“It’ll be quick,” I assure her, and she sighs. I hang up on her and pull up in front of her building with four minutes to spare. I rush in, pressing the button, and when I knock at the door she opens it, and peace settles over me. “Hi,” I say, smiling at her. “Told you I’d be quick.” I take in her black dress pants and a blue button-down linen top that is open at the collar. My hands go to her face and she smiles up at me, her blue eyes light. “You look?—”
“Shut up.” She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me down to kiss her. I haven’t seen her in three days, so the kiss that starts out soft goes up a thousand degrees, and my hands move from her face into her hair then to her ass.
I let go of her lips and her eyes flutter open. “I really have to go,” I tell her, kissing her one last time. “I’ll call you later.”
“Okay,” she answers softly as she smiles at me running back out to the elevator. I make it to the plane with five minutes to spare and four texts from Jaxon and seven from Kirby. I park my SUV, grab my bag and jacket, and run to the plane.
“Last one on,” Coach says when I walk up the steps. I nod and sit down next to Kirby, who glares at me.
“Why are you sitting here when you could sit there?” He points to the chair beside our coach.
“I’m late,” I tell him, taking off my jacket. “You think I want to sit next to a pissed-off coach?”
“So better to sit next to a pissed-off me?” he says and the door of the plane closes. I look behind me to see Jaxon sleeping.
I take out my phone and I’m about to text Kylie when the plane takes off. I put my head back and all I can do is think about her. The plane lands four hours later and I’m freezing my ass off when we get off the plane. “I should have packed a jacket.” I mumble, looking at Kirby who is in a blue cashmere coat.
“We’re coming to Minnesota in December.” He shakes his head. “What did you think the weather was going to be like?”
“I didn’t really think about it,” I say. “I…forgot it.” I shake my head and get into the warm bus that is waiting for us, obviously not telling him I spent what time I could have been getting a jacket kissing his sister.
“If you get sick,” Jaxon starts, sitting next to me, “Coach is going to kill you.” I pull out my phone and open the maps app, seeing if there is a store close to the hotel. “What the hell has gotten into you?”
“Nothing.” I shake my head. “I had the kids and I forgot.”
“You sure that’s the only reason?” he asks me and then looks around. “Someone mentioned that someone went on a retreat the other week.”
“And?” I reply, looking down at my phone, knowing where he is going with this.
“And it’s funny because you said you were going to a retreat.”
“Did I?” I play coy. “I don’t think I said that.”
“You said it,” Jaxon snaps and I look at him. “Are you dating Kylie?” he asks and I gawk at him.
“You guys literally set us up,” I remind him, and he shakes his head.
“I did not.” He points to himself. “That was Ariella, and she set you up with this woman who is not Kylie.”
“Whatever.” I shake my head. “She showed up and we had a good time at dinner.”
“So you’re dating her.”
“I don’t know,” I admit. Kirby gets on the bus and we both stop talking.
“What’s up with you two?” He sits in the row beside us, rubbing his hands together to warm them up.
“Nothing.” I look down at my phone. “Looking for a place to go and buy a jacket.”
“I’ll come with,” he offers, and I look over at Jaxon, who shakes his head.
“I use these road trips with the main focus of catching up on my sleep.” He looks at me. “You guys are on your own.”
“Perfect,” I say and then see there is a mall about nine minutes from the hotel. Once we get in and I get my room key, I dump my bag off in the room and then meet Kirby, who holds two cups of coffee in his hands, downstairs.
“Here.” He hands me one of the cups. “This should keep you warm.”
“Thanks.” I look out to see our ride has arrived.
