Page 9 of Small Town Frenzy
But being in his presence now, a man I never thought I would see again, words elude me as my mind scrambles through different scenarios of how this could play out. And knowing that I walked away with more than his cowboy hat as a souvenir that night.
Jacob.
My sweet boy.
I back up to a nearby railing, clinging to it as the foundation of the life I’ve built begins to crumble beneath me. A night I’ll never forget is a nightmare four years later. There is no mistaking that face, or the man standing in front of me.
Griffin Greene wasn’t just a good time in paradise.He’s the father of my son.
CHAPTER 4
Griffin
“Do I need to call security?”I ask, looking her over again, since I had clearly underestimated what I was dealing with. She’s got a tight little body wrapped in denim and a V-neck T-shirt. Her hair falls over her shoulders in waves of brown and deeper golds, but she’s been staring at me with a slack jaw like she’s meeting a celebrity for the first time. I’m sure she’s starstruck.
Although her eyebrows squeezing together command their own attention, it’s that damn V-neck that draws my gaze downward. Can’t say I wouldn’t have sex with her, even if she is currently a potential threat. It’s not like I haven’t hooked up with a fan before. Looking that good, she makes it hard . . . and has me forgetting the rest of what I intended to say. But even her curve appeal doesn’t keep an all-star distracted for long, so I continue, “You show up two days in a row and just so happen to run into me like it’s a coincidence when we both know it’s not.”
“First of all, my eyes are up here.” I drag my gaze overher collarbone and then higher to be greeted with a scowl. She crosses her arms over her chest, her knuckles whitening from holding on to herself so tight. “Second, you’re insufferable, you know that?”
“That’s rich, considering I’m the victim in this situation.” Her scoff echoes through the tunnel. Grimacing, I say, “And if I’m so insufferable, why are you hiding around every corner of this stadium in hopes of seeing me again?”
Shifting her weight to the other hip, she snaps, “I wasn’t hiding?—”
“Look, I don’t know what kind of game this is, but I’m not playing, lady.”
“Lady?” Offense jerks her head back so fast that she might need to seek medical treatment. Hopefully somewhere away from me. She’s quick to straighten her shoulders. Coming on strong with the defense, she balls her fists at her sides as if she’s squaring up to me, which is kind of cute, coming from her. I mean, she can’t be more than five-three, five-four tops. She’s spunky for such a little thing. “I’ll have you know?—”
“This isn’t fun?—”
“No joke.” Her eye roll is so big that her head accompanies it.
“I’ll make you a deal so that we can get this encounter, or whatever we’re calling it, wrapped up and go our separate ways.”
A grin crosses her face, the kind a villain in a Disney movie would wear. All bark, no bite. “I cannot wait to hear this.”
“If I give you an autograph, will you stop harassing me?”
Her balk could probably be heard in Austin, it’s so loud. I rub my ear, worried about my drum bursting. But then she levels a glare on me, giving me the first full view of herentirety—orange fire flickering in green eyes contrasts with the delicate features of her face, her lips pursing but then pillowing again as if they’re ripe for the kissing. But it’s her eyes that transport me back to Costa Rica and the girl I left in a hotel room on Jaco Beach. Four long years couldn’t erase the memory.How could it?It was one of the best nights of my life.
Frivolous fun and great sex. Kissing her was like kissing the sun. I knew I’d get burned if I stayed too long. But we were raw attraction, the night sultry with possibilities, and so fucking sexy while it lasted.
We shouldn’t have been a one-off.
I should have stayed, and my gut twisted when I walked away.
I should have asked for her number.
Hell, or at least gotten her name.
But here she is in the flesh again, the woman I never imagined I’d see again. Of course, I didn’t expect her to show up as a stalker either, so there is that aspect to deal with. Oh shit.Did she track me down?
Maybe she never asked me my name because she already knew it. The thought is a bit unsettling. I had built an entirely different story about what happened to her after I left, but this new information changes things.
She smirks, which puts me more on edge than I already was. “You got yourself a deal.” Bending down, she pulls an envelope from the large bag she left on the ground at her feet and then digs through the mess until she retrieves something silver and shiny. Is she going to pull a knife on me, force me into her vehicle at gunpoint, and coerce me to perform lascivious acts on her?If only . . .
I take a step back before realizing it’s a pen. Okay, maybe I need to slow my roll with the stalker thing. Although she’sa bit mouthy and has a Mount Everest-sized attitude, which I fully respect as someone else who falls in that category, I’m starting to think she’s harmless. I’ve slept with the woman, and she didn’t kill me then, so I’m not sure why she’d want to after all these years.
I scratch the back of my neck, unsure what to make of her. I’ve had nothing but fond memories of our time together, but seeing her under these circumstances is confusing. More so, does she not even recognize me? What the fuck?
