She slid out of the booth and fell onto me, her familiar scent and warmth surrounding me as she wrapped her arms around me in a hug. “Thank you,” she said, her muffled voice blocked by my shirt.
I cupped the back of her head, closing my eyes and holding her. “You’re welcome. That’s my job, baby, to build you up. You gotta let me.”
Soft kisses covered my neck and then my jaw. Each touch of her lips on my skin sent a flurry of emotions through me. Need, want, desperation, worry,love. I loved this woman. Avoiding her hadn’t dulled the feelings, and being around her again reminded me. She was an addiction that I got full access to this weekend, but what happened when our time ended here?
I kissed her temple as she slid off my lap and onto the booth next to me. I liked her here, right by me. Our thighs touched, and I didn’t have to pretend I didn’t notice. Leaning into her, I felt drunk on her. I forgot about all my worries and focused on the feel of her muscles against mine, the softness of her pants.
“Go get your laptop, and I’ll write down some practice interview questions we can go over. We can set a timer if that helps you. One hour. Then we stop.”
“And then we can go back to the hotel room?” She arched a brow, her cheeks reddening. “Because I need to be honest, Hayden. I want to have my way with you right now.”
I snorted into my fist. “Oh, you have no idea how little self-control I have this second. So, please, Char, get your damn laptop so we can work on this.”
She grinned wide and sprinted out of the booth. The hour would be dedicated to her interview, but it would also give me time to figure out what the hell I was gonna do. Charlotte had rooted herself under my skin. I refused to cross any more lines with her until we agreed on the future.
I just had to figure out what the hell the future meant to me.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHARLOTTE
One hour turned into three, which turned into an early dinner at one of the resort’s cafés. Scratch papers were spread all over the surface, along with two plates of fries and sandwiches. We deserved a drink after the first draft of the interview plan, and two empty beer glasses sat next to two new ones. Of course, this place dyed their drinks red and green. It wasn’t every day I had a red beer.
“How are you feeling about everything?” Hayden wore his glasses because we stared at my screen so much, and every single time I glanced at him, I wanted to kick my feet and squeal. He was so hot it didn’t make sense.
Sitting made me stir-crazy, so I paced to the right of the table as I took in his question. I actually felt good. “I’ve never felt more prepared for anything. I know my plan to stand out and make it about the student athletes and the program. Comparing myself to Chad isn’t conducive, and you helped me remember that I am pretty awesome.”
“Yes, you are.” He sucked in one side of his cheek as hescanned the papers. A wrinkle formed on his forehead as he picked up one sheet, set it down, and repeated the process. “Where is the mock-up of the scoreboard redesign? I liked the way you drew it with the potential sponsorships on it.”
The red ink popped out, and I pulled it from the pile. “Here.”
“You able to digitize this?” His right knee bounced up and down as he took a sip of the green beer. “I think if you can print this out in a 3D rendering with the monetary opportunities with it, you’d be impossible to beat.”
“I’ll work on it. My friend is a designer and owes me a favor.”
Hayden organized all the materials into a nice pile as he said, “Char, hon, I honestly don’t know how they won’t hire you. I want to hire you for our team with these ideas, and let me make this clear.”
I didn’t respond, and he wrapped his fingers around my wrist, drawing my attention. I met his eyes. “I’m listening, Coach.”
“These were your ideas. All I did was help guide you on the best presentation format because I’ve lived through this before. The plan? You. The vision? All yours. Own this shit.”
“You’re quite the motivational speaker.” I blushed at the way he stared at me, so intense and serious. “I’m definitely feeling more confident about this whole thing. Gwen is lucky to have you as her dad.”
“I’ve been low a few times in my life, and loving and believing in yourself is the hardest hurdle. Once you’vemastered that, everything will work out.” He smiled, but the expression was distant, almost pained. “My mom was the best at that. She’s been so good at teaching Gwen self-worth. I’m good with it on the field with the guys, where I can be more direct and crasser. I want to be there for Gwen too but I’m not… my approach isn’t the best. If I had more time, I’d read more books on how to be that for Gwen.”
“Being direct isn’t bad.”
“Yeah, but I’m worried I’m not always going to be the parent she needs. My dad kicked my ass when I needed it, and my mom was there to pick up the pieces and make me better. I needed both parts, and I can’t play both roles. I can be tough, but Gwen feels so much, and I swear, if I even raise my voice, she cries.” He scrubbed his hands over his face, the glasses rising up onto the top of his head. He placed them on the table and looked so conflicted that I wanted to curl up in his lap and reassure him.
“Being three years old is all about big feelings and learning about the world around them. Didn’t you just tell me not to compare myself to Chad? Why are you comparing your situation to others’? It’s not a competition.”
Screw it. I moved next to him onto the bench and ran my hand over his upper back. He tensed for a beat before he leaned into me. “Do you think the fact that your parents are moving away for a year has you doubting yourself ?”
“I’m gonna need another beer if we’re going to touch that comment.” He barked out a laugh. “Okay, can we go back to your interview prep? I prefer that, rather than where this conversation is heading.”
“Ah, don’t like when the tables have turned, huh?”
“Nope. I’m great at helping with others’ problems, just not my own. Super healthy, I know.” He leaned back into the booth, his hands shoved in the pocket of his hoodie. He tilted his head to look at me, his gray eyes swirling with mischief. “Any chance I can distract you so we don’t talk about this? I have some naughty ideas I think you’d approve of.”
