Page 71 of Coach's Temptation

"Hunter!" Natalie slaps my arm, her cheeks flushing crimson as she whips her head around to check if anyone overheard.

Her fingers dig into my bicep and the glare she tries on is utterly adorable.

"That is not what I was going to ask about, and you know it."

But there's a hint of a smile playing at her lips, and her touch lingers longer than necessary.

I smirk, enjoying the way her breath catches when I step closer under the pretense of reaching for more sprinkles. "My mistake. What is it?"

"It's just… I stopped by my apartment earlier and noticed some interesting changes before we left home..."

"Really? Like what?" I frown like I'm confused.

Damn. I should've known she'd figure it out - Natalie's too smart to miss the signs.

Mike promised to keep quiet, but those premium hardwood floors were probably a dead giveaway. Now I'm gonna need a believable explanation that doesn't reveal the full scope of what I'm planning for her apartment.

"Just a few things that—"

But before I can pull some half-assed excuse out of thin air, Natalie narrows her eyes, like she’sthisclose to calling me on my bullshit.

I can't let that happen.

I make a snap decision. A reckless, idiotic, highly effective snap decision.

Without breaking eye contact, I swipe two fingers through the bowl of vanilla frosting. I drag it slow and deliberate along her cheekbone and watch the shock creep across her face.

Her breathing stops, her gaping mouth freezing mid-sentence. The soft, sugary smear stands out against her blushing pink skin, and for a second, the entire kitchen goes dead silent.

Ryder audibly gasps.

"You did not just—"

"I did," I say, smirking and folding my arms over my chest.

Her green eyes blaze, flickering between rage and something a hell of a lot more dangerous.

Oh,fuck.

I just made this so much worse for myself.

Natalielunges.

Her hand dives straight into the mixing bowl, scooping up an ungodly amount of frosting. "Get here, Coach!"

I barely have time to pivot before she smashes the frosting into my collarbone, dragging it down the front of my shirt.

The room erupts. Connor howls with laughter. Lucy cheers and whoops like a fucking schoolgirl. Ryder, that little shit, grabs an entire handful of flour and launches it across the kitchen at Logan, who takes it like a damn snowball to the chest the moment he steps into the kitchen to absolute fucking carnage.

Natalie pounces on top of me, her sudden weight sending me tumbling to the floor where she sits on my chest, a competitive glint in her eye. “Not so tough now, are you, Coach?”

I exhale slowly, desperate to wipe clean my frosting-covered face but she's got me pinned. Pinned good.

“You really wanna do this, Hayes?”

Her grin widens as I struggle against her pinhold. “Oh, Ireallydo.”

The kitchen's turned into a war zone - flour coating every surface, sprinkles crunching underfoot as the team pelts each other with whatever ingredients they can grab.

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