Chapter 19
HAILEE
Istand with a glass of prosecco in hand, sipping slowly as I watch everyone enjoying themselves around me.
Everyone arrived in a good manner; no one embarrassed themselves or accidentally disrespected the franchise.
Everything is going smoothly, and I can finally relax.
I could probably slip out at this point without anyone noticing.
Well, until everyone takes their seat for the meal.
I’m pretty sure my team would have something to say then.
Brooke is flitting around the room, her new intern hot on her heels like an eager puppy, and Jude is currently talking to a couple of our retired players who have come out to support us tonight.
Tonight’s event is always a fantastic way to bring everyone together before the craziness of the season starts. It’s such a great way to reconnect with friends, colleagues, and some of our biggest supporters.
I don’t mean to search for him, but I’m hardly surprised when my eyes land on Hayden standing at the bar surrounded by his friends.
I’ve kept a close eye on him this week, and every time I’ve searched him out, I’ve been delighted to see that he’s being taken care of.
I’ve always known that we have a fantastic group of guys, but watching them rally around him, making sure that he’s okay, it really goes to prove just what a good job our GM has done with selecting our players, and then Coach and his assistants with bringing them together and creating the family we see building each other up on a daily basis.
When he throws his head back and laughs at something Bea says, my heart beats a little easier knowing that he’s okay, but also, my stomach knots. I shouldn’t want to be the one to make him laugh like that, but it’s getting harder and harder to deny that I do.
When he asked me to dinner the other night, an answer I really shouldn’t have given was dancing right on the tip of my tongue.
If someone hadn’t chosen that exact moment to beckon Hayden into the dressing room and remind him that he already had plans, I’m not sure what would have come out of my mouth.
It was for the best.
He needs to spend time with his friends.
And I…I need to focus on my job and stop thinking about him.
If only that were possible.
I know he’s seen me tonight. I’ve caught him looking more than once. And each time, my heart rate picks up and my temperature spikes. And it only gets worse when he lets his eyes drop down my body.
It’s the dress’s fault. Which, of course, is Bea’s fault.
If she hadn’t made me try it on, I wouldn’t have fallen in love with it.
And okay, it’s Hayden’s fault too. The memory of the way he gawped at me in that bikini meant that when I stood at my closet earlier tonight, I couldn’t convince myself to wear anything else. I wanted to feel like that again. Desired, sexy, wanted.
They’re feelings that I’ve convinced myself I haven’t needed for years. But one taste of them, and I’m like a fucking junkie needing my next fix. I’m pretty sure the high I got from that single look alone is better than any drug can provide.
As if he can feel my attention, he glances over.
I tell myself to look away, but I can’t. His eyes capture mine, and no amount of inner strength is enough to drag me away.
My heart jumps into my throat when he leans closer to Bea and whispers something in her ear before slipping away.
She looks up and immediately finds me watching them.
“Shit,” I hiss, spinning away and doing a lap of the room, resulting in me being pulled into numerous conversations.
I breathe a sigh of relief when I finally come to a stop beside Reese, the mastermind behind this whole operation, and her husband, our team captain, Fletcher Ferguson.
“This is incredible, as always,” I say, raising my glass to her.
“Ah, I can’t take all the credit this year. Harlow planned most of it,” she says, mentioning her assistant, who missed last year’s event due to being on maternity leave.
“Well, it’s amazing. You and your team should be proud of yourselves.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Fletch says, gazing at his wife like she’s the most amazing person on the planet.
My heart thumps against my ribs at the sight.
We chat for a few minutes before they’re called away. I take the opportunity before the food is served to duck out of the room.
I’m walking toward the restroom when a very stressed-looking Harlow races toward me.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” I ask, stopping her in her tracks.
“Have you seen an iPad anywhere?”
“Uh, no. I don’t think so.”
“Shit,” she hisses. “I need it, it’s got all the—”
“Harlow,” someone calls, and when I twist around, I find a member of the hotel staff marching toward her. “We have an issue.”
“I want to go back on maternity leave,” Harlow mutters under her breath, making me laugh. “I might have left it in my hotel room,” she says quickly, digging in her purse before pulling out a keycard. “Please could you—”
“Of course. Which number?”
“Nine-six-nine. Thank you so much. I owe you,” she says before taking off to put out whatever fire has started elsewhere.
Feeling useful, I grip the keycard tighter and take off toward the elevators, but I come to a grinding halt when I turn a corner and find Hayden resting back against a wall with his face tipped toward the ceiling.
