Cami’s Georgia Patriots Romance Collection Read online

  She gripped her board and noticed the drop. “Woo-hoo!” she called out, plunging off.

  Hyde was fighting to keep his own board under him. He wasn’t sure if she’d stayed on or lost her board. He went off the drop and his stomach plunged as he flipped forward. Inflating his lungs with a quick breath, he clamped his mouth closed. He was able to hold onto his board, and when he popped back out of the water, he quickly pushed it underneath him and searched for her.

  “Hey, guy!”

  Hyde looked behind him and saw Lily stuck in the eddy of the backflow from the miniature falls. “Push off!” he yelled, continuing to be swept downstream.

  “Yay-hoo!” she sung out, shoving off the side.

  Hyde laughed loudly as she came closer to him and the waves bumped them down the river like a bronc ride. He saw the outlet up ahead before the bridge into town. Grabbing the tip of her board, he pushed her toward it, then kicked hard to follow. The water was calm in the outlet. Hyde stood and offered her a hand. She placed her hand in his and let him pull her over to the concrete slab. He tossed their boards onto the sidewalk one at a time, keeping her hand in his.

  “Your hands are freezing,” he said.

  “So are yours.”

  She was right. He’d hardly noticed it in the thrill of the ride. He grasped her hands between his own, rubbing them gently to try to get some blood flow back to them.

  Lily had been all smiles as they came out of the river. Now she stilled as he held her hands in his, staring down at his hands, then back up at him. Hyde felt some warmth gradually returning to both of their fingers, but the warmth zinging between them was so much stronger. He’d known this woman a total of a week, and he had this insane desire to see if her lips were as soft and chilled as her hands.

  “What did you think?” he managed to ask, needing to break the connection or he was going to kiss her right then and there.

  “About?” Her eyes dipped to his lips, then met his gaze again.

  Fire started in the pit of his stomach. How could she be this attractive wet and soggy? He closed the distance between them. His body brushed against hers. She was firm and soft at the same time, and he wanted to kiss her.

  “Me taking you to dinner tonight.” His voice had dropped to something low and husky, like he was asking her to commit for life instead of simply a dinner invite.

  She pulled her hands back, stepped discreetly away, and gave him a saucy smile, but something in her eyes betrayed her confusion and uncertainty. “I don’t date clients.”

  “You’re fired.” He was teasing, mostly. She was an amazing trainer, but he’d never felt this way about a woman this quickly.

  “You wouldn’t.” Her eyes widened and she folded her arms across her chest, which was quickly rising and falling like she couldn’t quite catch her breath.

  Hyde should stop now, but he wanted to go out with her so badly. He grinned and said, “Try me.”

  “That’s just … unethical.” She smiled, so he thought she knew he was teasing, but his stomach was churning with worry that she would think he was being unethical.

  “No,” he insisted. He wanted this interaction to be light and fun, but he wasn’t sure that’s how she was taking it. “It’s gentle persuasion.”

  A few seconds passed as she gave him a challenging glare. She looked down and finally said, “I guess I could make an exception for you. We’ll call it a work dinner, discuss training techniques and your stats.”

  “Good plan.” Hyde chuckled uneasily. This interaction had gone all wrong. Why didn’t she want to go out with him? Did she really have a policy of not dating clients, or was she already involved with someone else? The sculpted trainer Ike came to mind. He’d noticed the guy was always around and checking Lily out, and that first day Ike had been touching her and calling her sweetheart when Hyde walked up. Hyde’s stomach twisted.

  “What did you think about the river?” he asked to ease the awkwardness of the moment. He’d never felt like he had to even persuade a woman to date him. He feared he’d just forced Lily to go to dinner with him. It was a craw in his gut, and he was embarrassed that he’d reacted so strongly and he hated that she wasn’t jumping at the chance to be with him.

  “I loved it!” she gushed, then tugged him up the sidewalk. “Can we do it again?”

  “If you’ll slow down a little bit this time.”

  “Ha. You’ve worked out with me for a week now. You should know already, Mr. Metcalf: slow isn’t in my vocabulary.”

