Fighting For More

by Susan Scott Shelley

  Touched, he turned it over, smiling at the purple leopard print. "Don't you need it?"

  "I have three in my car." A faint blush crept into her cheeks. Or maybe it was just due to the cold. He couldn't tell. But the way her gaze held his... and the way she bit her lip... his fingers itched to dive into her hair and pull her close.

  Footsteps crunched through the ice and slush. Leo forced himself to look away from the bewitching blue-gray eyes. He eased back as the rental car employee returned.

  No matter how attractive he found her to be, he had to keep in mind her words. She didn't seem to have a problem with him professionally. But what happened with Dylan couldn't help but make her unhappy with him personally. He was only going to be in town until the end of the season anyway. No sense in trying to start something new when he was already picturing his exit.

  THE FOLLOWING DAY, his first game as a member of the Bedlam, he stood in the tunnel, blood pumping as the PA announcer called each player's name. Celek was in front of him. The crowd cheered at his name and louder when he hit the ice.

  Leo shifted his stance from skate to skate, anxious to get the game underway and curious about the fans' reaction.

  Behind him, Vince tapped him with his stick. "Good luck."

  He nodded.

  "Number fifty-five, Leo Brennan!"

  Adrenaline flowing, he hit the ice. Boos rained down from every direction, loud and long. He'd told himself to expect it. Told himself not to care. Told himself he'd show them.

  But still, the reception deflated some of his energy. He skated to a stop next to Celek on the blue line. The dark-skinned player gave him a nod. "Let's kick some ass."

  At Vince's name, the crowd again cheered. When he joined Leo, lining up for the anthem, he again tapped him. "In some countries, booing means they love you."

  Right. Still he laughed. "Thanks, Vince."

  He'd kept the spot on the first line, centering Celek and Kreider. The game was hard fought, and scoreless. Halfway through the third period, he used his size, battling with a defenseman for space around the goal crease. The puck flew by, followed by a rush of bodies. He out-muscled the Florida defender and poked the puck toward Celek.

  The winger fired the shot. The puck sailed over the goalie's head and hit the back of the net.

  The goal horn sounded and the crowd roared. Leo skated toward his celebrating teammates. Celek and Kreider hugged and then the defensemen, Vince and Dan, piled on. Celek turned toward him and extended his gloved hand for a fist bump. Grateful they weren't snubbing him, Leo returned the gesture.

  "Goal by number twenty-one, Anton Celek." The PA announcer's voice rang out, and the crowd cheered. "Assist by number fifty-five, Leo Brennan."

  A smattering of applause followed, along with a couple of boos.

  Leo shook it off and skated to the bench.

  When the game ended, in a Buffalo win of one-nothing, he still felt very much like an outsider.

  Kelsey and her camera crew stopped him in the hallway outside the locker room. She wore a Bedlam T-shirt and jeans, and the overhead light teased red highlights hidden within her deep brown tresses. "Can I ask you a few questions?"

  Breathing hard and dripping sweat, he wanted to shower, not stand there and deflect questions unprepared. Especially anything about Dylan... But if he could deal out the hits, then he could damned well take the questions. And it would be worth it to have a few more minutes with Kelsey. "Sure."

  She stood close to him, lifted her microphone, and smiled at the camera. "We're live with the Bedlam's newest addition, Leo Brennan. Leo, how was your first game?"

  He'd been doing interviews long enough to know how to answer, how to avoid conflict and talk around a topic, or redirect attention if needed. "I'm glad to be a part of the Bedlam. The team is loaded with talent. All the guys work hard."

  "You had an assist on Celek's goal in the third period. How did it feel to get a point so soon?"

  He glanced down at her. At about five-foot-ten, she wasn't short at all, but in his skates, he topped six-foot-seven. Her questions were easy, designed to let him talk about positives. Maybe she wasn't ambushing him after all. "I'm glad I was able to help out the team. But the credit really goes to Celek, Kreider, and our defense."

  Then she turned her mega-watt smile on him. "And last question, have you tried our city's famous chicken wings yet?"