“Hayden?” I breathe, rushing closer. “What’s wrong? Are you—” My words die when his eyes find mine, and I discover nothing but endless pain within them. “Shit. Come on,” I say, taking his hand and dragging him behind me.
“I’m okay,” he assures me. “I just needed a moment.”
“Consider this you taking a moment,” I explain, dropping his hand in favor of reaching for the elevator call button.
When I look back, I find him gazing down at his hand like I just burned him.
The elevator dings, announcing its arrival, and I move forward.
“Where, uh…where are you taking me?” he asks, blindly following me into the small space. “I might need another whiskey if it’s your hotel room.”
“What? No. Harlow sent me on a mission to find her missing iPad,” I explain, holding up the keycard.
“So I’m right—you’ve lured me in here to take me up to a hotel room,” he teases, the darkness previously in his eyes replaced by mirth and happiness.
“I guess you could look at it like that,” I muse. “It’s not the way I’d sell it to the media, though.”
His laughter rolls through me, granting me my wish from earlier, and damn it if my nipples don't pucker against the fabric of my dress.
The elevator jolts, and I gasp, reaching for the handrail.
Hayden frowns, seeing my reaction. “You’re not scared of elevators, are you?”
“No. It just startled me, is all,” I explain.
He smiles, as if he heard something very different from the words that spilled from my lips.
“What?” I ask, my heart racing as I stare up at him.
Even with my heels, he’s still so much taller than me.
And he looks devastatingly handsome in his tux.
The way it fits his sculpted body should be illegal.
His wide shoulders, solid chest, thick thighs, and if he were to turn around…
well, I suspect it’s doing good things for his ass, too.
He doesn’t respond with words; instead, he pushes from the wall and takes a step closer, ensuring the scent of his cologne gets stronger, completely obliterating my senses.
“I put you on edge?”
“What?” I laugh, but it’s nervous as hell, and I kick myself for letting him see through my mask, both physically and metaphorically.
Reaching up, I tug at the ribbon that holds my delicate red mask to my face and pull it free.
“Beautiful,” he breathes, his eyes taking in every inch of my face.
My breath catches a beat before fire licks up my arm when his fingers brush mine.
Oh God.
My mouth runs dry as he steps even closer.
“This dress is almost as sinful as your swimsuit, Hails.”
My chest heaves so violently that there’s no chance he’ll miss it.
I swallow, desperately trying to get my brain to function enough to form words.
“I missed you this week. You’ve been there, I’ve seen you floating around. But I haven’t really seen you.”
Unable to stop myself, I nod, understanding what he means.
I shudder when he drags his knuckles up my bare arm, goose bumps racing over every inch of me.
“Did you just admit to missing me, too?” he asks, his voice so soft I’d probably miss it if he weren’t so close.
“I…um…it’s been a big week,” I force out. “I-I’ve been thinking about you and—”
“Yeah?” he says, the most incredible smile spreading across his face. “Because I’ve been thinking about you, too. About waking up with you that morning, about that little swimsuit and everything it did and didn’t hide from me, what you may or may not be wearing under this dress.”
Oh my fucking god.
My heart races so fast I swear I’m about to pass out.
With every word he says, he moves a little closer until we’re dangerously close, his whiskey-scented breath rushing over my face.
His hand lifts higher before the burning heat of his palm wraps around the side of my neck.
Suddenly, everything stops. And I don’t just mean my heart and time as Hayden closes the final inch between us. I literally mean everything.
“Shit,” he curses, wrapping his arm around me, pinning me to his solid body as the elevator jolts to an abrupt stop. We freeze, waiting to see if we’re about to plummet to our deaths.
When a couple of seconds pass and nothing happens, he releases me and takes a step back.
Coldness rushes down my body, and I wrap my arms around myself to try to abate it.
“What the fuck was that?” he asks, looking around as if the metal walls of this small box will provide him with an answer.
“I think that was the elevator stopping,” I say, stating the obvious.
“Yeah,” he mutters, stepping up to the control panel. He pushes his finger into the button for floor nine that’s already lit up, but nothing happens. “Uh…” Next, he presses the button for the ground floor, which does nothing, then he presses others at random.
“I think the one you want is the one with the little alarm on it,” I point out.
He spins around, and the second his eyes find mine, I stumble back. The intensity burning within them is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.
“Or maybe that’s the last one I want to press,” he says, his voice rougher than before, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hit me right in the clit.
“Hayden,” I warn.
His smile grows, excitement dancing in his eyes.
“Just so you know, if I could request someone to be stuck in an elevator with, it would be you. And serious bonus points for you wearing that dress too.”