Page 110 of Hockey Halloween
Four shades of red. Any more, and she’d worry about giving him a heart attack.
She held her hand out to him, and he looked at it, hesitating briefly before sliding his fingers through hers and holding tightly. They were really doing this, and the significance of that felt as heavy as the affection in his stare.
When they caught up to the team, everyone was going throughthe Vortex Tunnel. Knight saw them and waved. “Come on, you guys!”
Teddy pulled Archer to a stop. “I’m not gonna sugarcoat this. The tunnel will probably end you. It’s like walking through the inside of a neon, psychedelic cement mixer.”
He lifted a brow and glanced at it then back to her. Just from one quick look, he appeared convinced. He swallowed hard then frowned. “If I don’t do this, I’ll never live it down.”
Several Sinners waiting in various places in the tunnel all looked back. At them. Teddy sighed and squeezed his hand. “Okay. Then I need you to trust me because puke won’t come out of silk.” She gestured to the neon pink slip dress she’d chosen for the night. He nodded, and she stepped up onto the stationary metal bridge that went through the tunnel. “Put your hands on my shoulders and close your eyes. Just follow me across, and I’ll tell you when we’re at the end.”
When his warm, heavy hands settled on her shoulders sending goosebumps down her arms and she could feel him step up behind her, Teddy walked slowly. While the bridge didn’t move, itfeltlike it did. She kept her hands on the railing, trying not to sway. A few times she had to close her own eyes the illusion was so strong. Finally, they got to the other side. “Okay, we made it.” She stepped down carefully, and Archer didn’t let her go until his feet were on solid ground. Even then, his arm slid around her waist, pulling her into his side as they followed the team to the next exhibit.
She smiled to herself. Maybe Saralynn was right after all.
Archer
Monday, November 3
Archer stared out the window of his Uber all the way to the arena, early morning Las Vegas sliding by in a blur of blinking lights. He didn’t track it. Mentally, he was still back at that museum, glued to the woman he couldn’t stop thinking about since the day he met her. It had really happened, hadn’t it? It wasn’t just a fever dream that they’d gone past fake dating into real dating? He’d confirm it later in the day just in case. In the meantime, he had a practice to make. When they reached the arena entrance, Archer made his way down to basement level, hustling into the locker room just as guys were getting ready. He released a slow breath of relief. He would not be late again.
His teammates looked at him then away with little smiles that made his gut tighten. He sat on the bench next to Cole and raised a brow. “What’s with everyone?”
Cole looked…embarrassed? That couldn’t be good. He cleared his throat and said, “You’re kind of famous. A video was posted last night of you and Teddy getting pretty close at the museum.
Archer felt the blood drain from his face as he thought aboutother people watching his momentary lapse of insanity. “What do you mean famous?”
Looking like he very much didn’t want to, Cole pulled up the video that already had two thousand likes and five hundred comments. When he pushed play, crystal clear, there was Archer, Teddy’s legs around his waist, the hem of her dress riding high as he kissed her like he was trying to consume her. He looked away, and Cole tucked his phone in his bag.
“This isn’t good, is it?” Archer’s stomach sank.
Cole didn’t answer, which was answer enough.
A brunette in a suit poked her head in the locker room. The guys chorused, “Hey Miranda.” She waved at them with a smile then looked right at him, and it faded a little. “Reid. Come with me. Saralynn wants to see you.” Her tone was professional, though her eyes were a little sad. She had to know practice was about to start. If she wasn’t waiting until after, it had to be bad.
This can’t be happening. Archer stood numbly and followed her out to the elevator. The ride to the executive floor felt like walking the green mile. He’d barely had a chance to earn a spot here and it was already over. When he got to Saralynn’s door, she glanced up from her desk. Teddy already occupied one seat in front of it. His heart contracted hard. They couldn’t fire her too. Not because of him.
Saralynn nodded. “Reid. Have a seat.”
He walked to the chair then more fell into it than sat down, his legs like lead. He looked at Teddy, trying to project how sorry he was, but she stared straight ahead. She’d seen this coming. Of course she had. She was much more plugged in than he was. She’d have seen it as soon as she checked her phone this morning.
Saralynn sighed. “Off the record, I personally don’t have a problem with the video. Yes, it’s racy, but the shares and tags are off-the-charts. People around the world are talking about the Sinners today. You know hockey romance has become big in the book world. It’s gotten some bad press, but fans of those books are goingcrazyfor a real-life hockey hero going caveman with his leading lady. There are already memes and gifs spreading like wildfire.”
Archer winced. He didn’t know what half of that meant, but it all sounded bad.
Teddy was keeping a poker face. “But?”
“But.” Saralynn took a deep breath and spread her hands out on the desk. “It made the news this morning, local and nationwide, and a snapshot made the paper. With a few exceptions, the Sinners try to be a family organization. Mostly because the league requires it. This team is no stranger to romantic scandal. Unfortunately, that means we’re already on the league’s radar. We have to take some kind of action to please them.”
He bowed his head. “Am I going back to Carson City, or are they cutting my contract altogether?”
“Neither.” Teddy stood up. “I’ll quit. I was probationary anyway. I’ve got a following I can fall back on. I’ll be all right. Archer deserves his spot here. He’s worked for it, earned it. If I go, there’ll be talk for a few days, then it’ll go away. He’ll just be seen as an NHL bad boy, which we both know will actually be good for him and the team publicity-wise. I can address it from my channel to my fans in a way that respects the team and him.”
Archer stood and took Teddy’s hand, though she let it fall away, and his chest tightened. From the pain in her eyes, it hurt her too.
“Wait. Stop. I can’t let you do that. The whole thing was my fault.”
She shook her head with a sad smile. “I kissed you first.”
