Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
He twirls his finger. “Turn around.”
I turn my back to him, and he grunts. I look over my shoulder. “What is it? Something wrong? It’s too tight, right?”
He clears his throat and walks toward me. “No, it’s perfect. I like seeing my name on you.”
I want to tell him that I like it too, but I just shake my head. “Oh, you’re a charmer.”
He pulls me into his arms. “I’m serious, Cat. I’ve seen hundreds of women wearing this same jersey, but it’s never affected me how it is right now. It just does something to me… the rest of the world thinks you’re just wearing my jersey, but me, I see you in this and it says you’re mine.”
It feels like my heart does a flip in my chest. I want to challenge him and tell him that nothing can come of this… it’s a fling and nothing more, but I don’t say any of those things. I wish I could claim Holden, but it’s just too risky. I reach for the front door. “We should go.”
He seems disappointed, but he follows me. We ride the thirty minutes into Jasper with two excited boys in the back. This is only the second game that Cole has been to, and that was nothing compared to this time. Holden takes us in a side entrance that is for players and their families. He introduces us to the people at the family box and adds Cole and me to his family list and gets a guest pass for Brad.
The boys can barely contain themselves as Holden shows us around the empty locker room. They get to see his locker and all the indoor training equipment, the therapy room, and everything else. It’s all overwhelming to them, and they just look at everything slack-jawed. When it’s time for the game to start, we’re walking through the tunnels to get to the elevator that takes us to the VIP box.
There’s a group of us that get onto the elevator, and somehow I missed the change in the atmosphere until Holden says gruffly, “Kendall, how are you doing?”
My eyes drag from Holden to the woman he’s talking to across from us. She’s tall and thin with long red hair. “Hoooolden! You’re here. OMG!”
She practically dives across the elevator and wraps her arms around him. He manages to turn his head before the kiss lands on his lips, but I’m not sure what’s worse, seeing the woman, his ex-girlfriend-—yeah, I looked her up—plastered against Holden’s body, the mark on his cheek that serves as a reminder that she kissed him, or that the fact that the pictures of the woman don’t do her justice. She’s absolutely breathtaking.
The fact that Holden is trying to hold the woman away from him doesn’t faze her. “What are you doing here? Are you back to playing? I can’t wait to see you on the field again. Do you want to get a drink after the game?”
She fires the questions to him one after another, and the longer Kendall is looking at him, the tenser I get. This is the woman that deserted him when he got injured. The one that stepped away so “he could focus on healing.” It’s bullshit.
I tell myself that the only reason I’m reacting is because Holden is clearly uncomfortable. He’s done so much for me and Cole, and I can’t just stand by and do nothing while this woman mauls him. I slide next to Holden and wrap my arms around his middle. He doesn’t hesitate in bringing me snug against his body, and I put my hand on his chest. “I’m so sorry, Kimmie. He can’t get a drink later. He’s with me and the boys.”
She looks at me. “It’s Kendall.”
I giggle and cover my mouth with a smile. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
Her eyes narrow at me, and she looks at my hand on his chest. “Uh, Holden—”
He cuts her off as his hand slides up and down my back. “Yeah, Kendall. No drink for me. I’m busy.”
“Maybe—” she starts, but Holden doesn’t wait for her to respond. The elevator door opens, and he hustles me and the boys off. He doesn’t give another look to Kendall, but he keeps a hold on me.
I look around, and Kendall huffs her breath and then goes in the other direction. As soon as she’s out of sight, I say loudly, so Cole can hear because I don’t want him to get the wrong idea, “You’re welcome.”
“What?” he stutters, and I pull out of his arms.
“She was all over you, and you didn’t seem to be happy about it. I thought I could help, but if I assumed wrong, I’m sure you can go track her down.”
I’m pointing my thumb over my shoulder where Kendall disappeared.
Holden shakes his head while Cole looks at me curiously. I shrug my shoulders. “I’m sorry, I thought I was helping.”