Page 2 of Tight End
She boldly met my gaze in challenge, then chuckled and asked, “What about you, Raiden? Do you have a type?”
Her voice cut clean through the chatter, loud enough to draw every head back toward the center rows. She smirked as she spoke, her confidence bleeding through the words like she’d been waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Laughter rippled through the room. PR shifted uncomfortably, probably regretting ever letting her in. I stayed still, leaned back in my chair with my ankle on my opposite knee, one arm draped across the backrest beside me.
My gaze didn’t move.
Neither did hers.
The heat between us climbed another few notches. I could see her chest rising with each breath, her lips slightly parted asif she hadn’t expected me to actually look at her. To see beneath her mask.
I let the silence stretch long enough to make the air crackle. Let everyone else lean in to hear what I’d say.
Then I spoke, my voice low and even. “I do now.”
There was a pause, and I could feel her brace for whatever came next.
“Smart. Bold. Blond hair. Probably a former athlete. Sitting in the third row.”
That got them. The room lit up again with laughter, a few reporters nudging each other while the poor PR girl looked ready to dissolve into the floor.
The woman—whatever her name was—flushed deeper. But I admired her control because she didn’t break. Not all the way. She shifted her shoulders, straightened her spine, and cleared her throat before chirping, “I’ll be sure to let Dave know.”
I smiled and inclined my head to congratulate her for her smart remark. Dave was the reporter who would normally be perched in that seat. And he was indeed blond, outspoken, and a former hockey player.
“I’d like to add ‘sassy’ to my list,” I drawled. “Trust me, that in no way describes Dave.”
She couldn’t argue with that. Dave was all the other attributes I’d spouted, but he was also serious in a way that bordered on overdramatic.
Her eyes danced, and her mouth tightened, as if she was suppressing a smile. But I was disappointed when she didn’t continue our banter. Instead, she launched into a new question—this one intelligent and clearly well-researched. It showed that she knew what the hell she was talking about, even if football wasn’t her regular beat. I respected that.
I still didn’t stop looking at her when I answered.
Honestly, I was amazed I said something that made sense, because all I could think about was the blush in her cheeks. The way her eyes dropped for half a second too long. How her body had reacted to mine like she knew exactly how it would feel to straddle my lap and ride me into the seat.
Fucking hell, I needed to shove off these thoughts before I had to stand and walk out of the room. Or I’d be giving the press a different kind of show.
Still, I leaned back again, my arms folded, and my eyes never leaving her face.
Yeah, I hadn’t felt this kind of pull in a damn long time.
And I sure as hell wasn’t about to ignore it.
The media room thinned out quickly once the press conference ended. Reporters scattered to file their sound bites, and players peeled off toward the exit. But I didn’t move. I had eyes on one thing only.
She stood near the far wall, tucking her tablet into her bag, with her body turned just enough that the curve of her ass tightened the back of her jeans and molded to her spectacular derriere.
When she glanced up and caught me watching, her breath caught in her throat, then her tongue swept across her bottom lip, leaving it glistening and so fucking kissable.
I pushed off the wall and closed the space between us in a few long strides, catching her wrist before she could bolt like I knew she was thinking about doing.
Her brows shot up as I tugged her down the hallway off to the side. Away from cameras and out of the direct line of chaos. She came willingly even though her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
When I pushed her gently against a wall, color flared in her cheeks, and her nipples pebbled against the thin fabric of her sweater. I’d already been hard since the moment I saw her, but I was fucking granite now.
The narrow hallway was dimly lit and empty. I pressed a hand to the wall beside her head, letting my body block hers completely. She swallowed hard, tilting her head back to meet my eyes, but her chin was still lifted like she wasn’t about to let me get away with anything.
Fuck, she was even more gorgeous up close. Compared to my six-foot-four height, she was petite, but I could see that she was lean and strong. Her curves were still mouthwatering and would fit perfectly against my body.
