I feign ignorance as his icy-blue eyes stare into mine, the slight hesitation in his answer not helping my nerves.
“Of course. He’s actually playing against the Mets right now.”
My gaze flicks to the nearest television, and I can’t stop the small smile forming. A sense of pride bubbles inside me. It happens every single time I catch a glimpse of my brother playing. I’m so proud of what he has accomplished. The words fumble from my mouth before I can stop them. “He’s winning.”
“Yeah, but not for long. The Giants will edge them out for the wild card spots.” The sureness to his statement jumbles my thoughts, and the slight dimple in his right cheek catches me off guard. He steps closer, and I’m suddenly engulfed with everything Braxton. His scent. His empowering size.
“Is that so?” I step back, trying to break this connection, but he matches the movement. Warmth courses through me as I try to harden my insides. I have to fight this attraction. I can’t afford not to.
“It is. You know what else?”
The tiny gap between us disappears as he closes the space. I take another step back but come to a halt when my backside stops flush against the wall. I feel caged by my brother’s paraphernalia to my left and Braxton’s body standing in front of me.
“What?” My words come out breathier than I’d like, and I force myself to look away. This need to cave to the desire coursing through my hormone-riddled veins battles against my will to stave off any baseball player’s advance.
A beat of silence passes. Then he grazes his finger across my chin and lifts my face until I see nothing but the curiosity and intrigue eclipsing the blues of his eyes. He searches my face, and I can hardly breathe, reduced to a pool of need. One that needs squished before it blossoms into a full-out want. Although, it may be too late.
“What are you afraid of?”
Our stare locks and holds. He has no idea how loaded the question is, but he also has no inclination about what his presence does to me. No other guy, especially my ex, has ever looked past my good looks. No one takes me seriously. But the way Braxton stares, I feel like he’s trying to catch a glimpse of my soul.
“Nothing.” Everything.
Braxton remains quiet, studying me. The air between us charges with uncertainty and unspoken words. Those rough, calloused fingers slide across my chin and brush a loose strand of hair out of the way. “You’re an intricate puzzle, Pole Girl. Mark my words, I will figure you out.”
Kimberly Readnour lives in the Midwest with her husband, two children, and a very fluffy cat.
Having a true passion for romance and HEA’s, she took the leap from the young adult genre to romance and never looked back.
Unexpected Love, book two of the Unforeseen Destiny Series, is a #1 Amazon Kindle bestseller in the Medical Romance. Her series, the Bad Boys Redemption, has spent many weeks on the Amazon’s sports fiction bestseller’s list.
Kimberly worked as a Registered Nurse for fifteen years before hanging up her stethoscope. When she isn’t running her own business, you can find her tucked away writing.