“But…” I take a breath. “I liked hearing you say it.”
His eyes flare.
My cheeks heat. “I probably shouldn’t.”
His voice drops. “Peyton.”
The door rattles again.
“WE CAN HEAR SEXUAL TENSION THROUGH THE DOOR,” Connor yells.
Daltyn’s eyes close.
I start laughing again.
And for the first time since the clip went live, Daltyn lets out a rough laugh, too.
Then he squeezes my hand once and heads for the door.
And my heart does something very stupid in my chest.
Because this is what scares me most. Not the media. Not the comments. Not even the fact that the entire hockey world suddenly thinks I belong to Daltyn Guyer.
It’s that part of me that likes it. Way too much.
32
DALTYN
I drag both hands down my face before stalking toward the door.
The second I open it, chaos explodes into the cabin.
Connor pushes past me. “SHE’S WITH ME,” he announces dramatically, clutching his chest.
Jake nearly collapses laughing behind him.
Cole points at me. “Brother folded under pressure in under four questions.”
“I didn’t fold.”
Connor gasps loudly. “You publicly claimed a woman on Zoom like a Victorian husband returning from war.”
“I was protecting her.”
“Oh, he’s STILL doing it,” Jake cackles.
Ford walks in carrying coffee while Harper follows beside him, looking far too entertained.
“To be fair,” Ford says calmly, “the reporter was pushing too hard.”
I nod once. “Thank you.”
Ford takes one sip of coffee. “Still,” he adds. “Holy shit.”
Traitor.
Allie slips inside behind them, making a beeline for Peyton on the couch. “You okay?” she asks, already smiling.
