I kept my face impassive and stared at him, waiting for his next move.
“You’re Niklas’s girl. I’m Steven,” he said, holding out a large hand for me to shake.
I hesitated before I took his hand. His palm closed over mine in a way that felt far too intimate.
He’s not a danger.
“I know who you are,” I said. “Niklas told me about you.”
Bauer snorted. “All good things, I’m sure.”
“Why aren’t you out on the ice today?”
“Resting my ankle,” he said. “Just came to watch. I’m waiting to see how long Almquist is planning to stick around.”
I shrugged again.
“You’ll have to ask him,” I said, not letting my gaze waver.
“That’s interesting,” he said, the corners of his mouth turning up into a little smirk. “I got the feeling you pulled some of those strings. Why else would he be back?”
My eyes widened, too surprised to hide my reaction.
“Almquist never brings a girl anywhere with him,” he continued, “and you must be giving him something he wants to get him back here on the ice.”
Bauer’s gaze dipped down in crude appraisal, and he smiled. I glared back at him. “Is that what you came over to say?”
Bauer looked at me mildly. I was struck by how unaffected he seemed to be by my hostility.
“Just trying to understand how this will play out,” he said. “What’s your name?”
“Caroline.”
“Caroline,” he repeated softly. “Nice talking with you. I’m sure your boyfriend will want to know all the details about our conversation.”
He nodded toward the rink. I followed his gaze back down until I found Niklas. The scrimmage had ended, and the players stood in a huddle in the middle of the rink. But Niklas’s head was turned away from the coach. He was staring straight up at me. Even from this distance, I could see his dark frown.
