a large man wielding a Bears poster and a foam “The Bears are #1” hand, and next to a fellow student who blasted a hole in my eardrum as our hometown heroes glided onto the ice one at a time. Her screams reached a fever pitch when Ty Czerniak was introduced, a huge grin fixed on his sinfully handsome mug.

My seatmate wasn’t the only superfan in attendance. The entire arena erupted with cheers, chanting, “Ty, Ty, Ty.” He drank it all in like a man who knew his star was on the rise. Tonight was yet another opportunity to live up to the hype and prove he was worthy of his shot at the pros.

Now, I’d already confessed that I wasn’t a hockey fan, but I understood the basics. The objective was to put the puck into the goal more often than your opponent. I also understood that methods varied and that some players used extreme defensive maneuvers I personally found distasteful. Was all that pushing, shoving, and taunting really necessary?

Ty was one of the worst offenders. He was aggressive and feral, using his body and wily speed to clear a path toward the goal. He used his stick on a couple of occasions too, which I wasfairly certain was against the rules. Don’t quote me. I was just here to take notes and to keep Robin company while he took action photos and video.

And ideally, I’d do my part without going starry-eyed with lust. It wasn’t easy. I was still in shock, which seemed to be the theme where Ty was concerned. But let’s be honest, it was one thing to watch someone else suck his cock and quite another to be the one doing it.

For the record, I had zero regrets.

I had a feeling I’d replay the moment he grabbed a fistful of my hair and fucked my mouth over and over in my head for years to come.

How did that happen?No idea.

“Woohoo! Get ’em, Bears!” Robin yelled, cheering as one of our guys stripped the puck from the other team and passed it to Ty.

I kept my eye on number nine as he wove through traffic, skirting to the far right lane before slinging the puck to a teammate who returned it a second later. Ty had an opening, and the entire arena knew it. Everyone jumped to their feet, collectively holding their breaths as he cocked his hip, pulled his stick back, and swung with all his might.

The puck flew in the air, threading the narrow gap between the goalie’s knee pads and the bar, landing on a silent whoosh that tickled the net and lit the lamp.

I should have worn earplugs. The girl next to me lost her ever-loving mind, jumping up and down, sloshing the remnants of her drink while the man in front of me nearly took my eye out with his foam hand. And Robin…oh, my goodness, he really liked hockey.

He calmed in between cheering jags to snap a few pics of Ty gliding the perimeter with his arms raised victoriously. “This is exciting as all heck. Did you see Czerniak? He’s the real deal.He’s had two goals and an assist tonight, and we still have another half of a period left to play.”

Oh, joy.

All right, I might not love hockey, but this was an exciting game and Ty was a dynamo on the ice…a game changer. It was no wonder fans were on their feet, hooting and hollering. And the dreamy-eyed screamer next to me who swooned each time Ty skated by…yes, that made sense too.

“Sorry. I can’t help it. Ty is on fire tonight!” she gushed, tucking her cup against her breast with her forearm to clap enthusiastically.