Crossing the Line (The Baltimore Banners Book 1) Read online

  Didn't she know the players had to concentrate before a game? That they didn't need distractions when they were supposed to be getting ready? Not that any of the players seemed to mind, which irritated Alec even more for a reason he didn't understand.

  He glanced over to the stands and gritted his teeth. Her denim jacket was gone now, which he didn't really understand. Despite being mid-Fall, summer weather was hanging on in Baltimore, but it was still chilly in the arena. She had to be cold, with pretty much her entire upper body exposed like that. What was she thinking, dressing like that...

  Alec's attention shot to center ice at the sound of the puck dropping and all thoughts of AJ Johnson disappeared from his mind. His eyes followed the spot of black, his breathing slow as he watched sticks fight for control of it. The hard piece of rubber came sliding toward him at warp speed and he crouched low, ready for it, only to have one of his teammates slap it away from him. The puck careened across the ice, crossing the center line and entering the offensive zone, and Alec relaxed his stance. He glanced up at the clock and saw the seconds ticking by...four, three, two...

  The horn sounded, signaling the end of the game, and Alec breathed a deep sigh of relief. The Banners won! Maybe his slump was finally over.

  He looked to his left and noticed AJ watching him, a broad smile lighting her face. She caught his eye and nodded at him, almost as if she was saying "Good job". He caught himself smiling back at her before he could stop himself. As soon as he realized what he was doing, he frowned and looked away, then skated out of the net to meet his teammates. He grunted under their well-meant claps of congratulations and mild-mannered barbs, refusing to think about the look of disappointment he could have sworn crossed AJ's face when he frowned at her.

  TWO

  "What are you doing here, Johnson?"

  AJ tensed at the clipped words coming from behind her and bit her tongue. It was so tempting to turn around and fire back with a sarcastic comment, but hardly worth the effort. Number one, the comment would be lost on the speaker. Number two, she needed to focus on her plan.

  She took a deep breath, held it to the count of five, then slowly turned and eyed Gerry Brown with all the cool disdain she could muster. Not that he noticed—he was too busy slicking back his hair and smoothing his shirt sleeves to pay any attention.

  "I'm waiting. What are you doing here?"

  He finally looked at her, his pale brows drawn down in a frown as he looked her over. It was obvious from his expression that he found her lacking but she refused to squirm. Gerry Brown was a nothing, no matter what he thought, and there was no doubt in her mind that she could do a better job than he could any day.

  "You may as well go home and play with your dolls, sweet thing, because you're only wasting your time. We both know you don't have a shot. The job is already mine."

  AJ clenched her fists behind her back. She would not let him get to her. "Really? Funny, I must have missed that inter-office memo. Not to mention your interview with the goalie."

  "It's just a matter of time sweet thing. So why don't you go home and let the real men go to work?"

  AJ was stopped from saying or doing anything she would regret when the door opened behind her and a few of the players came out, talking noisily amongst themselves. Their conversation drifted off as they noticed the two of them standing there. AJ wondered what thoughts were going through their minds as they looked first at her then at Gerry.

  The two obviously didn't fit in. AJ stood out in her jeans and sandals almost as much as Gerry stood out in his too-crisp slacks and stiff white shirt. She only hoped that nobody actually thought they were together. The thought made her groan out loud, which caught the attention of one of the players.

  "Hey AJ. You okay?" It was Ian Donovan who asked the question. She nodded, surprised he remembered her. He had been a rookie the year that damned tabloid article came out with her name on it, and she hadn't really talked to him much.

  "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks." She was getting ready to say something else, nothing in particular, just small talk to pass the time, when Gerry unceremoniously pushed her to the side with enough force that she stumbled. His phony smile widened and he thrust his hand in Ian's direction.

  "Hi, Gerry Brown with The Times. I'm sure you've heard of me. That was a great game out there tonight, just great. I'd love to sit down and talk to you sometime. You know, put together a really great story."

