The plane he was waiting for finally began to unleash its prisoners, and August shoved off the wall, weaving closer through the crowd. A woman’s startled gasp barely registered as she stepped hastily out of his path, muttering about how scary he was.
So. Fucking. Annoying.
August knew he had to at leasttryto look approachable so he didn’t scare the new guy away, but it was hard when every gaze in the room was locked onto his scowling face, making him feel exposed.
“That’s August Snow,” he heard a teenage boy tell his friends excitedly. “He’s the best defenseman the Bigfoots have seen in forever. Think we should ask for an autograph?”
August tightened his jaw until it started to ache. God, he fucking hoped they didn’t ask him because then he would be forced to stand there for hours and sign everything from tits to napkins.
“Do you think I could ask for his number? I’ve always wanted to go mountain climbing,” one of the girls asked, giggling as she held onto her friend.
August sped up, eyes searching for a head of black hair amongst the crowd below. It was his lucky day because the group of teens didn’t come any closer, leaving him to his task in peace.
Even with the height advantage, it took time to find the man he was looking for. August thought he might find the guy buried under a group of eager fans begging for an autograph from a Stanley Cup Champion, but that wasn’t the case.
Niko Cote looked every bit as awkward as August felt as he was swept along with the roaming cluster of people around him. He kept panicking and looking down at his phone like he was waiting for instructions—most likely from Callahan—and pulling his bags behind him.
August planted himself in front of the man, arms crossed, waiting to be acknowledged. And surprisingly, it took a long time for him to be seen.
Green eyes flicked up and went wide right before Niko ran into him, and August was momentarily distracted by the colour.
“Oh, thank God.” Niko visibly sagged with relief the moment he spotted him. “I need to get out of here. I nearly got mobbed mid-flight, and mothers were literally holding up their screaming babies like ransom for autographs.”
August grinned, raising an eyebrow. “Like…were they saying the baby wanted an autograph or were they using the crying to force your hand?”
“Both,” said Niko. “Iwas the one crying by the time the plane landed. Next time, I’m paying for seats in first class.”
August thought it was weird that Niko hadn’t done that originally. It’s not like the guy couldn’t afford them, but it was none of his business.
“Ready to go to camp?” August asked, turning to frown at a man who was getting too close to them. “I was told to be your chaperone for the day.”
“Uh…” Niko looked back at his phone, lips quirking into a smile at whatever he saw was written. “That works for me. I don’t want to bother you too much.”
The only bother so far was that Niko seemed more interested in his phone rather than his new teammate standing in front of him. One playoff win, and the kid was already on an ego trip.
“Is she cute?”
That got Niko’s attention. He flinched and dropped the phone, roughly shoving it into his pocket.
“No—no girls,” Niko said, his cheeks flushing. “Nope, no girls for me.”
His stuttering made August smile. “Are you saving yourself for marriage?”
When Niko peered at the people surrounding them, August got the hint. They weren’t going to have this conversation in the open.
“Come on.” August gestured for the newbie to follow him and started leading the way toward the exit. He could interrogate Niko aboutthe girlfriend he was too shy to talk about once they were in his car and safe behind locked doors.
Niko was nervous, which was a strange trait for a hockey player. August remembered playing against him last season and had thought the rookie was detached in a cool sort of way, but the guy jogging behind him was acting like he was uncomfortable in his own skin.
Niko shied away from people and ducked his head to keep from meeting their gazes. There was no sign of the confident player on the ice who had outskated August at every opportunity, only a twenty-year-old boy who was hunched in on himself while he walked.
They would have to fix that. No star player on August’s team was going to act like they were walking on eggshells if he could help it.
August ushered Niko toward his car, flashing a grin that said, “Prepare to be impressed.”
But nothing. Niko didn’t even blink.
August’s jaw tightened. He’d spent more on this car than people paid for their house, and apparently, it came with an invisibility cloak.