  Her smile left him breathless. He fought through the fog of lust to process her question. "Not yet. Maybe you'll check them out with me?"

  Her delicate brows arched. "It's a date." She shifted her focus to the camera. "Fans, send in your suggestions for where I should take Leo for the wings. You'll see our adventure on an upcoming segment of Kelsey's Corner."

  The camera's light turned off and Kelsey lowered the mic to her side. "Thanks. That was brilliant. I'll let you know what places the fans suggest. Asking for their input is always a good idea."

  "Maybe they'll just be hoping I choke on a chicken bone." He couldn't help the dark thought. Sports radio had been ripping him for the past two days, and too many fans were chiming in with their agreement.

  Kelsey laughed. "Stop. It'll be fun. I promise."

  "If you say so." But he was smiling too, and couldn't stop, not when she looked at him with laughter sparkling in her eyes.

  "I'd better let you get into the locker room." She backed up a step then came forward again and motioned for him to bend down until they were nearly eye-to-eye. "I've been around this game my whole life. I know how to talk around a real answer. You said what you're supposed to say, giving all the credit to your teammates, but if you hadn't made that screen in the crease and tipped the puck, there's no way that Celek or Kreider could have scored that goal. You're the reason we won. The fans know it too."

  Surprise stole through him. "Uh, thanks."

  "Now, I'll let you go." She headed off, camera crew in tow.

  Leo stared after her. Her tone and words had been fiercely in support of him. It seemed like her personal opinion of him was thawing, and if so, that would make not allowing thoughts of more with her so much harder to control.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  TUCKED INTO A QUIET corner at Duff's, Kelsey set up her laptop on the gleaming wooden table and logged onto the Bedlam's site for the live chat with the fans. The scent of chicken wings and beer had hit her as soon as she'd walked through the door and her stomach growled in response as she waited for her order and for Leo to arrive.

  In the five days since he'd walked into her office, he'd been on her mind... constantly. Telling herself to stop thinking about him hadn't worked. Shifting her focus onto other things hadn't worked. Throughout her weekend and work days and spending time with her family, he'd lingered in her thoughts. Especially when she'd visited Dylan.

  She glanced at the customers spread throughout the room. Not too crowded for five o'clock on a Tuesday night, so the room wouldn't be too loud.

  But, the live chat was supposed to begin in a few minutes, and Leo had yet to arrive. She pulled out her phone to send him a text and found one waiting from Rod.

  Want some backup for your interview?

  Sighing, she responded. No. But feel free to watch it with Dylan so you guys can give me feedback. Tell him I'll stop by tomorrow.

  Not surprisingly, Rod wasn't thrilled about Leo. He lived with Dylan, looked up to their older brother as much as she did, and was having a hard time compartmentalizing his anger over Dylan's injury. But Dylan himself had a far better attitude. His only frustration was directed at the length of time it was taking him to return to the ice.

  The server arrived with the wings and pitchers of beer and water. Kelsey arranged the small wooden bowls in a line. In the corner of her vision, a large figure moved toward her. Leo cut a path through the tables, large and a hint dangerous in a dark wool coat, dark jeans, and navy cap.

  Her stomach fluttered and her breath quickened. "Hi, just in time."

  "Sorry." He yanked off the cap and shove
d his fingers through his hair. "After practice ended, Vince and I were watching film of the goalie we'll be facing in tomorrow night's game and I lost track of time."

  "No worries." She resisted the urge to smooth her sweater or to ask about his day. This wasn't a date. This was business. "Sit right here next to me so we're both in the picture. I'll get the chat going and then we can dive into the wings while you answer the fans' questions."

  "Sounds easy enough." He draped his coat over the back of the chair and the movement sent a wave of his aftershave, clean and fresh, her way. His black sweater showcased his muscles. He pushed the sleeves to his elbows. "I'm ready."

  Determined to ignore the way his forearms flexed, Kelsey set the camera and angled the laptop to include Leo in the frame then hit the record icon. "Hey Bedlam fans, we're live here at Duff's with Leo Brennan, the newest addition to the team. He's going to sample the different chicken wings and we're going to get to know him a little better. You know the drill, send in your comments and we'll answer them right here."