  AJ groaned again, almost embarrassed for Gerry. Did he not see how everyone was staring at him? His "great" approach was so superficial that a child could see through it. The few players that were standing around shifted uncomfortably as Ian sized him up and reluctantly shook his hand without saying anything. AJ noticed the looks being slid her way and she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

  "We're not together!"

  Several of the players were obviously amused at the desperation in her voice and she mentally kicked herself. This was not the best way to make good impressions.

  Gerry turned to her with such a look of cold derision that she actually took a step back. From the look on his face, he had obviously decided she was bad for whatever impression he was trying to make. If he wanted to say something to her—and she was pretty sure he wanted to from the way his mouth was trying to form words—the sudden opening of the door stopped him. Literally. The metal slab slammed into him, forcing him to step back to avoid being flattened. AJ would have laughed except that she had to step back as well or risk having Gerry fall on top of her.

  "What the—"

  Voices erupted both in amusement and warning as the force behind the door stepped out into the chaos. AJ felt strong hands on her arms, pulling her out of harm's way as Gerry rounded on her with a scowl.

  "You stupid little...don't you realize you're in my way? Why don't you just go home where you belong?"

  AJ stared at him, stunned. She always knew there was something wrong with Gerry but she never would have credited him with such cold hatred and violence. And there was no doubt that the urge to do violence was there; she could see it in the coldness of his eyes and in the clenching of his fists as he stared her down. For a brief second she thought he might actually take a swing at her—if not for the solid body that suddenly stepped between them.

  Alec's deep brown eyes drifted over her in what could have passed for concern before he turned to face Gerry, effectively shielding her with his size. Was it her imagination, or did his eyes get a few degrees chillier before he turned toward the moron?

  "Is there something I can help you with?" Even Alec's voice seemed chillier than she recalled, not that Gerry noticed. Once again he thrust his hand forward for a handshake.

  "Gerry Brown, The Times. We met the other day. Great game out there tonight, Alec. Really great. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind joining me for a cup of coffee so we could talk. It would make a great story."

  AJ rolled her eyes, not caring that Gerry could see her. Was he always so transparent? It was a wonder he ever got interviews if this was his style.

  "I'm not interested."

  "But it would make for a great story—"

  "I don't do interviews."

  "Not at all, I understand. This isn't an interview, didn't mean to imply—"

  "I'm not interested."

  "Oh, I see. Not a problem. Maybe there's a chance—"

  Almost casually, several of Alec's teammates worked their way in front of Gerry, effectively putting distance between the two. AJ was impressed at how smoothly they accomplished it, almost as if everything had been choreographed and rehearsed. Then again, knowing how adverse Alec was to the press, maybe this type of move had been rehearsed before.

  And yet Gerry still didn't seem to get it, because he kept talking, leaning around a few of the players and trying to get closer to Alec. AJ rolled her eyes again and could have sworn she heard Alec chuckle. It was then that she realized his hand was still wrapped loosely around her elbow and that he was now leading her awa
y from the small crowd.

  So maybe Gerry wasn't the only one who was a little unobservant.

  And while the sensation of the warm, callused hand against her skin wasn't unpleasant, it was beginning to become a little disconcerting now that she was aware of it. Little tingles radiated up her bare arm, causing her flesh to break out in tiny goose bumps.

  "You wouldn't get so cold if you actually wore some clothes, you know. Where's the jacket you had on earlier?" Alec's voice was a bit harsher than she expected, considering his hand was still gently cupping her elbow as they walked into the parking garage. She cast a sideways look at him, surprised at the little flutter in her chest.

  "Why the sudden obsession with my clothes? You make no sense Kolchak, none at all. Do you know that?"

  "I am not obsessed with your clothes. I just don't think it's healthy to be in damp chilly air dressed like that."

