Chapter 15
FIFTEEN
D AKOTA
“Look who’s here.” Hazel steps to the side of the doorframe, and a six-foot-three football player I last saw when I was in his lap on New Year’s Eve walks through the door. She’s talking to Ramsey, but her eyes drift to me, and she winks.
“No shit!” Ramsey shouts, making his way over to grab Hayden’s hand and pull him in for a terse slap on the back.
“In the flesh.” Hayden nods over Ramsey’s shoulder at his other teammate, Cooper. “Thanks for keeping the secret.”
“Come on in and have a seat.” Ramsey nods back toward where we are, and Hayden’s gaze falls on me. The smile on his face widens in an instant, and his eyes drift up my body and land on my face. His dimples are popping, and I bite my lower lip to keep from smiling any harder than I am .
I’m a little shocked he remembers me because he was very drunk on New Year’s. So drunk that as much as I wanted to go back to his hotel room like he asked, I didn’t feel like I should.
“Dakota…” My name is a gravelly command on his lips, and I stand to greet him. The man is tattooed sin and covered with dozens of bright red flags—the kind I’m drawn to like a moth to a flame. He hugs me, and I’m bathed in the scent of his cologne. “How have you been?”
But when he pulls me in tight, I can see over his shoulder. Two bright-blue eyes are burning a hole into the place where my fingers are running lightly over his traps as I greet him.
“I’ve been good. Didn’t know you were coming.” I put daylight between us, but his hand stays on my side, and his eyes rake their way over the outfit I have on. I dressed way too sexy for a friend’s bridal shower, but then I knew someone whose attention I wanted would be here.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world. So good to see you again.” His eyes meet mine for a brief moment before he leans in again, speaking only loud enough for me to hear. “When Hazel said you’d be here—haven’t booked a flight faster in my life.”
“Well, she kept that a secret, but it’s a good surprise—so good to see you again.”
I turn to look at my friend, and she’s beaming at the two of us like it’s Christmas morning. I realize what’s happening. I feel the flush of the obvious setup rush up my cheeks. Hayden Warner is hot as hell, but this heat is because I feel like I’m in some fifth circle of it. It would be this weekend of all weekends that she decides to play matchmaker.
I have no easy way out either. Hayden is exactly my type. It’s why I was in his lap, kissing him when the clock struck midnight at the start of this year. And why I continued to stay there, listening to him drunkenly tell me about the places he wished he could take me. A club he went to once in Aspen. A beach in Costa Rica. A place with the best pasta he’s ever eaten in Italy. We’d had a whole relationship and gone on a world tour while we sat at my bar with our friends. But then we went our separate ways, and I never expected to hear from him again. Certainly not now when I’m otherwise…
What am I really? Grant and I have some kind of game going on. There’s clearly attraction. But besides that, in black and white facts? He’s just a client. One who pays well. One who I like pleasing. But not exactly the kind of thing you can build a future on.
But even as gorgeous as Hayden is, and as good of a kisser as I remember him being—even drunk, which makes me curious about what the sober version would be—he pales in comparison standing next to Grant.
Grant walks up with Ramsey to greet him, and I swear the temperature drops. His hand finally leaves my side as he turns to shake Grant’s. Ramsey gives introductions to both of his brothers. Grant’s in full business mode, his icy-blue eyes have melted into an ocean of cordiality, all the smiles and nods and friendly words of welcome. The devil is exceedingly charming when he wants to be. All calm waters on the surface, but I know underneath it all, he’s seething while he tries to decipher the relationship between Hayden and me. One I’m not eager to explain, given we all have to spend the weekend together, and Grant’s been very clear about his feelings on other men flirting in my general direction during this agreement.
My eyes ping back and forth as the two of them talk, trying to make sense of what this is going to mean for me and this weekend. I don’t need to think too hard about it. Grant’s a lot of things, but bossy and territorial are at the top of the list. Hazel pushing me into Hayden’s lap again while Grant watches is going to be a mess of epic proportions. On the other side, I don’t imagine many women tell Hayden no either. All while I try to play host to this party and keep Hazel happy.
I’m ready to go back to the bar and have another drink.