  He chuckled, picked up both of their boards, and started back up the sidewalk. Maybe she was reluctant to go out with him, but she was going. Tonight they’d get to know each other more personally, and he’d show her why dating him was a good plan. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this intrigued by a woman, and he wasn’t going to give up the fight easily.

  Chapter Seven

  Lily’s hand trembled so violently, she could hardly apply her makeup.

  Wynette poked her head into the bathroom. “What are you up to?”

  “H-hyde asked me out to dinner.” Why had she agreed? It was highly likely he’d been teasing when he said she was fired, but she’d given him a chance to change his mind and he hadn’t backed down. She needed this paycheck and couldn’t risk calling his bluff. The other problem was that she really, really wanted to go to dinner with him. If possible, she’d become even more enthralled with him since getting to know him. She’d thought he was going to kiss her earlier, and she would’ve kissed him back. She was so nervous slash excited at the moment that she could hardly see straight.

  “What! Oh, girlfriend, that’s awesome. Does that mean he’s picking you up?”

  “Well, yeah.”

  “Yes!” Wynette jumped and did a jig right there in the bathroom. “I get to meet Hyde Metcalf, I get to meet Hyde Metcalf.”

  Lily shook her head. “Can you help me put on some mascara first? I’m about to poke my eye out here.”

  “Nervous?”

  “You have no idea.”

  “But you’ve been around him all week and you spent the day on the river and had a great time, right?”

  “Yes, but …” Lily worried her lip.

  “Don’t do that; you’ll bite off your lipstick.”

  “But dinner,” she managed to get out. “That’s big. We’re crossing boundaries here, and I can’t lose this contract. This is huge for my family. I could cover Sariah’s tuition, and within a year she could be working as a massage therapist and we could both be making money to help out and put away for Caleb. He might get a partial scholarship, but not a full. Lacrosse doesn’t usually offer scholarships, and his grades are good, but not amazing. Luckily, Brandon is some kind of genius, so he’ll be good with schooling. I don’t even want to think about the twins or Josh.”

  “Calm down, girl. You are much too responsible all the time and adding that to the nerves of tonight. You’re rattling on about stress for another day.”

  Lily smiled but knew her friend could never understand. They’d graduated from University of Colorado together, and Wynette had taken a job in public relations with the Coors facility in town, then started pursuing her dreams of being a chef. Her parents had paid for her college and insisted she get a regular education and a steady paying job; then she could go to culinary school at nights.

  Lily was thrilled to keep rooming with her friend, but Wynette had a four-person, normal-sized family where both parents had professional jobs and a gorgeous home in Boulder. What did she know about scrimping and saving to help your family out?

  “What if tonight makes things awkward or he fires me?” Lily wondered out loud. “I should not have said yes.”

  “Again—calm down. Just calm down,” Wynette said in a voice that made Lily laugh. “That’s better. You’ve gotten along great so far, right?”

  Lily bit her lip again and nodded. She liked everything about Hyde Metcalf, and not just because he was an amazing athlete and she and Josh had followed
his career for the past several years. Obsessing over Hyde Metcalf had been their sibling bonding thing. She was the oldest and Josh was the youngest with five in between them, and she’d been gone from the house since he was two. They’d taken to talking every week after the Patriots played and analyzing the game and the players, and they shared an infatuation with Hyde. Her infatuation was just growing as she got to know the famous player better. If only she could tell Josh about Hyde, or even better, have him meet Hyde. Her little buddy would go nuts.

  “Well, then, just hit it off more.” Wynette winked.

  “Wynette,” Lily groaned. “He’s my client.”

  “Forget that client crap and just go have a fun night.” She expertly applied eyeliner and eye shadow and fixed Lily’s lipstick.

  The doorbell rang, and Lily’s stomach plummeted.

  “You’re smokin’,” Wynette said, pushing her out of the bathroom and toward the front door.

  Lily took a few unsteady steps, but Wynette grabbed her arm and jerked her back.

