THE DEAL

Thelma’s POV

Giselle's mouth formed a silent O as Jax's face went blank, he couldn't believe it.

The securities didn't move while I stared at the back of his head, too startled because I was more worried that he actually defended me.

"What?” giselle's voice screeched “Captain, she's dangerous, the notorious stalker” 

"She’s with me,”Rhys replied with no hesitation.“She’s my guest.”

He reached down, his hand was big and warm as he took my wrist and pulled me to my feet.

My leg squivered and when we locked eyes, it felt like he was piercing my soul.

His silver eyes were enough to frost everyone.

"Touch her again,” he said, quietly “and you’ll answer to me."

Jax couldn't answer to that but I saw his vein tighten around his throat.

But before I'd read Giselle's reaction, Rhys had already pulled me into room 418 and shut the door on all of them.

Once again, I was back here, fighting back my tears and rubbing my sore wrists.

The smoke had subsided because I could see the exhume from a fire extinguisher tossed to a corner.

He stared at me like I was a problem he'd just decided to keep.

"Sit down,” he mused, crossing his arms. “We need to talk.”

I squeezed my lips in a frown scurried towards the chair his eyes were pointed at but didn't sit.

"Look, everything that happened was accidental. Thanks for playing hero but if you want to ask for compensation, it would be better I get locked up" I narrated without breathing.

My wolf grimanced, like she was disappointed with my assertion.

Rhys cocked a brow at me, as though impressed and I was fighting demons not to look down, between his thighs.

"Really?" He muttered but that time sounded too flirty than serious.

I'd almost replied with my story when he said; "I want you to be my girlfriend"

"What?"

I'd rolled out like I'd been shot and my brain stalled.

Girlfriend? Him? Me? After I tried burning his suite?

My wolf whined "stupid, it's dangerous. Don't do it"

I couldn't count how much breath I kept losing today and rhys wasn't fazed when he said that.

He was still leaning against the door and I couldn't even concentrate.

"Really?" I muffled, furrowing my brows as though I wasn't shivering “That’s your line? After I committed arson in your room?”

“Sit down,” he instructed again, his eyes made a swift sweep of me.

I did because my legs felt numb now.

Rhys didn't as he just paced twice with those stormy eyes on me the whole time and it made me feel like a play he was rewinding.

"You think I'm doing this to be a hero?" He began, his face stern while I was melting under his gaze.

“I don’t do heroes. I do wins.”

He stopped, standing right in front of me. So close I felt his heat, smelt his lavender soap.

“Do you know what they were saying about me in that hallway, Thelma?" 

My name, he knew my name?

“They were saying the Captain of Black Ice lost the Cup because he choked.”

Oh, someone was bothered about reputation when I'm dying from the heartbreak it caused me.

He grind his teeth. “Because he’s predictable. Because Jax read him like a book.”

He crouched, his breath poured on my face. Towel or not, I couldn't look away from his face.

I couldn't even speak because he did the talking.

“You wrote that book.”

My breath caught as a flash goes through my head. Earlier, I'd seen my records on his bed.

Shit! That made me think it was kane's room.

"Don’t play dumb," he deduced in a deadly tone.

“i watched the tape. All of it. Melbourne, Year 2. Year 3. Finals.”

Don't breath. I told myself as my eyes settled on his lips.

“Every time Jax scored off a delay? You called it from the bench.” he was literally analyzing it and tingles rushes inside me as he placed his hands on the arms of my chair, leaning further while I duck my head back.

“Every time he faked left and went right? You were the one who told him I drop my shoulder on the third period.”

He reached out his index finger and I curl like a frightened pup. But it wasn't to touch me, he tap my temple instead.

“You’re in here.”

I squinched "I— I was his intern. I was supposed to—” 

“You were supposed to be loyal,” he interrupted but not angrily, just stating fact.

How sexy he looked when he rolled his eyes. My head has to stop talking about him.

“You weren’t. You were brilliant.”

Brilliant. 

No one had called me that since Jax and I left Australia.

“You made Jax unstoppable,” Rhys presumed shrugging his shoulders “You studied me for two years. You know where I hesitate. Where I overcommit. Where my wolf bleeds through.”

He knows but why do I feel amused rather than despise him. I suddenly felt noticed under his scruntiny.

“You told Jax all of it. And he used it to take my Cup.”

He stood properly, towering over me and I told myself I was done for.

“So here’s the math, Thelma"

Sweat bead on my forehead as all kinds of imagination had filled my head.

Does he want revenge on me? I was just madly in love with Jax that I could burn the world for him but now, the sight of Jax gets on my nerves.

"Problem one: PR.” He gestured to the door and that drew my attention back. “The League thinks I’m a monster. Sponsors are pulling. If I don’t humanize in 48 hours, I’m fined. Benched. Traded.”

“Problem two: Hockey.”_ His eyes went silver again “I’m predictable. I lost because of it.”

He paused as each proposal sent thrills and I watched him like a spectator.

“You solve both.”

"Me?" My voice was barely there as I gulped hard.

“You fake-date me,” he enunciated like he was reading a contract.

“90 days. We show up in the Public. Cameras. Charity galas. You call me ‘mine’ when the press asks.”

He heaved a sigh, ran his fingers through his hair before darting his gaze at me.

“That fixes PR. The Captain has a girlfriend. He’s not a monster. He’s human.”

I knew I had something to say in all this but he just rendered me speechless.

He takes a step forward again.

“And while you’re doing that? You coach me.”

I blinked. "Seriously?"

I hated myself for just uttering single words.

“Off-record,” he continued not minding my reaction “No cameras. No team. Just you and me and film.”

“You tell me what you told Jax. You tell me how to beat him. You tell me how to not drop my shoulder.” he inserted my hair between my ears and really looked at me.

“You make me win, Thelma"

I stammered “You want me to—” 

“Make me unstoppable,” he finished. “The same way you made him"

My heart was pounding so hard I thought he'd hear it.

“Why?” I whispered. “I cost you the Cup. You should hate me.”

His eyes narrowed. “I do hate you,” he averred, blunt.