Page 41 of Her Coach

He chuckled, and the sound poured over me like melted butter over those Texas Roadhouse rolls.

Man, now I wanted Texas Roadhouse. “I mean, it’s late and you probably have a meeting early tomorrow with Mom.”

“I don’t.”

I snickered. “Mom always throws meetings at the⁠—”

He gripped my chin a bit tighter and stepped forward. “I’m not interested in your mother.”

I blushed furiously. “Ah.”

His hand finally fell away from my chin, but not before tucking a rogue curl behind my ear. “She’s not my type. You, however, are.”

I didn’t miss how his thumb trailed along my cheek after inching that strand of hair behind my ear.

I tilted my head slightly into his touch. I felt the warmth of his hand on my face and I saw him smile.

What the hell am I doing? I quickly stepped back.

“I can’t today. It’s late and Mom is expecting me back at home.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Ok. How about having lunch with me tomorrow then?”

I looked at his handsome face. Lunch was safer. It was in the daytime. I wouldn’t make stupid decisions at lunchtime. I nodded. “Lunch works.”

He tilted his head, as if studying me. Did he not believe me? “Tomorrow, then.”

I couldn’t help the smile that crossed my face. “Tomorrow, it is. Noon?”

I found myself getting lost in his brooding stare. “Uh huh.”

He grinned as he took a small step closer to me, closing the distance between us. “I’ll pick you up at your place.”

I drew in a silent breath. “How about I pick us something up? I can bring something in to your office.”

Then he did something I didn’t expect. Something I didn’t see coming. Something that made my heart leap so heavily against my chest that I thought it tried to break free.

He leaned down from his precipice and kissed my forehead.

“Oh,” I whispered softly.

He chuckled against my skin before raising back up. “See you tomorrow at noon.”

He strode past me, the heavy wind of his body ruffling my loose hair that I’d thrown up into a clip. A lopsided smile crossed my face as he lumbered out into the hallway, his footsteps heavy and dark as they receded.

The warmth of his lips still sizzled against my forehead.

I stood there for a solid minute after he left.

What the hell did I just agree to?

17

BRYNN

I called Dani from the car on the drive home.

She answered on the second ring, which meant she was already up, which meant she was going to be unbearable about this. “You never call this late unless something happened.”