Claimed By The Hockey Star

Chapter Three

Chapter Three: The Red Line

I spent the entire morning deleting his messages.

Khalid “You look even better in the daylight. “

Lunch at 1:00. I will pick you up out front.

I clicked the screen. Delete.

Khalid “Don’t make me come back inside this building to get you.”

I clicked the screen again. Delete.

By half past twelve in the afternoon, my mind was made up. My resolve was as hard as steel. I was not some silly girl who dropped every single thing in her life just because a famous hockey player whistled at her. I was not a trophy to be won. I had worked way too hard to build my quiet, peaceful life here in the city of Abuja. I loved my steady, safe job at the community outreach center. I loved having absolutely no drama and no bright spotlights on me. Khalid Al-Mansour, with his big talk about catching and keeping women, was the exact opposite of every single thing I needed.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed on the desk again. The screen showed another unknown number. I completely ignored the sound and shoved the phone away, forcing myself to look down at a long grant proposal on my computer screen. I tried to lose myself in the boring work.

“Venessa?” Lena’s voice carried right over the gray office divider. Her voice was packed with so much wild excitement she could barely breathe. “Someone is out here at the front desk for you. And holy s**t, Venessa… he is absolutely huge!”

My stomach plummeted like a stone falling into a deep, dark well.

I stood up very slowly from my plastic chair. I smoothed down my simple work blouse, trying to use the fabric like a suit of armor to protect myself. I walked out of the back room and into the front reception area, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Khalid was leaning casually against the wooden front desk. He looked like he owned the entire building, the street outside, and every person who looked at him. He wore that same simple black Arctic Wolves hoodie, but the thick fabric was stretched tight across his massive chest. His dark jeans hugged his thick, powerful athletic thighs.

In the bright daylight, he looked even more imposing than he had the night before. He was the definition of raw, masculine power wrapped up in expensive, casual clothes. He had a body that looked like it was carved out of rock, with broad shoulders that completely blocked out the light from the front window. His skin was a beautiful olive tone, and the dark shadow of stubble along his sharp jawline made him look incredibly rugged and rough. He had full, perfect lips that were currently lifted in a wicked smile.

His dark eyes locked onto my face the exact second I walked into the room. That predatory, dangerous smirk was already firmly in place.

“Ready for lunch?” he asked.

His voice was incredibly low, deep, and rough. It carried right across the open office area without any effort at all, making the small space feel like it was vibrating. He didn't care at all who heard him.

I stopped a few feet away from him and crossed my arms tightly over my chest. “I do not remember agreeing to have lunch with you, Khalid.”

“You did not say no,” he said easily. He pushed his massive body off the wooden desk and took one slow, heavy step closer to me. He towered over me completely, casting a long shadow across my face. “And I do not like waiting around for anyone.”

A hot wave of red heat rushed right up my neck and into my cheeks. It was born out of pure anger, not embarrassment. “Then you should get used to disappointment, Khalid. I have actual work to do. I have important meetings. I have a real life that does not revolve around arrogant athletes who think showing up uninvited is charming.”

I could see my coworkers out of the corner of my eye. A few of them were standing near the filing cabinets, openly staring at us with their mouths open. Even Mrs. Lilian, our strict program director, had stepped out of her private office. Her thick eyebrows were raised high in total curiosity.

Khalid’s dangerous smirk did not falter for a single second. If anything, his smile only sharpened, making him look even more devastatingly handsome. “Arrogant? Maybe I am. But you are shaking all over again, little liar. It is the exact same way you were shaking last night when your body was pressed tight against that bar.”

“I am not shaking!” I hissed in a sharp whisper, pulling my crossed arms tighter to hide my trembling fingers. My pulse was racing like a wild horse. “And stop calling me that name.”

He leaned his tall body down slightly, lowering his deep voice so only I could hear the words. “Then stop lying to both of us, Venessa. You felt that electric jolt the exact second you crashed into me last night. I know you did. One lunch. Sixty minutes. That is all I am asking for. Or I swear I will keep showing up at this desk every single morning until you finally say yes to me.”

The sheer audacity of this man made my blood boil with heat. “You really think you can just bulldoze your way into my life because people call you 'The Beast'? Newsflash, Khalid I am a human being. I am not interested in being claimed by you like some shiny trophy puck.”

His dark eyes narrowed, darkening with a dangerous spark of challenge. “Then prove it to me, Venessa. Sit across a table from me for just one meal and tell me to my face that you feel absolutely nothing. If you can do that without your breath catching in your throat, or your thighs pressing together, I will turn around and walk away forever.”

I hated how accurate he was. I hated how he could read my body perfectly. And most of all, I hated that a deep, traitorous part of my heart actually wanted to go with him just to prove him completely wrong.