  Leo waved at the screen. "Hi, guys."

  The first comment appeared. How does it feel to be on the Bedlam after knocking out our captain?

  Then another. Kelsey, how can you sit there eating wings with him after what he did to your brother? Where's your family loyalty?

  That one ticked her off. Didn't they realize that she had a job to do? "Let's start with something easy. How has the transition been so far?"

  He poured beer into his glass and pointed to her glass with a raised brow. At her nod, he filled her glass with the golden brew. "Buffalo is a lot different from L.A., and not only in terms of weather. I'm still living out of two suitcases, but I'm happy to be a part of a great team and looking forward to bringing a Cup home for the Bedlam fans."

  More comments rolled in. A lot reminded her of the comments they screamed at Leo when he'd been on the ice during the last two games. "Speaking of the fans, how are you handling the reception you've received so far?"

  He shrugged. "They're passionate about the team and its players. With Dylan being out of the lineup, I understand where they're coming from with their booing and, uh, enthusiastic comments, but once I hit the ice, I don't hear any of that stuff. My only concern is playing the best hockey I can and being a good teammate."

  He was feeding her the typical player answers again. As much as she wanted to dig for something real and to learn his true feelings, it probably wouldn't happen as long as the fans were listening in.

  "Let's talk wings. The hot sauce is made with vinegar, cayenne red pepper, salt and garlic." She pointed at each bowl. "This one is mild, and it's the only one I can handle without needing to cool my mouth off right away. Next, we have medium which is more like hot in terms of the heat scale. Then we have hot, as in three-alarm fire hot. And last, we have suicidal which is as hot as the sun."

  "Suicidal?" Smiling, Leo shook his head. "Did the fans suggest that one for me?"

  "No. But I wanted you to have the full heat range." Laughing, she pointed to the small containers of blue cheese dressing beside each bowl. "You're supposed to dip the wings in the blue cheese first."

  "Thanks for the tip." He grabbed a mild wing, dipped it in the dressing, and took a bite.

  She selected a wing from the same bowl. "Well?"

  "It's good. I'm ready for the next level." He licked red sauce from his lips and reached for a medium wing. Matching him, Kelsey did the same. There wasn't a delicate way to eat the wing, and the fans were likely paying more attention to Leo anyway, so she ripped into it. Her lips and tongue tingled from the heat, even with the blue cheese dressing to cool it down. Mouth on fire, she reached for her beer and swallowed several mouthfuls.

  Leo watched her with a grin. "My turn." He bit into it and raised one brow while he chewed. "It's definitely hotter."

  But he still didn't reach for his beer. She blinked. Was he really able to stand the heat, or was he trying to show the fans how tough he was? She wiped sauce from her fingers and checked the new comments on the screen. "Ready for the hot ones next?"

  "I think I'll jump right to suicidal." He picked up a wing from the last bowl. "Want one?"

  "No way. I've learned my lesson there." Finally, a safe question appeared. "Five-year-old Jacob wants to know if you have any pets."

  Holding the wing, he smiled into the screen. "Hi, Jacob. I had a dog when I was growing up. I'd like to have one now, but I'm on the road so much during the season that it doesn't seem fair to the dog. Since I live alone, I'd have to find someone I trust to take care of it. So for now, I guess I'll have to wait. But I'll definitely get a dog after I retire. While I eat this wing, maybe Kelsey can answer the same question."

  She frowned, studying him. Maybe he wanted the attention off of himself in case the heat was too much to handle. "I have a white Yorkie. She's two years old and I adopted her a few months ago from the animal shelter. Her name is Icing."

  "Icing? As in icing the puck?" Grinning, he lifted the wing to his lips. "That's awesome."

  Pleased that his mind had immediately gone to the hockey term, she sipped her beer. "You got it right away. Most people hear her name and think she's named after cake frosting."

  He coughed, or laughed, or a combination of the two. Face turning red, eyes watering, he dropped the mostly-eaten wing and grabbed his beer. He downed it in a few swallows, refilled the glass, and then drank that one down too.

