Page 55 of Single Glance

She shook her head. “I can’t ask you to do that.”

“Why not?”

Hadley huffed, staring at me like the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. “Because it wouldn’t be fair. Some schools work for years to make these partnerships happen, and I’d be jumping the line just because you’ve seen me naked.”

I closed the lid of her laptop; Hadley turned to snap at me, but I didn’t give her the chance, instead pulling her into my lap. She brushed against my length, and we both sucked in a sharp breath, all too aware of how little fabric separated us. But that wasn’t what I wanted right now. My fingers pinched Hadley’s chin, guiding her eyes down to meet mine.

“First, as much as I love seeing you naked, that’s only one reason I like having you around. Another is because of your fierce heart, menace. I’ve never met anyone who fights so hard for the people in their life.” Hadley opened her mouth to protest, but I silenced her with a hard stare. “Second, you know more than most people—life isn’t fair. Sometimes, you have to use the advantages handed to you. If our team was to help, it wouldn't be just because I care about you.”

“It wouldn’t?”

“No,” I laughed, brushing my lips along Hadley’s cheek. “It’s because I’ve seen how hard you work, baby, how much you pour into your career. You’re determined to make your students’ lives a little more exciting, and it shows when you talk about them.”

She wrinkled her nose. “You make me sound powerful.”

“The most powerful woman I’ve ever met.” My lips dusted across her collarbone. “The most beautiful.” Another touch to her pulse point. “The most aggravating.”

Hadley snorted. “And you love it.”

I pulled back, snaking my hand around the back of her neck. “You’re damn right I do.”

I triedto convince Hadley to spend another night in the hotel with me, but she wanted to head back to the house. It was tempting to see if I could convince her otherwise, but I also wanted to see Emilia before my game. If anything could shake away my nerves, it was a couple of hours with my daughter.

Ever since she went to the game earlier in the season, Emilia had developed a love for the game. She’d been going to them since she was in diapers, but this was the first year she started asking questions, wanting to learn everything I could offer.

“Em’s been asking to play catch,” Hadley said from the passenger’s seat of my truck. She turned and smirked at me. “You get this goofy smile when you’re thinking about Em. Hate tobreak it to you, Cam, but you’re not as hard to read as you think.”

I rolled my eyes. “Was thinking about getting her a glove, but I need her to come with me. Want to make sure it fits.”

“She’d love that.” Hadley let out a sigh when I hit the blinker, turning the truck into the driveway. “Only a few more days until Tori comes home.”

“Yeah…” My jaw tensed. “A lot of things are going to change around here.”

Hadley nodded, dropping her head onto my shoulder. “I don’t want some things to change.” I said nothing, but I gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. “When she gets home, are you going to look for an apartment?”

My spine stiffened as I tried to answer her innocent question. I hadn’t gathered the courage to tell Hadley about my possible trade, and after last night, I was in no rush to ruin our morning. “Yeah.” I ground my teeth. “As much as I love these guys, a little space will be good for all of us. Plus, I’d like to be a little closer to the stadium. I don’t mind the drive, but it’s hard on late nights. I’ve already talked to a real estate agent. She’s going to send over some listings later this week.”

I pulled into my parking spot and turned off the engine. After dropping the keys into my pocket, I reached down and linked my hand with Hadley’s. “When they come through, will you take a look? Come with me and see if we find any we like?”

Her eyes widened as she stared up at me. “You want my opinion?”

“Of course,” I said, tugging her a little closer. I reached up with my free hand and brushed some of her hair behindher shoulder. “If I have my way, you’ll be spending a lot of nights there with me. I want to make sure you’ll be comfortable.”

Hadley’s mouth hung open, and for a moment, I thought I’d gone too far. Maybe she wasn’t as ready to take our relationship into the real world as me. Instead, she surged forward and captured my lips, making elation gather in my chest. “I’ll take that as a yes?”

“I’d love to,” Hadley answered. “So this is it? We’re really doing this?”

Just as I was about to tell her yes, that she was one of the most important people in my life, a knock sounded on the driver’s side window. Hadley’s face paled as she looked over my shoulder. I followed her gaze, and the world stopped spinning as I met Victoria’s smirk.

“When I said I wanted you two to get along, this was not what I had in mind.”

FORTY-TWO

“Fuck.” The word came out more like a squeak, my voice unable to produce much more. Out of all the ways I expected Victoria to find out, this never even crossed my mind. So much for the gradual conversation about what happened between us. I’d pictured this moment a million times in my mind, trying to figure out exactly how to tell my best friend I’d fallen for her ex. I expected tears, and hopefully, some understanding, but that was only if I framed it right. And this? Her walking up and finding us making out in his truck? That was the wrong way to break the news.

My heart thundered in my chest as I stared at her, trying and failing to find the right words to say. Cam just shook his head as I spluttered out. “Wh-what are you doing here?”

“I live here,” Victoria said, her dark eyes glinting with amusement. “I think the better question is, what have you two been doing here?”

---