someone had poked her in the stomach a couple of times as she stared at Chase, praying to every God she knew that he wasn’t going to say what she was fearing.
Chase flipped the menu over. “Yeah, it’s a good thing Richard—”
“Robert,” Madison corrected.
“Didn’t get invited, because Chad texted me on the way here. He’s just a block down, and he’s going to grab something to eat with us.”
Bridget stopped breathing. And then she lost her appetite, just like that. Vanished, replaced by knots twisted more times than a Celtic loop.
Oh no, no no no…this could not be happening.
When she had dashed out of Chad’s luxurious apartment, sans panties, she figured that would be the last she’d see of him in person. They really didn’t run in the same circles, and she had sworn off sexy bars in her future.
She felt sick.
“Great,” Madison said, leaning back against the seat. “Let’s see how long he goes before he gets his picture taken or asked for an autograph.”
The smile that crossed Chase’s face was full of pride. “Hey, he’s the star. Recognize.”
Bridget stopped listening to them as she glanced back through the restaurant and eyed the door. She couldn’t be here. No way was she eating lunch with Chad. Panic blossomed in her belly and crawled up her throat. Good God, she hadn’t even told Shell about what happened, much less Maddie.
There was a good chance she was going to hurl.
What if he recognized her?
What if he didn’t recognize her?
She didn’t know which would be worse.
“Bridget, are you okay?” Concern radiated from Madison’s voice.
Nodding absently, she grabbed her purse. “Yeah, but I just remembered I had this phone call at the office. I…I better get back.”
Madison frowned. “What phone call?”
Uh, yeah, what phone call? “I need to check in with the catering company about desserts for the gala event.”
Madison’s eyes narrowed. “I thought we were waiting to hear back from them.”
Bridget started to stand. “Oh, yeah, but I wanted to call them—” She cut herself off. Her boss was giving her a look that said, Sit down and stop acting weird , and really, bolting on lunch would just look crazy.
“Never mind,” Bridget said, fixing a smile on her face. “It can wait.”
Madison stared at her a moment longer and then went back to chatting up Chase.
Life could be so unbelievably cruel.
For the last month, she had wrestled with what she had done and didn’t do with Chad. Part of her was glad she had left before the man wised up and regretted bringing her home, but the other part, the one that operated purely on memories, rehashed the way he’d kissed and touched her over and over again. For a straight month she replayed it, unable to shake the feelings he had awakened in her and wishing she had more memories to linger over.
God, she couldn’t even think about this right now.
When the drinks arrived, she swallowed a gulp, wishing there were some vodka in her diet soda. She needed to try to leave again. Had to. “Madison, I forgot—”
A low rumble from the front of the restaurant cut off Bridget and any hope she had of making a clean getaway. She didn’t have to look to know that he was there. All the commotion was for him. Ball players were like gods in their hometowns.
She dropped her hands to her lap and continued staring at the menu, but when Chase greeted his brother, she had no control over herself. Not looking was like going against nature.
Worn jeans hung low from a tapered waist and the long-sleeved shirt he wore stretched taut over a stomach she knew you could do a nation’s worth of laundry on. Like the other two Gamble brothers, he had shoulders a girl could hold on to. Shoulders that could bear the brunt of anything you threw his way. He had a body that was meant for sex.
She really shouldn’t think of sex right now.
His attention was on whatever Chase was saying, and she was sure he hadn’t even noticed her yet.
Chase flipped the menu over. “Yeah, it’s a good thing Richard—”
“Robert,” Madison corrected.
“Didn’t get invited, because Chad texted me on the way here. He’s just a block down, and he’s going to grab something to eat with us.”
Bridget stopped breathing. And then she lost her appetite, just like that. Vanished, replaced by knots twisted more times than a Celtic loop.
Oh no, no no no…this could not be happening.
When she had dashed out of Chad’s luxurious apartment, sans panties, she figured that would be the last she’d see of him in person. They really didn’t run in the same circles, and she had sworn off sexy bars in her future.
She felt sick.
“Great,” Madison said, leaning back against the seat. “Let’s see how long he goes before he gets his picture taken or asked for an autograph.”
The smile that crossed Chase’s face was full of pride. “Hey, he’s the star. Recognize.”
Bridget stopped listening to them as she glanced back through the restaurant and eyed the door. She couldn’t be here. No way was she eating lunch with Chad. Panic blossomed in her belly and crawled up her throat. Good God, she hadn’t even told Shell about what happened, much less Maddie.
There was a good chance she was going to hurl.
What if he recognized her?
What if he didn’t recognize her?
She didn’t know which would be worse.
“Bridget, are you okay?” Concern radiated from Madison’s voice.
Nodding absently, she grabbed her purse. “Yeah, but I just remembered I had this phone call at the office. I…I better get back.”
Madison frowned. “What phone call?”
Uh, yeah, what phone call? “I need to check in with the catering company about desserts for the gala event.”
Madison’s eyes narrowed. “I thought we were waiting to hear back from them.”
Bridget started to stand. “Oh, yeah, but I wanted to call them—” She cut herself off. Her boss was giving her a look that said, Sit down and stop acting weird , and really, bolting on lunch would just look crazy.
“Never mind,” Bridget said, fixing a smile on her face. “It can wait.”
Madison stared at her a moment longer and then went back to chatting up Chase.
Life could be so unbelievably cruel.
For the last month, she had wrestled with what she had done and didn’t do with Chad. Part of her was glad she had left before the man wised up and regretted bringing her home, but the other part, the one that operated purely on memories, rehashed the way he’d kissed and touched her over and over again. For a straight month she replayed it, unable to shake the feelings he had awakened in her and wishing she had more memories to linger over.
God, she couldn’t even think about this right now.
When the drinks arrived, she swallowed a gulp, wishing there were some vodka in her diet soda. She needed to try to leave again. Had to. “Madison, I forgot—”
A low rumble from the front of the restaurant cut off Bridget and any hope she had of making a clean getaway. She didn’t have to look to know that he was there. All the commotion was for him. Ball players were like gods in their hometowns.
She dropped her hands to her lap and continued staring at the menu, but when Chase greeted his brother, she had no control over herself. Not looking was like going against nature.
Worn jeans hung low from a tapered waist and the long-sleeved shirt he wore stretched taut over a stomach she knew you could do a nation’s worth of laundry on. Like the other two Gamble brothers, he had shoulders a girl could hold on to. Shoulders that could bear the brunt of anything you threw his way. He had a body that was meant for sex.
She really shouldn’t think of sex right now.
His attention was on whatever Chase was saying, and she was sure he hadn’t even noticed her yet.
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