Page 50 of Face Off
My eyes link with his as I lock my phone and place it face down on the table. My insides scream for me to go to him, but I know it’s too easy. I have to push a little more to get him to see me and talk to me for real. If I did as he asked now, who’s to say he won’t turn around and ignore me again. Who’s to say that he’s not just texting me because he’s a possessive, jealous bastard.
You know what you have to do, Hayley.
Turning to Kyle, I mouth to him, just go with it, before my mouth goes crash into his. Realization finally hitting, Kyle relaxes into the kiss. Kyle isn’t a bad kisser by any means. Makes me wonder why I never tried to make a move on him in high school. He pushes his tongue inside my mouth, deepening the kiss. Instinctively, I move my hands to the side of his face, my fingers itching to run through his hair, but just as I’m about to push further, Kyle is ripped from my grasps.
“Brooks,” I yelp as he rears his arm back and clocks Kyle square in the jaw. “Brooks,” I say again, grabbing his arm as he rears back again. “Stop it. Will you listen to me?”
He shakes me from his grasp and charges back toward Kyle, but I step in front of him, placing my hand to his chest, shoving him back with as much force as I can. “Will you fucking listen to me?!” I scream as Channing grabs his arms from behind to restrain him. “This…” I gesture between Kyle and I. “Means nothing.”
“It sure looks like something,” he says, fighting against Channing’s hold.
“Kyle is Cassidy’s cousin. He was in town and offered to help me get you back,” I say, throwing my hands to either side of his face.
His eyes are filled with anger and lust as he looks at me. “You need him to help you get me back, by sticking his tongue down your damn throat.”
Okay. Yeah, I pushed a little too far. At the time, it seemed like a well-thought-out plan, but now I’m realizing that it wasn’t. My eyes look between his, begging for him to hear me out. A small crowd forms around us. I look at the crowd and see some people filming the scene. This plan was entirely stupid. Both Brooks and I could lose a lot if this goes viral.
“Come with me,” I say, grasping his hand and walking toward the exit of the bar.
We step outside the bar onto the awaiting sidewalk; the air couldn’t be any more tense. Brooks leans his back against the building as he looks me over. My hands itch to touch him as his gaze filled with mirth heats me to my core.
“God, this was an absolutely horrible plan,” I say, pacing the sidewalk.
“You could say that again,” he mumbles as he pushes off the building to stand in front of me.
I stare at him, wanting to kiss him and smack him all at the same time. “You know this could have all been avoided if you would have just talked to me instead of ignoring me for two weeks,” I say, jabbing my finger into his chest.
He grabs my wrist, pulling me close to him. His hand slowly moves up my side, brushing against my breast. My breath hitches as he moves mere inches from my mouth, his forehead resting gently on mine. Biting my lip, I stare into his piercing blue eyes.
“The only person who should be biting that bottom lip is me,” he says, rubbing his thumb along my lip, releasing it from my grasp. “You asked for time. However, I thought Cassidy would have alerted you to my lurking outside the medical wing, but I guess she had other ideas.”
What?
“You were stalking me?”
“Not stalking but waiting. Trying to find the right opportunity to apologize for pushing you.” His thumb brushes my cheekbone as he gathers his thoughts. “There’s so much I want to tell you but not here.” He grabs my hand, pulling me down the block to his SUV. “Get in.”
“I have to tell Kyle I’m leaving. He was here to help me after all.”
A low growl vibrates from somewhere deep in his chest as he holds the passenger side door open for me. I know it must have been torture for him to watch me galivant all over a bar with another guy. Yet, I’m extremely turned on by his caveman-like tendencies. “Fuck that. I’ll text Halloway. He can tell that asshat where you went.”
“Brooks.”
“Hayley, I swear to God if you aren’t in that passenger seat in two minutes, I’ll throw you over my shoulder and do it myself,” he says before pressing his kiss to my lips. “I’m barely hanging on by a thread here. Please, Red.”
I climb into the front seat, Brooks closing the door for me before jogging around the front of his SUV and climbing into the driver’s seat. I can’t help the small smile that spreads across my face. Brooks starts his SUV, slowly pulling into traffic and heading the opposite direction of my townhome.
“Where are we going?”
He glances at me, a sexy, sly smirk pulling at the corner of his lips as his right hand reaches over to squeeze my bare thigh exposed from my skirt riding up, gently. “My place.”
Brooks
My condo isn’t exactly the homiest, it’s mostly bare. There are no family photos shown on the mantel above the fireplace. No random sport memorabilia hanging on the walls. Not even a blanket and throw pillows. Just light-gray walls that contrast well with the black leather L-shaped couch and a seventy-five-inch flat screen on the living room wall.
I’ve been meaning to decorate; I probably should have hired someone to do that by now, but I’ve been too busy. Plus, I never know if I’ll be traded to another team, so what’s the point.
Okay… so I’m lying.
