Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 107687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Oh, I want to kill him dead.
I glare at him, but he doesn’t care. He’s enjoying the effect he has on me.
As am I.
Thankfully, Shelli starts the meeting, and his gaze leaves mine. When I’m able to breathe again, I hit his tab on my tablet so I have his stats. When asked, I go over them proudly, and I know everyone can hear the change in my voice.
“Second fastest on the ice, shot accuracy went from seventy-two to ninety-three percent, he scores better from the right circle, but he also has the ability to score from the blue line. His shot was clocked in at ninety-four mph, and his accuracy from the blue line was ninety-two percent. Posey feels he could be a good asset to her special teams, and River wants him as a center since his face-off wins are right at ninety percent. The best on the team.”
I look up from my tablet to find him watching me, his eyes leaving me breathless. I have to look away before I pass out, and when I do, I meet Peepaw’s gaze. He’s been quiet the whole time, but I see his face flushing with anger.
“As you can hear, you’ll be a huge asset to our team, Dimitri,” Shelli says, but then she clears her throat. “We are ready to offer you a spot on the team at this point. Of course, things can change in the next two weeks, but as of now, the spot is yours. Your determination and work ethic have been impressive.”
“Dimitri. I am very proud of you,” Elli adds.
“I think we all are,” River says, and my heart sings with excitement.
“Thank you, truly. I couldn’t have done it without all of you,” Dimitri says, and the joy in his eyes is absolutely gorgeous. I want to cry; I am so proud of him.
But then, Shelli says, “There is a condition, though.”
My heart stops as I look over at her, my brows drawing in sharply. I look at where Peepaw sits, and I glare. “You will need to move out of the apartment you are currently sharing with Austen. That apartment wasn’t meant for you, and while that was my mistake and my mom’s, we want Austen to be as comfortable as she can be.”
I shake my head, fury burning my chest.
“I can guarantee you, Austen is very comfortable and safe in that apartment,” Dimitri says, then he looks at me. “But that’s fine. We’ll get our own place.” My eyes widen. He’s so buoyant, it’s maddening. I don’t say anything; I just stare at him, and he smiles. “It’s fine.”
Shelli clears her throat, looking very uncomfortable. “That is your choice, of course. But when you sign your contract for the team, a new condition will be included that will ensure you aren’t romantically involved with any general managers.”
It’s as if the floor falls out from underneath me. The pounding in my ears almost makes it hard for me to hear Dimitri laugh. I look at him, my eyes wide as he sits there, shaking his head. “She’s not a general manager of this team.”
“No, but she is of our soon-to-be farm team.”
His eyes narrow, and I can’t even process what is happening. Is this for real? “So, let me get this straight. If I want to play for you, I can’t be with Austen, even though she is the GM of a team that isn’t even built,” he says, and then he looks at Peepaw. But he doesn’t dare speak to Dimitri or confirm what he just said.
“That’s correct,” Shelli adds, swallowing hard. “We don’t want rumors or gossip that the reason you made it after coming from the Russian league is because of Austen’s position. We don’t want the league to think we allow people to get ahead based on who they are in relationships with. It’s to protect you both.”
I feel like my head is spinning, and my heart is crashing in my chest. I watch as Dimitri looks at Elli.
“You’re okay with this?”
Elli takes a deep breath, and I don’t understand. Why is she allowing this to happen? “We’re looking out for you, Dimitri.”
Anger vibrates my whole body, but Dimitri is cooler than a cucumber. Elli slides a contract across the table, but Dimitri doesn’t even acknowledge it. He slowly nods and then looks at me. Fear eats me alive as I gaze into his deep eyes, but he doesn’t look mad or even upset. He looks as if he expected this. As if he has no cares in the world.
I don’t understand, but then, in Russian, he asks, “Do you love me?”
Everything stops, and the rest of the room falls away, leaving only him and me. I don’t hear anything, just my heart pounding in my chest while his gaze holds mine. All these emotions crash into me at once, and a tremor runs through my body. I’m unable to speak, unable to think, but I know that answer.