Page 29 of Blocked Shot
“Crap. I forgot my phone.”
He’s already turning back toward the arena. “I’ll be right back,” he calls over his shoulder before jogging off.
She exhales, watching his retreating figure disappear through the entrance. The moment he’s gone, the air around her shifts, and she’s suddenly more aware of her surroundings. The parking lot is quieter now, most of the other players already gone, and she realizes, with an unsettling certainty, that she’s not alone.
The door swings open again, and Jake steps out.
He looks freshly showered, his damp hair pulled into a messy bun, his game-day suit jacket slung over one arm. His tie is loose, the top button of his dress shirt undone. Casual, effortless. And devastatingly sexy.
His eyes find hers almost immediately, and for a second, neither of them moves. Then he shifts his bag higher onto his shoulder and closes the distance between them in a few strides.
“Natalie,” he says, voice low.
She straightens, trying to act unaffected. “Hey.”
He studies her for a moment, something unreadable in his expression, then tilts his head slightly. “You didn’t have to do that.”
She blinks. “Do what?”
He smirks, but it’s softer than usual. “The food.”
Oh. Heat rushes to her cheeks. She glances away, shrugging. “It wasn’t a big deal. I was already cooking for Jesse.”
Jake steps a little closer, getting in her space and forcing her to look back at him. “It was a big deal to me,” he says quietly. “Thank you.”
His voice is different. It’s rougher, more sincere. It makes her stomach tighten, makes her pulse pick up in a way she wishes it wouldn’t.
“It’s really nothing,” she insists, but her voice betrays her, coming out higher than she intends.
Jake doesn’t push, doesn’t say anything else. He watches her, like he’s trying to figure something out. And for a brief, terrifying moment, she thinks he might reach for her. That he might close the space between them and do something reckless.
But before anything can happen, Jesse’s voice rings out from the entrance. “Got it!”
Natalie jolts back a step, as if distance will erase whatever passed between them. Jake shifts too, his expression unreadable again.
Jesse jogs back toward them, cheerfully oblivious to Natalie’s hammering heart. “Man, that would’ve sucked if I lost it.” He glances between them. “You guys good?”
Natalie arranges her face into what she hopes is a smile. “Yeah. Just waiting for you.”
Jesse grins, unlocking his truck. “Let’s go, then. Night, Mac.”
Jake nods, but his eyes linger on Natalie for a second longer. “Night.”
She doesn’t look back as she climbs into the car. But even as they pull out of the parking lot, she can still sense Jake’s gaze on her.
CHAPTER 15
Mila
Wine Wednesday?
NATALIE
Can’t. Have class. Raincheck?
Mila
You’re way too responsible for me.
