Page 7 of Tame the Player

He nods his head, and by the look on his face, he thinks it’s a done deal. He knows my son is going to be over the moon with us staying here, so I do what I think I need to do and tack on, “And my boyfriend. I’ll need to see what he thinks about all this.”

He tenses. “You have a boyfriend? I mean, of course you have a boyfriend. Who is it?”

I scoot back in my seat because it’s intoxicating being this close to him. I need to say no, and that’s the plan, but first I need to get out of here. I jump out of my seat and start walking out of the room. It’s rude and unprofessional, but I can say the same about sitting here talking about my personal life as well.

He’s hot on my heels, and I grab my file and make it to the front door. “So I’m going to talk to Cole and to Jeremy—”

He interrupts me. “Which is your son?”

“Cole. My son’s name is Cole. I’ll let you know something in a few days.”

He opens the front door but stands partly in front of me. I ignore the way his shirt is tight across his muscled chest. I look away at the forearm that’s blocking my way. His voice is gruff. “So talk to Cole and Jeremy but just know, Cat, I don’t plan on taking no as an answer.”

My breath hisses. “Cat?”

He licks his lips and nods his head. “Yeah, I think Cat suits you.”

I pull at my shirt that suddenly feels too tight. “My name is Catherine.”

He brings down his arm and crosses it over his chest. “I'll talk to you soon, Cat.”

I open my mouth to say my full name again, but seeing the smirk on his face has me holding the file close to my chest, muttering bye, and walking past him. When I get to my car, I feel like I have to catch my breath. I don’t even give myself a second to think back on the last hour I’ve spent with Holden Gray and his intense brown eyes, charm, and vulnerability. If I’m going to be able to help him, I’m going to have to keep it professional.

5

HOLDEN

It’s been two days, and I’m about to track Catherine Maples down. I gotta stop thinking about her and start focusing on staying fit and getting back in the game. Baseball has always been my priority, but there’s been a shift in me since I met Cat two days ago. I swear at random times, I’ve smelled coconuts in my house, but I know it’s crazy because there’s no way she’s left her scent here after being here less than an hour.

She’s had plenty of time to talk to her son and her boyfriend, and so I’ve convinced myself she’s going to say no. Which means I’m going to have to track down my sister and then convince her to give me Cat’s phone number, and then I’m going to have to make her an offer she can’t refuse.

It's insane how I was totally against having someone stay at my place, and now I'm totally convinced it's the best option. It’s like there is no other option. I want Cat—and her son—here.

I pull at the weighted band and spread my arms wide. Pain shoots into my shoulder, and I try to hold the move but then finally let it go. In frustration, I groan and bring my arms in. As soon as I do, the pain goes away, and I get more discouraged. I’ve tried to stay positive, but I can’t help but wonder how in the world I’m going to get better in two months.

The doorbell ringing has me running up the stairs and to the front door. The fact it could be Cat has me stopping before I open it and trying to catch my breath and pull myself together. I’ve never been this crazy over a woman, especially one I just met, but there’s no denying there is something special about Cat Maples. I open the door, and there’s no hiding the disappointment from my face. “Kendall… what are you doing here?”

She breezes past me and looks around my foyer before turning back to me. “You could at least act like you’re happy to see me.”

I look at the woman that I’ve dated on and offfor the past few months. She was hinting that she wanted me to give her a ring until I was injured. Which in itself was crazy because we’ve never even had sex. She was my plus one for some events, but my schedule doesn’t allow for a lot of dating. We haven’t seen each other since I got benched, and honestly I’m surprised that she’s showed up at my house now. I lean against the open door. “I guess I’m just wondering what you’re doing here, that’s all.”

She’s not fazed by my indifference. “Come on, Holden, don’t be like that. I’ve been worried about you.”

I blurt out a laugh and shake my head before shutting the front door. If she was worried about me, she would have shown up before now. Maybe even called me to check on me when she found out I was not going to be playing in the game last week. “What are you doing here, Kendall?”

She reaches for me, and I take a step back. She pouts, but I’m not falling for it this time. In the past, I would give in to what she wanted, but I’m half out of patience. “I was in the middle of something, and I need to get back to it, so whatever you’re here to say, please just say it.”

She fidgets, her hands in front of her. “I just wanted to see how you’re doing… what are the doctors saying?”

My shoulders tense, and I don’t want to have this conversation with her. “I have a rotator cuff strain. I have to do physical therapy.”

Her eyes light up. “And then you’ll be able to play again?”

I’m about to say yes but then reconsider. “Who knows, Kendall? I mean, that’s the goal, right? I want to play, but no one really knows for sure what’s going to happen.”

She looks uneasy, and I can see the way she’s considering everything. She shakes her head. “So I’ve been thinking…”

Her voice trails off, and I should probably offer for her to come in or to sit down, but I don’t. I know that all Kendall cares about is status. It was fine these past few months because I knew exactly what it was, but there’s no reason to carry on with the charade. It’s time for this to be over. “Go ahead, what have you been thinking?”

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