Destiny on Ice (Boys of Winter #1)(64)

I move closer to her, and this time she lets me close the gap. I think she’s just too upset to stop me.

With my hand on her leg, I say, “Of course there’s a bright side. The Wolves will let you out of your contract now. We won’t have to wait until the summer to tell the world we’re in love.”

She stares at me like I’m speaking another language. “Are you smoking crack?” she asks.

I mutter a confused, “Um, no.”

Slipping out from under my hand, she stands abruptly. “Do you not realize how bad it is for me to be terminated for something like this?”

Wait a minute. She just used the present tense.

“Are you saying the team already contacted you?” I ask.

To say I’m surprised things are moving so quickly is an understatement. Maybe I have f*cked things up.

“Yes,” she replies, “they have.”

I run my hand through my hair. “Jesus, talk about not wasting any time.”

“I told you this is bad, Brent.”

She hands me her phone, where a text is pulled up. I start scrolling the long and full-of-legalize message.

The gist is summed up in the final paragraph: Your contract is hereby rendered null and void, as per our agreement. Your employment with the Las Vegas Wolves is terminated, effective immediately. As agreed upon in the new addendum, dated December 4, you are to have no ongoing relationships with any parties associated with the Wolves, or any of their affiliates. A formal letter outlining these details will be forthcoming via certified mail.



“No ongoing relationships? What’s this shit?” I spit out, angry at myself for my impulsive act. “You never told me there was a clause like this in the contract.”

“There wasn’t,” she says flatly. “At least, not in the original one I signed.”

Aubrey looks completely defeated, especially when I stupidly ask, “What exactly does this mean?”

I read the text, sure, but a part of me is hoping I missed something, some sort of out.

Aubrey crushes all hope, though, when she confirms, “It means we can’t be together, Brent. And now it’s not simply a ‘wait until the summer’ condition. It’s a wait till freaking forever!”

“That can’t be,” I murmur, still resistant to accepting the truth. “I paged through the new paperwork you signed, and I didn’t see anything like that—”

“Wait. What?”

She’s staring at me, confused, her brow furrowed.

Feeling like the world’s biggest ass, I struggle to explain. “I, um… I may have taken a peek at what we were up against.”

“You read through my new contract?” Her tone is pure shock. “You went into my laptop case and took it out?”

“Yes,” I admit, guilt consuming me. I can’t meet her gaze. And that’s how she knows I did more than read the contract.

“Oh my God, Brent. Please tell me what I’m suspecting right now isn’t true.”

I say nothing, and she crumples to the floor right in front of me. I hate myself for causing her this much pain.

With her back against the coffee table, she brings her knees up to her chest and wraps her arms around them. “You released that video, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” I admit.

Choking back a sob, she asks, “Why would you do something like that? Why?”

“I did it for us, babe.”

“Jesus, don’t you realize you’ve just made it so there is no more ‘us’? Everything is ruined now. You may have read the contract, but you missed the extra page in the back. Like the text laid out, the extension I signed contained an addendum, stating that if I’m terminated early I’m to have no contact with anyone associated with the team in any way, shape, or form. That includes you, Brent.”

I slide down to the floor next to her, broken and shamed. “Aubrey, babe.” I take her in my arms. “They can’t hold us to something as ridiculous as that. It’s far too extreme.”

“It is extreme,” she cries. “But the fact remains that I signed it and fully agreed to it.”

She loses it then, sobbing and shaking. All the composure she’s maintained over the past four months of dealing with me crumbles right before my eyes. Aubrey’s petite frame is racked with big choking sobs, and my heart shatters to a thousand I-f*cked-up pieces.

I try to comfort her, but I know then that I’ve already lost her.





Leaving My Heart Behind





My boss calls an hour after the video is released and orders me to return to Chicago immediately.

Surprisingly, he’s not angry. He’s just resigned.

“We’ll find you another assignment,” he says, in a meant-to-be consoling tone. “The management team out there is completely unreasonable. As far as we’re concerned, Aubrey, you did a phenomenal job. I think the best thing going forward is for us to get you on another contract with a new client as soon as possible.”

I pretend to agree, but truthfully I feel like I need some time off.

I feel the same way a day later when I’m packing, which I find is far from easy. I’ve been here so long that I’ve had to have most of my things boxed up and designated to be shipped to my townhouse in Chicago.