Colin smiled as he spoke with a lady close to him, absently raking his fingers through his artfully mussed dark hair. I observed him as he laughed at something she said, wondering what might have caused that reaction. The sooner I figured him out, the better off we would all be.
Unfortunately, before I could tear my eyes away, he searched the crowd, then his eyes landed on me. Heat bloomed in my gut as he pinned me in place with his stare. For the first time in my life, I understood what being undressed with someone’s eyes meant. And without my permission, my anger went to war with my attraction and lost ground.
This was a fucking disaster. I refused to be attracted to the one person who was out to get me. I was going to pack away the insta-lust and keep telling myself he was after my job.
But until I could do that, we sized up one another as he rode to the bottom. His gaze remained fixed on me, making the heat move from my core up to my neck. My only reprieve from thisirrational reaction came when I got a good look at what he was wearing.
Colin Kearney, rugby god and bad boy full-back, appeared to have just crawled out of bed, clad in athletic shorts, a T-shirt, and… dress shoes? But not justanyT-shirt. Oh no. It was the official merch from our fucking conference rival. And that was enough to douse the flames.
I frowned as he approached in the most ridiculous ensemble. Personal style was one thing, but this was beyond laughable. And it didn’t take him long to figure out I was laughing at him.
Stopping mere inches away, he raised an eyebrow and unceremoniously dropped something to the floor. The sound caught my attention, prompting me to look down at an airport gift shop bag stuffed with a wadded-up jacket.
I snorted, then ran my eyes up his body to the cat carrier slung across his body likeCrocodile Dundee,bringing his catch with him.
“St. James,” he exhaled, thrusting his hand at me. “Colin Kearney.”
My eyes lingered over his face a beat too long.
“I know exactly who you are,” I replied, clasping his hand.
He glared as if I were the asshole. “As you should. But I had to search you up. Took me a while to find a photo of you. The press doesn’t like you, huh? You’re not very popular, are you?”
I pulled my hand away and crossed my arms over my chest. “If you mean I don’t live to create a scandal, then yes, they don’t like me. That would be your department.”
Some emotion I couldn’t place crossed his face, but I didn’t linger to figure it out. Instead, I gestured to the carrier. “What’s that?”
He rolled his eyes, then leered at me like I was thick. “A cat. Didn’t you learn what that was in nursery school? They go meow.”
I scowled. “I know what a fucking cat is, asshole. I just didn’t know you were bringing one. I’m not a hotel.”
He glanced down at the black cat with green eyes curled up in the oversized carrier. It was a beautiful animal.
“Sorry,” he chirped. “I didn’t realize I was supposed to submit a packing list to my warden.”
Colin mirrored my stance with a clenched jaw and heat burning in his eyes. But he didn’t drop my gaze as we stood closer than we should, glaring at one another.
“You gotta problem with cats, mate?”
I leaned in closer so he could hear me. “No. Just pussies. Sound familiar?”
It took a moment for my words to register in my head. But Colin hadn’t missed them, and evidently, he misunderstood what I meant. I should have said felines.
His tense jaw loosened as the side of his mouth ticked up into a smile. My eyes focused on his lips as all the blood in my brain decided to retreat.
Colin pressed his index finger on my chin as his eyes smoldered. “I don’t like pussies either.”
Okay, he definitely misunderstood what I meant.
I swiped at his finger and scowled. “That’s not what… It’s what you…”
“Is everything okay, gentlemen?”
My stunted speech ended abruptly as my attention snapped to the security guard standing wide-eyed, watching us argue. As his eyes widened and recognition set in, he smiled up at me.
“You’re Carson St. James,” he said happily, before glancing at Colin. “But I don’t know you.”
I took a step back and smiled. “Yes, sir, I am. But he’s nobody important. Check out his shirt.”
