looked into each member of the team, and it’s clear that you’re not known for serious relationships. Or even dating, for that matter. You’re known as a player, but oddly enough, I can’t find any substantiating evidence to those rumors.”
“And you won’t, either.” I have no idea why people think I bang every chick I’m photographed with. Maybe it’s the stigma of being a single professional hockey player, I don’t know.
Amber frowns. “If you are dating someone, there’ll be more interest in that than the past.”
Great. Now the PR lady is acting like my pimp.
“So you wanna marry him off, huh?” Spencer quips, chuckling.
I sit back and watch the interaction between these two. Spencer doesn’t look too choked up about his ex-girlfriend reappearing in his life. And now they seem to be working together to come up with a plan to make my life a living hell.
Probably can’t get much worse than it already is.
Phoenix leans back, looking deceivingly casual. I can practically see the wheels turning in his head. “And how do you propose we do that?” Phoenix asks Amber, sounding far too interested in this cause.
“Is there a woman in your life?” she asks again.
“No.”
Her gaze swings back to Spencer, which pisses me off. They’re talking about me. The least they can do is focus on me.
“If Kingston doesn’t know anyone, I actually have a friend…” Amber offers.
I shake my head adamantly. “Nope. No way. Can’t say I’m completely on board with the plan, but I damn sure don’t want to have to pretend with some chick I don’t know. If you’re insistent that I need an image overhaul, I suggest you come up with a better idea.”
“You’ve got to get your head back in the game,” Coach injects, his intense gaze burning a hole into my face. “At this point, if it’ll get your mind back on the ice, I think we should try it.”
Coach is right. I need to get my focus back where it belongs. It isn’t that easy to do when the shit seems to be flying and I’m finding myself being covered in it. But pretending to be with a woman I don’t even know… It won’t make things better. Surely they realize that.
Phoenix nods, as though he agrees with one or both of them. What is really going through his head, I have no idea. And that scares me a little.
Since me and my ex split six months ago, I’ve been with exactly zero women. And before her, it’d been a while. Two or three months, maybe. I make a point not to flaunt my personal life, I don’t kiss and tell, and I’m not the kind to talk in the locker room. But in the same sense, I don’t deny rumors, either.
I’m still watching Phoenix when he finally speaks. “It’s actually not a bad idea. I did something similar by announcing my wedding to Tarik and Mia. You don’t realize how much people really do enjoy a good love story until you make that sort of statement.”
Yeah…uh...
Well.
Uh…
Not what I expected Phoenix to say at all, so naturally, I’m fucking speechless.
“Okay, so what if she isn’t a stranger? Would you be willing then? Show the world that you’ve settled down, found someone who means something to you?” Spencer states thoughtfully, his gaze sliding my direction.
“I didn’t realize there was someone,” Phoenix adds, his curious gaze pinning me in place.
“There’s not,” I mumble, hating that all eyes are on me. I just can’t win.
“But there could be,” Spencer counters.
Phoenix’s eyebrow cocks, his attention returning to Spencer. “I’m listening.”
Coach clears his throat. “I agree. If she’s not a stranger, it’ll look even more real.”
Great, now everyone is on board with pimping me out.
“And you’ve got someone in mind?” Phoenix asks Spencer. “Someone who can be trusted?”
“I do.” Spencer sounds far more confident than I feel.
“And you know her to be trustworthy how?” Amber inquires, sounding skeptical.
Spencer meets her gaze head on. “Because she’s my sister.”
My head snaps to the left and I stare at Spencer. I want to ask him if he has lost his fucking mind, but I keep that to myself. If he only knew all the thoughts I’ve had about his sister over the years, I can tell you, he damn sure wouldn’t be thinking about hooking us up.
Not even for pretend.
Ellie
“I need a favor.”
Without looking up from the beer I’m pouring, I shake my head emphatically. I recognize the voice, but even if I didn’t, it’s male, so there is