I know every damn word he just said is true. I’ve known it since the first day I went and let myself fall in love with her.
I’m not saying I won’t go to Ole Miss. But if going means leaving her behind, I’ll have to let my dream of playing in the MLB never come true.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Rochelle
“Excuse me,” a handsome voice calls from across the front desk. I look up into the most thrilling pair of green eyes and smile. “Last time I was here, I fell in love with the most gorgeous woman in the world.” I put my hand on my hip to sass him, but decide instead to let him have his way as he rounds the corner and takes my breath away. Dressed in his uniform, ready to go to the field, my mouth waters as he pulls his ball cap lower on his head.
“You see, I couldn’t help falling in love with her. She came barreling into my world, almost fell at my feet, too, when she came stumbling out of that supply closet.”
“Is that so?” I grin. His eyes dart up to the closet in question before settling back on mine.
“Mhm,” he murmurs, as he grabs me around my waist and the world around us seizes to exist. “You see, she stole my heart that day, and something tells me, I’ll never get it back.”
“Well, she sounds like a smart woman,” I whisper, as he pulls me closer.
“And how do you reckon that?” He asks with a grin.
“Well, for starters…”
“Hmm?” He teases.
“If I had a chance to score a guy like you,” I say, as his lips rest above mine. “I wouldn’t give you back either.”
Tipping his ball cap back, his lips crush against mine with tender admiration, as he presses me up against the back wall. His clean scent from his pregame shower, his soft uniform, his chiseled abs and arms, his tempting length hardening, it all clouds my thoughts. He fists his hands in my hair and attempts to deepen the kiss just as Melissa, my boss, says, “Hey, Romeo, hands off the staff. I don’t care how good you look in your uniform.”
We spin around and she gives us both a wink before going back to cutting a woman’s hair. Glancing back at Hunter, he gives me a devilish grin.
“You know, the first time I met her, I wasn’t sure I liked her too much,” he says.
“Really? Melissa is like a second mom to me. She’s the one that helped convince me to go back to school, along with Momma, after I begged her time and again for a job here.”
I steal a glance back over at the woman across the room and silently thank her for taking a chance on me when no one else in the world seemed like they would. Until Hunter, that is.
“Well, then I like her even more, Angel,” he grins before changing the subject. “What time are you done here?”
“Not until eight,” I pout. “Melissa needs some help closing up tonight. We are down a stylist, and if we get any walk-ins, she said she’d let me take them since I’m barely a week away from being licensed.”
Hunter looks over at Melissa and around the shop before looking back into my eyes. “Well, my game is at four. I should be done and out of there by 7:30, I’ll swing back by and pick you up. I’ve got a mad craving for something…” he kisses my right cheek and whispers, “Warm.” He kisses my left cheek. “Sweet.” His lips hover above mine. “Wet and fucking willing.” He crushes his lips against mine. This time, my mouth opens and grants him access. His tongue brushes against mine only once, but it does so so seductively it steals my breath away. He breaks our contact and leaves me sex-crazed, glued in one spot, mouth agape from his comment.
He rounds the corner and winks at me once before pushing out into the southern California sun. Shaking my head a few times, I try to focus on what I was doing before he walked in. Still wrapped up in thoughts about what exactly Hunter plans to do to me later, I startle when the door chimes and two girls walk in.
A redhead and her blonde best friend walk toward me, giggling and caught up in their own conversation.
“Can I help you?” I ask once they have reached the counter.
The blonde looks at me and smiles. “Hey, yeah sorry,” she says. “We both just need an updo. Do you have time to fit us in?”
I look at Melissa who nods as she finishes up the girl’s hair that she is working on and takes the drape off of her shoulders. “Sure, we should be able to. What are your names?”
“I’m Eva Monroe and this is Gwen,” the woman says as I write their names down in the log. “Gwen Coppola.” She peers over the counter, watching to see if I spell their names right. I look up surprised.
“God Ev, give the girl some space. You’re not a journalist yet. Who cares how she spells our names?” The redhead, Gwen, says as she looks at me and winks.
Melissa makes her way over and rings up her client. As the woman turns to leave, she glances at the two girls in front of me and smiles. “Up-dos huh? Fancy plans tonight?”
Gwen squeals as Eva rolls her eyes. “I’ll say, only one of the biggest sorority parties Long Beach State throws every year. And this year, I got my BFF here to celebrate with.”