  AJ tried to smother her grunt of amusement but not very successfully. The noise only drew an irritated scowl from Alec, and he stopped and frowned at her. He seemed to realize he still had her elbow in his grasp because he suddenly let go and stepped back, looking awkward. The laughter AJ felt at his astonishment died in her throat. Alec's eyes grew darker as he studied her, and she couldn't quite seem to keep her stare from his mouth. She never noticed how full and soft his lips looked, and she wondered...

  They both stepped back from each other at the same time, and AJ wondered if her foolish thoughts were written on her face. God, had she really just thought about how it would feel to be kissed by Alec Kolchak? She was losing her mind.

  Alec cleared his throat and glanced around at the parked cars scattered around them. AJ briefly wondered what he was thinking then decided she was better off not knowing, especially if he had read her crazy thoughts on her face.

  "So...where are you parked?"

  "Huh? Oh, um, that's mine over there." AJ pointed toward her car, thinking the echo of the nearly-empty garage was playing tricks on her ears, because she thought his voice sounded a little huskier than normal. His head was turned away from her and the overhead lights threw shadows across his chiseled cheekbones and chin.

  AJ swallowed, nervous for reasons she didn't want to explore, then walked toward her car. She could tell Alec was behind her from the sound of his footsteps, and she was only mildly surprised when he leaned in front of her to open the car door for her.

  "So what exactly is going on, AJ?" Alec's eyes were dark and deep-set in the shadows, penetrating as he studied her. She shook her head and squeezed by him, lowering herself into the driver seat. Alec rested his arm along the doorframe, preventing her from closing the door. "C'mon AJ, out with it. What's going on? First I have you bugging me, and now that goofball. And please don't tell me he's a friend of yours."

  "Uh, no, he's definitely not a friend, just some guy who works at the paper."

  "The paper, hm?" Alec continued to study her, so intensely that she looked away and jammed the key into the ignition. The sound of the engine turning over erupted between them but wasn't loud enough to drown out his words.

  "I'm not sure what game you're playing, AJ, but you can forget it now. I don't do interviews, so you can just pass that on to whoever needs to know. And I don't need people bothering me all season for something that's not going to happen."

  "Alec—"

  "Forget it, AJ. I don't need any headaches this season. And that goes for anyone else you might be working with. No interviews, period."

  AJ studied Alec's face as he leaned closer to her. His expression was serious, his eyes warning her not to push. But she sensed something else beneath the dark look in his eyes and the warning scowl on his face. For just a second, there was something lurking behind the mask he presented her. But only for a second. AJ looked closer but whatever it had been was gone.

  "I mean it, AJ. You've got a better chance of going one-on-one with me and scoring than you do of getting an interview. So just forget it. Okay?"

  Alec gave her one last look, slammed her door shut, then turned and walked away. AJ watched his retreating form, not really seeing him as her mind latched onto an idea. Yeah, it was crazy. But that didn't mean it wouldn't work.

  **

  "You are absolutely insane."

  AJ stared at Tim with as much anger as she dared while suppressing the urge to slug him. "I'm not insane. You have to at least let me try."

  "Forget it, AJ. This has been going on for a week and neither one of you has gotten anywhere. I told you, I'm pulling the assignment. Which means Gerry will be the new columnist."

  A cold chill swept through AJ at her editor's words. No! She had a chance, she knew it. If she could pull this off...

  "That so totally sucks, Tim. And it's not impossible! At least give me the chance to try this one thing." Her words were rushed and desperate but she didn't care. She had to try. To just let this chance go without fighting...

  "AJ, this wasn't some human interest story. You knew beforehand this wasn’t going to be easy."

  "Gerry didn't even get as far as I did. That has to count for something."

  "But Gerry is used to more than human-interest pieces."

  "Yeah? Did you know that jerk told me to go home and play with my dolls? After he called me 'sweet thing'? And it looked like he was ready to hit me, too. I can only imagine how that would look if I pursued it." AJ repressed her smile at Tim's wince, knowing what he was afraid of if she decided to push it. She wasn't afraid of a little blackmail. A quick minute passed by, just long enough to let the unspoken threat sink home. "Please, Tim. I'm capable of one hell of a lot more and you know it."