  “Wait!” Wynette cried out. “I answer the door and get to talk to him for at least a few seconds, maybe squeeze one of those biceps just to see if they’re for real. Then you come in and make your grand entrance.”

  Lily rolled her eyes but turned back to her bedroom, found the little purse thing Wynette had told her she could use, and slipped into some low-cut heeled boots. She laughed nervously when she realized she’d almost gone to the door with no shoes on. She glanced over her reflection in the mirror, liking the way the pencil skirt and boots showed off her calf muscles. The blousy teal shirt made the skirt more fun than professional and looked good with her naturally tan skin. Would Hyde think she was pretty all dressed up?

  “Come in,” Wynette squeaked. “I’m Wynette Pratt.”

  “Nice to meet you, Wynette. Hyde Metcalf.”

  “I know that.” Wynette twittered nervously.

  Lily thought it was time to save Hyde. She strode out into the living room. Wynette honestly had a hold of one of Hyde’s biceps, and he was glancing down at her with concern in his eyes. Probably wondering if she was crazy. Hyde was dressed in a button-down shirt untucked over Levis. His dark hair was a little longer on top and styled nicely, and she could see why his face was on so many magazines. She let out a breathless sigh. He looked really good, impossibly good.

  He glanced up and his mouth opened slightly. His eyes trailed down her body, then back up to her face. “Lily,” he murmured. “You look amazing.” He stepped away from Wynette and offered Lily a bouquet of daisies.

  His hand brushed hers, and she tingled from his touch and sighed from the smoky look in his eyes. Tonight could be amazing, or she might just get fired. She was much too interested and they hadn’t even made it out of the door, but she would kick her own rear if she lost this boost of money that could help her siblings.

  “How did you know?” she murmured, clutching the flowers.

  “Know?”

  “That I love daisies and could go my entire life without getting another lily.”

  He chuckled. “Lucky guess.”

  “Really?”

  “No. The florist told me daisies were a good safe bet for a girl you liked a lot but didn’t know very well.”

  He didn’t just say that. How in the world was she going to keep anything professional if he said things like that and looked this good?

  Wynette placed a hand on her heart. “Oh my. I think I’ve just fallen in love.”

  Lily shot her a look. “Let me put these in water quick.”

  Wynette stole them from her. “I’ve got them. You two go—shoo.” She clucked her tongue and shooed them like a bunch of chickens or something.

  Lily clung to her clutch thingy and took the hand Hyde offered. He squeezed her hand, and she felt warm all over. He gestured to the various pictures of the beach and ocean decorating their white walls. “The beach.”

  She nodded, and they walked out the door. “Bye, Wynette,” she called back.

  “Have fun!”

  “Thanks.”

  “I thought you’d never been to the beach,” Hyde said after the door closed.

  “Doesn’t mean I don’t like it,” she said.

  “Maybe I could take you sometime.”

  “Oh, please don’t.” Her face burned red. Had she just asked him to not take her on a vacation she’d dreamed about her entire life?

  “Don’t what?” He jerked to a stop and turned to look at her.

  “You don’t need to offer to do something unreal like that when I know you really don’t mean it,” she said. He started to talk, but she stopped him. “Hey. I have no problem with you being this wealthy mega-stud, but honestly, we’re not even close to a spot where you offer to take me to the beach for the day. Please don’t throw your money around like that. I think you’re awesome because you’re a chill, stand-up guy, and talented to boot. You don’t need to make that generous offer just because I’ve never been to the beach and you could take us there in an hour on your chartered jet. It’s okay. Let’s just do dinner and have a fun night.”

  She held her breath, not sure what she’d just rambled on about or how he would respond. She did know she had to slow him down. Her fears of losing her paycheck kept compounding. Work and romance were not a mix she’d ever done or ever wanted to do before now.

  He let out a surprised, discontented grunt. “So what if I want to throw my money around?”

  She shrugged, embarrassed she’d told him off. He was still her client and she didn’t want to offend him, even if the idea of going to the beach with him sounded like a hot fudge brownie sundae with sprinkles and whipped cream. “That’s your choice, but can we just … be two people going to dinner tonight?” she asked.