“Fine,” I snapped, turning around to grab my leather purse from my desk. “One hour. That is the deal. Then you leave me alone for the rest of my life. Do we have a deal?”

The victorious, wide grin that spread across his handsome face made me want to slap him and kiss him at the exact same time. Both of those thoughts terrified me to my core.

As we walked out of the glass doors of the center, he held his large, broad hand just an inch away from the small of my back. He did not touch my skin, but he was so close that the radiating warmth from his massive body soaked right through my clothes. It felt like a hot brand guiding me down the sidewalk.

The moment we reached his vehicle, I spun around on my heels to face him. His massive, sleek black Range Rover was parked right in front of the main entrance, blocking the traffic lane with its hazard lights flashing brightly.

“You parked illegally just to flex your muscles and show off?” I demanded, glaring up at him.

“It is one of the perks of being me,” he said, completely unbothered. He stepped forward and opened the heavy passenger door for me. “Get inside the car, Venessa, before I pick you up and throw you over my shoulder. I don’t think you want all your coworkers watching me do that through the window.”

My jaw dropped. “You would not dare do that.”

“Try me, little liar,” he whispered, his dark eyes burning into mine.

I climbed into the high passenger seat, my chest heaving with anger. I was completely fuming. The inside of the car was amazing, but it immediately enveloped me in his scent. It smelled like expensive black leather and that signature woody, masculine cologne that invaded my nose and refused to leave my senses.

A second later, the driver's side door opened, and Khalid slid into the seat beside me. The moment his giant frame entered the space, the big SUV suddenly felt suffocatingly small. His massive presence filled every single inch of the interior. His broad shoulders almost touched the side glass, and his thick thighs looked absolutely giant in the confined area, stretching the fabric of his jeans to the absolute limit.

He started the engine, and the car roared to life with a deep rumble. We drove through the busy streets of Abuja in a tense, heavy silence for a few minutes. I couldn't take the quiet anymore, so I broke it.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked, turning my head to look at his sharp profile. “Really, Khalid, why me? You are a famous superstar. You could snap your big fingers and have ten beautiful models lined up at your door in five minutes. Why are you harassing a normal woman who accidentally bumped into you at a party?”

He glanced over at me for a brief second, keeping one large, scarred hand firmly on the steering wheel while his other hand rested on the gear shift. His knuckles were big and rough from years of playing hockey.

“Because you are the first woman in years who tried to run away from me instead of throwing herself at my feet,” he said, his deep voice serious. “That wild fire in your eyes when you look at me? The way you glare up at me like you want to murder me and f**k me at the same time? It is completely addictive, Venessa.”

My mouth fell open in total shock. “You are so incredibly full of yourself!”

“And you are wet right now just from arguing with me,” he said, his voice dropping to a rough, low whisper. “Don’t even try to deny it.”

I slammed my thighs tightly together, heat rushing into my face so fast I thought I would burn up. I turned away from him and stared hard out the side window, my heart hammering against my ribs like a drum.

“This is never going to work,” I muttered, my voice shaking. “I have very strict rules for my life, Khalid. No athletes. No celebrities. No possessive assholes who think the entire world revolves around them.”

“It is a good thing I love breaking rules,” he said.

He turned the big car down a quiet street and pulled up to a discreet, incredibly upscale garden restaurant tucked away behind thick greenery in the fancy neighborhood of Maitama. The manager immediately ran out to greet Khalid by his name, bowing slightly with deep respect. He led us past the main dining area and out onto a private, beautiful terrace that overlooked a quiet garden filled with tropical flowers. There were no other diners anywhere near us. The tables around us were completely empty. It was very clear that Khalid had arranged this whole thing well in advance.

We were seated at a small table, and a waiter quickly brought our drinks—fresh, tart lime juice for me and a large bottle of water for him. I didn't even touch my straw. I just stared at him.

“Tell me about your job at the outreach center,” he said suddenly, leaning back in his chair. He sounded almost genuine, his dark eyes fixed on my face. “The programs you run. You actually care about those poor kids, don’t you?”

I narrowed my eyes at him, completely suspicious. “Don’t pretend you are interested in my normal life, Khalid. This is all just a fun game to you, isn't it? A game to see if you can win the girl who said no.”

His handsome face hardened instantly. The boyish charm disappeared, replaced by the cold, hard lines of a man who was used to fighting on the ice.

“You don’t know s**t about what this is to me, Venessa,” he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, low growl that vibrated across the table. “I don’t chase women. I have never had to chase a single thing in my entire life. But the exact second your body hit mine last night, something snapped inside my chest. Call it a dark obsession. Call it fate. I don’t give a s**t what word you use. You are completely under my skin now, and I can't get you out.”

