“Do you think he’s like a general in a real army?”
I jump at the whispered question coming from behind me. “Lilla, where did you come from? And what are you talking about?”
“Football’s the closest thing to sanctioned war we have,” Lilla says. “And the quarterback’s the general. He calls all the shots, my dear.”
“Okay, you need to seriously calm down.”
“Distraction won’t help you this time!” she calls out too loudly.
I wave and head over to a large group of old, white-haired men in suits to snuggle up to.
Chapter Four
Dylan
Where is she? Every time I turn the corner, I’m looking for her. I’ve barely paid attention to any conversation I’ve been a part of since I locked eyes with Jasalie Gordon. I’m laughing at jokes I didn’t even hear, nodding at questions, having no clue what they were.
When her dickhead of a boss introduced us, I couldn’t believe the woman I tried to find at the Super Bowl party is actually right here in town. Feels like the stars aligned for me this weekend. The first time I saw her, she knocked my world on its axis, and I haven’t stopped thinking about her since.
Yes, Jasalie looks like a model. But she acts the opposite, like she doesn’t want anyone noticing her. But she’s real without a fake bone in her body. She’s also a walking fantasy with blond hair I want to wrap around my fingers and gorgeous legs that never end.
And her eyes hooked me.
Not the warm gray color with a hint of purple. It was what she gave me with her eyes—she almost seemed to be asking for something. Like she wants—needs—something, but she can’t verbalize exactly what.
I just know that I want to be the man to give it to her.
Dante wanders away and Colton taps his beer to mine before saying in a low voice, “So. She’s here. Your mystery server from last week, the one who shot you down cold.”
I grimace as my cousin calls it like it is, as usual. With his blond head of hair and blue eyes, Colton Wild looks my opposite, but we’re more alike than we appear. We both love football far more than we love the fame that comes with it, and he’s the only person I truly trust in Los Angeles. Being teammates in this crazy league has been a damn blessing and one I never take for granted.
“You recognized her?” I say to him.
Colton cocks an eyebrow. “I may be married to the most perfect woman in the world, but I’m not blind. She’s not someone you can easily forget. Honestly though, it was your reaction to her that made me notice her most of all. I’ve never seen you knocked off before, man. It was fun to watch.” He frowns. “Until you told me what Green did to her. The asshole—he’s lucky Coach forbid him from coming this weekend. If he were here, I’d have to kill him.”
“Well, you’d have to get in line.”
Colton glances out at the crowd of people. “So you’re going to talk to her again?”
“I’m going to try. I want to make sure she’s okay. Plus, she’s the only one I want on my arm this weekend.”
Colton’s eyes brighten with amusement. “You do realize she has to say yes first right? The potential photos of you two together, all lovey-dovey—none of that can happen if she feels the same way she did last week. I think her exact words were something like, ‘I don’t care about celebrities, or money, or whatever you think I’m going to fall for so you can try to get laid.’ She was boss, man. And you didn’t stand a chance.” He whistles. “She’s beautiful, though.”
“Hey.” I tilt my head in the direction of the elevators. “You broke the ‘no females in town until tomorrow’ rule, didn’t you?”
Colton shrugs, utterly unconcerned. “Yeah. Of course I did. Sky and I are going on our honeymoon in Hawaii straight from this event, and I hate spending a night apart from her. So why should I?”
Why should he is right. Colton and Skylar are meant to be like they were born to be together or something. It sounds corny as shit, but the moment I saw them together, I couldn’t deny how perfectly they fit with each other. “So where is your wife?”
“Upstairs, enjoying whatever she wants off the room service menu.” Colton breaks into a dopey smile. “And when I get done here, I’ll be upstairs making sure she enjoys anything else she desires.”
I slap his back. “Good for you. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to risk take two with Ms. Jasalie Gordon.”
“Hold up, dude.” Colton lifts his chin. “What’s your plan with her?”
I shrug. “No plan. I’m only asking her for a few days of her time. It’s not like I can give her anything serious.”
“And why is that exactly?” Colton frowns at me. “I thought you wanted to meet someone real this time.”
