Hop, short for Hayden Orion Porter. It was the dumb nickname Christian gave me at fourteen when I thought I was cool as hell. But Charlotte stared at me and used my nickname…
My face heated, and I cleared my throat. “We’ll leave your car here. Get your stuff, lock it, then I’ll call a tow company to take it home.”
Her eyes grew to saucers. “Home? I need to drive back—”
“I’ll take you home too. It’s fine.” I waved my hand in the air, dismissing her.
“You and me?” she asked, the warmth leaving her voice. If anything, her tone matched the winter wind blowing around us.
“Yes. I’m driving you.”Damn.That came out like a bossy growl. My coaching voice leaked through time to time, which often led me into trouble.
Char wet her bottom lip with her tongue and sighed. “Fine.Fine.”
“Don’t look so grateful.”
She shot me a glare that almost made me smile again. She was adorable. And cold. The tips of her ears had turned pink, and she shivered. “Come on,” I said, quickly unhooking my truck from her car. “Get in the front and sit by the heater.”
“What about my stuff?”
“You, warm up.” I pointed at her and raised my brows. I used that look to stare down pissant coaches who made up rules and umpires who forgot how to use their own eyeballs. I’d made grown men cower with my stern look, but not Charlotte.
“I don’t have to listen to you,Coach.” She huffed before moving to her trunk and shoving all the bright things into the back of my car. The red lingerie was still hooked to her exhaust, and I fought the urge to remind her. Did I just grab them to not embarrass her more? Or would that be worse?
Definitely worse.
“Is there a reason you don’t enjoy packing like a normal person?”
If she could shoot daggers out of her eyes, they’d stab me in the heart. “I was in a rush, and forgive me for not assuming I’d be stuck in a drift withyou.”
I held up my hands. “Whoa, I didn’t do anything wrong here.”
“Right. Of course not.” Her answering fake smile seemed strange on her pretty face. Her lips twisted in a scowl, and the warmth I had sworn I observed in her eyes was long gone. If anything, I sensed a new tone. One I didn’t care for.
“Char, hey, what’s wrong?” I gently grabbed her elbow with two fingers and waited for her to look at me. It took a few seconds, but then she faced me, her big, brown doe eyes swirling with…anger?
“Nothing. I’m fine.” She yanked her arm out of my reach. “Just rattled from almost dying. That’s all.”
Right. I was being an ass. I exhaled, a large plume of mist billowing around me from the frigid temperatures, and put my hand on her shoulder. That seemed like a nice, friendly, innocent gesture. Nothing unpleasant in a gentle arm touch between pals. “I’m really glad you’re safe. I can’t imagine how scary it was.”
She swallowed hard and did that fake tight smile bullshit again. “I’ll be alright.”
“You have everything you need?”
She dropped the clothes, patted her pockets, and then her eyes went wide. “My phone! Shit. That could have been bad.”
She went to the side of her car. I tried, albeit not very hard, tonotstare at her ass, but the jeans were torture. They hugged her curves as she swayed her hips. Charlotte had been an athlete her entire life, something she and I had in common, and it was clear she kept in shape, becauseGoddamn. Her thick thighs and round ass were all muscle, and something like lust grew hot and deep in my gut.
Christian’s sister. Off-limits.
She needs a partner, a guy who can give her the attention she deserves.
Don’t do it. Close your fucking eyes.
The muscle in my cheek contracted as Charlotte jogged toward the passenger side of my truck, the reality of the situation hitting me. I’d have to talk to her on the drive up, something I had avoided since that night we kissed.
CHAPTER THREE
CHARLOTTE