  Tim watched her in complete silence, his face carefully blank as he rocked back and forth in his beat up chair. The rusty squeak-squeak grated on her nerves but she refused to let it bother her. "Resorting to blackmail and threats, hm?"

  "I'm desperate."

  Another long minute went by before he stopped the annoying rocking of the chair and tossed his pencil on the desk. "Fine. You have seventy-two hours. But this is the last chance. For both of you. And don't say a word!" Tim wagged a finger in her direction and she snapped her mouth closed. "Last shot, AJ. Seventy-two hours. After that, it's over."

  Three days. AJ nodded, her mind reeling as she left Tim's office. Her hare-brained, crazy idea had every potential of blowing up in her face, but she was desperate.

  And if this didn't work...well, at least she hadn't just rolled over and played dead while Gerry Brown danced over her corpse on his way to the new position.

  THREE

  Alec's focus was split, which was the last thing he needed. Pucks flew across the ice around him, hurtling toward him at unbelievable speeds, trying to get past him and gain entry into the net. He had been lucky so far, keeping his attention on the ice on front of him—which is where it needed to be.

  But every once in a while his focus drifted, shifting off to the stands on his right. A metallic clank rang to his left and Alec grunted in frustration as he saw a puck shoot by his left foot. He lowered his stick to the ice and propped his elbow against the back of the net, muttering to himself. The goalie coach hollered something behind him, but Alec couldn't make it out. Not that he wanted to. The only positive thing so far was the fact that this wasn't a game.

  Ian skated over to him, shaking his head with a look of amusement. "That one a rookie would have had, Kolchak." Ian tapped him with the blade of his stick then skated off. The barb was good-natured, but true.

  Which frustrated Alec even more. There was no logical explanation for his distraction, no good reason why he was allowing such a minor nuisance to distract him this much. He shook his head and took another long drink of water then lowered himself into a crouch, waiting for the next onslaught of pucks. Focus, keep your eyes open, watch...

  Alec mentally replayed the words over and over until they were nothing more than a distant hum in the back of his mind. Puck after puck was hurtled in his direction, and he deflected most of them, missing only th
e hardest and fastest shots.

  A movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention and he glanced over. Just like that his concentration shattered. A second later he felt a dull thud as a puck connected solidly with the inside of his left foot. Alec grimaced and tightened his hold on his stick as he leaned forward, cursing.

  The whistle blew but Alec barely heard it, still cursing to himself. Not because of his foot—the ache was minor and already fading. No, what had him cursing was the distraction in the stands.

  Alec looked up again and frowned. It was bad enough that AJ was here, silently annoying him with her presence when he needed to focus on his game. But did she really need to be talking to Nathan Conners as well?

  That was what had distracted him: looking up and seeing her talking to the team's offensive coach, saying something that actually had him laugh. Of all the people AJ should have the sense to leave alone, Nathan Conners was surely at the top of the list—especially after that article she wrote before he was forced into retirement with a knee injury. Alec couldn't even begin to understand why Nathan would talk with her.

  The whistle blew again, signaling the end of practice. Alec shook his head, pushing all thoughts of AJ from his mind, and slowly skated toward the door. A long, hot shower then he would be heading home. He wanted nothing more than that—and to be left alone.

  "Hey Alec."

  The voice was friendly enough, maybe even a little hesitant, as if the speaker sensed his mood. Not great to begin with, it suddenly dropped a few notches. Alec sighed, loudly and with so much impatience that it had to be obvious to even the most casual observer, then turned around.

  Not surprisingly, AJ was standing a few feet away from him, looking up at him with a combination of caution and stubbornness. He almost turned and walked away, but something stopped him. Maybe he was just too tired to be that rude.