Page 2 of Hard Hearts

Chapter Two

KADEN

“Frankie? Is that you?”

A tall, stacked woman whips around, her wild red hair floating like a halo around her pale face. “Kaden?”

“The one and only.” I look her over from head to toe, taking in the lipstick, the heels—which are responsible for her height—the black knit dress she probably thought was modest because none of her chest is on display but it obscenely clings to every curve of her body. A frown creases my forehead. This is like a date outfit, and Frankie says she doesn’t date. At least, that’s the excuse she gave me before she ran out of the restaurant I’d booked.I can’t do this. I don’t date, and this looks like a date.

Yes, it was.

“What are you doing here?” She rubs her lips together, and the action makes my dick twitch.

“I was just about to ask you that.” I shove my hands in my pockets so that my growing hard-on isn’t so obvious. One drawback of a big dick is that it’s hard to hide. My teammates pointed this out to me after I’d gone on a late-night show. Apparently the outline of my cock could be seen when Isat down, causing a minor social media storm. They taped a printout of a post that said “Kaden Gunner’s dick is so big, it needs its own uniform.”

“I’ve got a business meeting.”

“It’s seven, and you’re looking like a smokeshow.”You’re looking like someone who should be in my bed, not eating with other men. And I know it’s men because that’s all Frankie works with.

“Well, it is a meeting, and my dress is perfectly normal.” She tugs at it, making the fabric cling even more.

My tongue momentarily gets stuck to the roof of my mouth, and I have to tilt my head back and stare at the streetlamp to get myself under control. “Fine, let’s go in and have this meeting.”

She throws out an arm to block me from entering. “You can’t come with me. This is a business meeting. Did you not hear that?”

“I heard it. I’m an adult. I can do businessy things.”

“Kaden, you cannot come to this dinner with me. We’re trying to land a contract with an automotive company, and it would be huge. It’s a big deal that my boss included me on this team because, you know?—”

“It’s generally all dicks,” I finish for her. “I know.”

I gnaw on the inside of my mouth for a second because I don’t want to ruin her business deal, but she can’t be seen in public in that dress either. “Let’s compromise. I’ll buy you a new dress and then you can go to dinner.”

She looks at me like I’m insane. “No. This dress covers me from neck to knee. There’s not a hint of cleavage.” She pats the top of her chest, and her tits jiggle. I have to look at the streetlamp again. At this rate, I’m going to go blind. “Also, the dinner is in ten minutes, so I don’t have time to change even if I wanted to.”

“I’m going to have to sit beside you, then. Tell them I’m your seeing eye dog or emotional support quarterback.”

“Kaden, be serious.”

“I could not be more serious.”

“We’re not even dating.”

“We went on a date. We just didn’t finish it, so technically, it’s still going on, which means we are dating.”

She throws up her hands and pushes me out of the way so she can enter the restaurant. I follow her inside.

She pretends I’m not right at her heels when she greets the host. “I’m with the Elite Motors party.”

“You’re early.” The host smiles at her.

I swear if his eyes drop below her chin, I’m decking him. I clear my throat, and the guy’s eyes fly upward to see me looming behind Frankie. She sighs and presses a knuckle into her temple.

“Aren’t you—” the host starts. I reach out and hand him a hundred dollar bill.

“I am, but I don’t want any attention.”

“Of course.” The man makes a zipping motion across his mouth and pockets the money. “Right this way.” He gestures with his head toward a corner booth.

---