Page 14 of Something to Prove (Smithton Bears #2)

WALKER

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 was fairly 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.

“He is,” I agreed.

“Hey, you’re Walker Woodrow, right?”

“I am.”

“Great interview! I think it’s your best ever. I’m a little biased, though. I have a huge crush on Ty. He’s, like, so hot! But you guys have great chemistry and—oh, my God! He’s got the puck!” Commence another round of screaming.

I tuned her out to watch the Bears’ star forward gliding like a phantom across the ice. She was right. Ty was hot and very good at hockey. And other things.

I’d rewatched our interview to grab a few quotes for promotional clips, and I’d noticed that my guest had a knack for improv. Ty was as quick in front of the camera as he was chasing after the opponent.

And for reasons unknown, there was a spark between us—a plain and simple alchemy between two people who worked well together. That was before adding a sexual element.

I didn’t know what to make of it, but I couldn’t deny that Ty was good for business.

The Bears won 5 to 2, and the postgame celebration was well underway in the locker room. The scene was positively frenetic. Rolls of tape flew in the air and shirtless, sweaty men traipsed by, interrupting my interview with Gus Langley, the team captain.

“Dude, we smashed it!” He crushed an empty plastic water bottle in his hand, laughing like a hyena.

I liked Gus, but he wasn’t known for his thoughtful insight.

Sometimes I wondered why he’d been chosen to lead the Bears.

His stats weren’t impressive, and he had a reputation for partying.

Maybe age was a factor. He was the oldest member on the team at twenty-four. Or was he twenty-five? I didn’t ask.

He was unfailingly friendly. In fact, Gus set a tone of positivity that permeated throughout the team. Well…okay, that was probably why he was captain.

I foisted my mic toward him as I clandestinely scanned the area for Ty, careful not to ogle the nearly nude muscular hunks heading for the showers. The locker room segment was popular on my channel for obvious reasons, but my goal was always to get in and out as quickly as possible with no fuss.

Even Robin, who was a real hockey fan, was already shifting from foot to foot, eyeing the door. “Are we ready to go?”

“ Um …yes.” I nodded, turning back to thank Gus…just as Ty appeared with a towel around his waist.

I almost swallowed my tongue.

Ty could have been a fitness model or Michelangelo’s muse.

Every dip and valley on his torso looked as though it were sculpted by a master—no excess fat, no pesky imperfections.

His copious tattoos should have been distracting, but they accentuated his male beauty.

This wasn’t the first time I’d been up close and personal with a barely dressed Ty in a postgame setting, but now… everything felt different and?—

Earth to Walker! Snap out of it!

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but Ty beat me to it.

“You again,” he teased, his lips quirking mischievously. “I can’t shake you, Woody—I mean Woodrow.”

“Nice catch,” I grumbled for his ears only. “I’m just doing my job. Congratulations on your win tonight. My cameraman seems to have wandered away, but I’d love to include a comment from you in our coverage.”

Ty stared at the mic I pushed at him and shrugged. “Great win?”

“ Hmm , that sounds like a question.”

He bent to pick up a towel from the bench, then slung it on his head to dry his hair. “Sorry, I’m wiped. My brain is foggy, and my legs feel like jelly.”

“May I quote you?”

Ty chuckled. “Sure.”

I made a small production of slipping the mic into my computer bag. “Well, congratulations again. I’ll…see you on campus.”

I lifted my hand in a weak attempt at a wave, but Ty was closer than expected.

He touched my elbow, draping his towel over his shoulders. “Do you have a sec? I have an idea I want to run by you.”

“Uh…okay.”

“Cool. I’ll meet you outside. Gimme two minutes to get dressed and?—”

“Party at my new pad, man,” Langley interjected, standing between us. “I stocked up on booze, and I’ll order pizza on the way home. You’re in, Czerniak. Not even a question, so don’t give me any ‘Boohoo, I’m tired’ nonsense.”

“Do I ever say that?”

Gus cocked his head as if considering the query. “No, you’re an animal! I love that about you, man. Hey, you should come too.”

I glanced down at the beefy finger aimed at my chest. “Me?”

“Yeah, you. The more the merrier. It’ll be fun.” Langley rattled off his address and called out to another half-dressed player passing by. “Yo, Regan, bring Cassie and tell her to bring…”

And that was my cue. I inclined my chin toward Ty. “I’ll be in the lobby.”

