right up here,” Chad said, as the car turned onto a tree-lined suburban street.
“This is where your house is?” Kenley asked.
“You sound surprised.”
“Well, yeah.” She watched out the window as the houses went by. The street was cute and lined with palm trees and white sidewalks. Small, ranch style houses dotted each side of the block, most of them with stucco trim and long driveways. “This doesn’t seem like the kind of neighborhood a professional athlete would live in. And why do you have a house in Florida? Is it like a vacation home?”
The limo pulled up in front of one of the houses.
“It is a vacation home,” Chad said. “And it’s funny, I never pegged you for a snob.”
“I’m not a snob!”
“Then why would you think that I wouldn’t want to live here?”
“I think it’s a gorgeous neighborhood.” She peered out the window. “And the house is adorable. But after last night, with your fancy penthouse, I didn’t think this was your style.”
“Yeah, well, there’s a lot you don’t know about me.” He winked at her, then got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side. He opened her door and gave her his most charming smile. “You ready?”
***
Kenley’s senses had been heightened ever since she’d gotten into the limo.
Throughout the whole car ride, Chad’s leg had been touching hers, and it had been sending waves of heat through her body. She couldn’t believe she’d gotten into a car with him, couldn’t believe that she was now at his house. This was so not like her. She never did things like this. In college, when all her friends were hooking up with guys and ending up in strangers’ beds, she would refuse to go home with anyone, preferring to meet them in a public place the next morning. Of course, most guys didn’t really want to do that. Which was probably the reason she hadn’t hooked up much in college.
“I have a confession,” Chad was saying as he unlocked the front door.
“I knew it,” Kenley said.
“You did not.”
“Yes, I did.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Okay, so out with it. What is it? This is really your drug den? You used to run a prostitution ring out of here? What?”
She tried to sound suspicious, but the thing was, she was actually kind of amused. Even though she’d been acting like she thought he was a crazy stalker she actually felt safe with him for some reason. Even though he was obviously a total jerk, she didn’t get the sense that he was out to be malicious.
“No.” He shook his head, turned the key in the lock, and opened the door. “This isn’t my house.”
He stepped inside, but she stayed on the porch. “What do you mean this isn’t your house?” She peered inside, looking for any signs of cameras, just in case she was on some kind of prank reality show. Maybe her sister was behind this whole thing. That would be just like Melissa, setting up some prank with a famous baseball player to try and cheer her up, not realizing that it would be the last thing that would make her happy.
“It’s my mom’s.”
“Oh.” She stepped inside. The foyer was amazing, with bright white crown molding, and a cream-colored travertine floor. She peeked down the hall into a beautiful kitchen, with cherry cabinets and dark granite countertops. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Thanks.” He shut the door behind her, and as he did, his chest brushed against her arm. Her breathing accelerated a little, and she felt her face get red.
“So where’s your mom?” she asked, trying to keep her voice even.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged, walking down the hall toward the kitchen.
She followed him. “So you don’t know when she’s coming back?”
He opened the refrigerator, and pulled out a bottle of flavored sparking water. He set it on the breakfast bar, and Kenley sat down in one of the stools in front of it. She opened the bottle and took a sip.
“You hungry?” he asked, moving to the refrigerator
“This is where your house is?” Kenley asked.
“You sound surprised.”
“Well, yeah.” She watched out the window as the houses went by. The street was cute and lined with palm trees and white sidewalks. Small, ranch style houses dotted each side of the block, most of them with stucco trim and long driveways. “This doesn’t seem like the kind of neighborhood a professional athlete would live in. And why do you have a house in Florida? Is it like a vacation home?”
The limo pulled up in front of one of the houses.
“It is a vacation home,” Chad said. “And it’s funny, I never pegged you for a snob.”
“I’m not a snob!”
“Then why would you think that I wouldn’t want to live here?”
“I think it’s a gorgeous neighborhood.” She peered out the window. “And the house is adorable. But after last night, with your fancy penthouse, I didn’t think this was your style.”
“Yeah, well, there’s a lot you don’t know about me.” He winked at her, then got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side. He opened her door and gave her his most charming smile. “You ready?”
***
Kenley’s senses had been heightened ever since she’d gotten into the limo.
Throughout the whole car ride, Chad’s leg had been touching hers, and it had been sending waves of heat through her body. She couldn’t believe she’d gotten into a car with him, couldn’t believe that she was now at his house. This was so not like her. She never did things like this. In college, when all her friends were hooking up with guys and ending up in strangers’ beds, she would refuse to go home with anyone, preferring to meet them in a public place the next morning. Of course, most guys didn’t really want to do that. Which was probably the reason she hadn’t hooked up much in college.
“I have a confession,” Chad was saying as he unlocked the front door.
“I knew it,” Kenley said.
“You did not.”
“Yes, I did.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Okay, so out with it. What is it? This is really your drug den? You used to run a prostitution ring out of here? What?”
She tried to sound suspicious, but the thing was, she was actually kind of amused. Even though she’d been acting like she thought he was a crazy stalker she actually felt safe with him for some reason. Even though he was obviously a total jerk, she didn’t get the sense that he was out to be malicious.
“No.” He shook his head, turned the key in the lock, and opened the door. “This isn’t my house.”
He stepped inside, but she stayed on the porch. “What do you mean this isn’t your house?” She peered inside, looking for any signs of cameras, just in case she was on some kind of prank reality show. Maybe her sister was behind this whole thing. That would be just like Melissa, setting up some prank with a famous baseball player to try and cheer her up, not realizing that it would be the last thing that would make her happy.
“It’s my mom’s.”
“Oh.” She stepped inside. The foyer was amazing, with bright white crown molding, and a cream-colored travertine floor. She peeked down the hall into a beautiful kitchen, with cherry cabinets and dark granite countertops. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Thanks.” He shut the door behind her, and as he did, his chest brushed against her arm. Her breathing accelerated a little, and she felt her face get red.
“So where’s your mom?” she asked, trying to keep her voice even.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged, walking down the hall toward the kitchen.
She followed him. “So you don’t know when she’s coming back?”
He opened the refrigerator, and pulled out a bottle of flavored sparking water. He set it on the breakfast bar, and Kenley sat down in one of the stools in front of it. She opened the bottle and took a sip.
“You hungry?” he asked, moving to the refrigerator
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