Tempting The Ice King

THE ROOKIE

I looked up at Kyren, who was now staring at my cellphone screen, his jaw clenching tightly. I gulped nervously as he took the small device from me.

This confirmed it. I wasn't being paranoid for nothing. Someone was watching me. They've been watching me since the night of the party.

I pulled my phone out of Kyren's grasp before carefully sliding off his lap.

"Is someone stalking you?" He asked, his eyes burning into my pale skin.

"What? No." I argued before running a hand through my hair. "The girls must be playing some kind of joke on me."

"A joke? The arena was locked, Princess. The only people who had the key were me, you, Coach Ronan, and the rookie."

"What are you trying to insinuate, Kyren?" I snapped before letting out a frustrated sigh.

"You don't think it's weird that on the night that the rookie shows his face, you get a weird text?" He asked, before narrowing his eyes at me.

"No. The girls probably slipped in at some point and saw me talking to Oliver. Besides this isn't any of your business." I reminded him.

"He mentioned my name. That makes it my business." He pointedly stated before getting out of the car. He looked around the parking lot, checking the space for any suspicious activity.

A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of someone watching us right this second. I brought my trembling hands up to my mouth before tossing my phone aside.

Kyren was right; whoever sent this text had access to the arena. It could have been the janitor. One of the cheerleaders on my squad. Or perhaps it was one of Kyren's teammates.

It could literally be anyone.

I watched as Kyren approached my door and quickly lowered my hand from my mouth. I couldn't let him see my fear.

He opened my door, his eyes landing on me. "Come on, sit on the passenger seat." He demanded, and I nodded before carefully stepping out of the car. He shielded me with his body until I was sitting on the passenger seat.

He walked around the car before getting in behind the steering wheel. My eyes were wide with panic as I stared out the window.

"Buckle your seatbelt." He uttered, snapping me out of my thoughts.

He pulled out of the parking lot, and I wordlessly clicked my seatbelt into place. I quietly looked over at him, and a wave of gratitude washed over me.

Thank God, he came to pick me up when my dad asked him to. I mean, he easily could've said no. But he didn't; he came to get me. And made sure I got home safely.

I could only trust him. I averted my gaze from his perfectly sculpted face and allowed myself to calm down.

After a short drive home, Kyren parked his car in the underground garage. We took the elevator up to our suite in silence. I counted the seconds until the elevator dinged open on our floor.

I followed Kyren down the dimly lit corridor. He unlocked the door and gave way so I could step inside. He locked the door behind us once he was inside.

"Thanks for the ride home. But you still humiliated me in the cafeteria, I won't forget what you did that easily." I reminded him, I didn't wait for a response, I just headed straight into my bedroom.

I rushed to close my bedroom windows and curtains. My bedsheets shifted as I slumped onto my bed.

Who on earth sent that text? I sat upright as my dad crossed my mind. I should warn him, just in case. What if someone tried to harm him?

Or maybe not. Maybe I should keep this from him. Maybe that would be the safest thing for me to do.

I got up from my bed before grabbing my toiletry bag and a crisp white towel. I left my room before entering the bathroom. The room filled with steam as I turned on the hot water.

I stepped under water before cleaning myself. The damp air inside the room filled with the scent of my body wash, temporarily giving me an escape to a different dimension.

Once I was done in the shower, I wrapped a towel around my body. I opened the bathroom and found Kyren guarding the door. I placed a startled hand on my chest as my eyes slowly ran over him.

I breathed out a relieved sigh before walking over to my room. I shot Kyren one last glance before slipping into my room.

He'll be watching me like a hawk now that he knows. The last thing I want is for him to look at me. Especially after our kiss. And the way his fingers circled my c**t in that hallway...

I shook my head before getting dressed in a matching pajama set. I dried my damp hair before making my way into the kitchen. I froze in my step when I found Kyren already sitting on a barstool inside.

He was busy eating some lasagna. One of his campus girlfriends probably made it for him. I pulled my face in distaste before pulling open the refrigerator door.

I pulled out some Greek yogurt. I quickly diced up some cucumber before mixing the two ingredients. I added some salt and pepper before cleaning my station.

As I moved to leave the kitchen, Kyren's hand landed on my thigh. He pulled me between his legs, and my breath caught. He took the salad in my hands and gently set it on the countertop.

"Stay away from the rookie, Princess. He's at the top of my suspect list. I don't trust him, and neither should you." He said, his grip tightening on my hip, enough to form a bruise.

"Stop telling me what to do, Kyren. I'm not a child. And I can make my own decisions." I assured him.

Just as he was about to respond, my phone buzzed on the countertop.

"Don't look," Kyren commanded as he snatched up the device. But I was already looking. The screen was bright in the dimly lit kitchen.

It wasn't a text this time. It was a photo taken through our kitchen window from the building across the street.

It was a picture of us, right now. Me standing between Kyren's legs. His hand on my thigh. They weren't just in the arena. They followed us home.

Kyren's face became twisted with rage. He didn't look scared; he looked ready to kill. He looked at the window, then back at me.

"He's right across the street, Hailey," he whispered, his voice dangerously low. "Stay on the floor. Don't move."

He reached over and killed the kitchen lights.

"Kyren?" I whimpered.

"I'm going to find him," he said. The sound of him grabbing his keys was the only thing I could hear in the dark. "And when I do, I'm going to make sure he never looks at you again."