door opened. Cole wasn’t happy to see me, but at least he was fully clothed.
“I’m not in the mood today, beautiful.” His stare hardened as I hauled the mobile living room into his foyer. “Haven’t we played enough of this game already?”
“Not yet.” I snapped my fingers. “What’s it called when the coach changes the plan at halftime? I’ve made…”
“ Adjustments .”
I grinned. He didn’t. “I made adjustments to my strategy.”
With a grand flourish, I unfolded my chair, rested my thermos and lunchbox on the floor, and sat.
“So, Mr. Hawthorne. Have you thought any more about your potential career opportunities?”
Cole pointed to the door—still wide-open and poised to slam in my face.
“ Get out .”
I didn’t move. Instead, I met his storybook blue eyes and aimed my most chastising glance at the big bully.
“I warned you I’d be back,” I said. “This time I came prepared. You won’t need to worry about me going hungry tonight.”
“That’ll be a goddamned relief. Especially when you’re eating dinner in your own fucking house.”
“And here I thought we’d spend a nice afternoon together.”
“In case you haven’t noticed…” Cole gestured over his estate—completely isolated and silent. “I’m a bit of a loner. I’d like to keep it that way.”
“It’s an awful lot of space to go empty.”
“What’s your point?”
I took a chance, trying to open him up. “Where’s your family?”
Cole didn’t like that question. His jaw clenched so hard I worried he’d crack teeth. “Dead and buried. Look around. What you see is what remains of them.”
Oh. So that explained the estate. “But you don’t have anyone to share it with?”
“Why? Thinking of invading my bed too?”
“It’s called small-talk, Casanova.”
“It’s called trespassing, beautiful.”
“You’re awfully grumpy.” I ignored his piercing stare, pinning me in the chair. I pulled a book from my bag, licked my finger, and flipped through the pages. “Rough day?”
So far, The Beast was all growl and no bite. He paced the entry way with a fierce scowl.
“Tomorrow is this little thing called game day ,” he said.
“Yep.”
“I’ve gotta suit up and face my own goddamned mortality against a division rival.”
“Oh, it shouldn’t be a problem for the league defensive MVP three years running, right?”
“The game will be on national television. With a sold-out home stadium of one hundred thousand vicious Monarch fans gunning for blood.”
I didn’t glance up from my book though I hadn’t read a single word. “I think I have something in my planner about the game.”
“Son of a—”
“Aren’t you ready for the season?”
Cole’s baritone threatened and rumbled in all the right places. “I would be if I could get one night to myself without you breaking into my house!”
“I figured we’d keep each other company.”
Cole swore. He stormed to his den only to return thirty seconds later. “Don’t you have anywhere else to be?”
I flipped the book’s page. “Yes, but…the life of an agent. We’re always on call, I’m afraid.”
“This is fucked up, even for Maddy to organize.” Cole ran a hand through his pony tail. The hair band ripped out, and his mane wove over his shoulders. “A woman like you should have something planned for a Saturday night.”
I did. Patty-cake. Laundry. Nap time . That was the most fun. “I thought we disliked small-talk?”
“I swear to God—”
“Mr. Hawthorne, I told you. I’ll leave when you agree to be traded. You know how to get rid of me.”
“Damn right I do.”
Cole loomed over me.
I wasn’t ready for this possibility. I should have been, honestly. But nothing in my life had prepared me for the moment a living, breathing, hunk of colossus double my size decided to pick me up like a sack of flour. I yelped, but Cole hauled me over his shoulder and aimed for the door.
“I’m not used to having guests
“I’m not in the mood today, beautiful.” His stare hardened as I hauled the mobile living room into his foyer. “Haven’t we played enough of this game already?”
“Not yet.” I snapped my fingers. “What’s it called when the coach changes the plan at halftime? I’ve made…”
“ Adjustments .”
I grinned. He didn’t. “I made adjustments to my strategy.”
With a grand flourish, I unfolded my chair, rested my thermos and lunchbox on the floor, and sat.
“So, Mr. Hawthorne. Have you thought any more about your potential career opportunities?”
Cole pointed to the door—still wide-open and poised to slam in my face.
“ Get out .”
I didn’t move. Instead, I met his storybook blue eyes and aimed my most chastising glance at the big bully.
“I warned you I’d be back,” I said. “This time I came prepared. You won’t need to worry about me going hungry tonight.”
“That’ll be a goddamned relief. Especially when you’re eating dinner in your own fucking house.”
“And here I thought we’d spend a nice afternoon together.”
“In case you haven’t noticed…” Cole gestured over his estate—completely isolated and silent. “I’m a bit of a loner. I’d like to keep it that way.”
“It’s an awful lot of space to go empty.”
“What’s your point?”
I took a chance, trying to open him up. “Where’s your family?”
Cole didn’t like that question. His jaw clenched so hard I worried he’d crack teeth. “Dead and buried. Look around. What you see is what remains of them.”
Oh. So that explained the estate. “But you don’t have anyone to share it with?”
“Why? Thinking of invading my bed too?”
“It’s called small-talk, Casanova.”
“It’s called trespassing, beautiful.”
“You’re awfully grumpy.” I ignored his piercing stare, pinning me in the chair. I pulled a book from my bag, licked my finger, and flipped through the pages. “Rough day?”
So far, The Beast was all growl and no bite. He paced the entry way with a fierce scowl.
“Tomorrow is this little thing called game day ,” he said.
“Yep.”
“I’ve gotta suit up and face my own goddamned mortality against a division rival.”
“Oh, it shouldn’t be a problem for the league defensive MVP three years running, right?”
“The game will be on national television. With a sold-out home stadium of one hundred thousand vicious Monarch fans gunning for blood.”
I didn’t glance up from my book though I hadn’t read a single word. “I think I have something in my planner about the game.”
“Son of a—”
“Aren’t you ready for the season?”
Cole’s baritone threatened and rumbled in all the right places. “I would be if I could get one night to myself without you breaking into my house!”
“I figured we’d keep each other company.”
Cole swore. He stormed to his den only to return thirty seconds later. “Don’t you have anywhere else to be?”
I flipped the book’s page. “Yes, but…the life of an agent. We’re always on call, I’m afraid.”
“This is fucked up, even for Maddy to organize.” Cole ran a hand through his pony tail. The hair band ripped out, and his mane wove over his shoulders. “A woman like you should have something planned for a Saturday night.”
I did. Patty-cake. Laundry. Nap time . That was the most fun. “I thought we disliked small-talk?”
“I swear to God—”
“Mr. Hawthorne, I told you. I’ll leave when you agree to be traded. You know how to get rid of me.”
“Damn right I do.”
Cole loomed over me.
I wasn’t ready for this possibility. I should have been, honestly. But nothing in my life had prepared me for the moment a living, breathing, hunk of colossus double my size decided to pick me up like a sack of flour. I yelped, but Cole hauled me over his shoulder and aimed for the door.
“I’m not used to having guests
Similar Books
