Page 26 of Single Glance

Hadley’s spine instantly stiffened as she put down the dish she was drying and slowly turned to face me. Fuck. Her blue eyes were wide and wild, making me almost lose my nerve. I’d been back at the house for three days, and even though I’d had a game yesterday, I spent my limited free time with Hadley and Emilia. It wasn’t enough. I didn’t know if it would ever be enough. Not only with my daughter, but the vixen in front of me.

Hadley had crawled her way underneath my skin years ago, but for the first time, I didn’t mind it. I wanted more of her, wanted to soak in every moment of her warmth. Seeing her with my daughter had softened my heart, but so much of it was just her. She brought out the best in the world, and I wanted to be surrounded by her. When we were apart, I felt like the air was colder, as if I wasn’t complete until I was back with the two of them.

She cocked her head. “Okay, those are the four most brutal words in the English language. Speak fast, sarge, or you’re going to get sprayed with the sink hose.”

I let out a gruff chuckle, scratching the stubble on my chin. Coach was a stickler for us being clean shaven, but I had gotten lazy this morning, wanting to spend a bit more time with Emilia before I headed out for the day.

I cleared my throat. “Tomorrow’s family day at the stadium. All the kids come out, and we’ve got special giveaways and everything. I would like Emilia to come out to watch me play.”

Hadley beamed back at me. “Yeah? That would be so much fun. Ollie’s been texting me nonstop about coming to another game, so I’d be happy to take her?—”

“Cole asked to take her.” The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. Victoria’s brother seemed like the natural choice to take Emilia to my game. While we’d never been close, I wanted to get to know him more, and this seemed like a good opportunity. Cole was a good guy, and he and his wife doted on Emilia like she was their own. When he stopped by earlier in the evening, I’d mentioned the game, and he offered to take Emilia. I didn’t second guess it, happy I’d have people cheering me on.

But the forlorn look on Hadley’s face instantly broke my heart. I never dreamed she’d want to go, much less be looking forward to it. She forced a smile and then turned back to the dishes. “Oh, okay. Good to know. I’ll find something to do around here. It’ll be a good time for them.”

“Hadley…”

“It’s fine,” she said, reaching out to grab the dish towel. She dried her hands, then started toward the side door. “Guess I’ll see you on Monday.”

Without thinking, I rushed behind her. As she tried to pull the door open, I pressed my palm against the surface, keeping it closed. My chest brushed against her back, and her subtle scent overwhelmed me. A current rushedthrough my veins, the reaction so visceral, I swore the shift was visible for all to see. She turned slowly, and my eyes raked over her confused features. I wanted to touch her. Fuck, I wanted to do so much more than that. But right now, what I wanted most was for her not to step out that door. “Don’t walk away from me, Hadley.”

Her face contorted into a glare, a familiar fire and fury reflecting in her eyes. “And don’t tell me what to do, Cameron. I’m here for Emilia, so if you don’t need me, I’m going back to my house.”

“Not like this,” I bit out. “We’ve come too far to let a simple conversation derail us. Now, if you’re done being a brat, you need to let me finish.”

Hadley’s eyes flared as she stared at me. This close, I could see every emotion flicker across her face. The flush of her cheeks. The heavy pulse in her neck. Everything called to me, but I had to keep my needs locked down. We’d agreed it was too complicated. Nothing could ever happen between us. But, fuck, I wanted to give in.

“I wasn’t sure you’d want to come,” I said. “I was hoping you would. A bunch of us rented out a box for our friends and families. I told them I was bringing three people, just in case you did.”

“Really?” she asked, in disbelief at my words.

“Yeah, menace.” I leaned closer, brushing my fingers over her blonde waves. “I mentioned the game to Cole, and he asked to take Emilia, but I still want you there. I want to hear you cheering my name.”

“Why?”

It was one word, one simple question, yet it broke the last wall inside me. My hand slipped to the back of her neck, and I pulled her forward, finally claiming the kiss I’d been dreaming about. Hadleystiffened against me, and for one dreaded moment, I thought she was going to push me away. Instead, she melted into the kiss, her hands fisting my shirt, anchoring me to her.

Her lips pressed to mine, and a deep growl echoed from the back of my throat. My hands found her hips, bringing her flush against me. Her taste, the weight of her lips on mine—everything was fucking perfect. This kiss was everything I imagined it to be and more.

But just as quickly as we’d come together, we broke apart, the silence heavy. Fuck, I wanted to kiss her again. That was too brief, not nearly long enough to get my fill of Hadley. I wanted to taste that sweetness that coated her lips. She tasted like sunshine and honey—a flavor I’d never get out of my head.

She searched my expression. “You never answered my question.”

“I think I did.” I smirked. “I want to see you up in those stands, Hadley. I want you. When you cheer my name…” I shook my head. “It feels like I could take on the fucking world.”

I leaned down and kissed her one more time, softer than before. It was more of a promise of things to come—a sign I didn’t regret what was happening between us. If anything, this moment cemented in my mind that I wanted this woman, wanted her in every way possible. But I needed her to want it too.

As we broke apart, she leaned her forehead against my chest. “Okay, I’ll be there.”

TWENTY-ONE

“Girl, you are rocking that jersey!”

My cheeks brightened at Ollie’s words. Her voice radiated through the room, and everyone turned and looked in my direction. When Cam said a couple of guys rented out the box, I thought five, maybe six people at the most, but there were easily twenty-five people hanging out with us, other players’ family members and the occasional girlfriend.

I toyed with the hem of the jersey draped over my sweater. I wasn’t sure about wearing Cam’s number, but it seemed something friends would do. Almost everyone in the box was wearing one, so it would have been weirder if I didn’t wear it, right? Especially when Ollie went out of her way to get it for me. Cam’s jersey hadn’t hit most of the markets yet, but she had a hook-up in one of the stadium shops, and they found three for Cole, Emilia, and me.

It felt odd, like trying to claim someone who didn’t belong to me—especially after last night. We kissed. Pretty sure it was the best kiss of my life, but I refused to say that out loud, refused to inflate Cam’s ego any further.

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