‘You OK?’ he queried, noticing her sudden change in demeanour.
‘It’s nothing. I suppose I’m just not used to people staring at me.’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘You came dressed like that, and you weren’t expecting to be stared at?’ His gaze held hers and there was no mistaking the heat in his eyes this time.
Oh god.She couldn’t falter. Not again.
‘Let’s go inside.’
A little later, after the gala dinner was over and a jazz band started up, Hannah found herself out on the ballroom floor in Ward McKenzie’s arms and, despite her misgivings, she couldn’t imagine anywhere better to be.
The first thing she’d noticed when he’d insisted they share a dance was howsolidhe was. It felt as if she were being held by a mountain. The next thing that struck her was how good he smelled. She didn’t know what scent he was wearing tonight, but it was intoxicating.
Though she might have been a little intoxicated anyway, due to the champagne.
It didn’t surprise her that he was a good dancer either. She’d seen footage of him on the ice before the injury and, despite his bulk, he’d always seemed so effortlessly graceful.
‘How’s the knee?’ she asked, and instead of replying, he playfully spun her around.
‘You tell me.’
‘Show off,’ she muttered laughing.
There was an unmistakable but surprisingly easy chemistry between them tonight, and she found herself enjoying the occasion far more than expected. When Ward let his guard down he really was fun to be around. She’d anticipated that things might be a little awkward between them given the confusion surrounding her apparent role here. But now it felt as if the professional element had completely faded into the background and Hannah was very much in plus-one mode and having the time of her life.
Just then, the music suddenly stopped, bringing her thoughts back to the present, though she realized that her dancing partner didn’t seem to notice and was still her holding close.
Following a brief introduction and a heavy round of applause, revered Panthers’ owner Craig Sumners trotted up to the mic. Hannah glanced back at Ward and reluctantly stepped out of his arms, giving his elbow an encouraging squeeze.
Here we go …
Chapter 45
WARD
When Ward saw the boss take to the stage, microphone in hand, he knew he should feel excited that maybe the moment he’d been waiting for had arrived but instead he felt annoyed. And doubly annoyed that Hannah had released herself from his arms and the fun they’d been having had been cut short. He’d been enjoying himself so much that he’d almost forgotten the reason he was here. Or hoped that was the reason.
But when the team owner made eye contact with him then, there was a dark glint in Sumners’ gaze that made him certain he was right to worry.
‘Uh-oh,’ he muttered quietly.
Hannah glanced at him. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘I’m not sure,’ he admitted, ‘but something tells me that I’m not about to like whatever the hell is about to happen.’
When Sumners saw that he had everyone’s attention, the Panthers’ owner began to speak, his voice firm and confident. ‘First of all, on behalf of my lovely wife Barbara and myself, thank you all for coming here tonight. Benefits tend to bring out the best in people and tonight is no exception.’ Then he chuckled. ‘Though I suspect that might be about to change.’
There was polite, if somewhat confused, applause.
‘Now, when I first took ownership of the Panthers, I don’t mind admitting that I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that I wanted to be a part of something special – a part of New York history. This team has always been revered for its sporting prowess, passion, and success, but is also known for bringing entertainment and sometimes controversy to the game. And concerning the latter, no player has done more for that than our very own returning hero WildCat Ward McKenzie, who I’m happy to see here tonight.’
Ward felt all eyes turn on him and, despite Sumners’ words, his instinct was to turn around and get the hell out of there. Instead, he stood in place when he felt Hannah’s hand slip into his, giving him another reassuring squeeze. Reflexively he tightened his hold, as if it was some kind of lifeline. ‘Now, we’re all aware that our boy has suffered some physical injuries lately, but by all accounts is recovering nicely, and we’re keen to have him back on the ice soon.’
Hannah looked up at him, flashing a delighted smile, and Ward exhaled. OK, he was coming back. He’d done it. The board hadn’t given him the axe after all. Sumners had just confirmed the news he’d been waiting all this time to hear.
He knew that by rights he should be over the moon, so he wondered why he wasn’t feeling that way. Probably because Sumners had simply issued the news so offhandedly and without any great fanfare. Which suggested he wasn’t finished with what he had to say just yet.
No, something was off.
