Free Crossing the Line (The Baltimore Banners Book 1) by Lisa B. Kamps Page A

letting people like Gerry Brown get to you. It's seen as a weakness, and as soon as any of these sharks—including me—see a weakness, it's a feeding frenzy and you know it."
         AJ's jaw tightened, her entire posture stubborn and defensive. It was so completely different from her reactions around Gerry Brown that Alec wondered why the asshole had such a negative effect on her. He watched her for a few more minutes, finally relaxing his own guard a bit when he noticed the stubborn lift of her chin settle.
         "So you were saying?"
         Tim shook his head, just a small movement as he lips lifted into a small, brief small.
         "I do like your style, AJ, you know that." He moved back behind his desk, sitting in the chair with a creak. "Gerry was extremely glad to let me know that you propositioned our hockey player here in order to get an interview."
         "That's—" She was interrupted by Tim's quick hand motion.
         "Semantics. After questioning him, I was given the details of your proposition. He also admitted he had been given the same chance but didn't take it. That I would have liked to see." Another brief smile lifted one corner of his mouth before he focused his attention squarely on Alec. The sudden intensity caught Alec off-guard, especially since he had felt invisible right up to that moment. "So, Mr. Hockey Player...my girl actually scored a goal with you in the net, huh?"
         Now it was Alec's turn to flush, a disconcerting feeling, especially since he had just been made to feel as if his athletic abilities had been called into question. He opened his mouth for what surely would have been a stammered reply but was interrupted by AJ.
         "It was a lucky shot, trust me. I fell on the ice and slid straight into him. The only reason the puck crossed the line is because he was more worried about me plowing into him."
         Tim flicked his gaze between the two of them, watching. Alec was barely aware of the scrutiny because his attention was focused on AJ. She stood with a feigned casualness, her gaze forced straight ahead on the wall behind Tim. Alec cleared his throat.
         "Actually, it was a pretty decent shot and I wasn't expecting it. I have no idea if I would have stopped it even if she hadn't, you know...slid...into me." Alec couldn't believe he had just admitted that. From the look AJ was now giving him, she couldn't believe it, either. What the hell had just gotten into him that he would ever admit that?
         "Hmm. Regardless..." Again, Tim divided his gaze between him and AJ, accompanying each glance with a tap, tap, tap of his pencil. "I don't care about any physical relationship you two have. What I need to know is if it's going to get in the way of this interview."
         "Excuse me?" Alec's remarkably controlled response was much tamer than AJ's outburst.
         "That's bull, Tim! There is no relationship. Trust me. Especially not physical—"
         "AJ, I am not blind, even if you two are. And I don't really care what goes on behind closed doors. But make sure it stays there. Be discreet. Any hint of indiscretion is going to taint whatever article comes out of this. You don't want to lose this opportunity over something like a sexual indiscretion."
         Alec was stunned into speechlessness. Even if he had known what to say—and his mind was completely, unforgivably blank—he wouldn't have been able to utter a single word.
         "Gee, Tim, thanks for the vote of confidence. Thanks for thinking I would stoop so low as to trade sex for a story. Un-freaking-believable. You know, you rank right up there with Gerry. Worse, because I thought—"
         "AJ, save your breath. I don't think that. But you know how this business works. You don't need something like that tied to your name."
         "Yeah, whatever."
         "AJ..."
         She shook her head and gave her editor a 'talk to the hand' gesture. "Don't even. I don't