3. Guy
GUY
She smiles widely and pulls me through the hotel. The staff at the front desk stare as we walk by, and the few people standing around the lobby notice us too. I lower my head and pick up my pace.
We stop in front of the elevator, and she pushes the up button.
Nicole avoids my gaze until the doors open. We step inside, and she presses the button for the fifty-fourth floor, which is the top one.
Her cheeks turn pink when she catches me staring at her in the reflection of the elevator doors. She leans her head back and looks up at me. “What?”
I search her eyes, and something inside me settles. “Green,” I mutter.
Her forehead creases. “What?”
“Your eyes. They’re green.”
She stares at me, and I pull her closer.
As soon as we reach the top floor, she leads me out of the elevator. Hand in hand, we walk down the hallway until she pushes open a door with a big sign across it. STOP. EMPLOYEES ONLY.
I lower my voice. “Do you work at the hotel?”
She laughs, and I love the sound of it. “No.”
She takes me through the door, up a few steps, and toward another one covered in caution stickers.
She steps through first, and I follow closely behind her. Her warmth presses against my front when she stops suddenly, and before I can pull her flush against me, she points around the corner. “This way.”
She takes my hand again and pulls me forward. Once we round the corner, she holds her free hand out in front of us. My gaze follows the direction she’s pointing, and my mouth drops open. All I can do is stare in awe.
“I bet you’ve never seen it like this,” she says, and I can hear the smile in her voice.
I shake my head and stare out at the view. “Never. How did you find this?”
The stadium lights are on, and even though the field is empty tonight, it’s still something to see. We’re high above it, looking down over the entire place. I can only imagine what it looks like on game day from here.
“I was in town for a game once, but I had a stomach virus. One of the hotel employees told my dad about this spot, so I watched the game from up here.”
I look at her. “You really do like baseball.”
She shrugs. “Yeah. My dad loves it, and he taught me everything there is to know.” She points toward two chairs near the edge. “Do you want to sit down, or do you need to go?”
I glance at my watch. “I’ve got a few minutes.”
She sits down, and I take the chair beside her. Almost immediately, she presses her fingers against her temples.
“Are you okay?”
She gives me a small smile. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just a headache. I get them sometimes when I wear my hair up in a ponytail.”
The thought of her hurting has me standing and moving behind her. “Here. Let me help.”
She stiffens when I reach for her hair, but she doesn’t tell me to stop.
I carefully work the white hair tie off and wrap it around my wrist before running my fingers through the thick strands.
Her hair falls down her back, and I comb my fingers through it again.
Then I press my fingertips against her scalp and begin to massage.
She lets out a loud moan. My cock lengthens inside my jeans, and I bite back a groan.
My voice comes out thick. “Feel good?”
She leans her head back, and her eyes flutter closed. “Too good.”
I continue massaging her scalp, trying not to think about what other sounds I could pull from her. She moans again, and her eyes suddenly open. We stare at each other, and she tenses. “Oh my God. I’m sorry.” Her cheeks turn red. “I mean, that feels better. Thank you.”
Reluctantly, I let my hands fall away. Before sitting back down, I pull my chair closer and turn it so I’m facing her instead of the stadium.
“Tell me about yourself.”
She scrunches her nose. “What do you want to know?”
I don’t even have to think about it. “Everything.”
She tilts her head and studies me.
I smile. “You already know I play baseball. What do you do?”
“I just finished college. I’m moving here to find a teaching job.”
“In Jasper?”
She nods. “Yeah, or somewhere close.”
“Why Jasper? Are you from around here?”
She shakes her head. “No. My dad recently moved here, and I want to be close to him.”
I nod. “Family is important. What about your mom?”
She gives me a sidelong look before turning her attention back to the stadium. “She left me with my dad when I was five. I haven’t seen her since.”
I reach over and place my hand on her knee. “I’m sorry.”
She shrugs, but I can tell it still affects her.
“What about you?” she asks. “Tell me about your family.”
I leave my hand on her knee and stroke my finger along the denim. “My mom and dad raised six of us. They spent the last few years traveling, but they’ve been staying closer to home since the grandkids started coming.”
She tenses. “So the grandkids are your nieces and nephews?”
“Yeah.”
She leans closer. “Tell me about them. All of them.”
“You really want to hear about my family?”
“Yes. It’s always been just me and my dad. I used to wonder what it would be like to be part of a big family.”
Something tightens inside my chest. “Okay. There are six of us. Me, Miller, Logan, Ozzy, Penn, and our sister, Skyler.”
She raises her eyebrows. “Only one girl?”
“Yeah, but trust me, she makes sure we don’t forget it.”
Nicole smiles.
“Skyler is married to Zach, and they’re expecting a little girl any day now. Miller married Lindsey and adopted her nephew, Eli. He’s probably going to be a professional athlete like his favorite uncle.” I point at my chest proudly.
She laughs. “You’re his favorite?”
“Obviously.”
“What about the others?”
“Logan is married to Bree, and she’s pregnant. Penn is a doctor and married to Aria.”
I hesitate before continuing. “Ozzy lost his wife a few years ago. He’s had a hard time, but I think he’s finally starting to move forward.”
Nicole places her hand against her chest. “That’s awful.”
“Yeah, but he’ll be okay. I’ve noticed a difference in him lately.”
Before she can ask me anything else, I bring up the question that’s been bothering me all night. “Why are you on a dating app?”
She lets out a breath. “I just finished finals, and I haven’t dated in a while. I thought it might be a good way to meet people.”
“And?”
She looks away. “I wasn’t expecting anything serious. Maybe a one-night stand.”
My hand slides higher on her thigh before I can stop it. I squeeze gently. “Is that what you want?”
Her lips part. “Uh…”
I shake my head. The thought of her kissing that asshole from the bar makes something dark and possessive twist through me. “I want to kiss you, Nicole.”
Her lips form a perfect O, and I smile at her stunned expression. “Is that okay?”
She blinks before nodding. “Okay.”
I lean in and cup her face with my palm. She stares at me with wide eyes, and the need to press my mouth to hers is almost overwhelming. I’ve never wanted anyone as badly as I want her right now.
Just before our lips touch, she pulls back. “Am I being pranked?”
I hold back a groan of frustration and let my fingers slide into her hair. “Pranked? By me?”
She nods, looking unsure.
“Honey, I’m not pranking you.”
Her eyes search mine. “You really want to kiss me?” She lifts one shoulder. “I mean, I know I’m totally kissable, but you’re Guy Brody.”
I wrap my hand around the back of her neck and stroke my thumb over her racing pulse. “Yeah, you’re totally kissable.”
I lean closer until only an inch separates us. “And there’s no prank. I want you.”