Five minutes later, Ty emerged from the locker room flanked by Brady and Pritchard. He paused and gestured to me. I feigned interest in scrolling through the hundred advertisements in my email, feeling all kinds of conspicuous.

And then he was at my side, pushing open the door and sucking in a gulp of the crisp early autumn air. “Damn, it’s warm out here compared to the rink.”

I surveyed the indigo sky and inclined my chin. “It is. In case you were worried…I won’t be attending your friend’s soiree.”

“Why would I be worried?”

“I—no reason. I just want to be clear that yesterday’s ‘occurrence’ won’t be repeated, and I have zero expectations where you’re concerned. So, if you’re hoping to warn me away, don’t waste your breath. I’m a big boy, and I know how these things work.”

Ty furrowed in confusion or annoyance…or both. “I wasn’t going to say any of that.”

“Oh. What is it?”

He glanced around as if making sure we were out of earshot. “I want to do it again.”

“You want…sex? With me?” I squeaked, my mouth suddenly dry as a desert. “I mean, yes, I’m interested, but it’s a terrible idea.”

Ty pursed his lips in amusement. “I—yeah, but that’s not what I meant.”

“Oh, uh…”

“You said your next assignment is making milkshakes at the diner. I want to tag along. If that’s cool.”

I hadn’t expected that. “Why?”

He tugged an errant lock of hair on his forehead and flashed an enigmatic grin.

“We’re the talk of the fucking town, Walker.

I had a hundred thousand new followers overnight…

just like you said. Honestly, I didn’t notice, but my agent did.

Or maybe someone from the Jackals’ PR team called him.

They love the press. It’s good, clean fun, and it goes with the wholesome LGBTQ-friendly rookie vibe they’re spinning. ”

“Oh. Right.”

Now would have been a nice time for the ground to open in the parking lot and swallow me whole.

Oooh, my God! Had he really asked if he wanted a repeat?

“You don’t have to answer now. Just think about it.”

I managed a tight nod, tipping my chin at the crowd who’d gathered nearby. “Your friends are waiting.”

“Yeah, I should go. I’ll text you tomorrow.”

I hustled to my car, anxious to make a speedy getaway.

I needed space to process this new twist with Ty.

I had whiplash trying to make sense of where we stood.

He didn’t hate me anymore, which was good, but that probably had something to do with that ill-advised albeit amazing sex-against-the-wall scene in my office.

I wanted to be ashamed of myself for my lapse of judgment—however, the only emotion I could muster was confusion peppered with a smidge of concern that I’d opened a new can of worms.

Ty wanted another spot on my show. He wanted to use me for exposure…

a variation of what I’d initially offered, but tagging along with me was practically a takeover.

Or was it? I didn’t know anymore, and every time I tried to sort out my thoughts, I got sidetracked by the memory of his hand on my dick and his tongue in my mouth and?—

“There you are. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to rescue you from the lions’ den…or the bears’ den, as it were.” Robin pushed his glasses up as he stepped around my Mini.

I clutched my chest with a gasp. “You scared me. What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you, same as I always do after our testosterone-laden locker room ventures. I escaped before you. I had to. The smell of body odor was stronger than usual,” he reported. “I was about to vamoose, but I spotted you chatting with none other than our man of the hour.”

“ Um …yes.” I opened the car door and tossed my bag inside.

“Mr. Czerniak must be quite thrilled with his What’s New, Smithton? collaboration. I recorded some nice footage tonight to add to his lore. It helps that he had a great game. All in all, I’d say this went well, don’t you think?”

“He wants to do it again.” I puffed out my cheeks in exasperation.

“Another interview?”

“No, he wants to come with me to the diner to make milkshakes.”

Robin wrinkled his nose. “Why?”

“Good press. We used him for a story, now he wants to use us.”

“Oh.” His brow creased as if weighing the pros and cons of an extended venture with Smithton’s jock of the hour. After a moment’s consideration, he nodded. “It’s a favorable proposition.”

“You think so?”

“Affirmative. Pooling your combined star power for a few episodes should result in even higher ranking than we currently enjoy.” Robin patted my shoulder. “You’ve turned a hopeless situation into a win. Well done, my friend!”

I smiled awkwardly.

Maybe Robin had the right idea. This was business. Nothing personal. The kiss, the blowjob, the heart palpitations that occurred whenever Ty was in the vicinity were inconsequential. I had control here, and I could handle a couple of hours more in his presence without losing perspective.

I hoped.