  Her sole experience with the suicidal wings had been the same. She pitched her voice to a whisper. "Are you all right?"

  He nodded and gave her a thumbs-up. Coughing again, he pushed his empty glass aside. "That wasn't so bad."

  "You did better than me. The only time I had them, I made my brothers stop for ice cream on our way home. Dairy products help cool the mouth down the best."

  His arm brushed against hers as he shifted closer. "So, does that mean we're stopping for ice cream after this?"

  The touch set off a liquid pull directly to her core. She shivered as goosebumps dotted her skin. The light emanating from the laptop screen reminded her that they weren't alone, that hundreds, possibly thousands of people were watching. "I could show you my favorite place. After all," she reasoned out loud for the benefit of the fans, "you've only been a part of the team for five days, so you probably haven't had a chance to see much of the city, have you?"

  "I've seen my hotel room, the arena, and the practice facility. I'd like suggestions from the fans about places to check out." He squinted at the comments popping up under the video. And then he laughed. Eyes crinkling at the corners and his head tossed back, the rich chuckle drew glances from other tables. "Wow. That's a pretty creative suggestion. I've never seen those words used in that way."

  The expletive-laden comment, delivered in all caps, was explicit, but that it came from one of the site's longest members shocked Kelsey even more. "Guys, I appreciate colorful language as much as anyone else but remember, this is a family site, so keep it clean." She deleted the comment and turned to Leo. "I'm sorry about that."

  He shrugged and then looked at the camera and raised his beer in toast. "Bring it on. But as Kelsey said, kids could be reading, and they don't need to see that stuff."

  New comments rolled in, a mix of genuine questions and comments littered with crude words and hateful suggestions. Leo was acting like they didn't bother him, but how could they not?

  Anger burning hotter than the spice from the wings, Kelsey laid her hand on his arm and leaned closer to the screen. "You've already had one warning. Repeat offenders will be permanently blocked from leaving comments, and can be banned from the site with one click, which I'm more than happy to do, so keep that in mind."

  Warm muscles flexed under her hand and drew her attention to Leo. He looked impressed, grateful, and surprised. "Usually, I'm the one in the role of protector or enforcer. It's been a while since anyone has fought battles for me."

  Heat rushed into her cheeks. Defending him had been the right thing to do. An
yone would have. Well, maybe not anyone, or even half of the Bedlam fan base, but she couldn't help the pull she felt for him. Lifting her shoulders, she shifted away.

  "Wait. What's that one?" He scrolled up a few comments. "There. 'Hey Leo, as atonement for knocking out Dylan, you should eat the death wings.' What is a death wing?"

  "The death sauce is even hotter than the suicidal sauce. I think it's the hottest sauce they make. I've never tried it."

  His shoulder puffed up and his features slipped into the warrior's expression he wore on the ice. "Let's do it."

  "You'll sacrifice some taste buds, but if you're sure..."

  As he put in the order, Kelsey added a request for lemonade, ignoring his quirking brow. She quietly deleted a fan's suggestion that Leo should also down a shot of the suicidal sauce. She wouldn't allow this to descend into some immature frat boy contest. "You grew up in Philly. Do you spend the off season there?"

  "I do. My dad and brothers all still live there. I love my hometown. I don't know if you ever take Kelsey's Corner on the road, but if you come on the road trip when we play Philly the last game of the season, we can revisit the city's famous foods thing and I'll take you to get a real Philly cheesesteak. And an authentic Philadelphia soft pretzel."

  "I'm in. We'll have to make that happen." She loved traveling and the team likely would be all for it. "Maybe you can play tour guide too, and take me to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Oh, and the art museum steps."

  He laughed. "Rocky fan, hmm?"

  "I love those movies. Dylan, Rod, and I watched them all the time as kids." Her arm brushed his again. She let it linger, hyper-aware of his touch. "If we're playing tour guide, then I'll have to take you to Canalside. And Niagara Falls."

  Her enthusiasm had pulled her focus away from the interview. She glanced at the screen. One comment jumped out. You two should get a room!