She caught Nikolai's gaze as he skated past and offered him a small smile even as his eyes darted behind her. A quick frown creased his face, but quickly disappeared.
"Intel? From eight years ago? Nothing like being on top of things."
Denny stood, his movements stiff and jerky behind her. "Just ask him."
She turned around and watched him leave, noticing the angry set to his shoulders and stiff carriage as he jumped down from the bottom bleacher and headed toward the door. She recognized the controlled anger thrumming through him and wondered what was causing it. Deciding she didn't care, she climbed down from the seats and walked over to where the players had gathered to sign autographs.
Her shoulders tightened with tension and her senses heightened, her eyes darting all around. Denny's man was back, surveying the scene from the upper bleachers. Seeing him, knowing there was an additional set of eyes searching, protecting, should have allowed her to relax but it didn't.
She stepped closer to the small crowd, still standing off to the side, and watched Nikolai interact with the fans. He paid attention to any adults that approached him, but it was obvious that he was fonder of the kids. He laughed and joked with them, signed their souvenirs, gave them tips on how to play a better game. And he took his time with them. Never rushing them, letting them know that they had his full attention. She smiled as the last excited kid walked away, and knew without a doubt that Nikolai Petrovich was a fan favorite for very good reasons.
"You're good with them," she told him as he walked over to her and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. "The kids."
"They do not ask for much, and are easily pleased. It is easy to be good with them."
"Not many people think that way, you know." She fell into step with him as he headed down the hallway toward the locker room.
"I am not many people."
She paused, looking up at him, her head tilted to the side. He stopped, one brow cocked in her direction as she studied him. "No, you're not. Do you have any kids?" She wasn't sure what made her ask the question, hadn't even known she was going to ask it until it spilled from her lips. But now that she had asked, she found herself holding her breath, waiting, watching him.
A shadow crossed his face and he looked away, running his thumb across the blade of his stick as he shook his head. "No, I have no children. And my family...they are gone."
Bobbi stepped out of the way to let several players pass, then stepped closer to Nikolai, resting her hand on his arm. His muscles tensed under her touch. "I'm sorry."
Nikolai looked at her, and her heart clenched at the sadness he let her see deep in his eyes. He blinked and shook his head, and that quickly the sadness was gone, replaced by a slight smile. "Do not be sorry, moe krasivejshee . Now I must go shower. You go wait in your grand office and I will find you, then we will go to our meeting."
"Meeting?" Bobbi mentally reviewed the schedule for the day, then shook her head. "I don't have any meeting down for today."
"We are meeting with my agent. He called this morning, and I told him I would see him after practice."
His agent? Anxiety swept over her, and she knew this could be a perfect opportunity to get more information. She nodded, then shook her head. "Nikolai, I'm supposed to be your personal assistant. Keeping your schedule straight is about the only thing I have to do. You should have let me know."
"And I just did." He gave her a quick kiss then nudged her gently. "Now go, and I will see you when I am not so smelly."
She watched as he disappeared through the locker room doors, then turned and rushed down the hall to her closet. Nikolai didn't take long to shower, which didn't leave her much time to once again review the
"Intel? From eight years ago? Nothing like being on top of things."
Denny stood, his movements stiff and jerky behind her. "Just ask him."
She turned around and watched him leave, noticing the angry set to his shoulders and stiff carriage as he jumped down from the bottom bleacher and headed toward the door. She recognized the controlled anger thrumming through him and wondered what was causing it. Deciding she didn't care, she climbed down from the seats and walked over to where the players had gathered to sign autographs.
Her shoulders tightened with tension and her senses heightened, her eyes darting all around. Denny's man was back, surveying the scene from the upper bleachers. Seeing him, knowing there was an additional set of eyes searching, protecting, should have allowed her to relax but it didn't.
She stepped closer to the small crowd, still standing off to the side, and watched Nikolai interact with the fans. He paid attention to any adults that approached him, but it was obvious that he was fonder of the kids. He laughed and joked with them, signed their souvenirs, gave them tips on how to play a better game. And he took his time with them. Never rushing them, letting them know that they had his full attention. She smiled as the last excited kid walked away, and knew without a doubt that Nikolai Petrovich was a fan favorite for very good reasons.
"You're good with them," she told him as he walked over to her and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. "The kids."
"They do not ask for much, and are easily pleased. It is easy to be good with them."
"Not many people think that way, you know." She fell into step with him as he headed down the hallway toward the locker room.
"I am not many people."
She paused, looking up at him, her head tilted to the side. He stopped, one brow cocked in her direction as she studied him. "No, you're not. Do you have any kids?" She wasn't sure what made her ask the question, hadn't even known she was going to ask it until it spilled from her lips. But now that she had asked, she found herself holding her breath, waiting, watching him.
A shadow crossed his face and he looked away, running his thumb across the blade of his stick as he shook his head. "No, I have no children. And my family...they are gone."
Bobbi stepped out of the way to let several players pass, then stepped closer to Nikolai, resting her hand on his arm. His muscles tensed under her touch. "I'm sorry."
Nikolai looked at her, and her heart clenched at the sadness he let her see deep in his eyes. He blinked and shook his head, and that quickly the sadness was gone, replaced by a slight smile. "Do not be sorry, moe krasivejshee . Now I must go shower. You go wait in your grand office and I will find you, then we will go to our meeting."
"Meeting?" Bobbi mentally reviewed the schedule for the day, then shook her head. "I don't have any meeting down for today."
"We are meeting with my agent. He called this morning, and I told him I would see him after practice."
His agent? Anxiety swept over her, and she knew this could be a perfect opportunity to get more information. She nodded, then shook her head. "Nikolai, I'm supposed to be your personal assistant. Keeping your schedule straight is about the only thing I have to do. You should have let me know."
"And I just did." He gave her a quick kiss then nudged her gently. "Now go, and I will see you when I am not so smelly."
She watched as he disappeared through the locker room doors, then turned and rushed down the hall to her closet. Nikolai didn't take long to shower, which didn't leave her much time to once again review the
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