I let out a bitter, cold laugh, trying to hide how much his words affected me. “Obsession? You think that is romantic, Khalid? That is not romance. That is a giant red flag the exact same size as your massive ego.”

He leaned forward across the table, resting his thick elbows on the wood, bringing his face closer to mine. I could see the muscles in his chest and shoulders flexing underneath his hoodie.

“Then run away from me,” he challenged, his dark eyes nearly pitch black as he stared into my soul. “Tell me right now, look me dead in the eyes and tell me you want absolutely nothing to do with me, and I will stand up, pay the bill, and drive you straight back to your office desk. No more text messages. No more uninvited visits. I will walk away forever. Tell me, Venessa.”

I opened my mouth to say the words. I wanted to tell him to leave. I wanted to tell him to get out of my life. But the words got completely stuck in my throat. My mind suddenly filled with the memory of his lips hovering just inches from mine last night, the rough, heavy sound of his voice when he said my name, the safe, electric warmth of his giant body. A wave of intense desire crashed right over me, leaving me completely breathless.

“I… I need some time,” I muttered instead, looking down at my lap because I couldn't handle the weight of his stare. “This is all moving too fast, Khalid. It is way too much for me to handle.”

Suddenly, under the small table, his heavy foot shifted forward. He brushed his leg firmly against mine. The rough denim of his jeans rubbed against my bare skin, sending a wild rush of heat straight up my inner thigh. I didn't pull my leg away. I couldn't move.

“Time?” He let out a low, rough chuckle that sounded like a dark promise. “I have a big game tomorrow night, little liar. Come watch me play on the ice. I will leave two VIP tickets for you at the front gate. You can bring your loud friend with you so you feel completely safe, but you need to come.”

I crossed my arms even tighter over my chest, trying to fight the feeling in my body. “And what if I decide not to show up?”

“Then I will score every single goal on the ice thinking about how stubborn you are,” he said, his voice dropping to a very dark, sexy whisper that made my stomach flip. “And I will think about how sweet you are going to taste when you finally stop fighting this connection between us.”

The waiter arrived with our food—grilled fish, sweet plantains, and salads—but the air between us was so thick with static tension it felt like lightning was about to strike. Every single bite of food was a total battle. He kept pushing his way past my walls, and I kept trying my best to push him back. Sharp words were mixed with deep, heated glances across the table. By the time we finally finished the meal, I felt completely exhausted, my face was flushed red, and I was annoyingly, deeply turned on.

When we finally drove back to the community outreach center, Khalid pulled up to the curb and killed the engine, making the interior of the car completely silent. He turned his massive body in the leather seat to face me fully.

“Tomorrow night, Venessa,” he commanded softly.

“I told you already, I will think about it,” I said, reaching my hand out to grab the handle of the car door so I could escape.

But before my fingers could touch the plastic, his large hand shot across the space between us. He caught my wrist in his grip. His hold was incredibly firm, trapping my hand completely, but it didn't hurt me at all. He held me like I was something precious he didn't want to break.

“Don’t think so much,” he whispered, his thumb moving in a slow circle against my pulse point. I could feel my blood hammering wildly underneath his skin. “Just feel this.”

I yanked my hand free from his grip with a sharp breath, my heart racing like crazy in my throat. “You do not own me, Khalid Al-Mansour!”

“Not yet,” that dangerous, beautiful smirk returned to his handsome face, his eyes tracking the movement of my lips. “But I will, little liar. Soon.”

I pushed the heavy car door open, slammed it shut behind me much harder than necessary, and stormed back inside the building. I didn't look back once. I walked straight past the front desk, completely ignoring the excited whispers and giggles from my coworkers who were waiting for me.

The exact second I dropped into my plastic desk chair, Lena pounced on me, her eyes wide with curiosity. “Girl, what on earth was that? Who is that giant man?”

“He is pure trouble,” I muttered, burying my face in my hands.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed inside my purse. I pulled it out with shaking fingers. A new text message was glowing on the screen.

Khalid “Do you still honestly think you can resist me, Venessa?”

I felt a rush of anger and heat. I typed back furiously, my fingers hitting the screen hard.

Watch me.

His response came back in less than three seconds, like he was just waiting for me.

I will be watching you. At the game. In a red dress.

I threw the phone deep into my desk drawer and slammed it shut. My thighs were clenched tightly together, my mind was spinning in circles, and my body was humming with a dangerous warmth.

This giant man was going to destroy every single wall I had ever built to protect myself. And the absolute worst, scariest part of all? A dark, traitorous part of my heart actually wanted to let him try.