  “We can try it.” He cleared his throat. “Just so you’re warned, Golden is a pretty great town in that some of the people know me from growing up. So I don’t get as much gawking or pictures taken of me, but it still happens. If you’re not okay having your picture splayed all over magazines and the Internet, we can order takeout.”

  Lily imagined her family’s shock—heck, the shock of the entire town of Georgetown—if she ended up in some celebrity magazine. None of them would believe it was her. “I don’t care. I don’t know enough people around here for it to matter, and my family would just be thinking it was rocking cool.”

  “Rocking cool?” Hyde arched an eyebrow.

  “Yep. You’re a superstar to all of them, so I’d be like your starlet or something.” Dangit, that wasn’t slowing things down. This was a tough balance.

  “I’ll take you as my starlet.” The awkward moment dissipated as he chuckled and led her to his sport utility vehicle. Lily thought it looked nice, but she had no clue what make or model it was. Her younger sister, Mary, was the expert on vehicles, always obsessing about cars they’d never even seen in real life. Lily was the expert on fitness and muscles, and the set of muscles next to her right now had her quivering.

  He opened her door, and she was too close as he turned to assist her into the car. His chest brushed against her arm. Lily’s eyes widened and her breath shortened. Hyde froze, staring down at her. His eyes flitted to her lips.

  Swallowing hard, Lily tried to back away, but she bumped into the car. She gave an uncharacteristic giggle and couldn’t remember why she was supposed to stay professional in this situation.

  Hyde lifted a long curl from her shoulder and gently rubbed it between his fingers. The air turned electric between them. “Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?” he murmured, taking a step closer.

  Lily was pinned against the car in the most wonderful way she could imagine. Hyde’s strong body pressed against her. She couldn’t catch a full breath and didn’t know if she was going to have a panic attack or simply attack him. “I, um, you look fabulous too. Big step up from being sweaty and stinky.” Now that was adding to the moment like she’d never heard.

  “You don’t ever stink.” His low voice
rumbled through his chest, and she could feel it against hers. Oh my, amazing chest and amazing sensation.

  “Really? Because I swear sometimes it’s like I’ve worn my workout clothes so often they stink before I even start sweating. OxiClean is supposed to help with that. Is that what your mom uses? Because you always smell like clean laundry and sometimes that hint of your musky cologne.” The same cologne she was inhaling right now, and it was messing with her brain waves.

  Hyde looked … amused. Lily wasn’t sure anything could kill a moment like talking about your own sweat and laundry detergent. He stepped back, and she caught a full breath before slipping into the car.

  Whew. That was a bullet dodged. Sadly, she’d never wanted to be in the bullet’s path quite so much.

  Chapter Eight

  Dinner at the Old Capitol Grill was enjoyable, but Hyde was still smarting that Lily had started rambling about laundry detergent and stinky sweat right when he wanted to kiss her. And what was up with her not wanting to go to the beach with him? He wanted to ask her about it again, get to the bottom of why she wouldn’t go. What was it about him that didn’t warrant a trip to the beach? Did she not think she deserved it? Man, she was an odd girl, but he liked her far too much.

  “How are your ribs?” Lily asked, tucking a lock of dark hair behind her ear.

  “Really good. The salmon?”

  “Perfect.”

  Oh, he hated this. He thought they’d become comfortable with each other the past week: her yelling at him in the gym, him taking it and working hard, the easy banter as they teased back and forth, and then the fun time they’d had on the river today. Now they were on their first real date, and he wanted to make it amazing so next time he asked there’d be no talk about her not dating a client. Yet here they were, talking about the food. It seemed worse than talking about the weather.

  “So, you’re from Georgetown?” he tried again.

  She’d already told him she was from Georgetown. Oh, pathetic. This conversation could only go downhill from here. He was so bad at this. He used to think he was quite the charismatic ladies’ man in college, and during his rookie year they’d been all over him, but then he grew up a little bit and realized the women only wanted him because he was famous. He still dated his fair share, but he was more cautious who he asked out.