“You sure?” she asks, raising her eyebrow at me.
“Definitely. Call me if you need anything,” I reply, handing her my American Express.
“What’s my limit?”
“Don’t go crazy, just get whatever you want though.”
“Thanks, bro,” she says, hopping out of the truck.
I chuckle, adjust my ball cap, and pocket my keys as I walk into the mall. Making my way to the coffee place, I order a tall black coffee and the barista pours the cup quickly. Taking it to a table, I sit down to wait for her.
I spot her as soon as she opens the door. She practically floats into the room. She’s tall and curvy with long toned legs, and tanned skin. Her red hair shines brightly against the white dress she’s wearing. Even her sky-high black heels are alluring. I watch as she orders a coffee and waits for it.
“Kylie?” a barista asks.
“Thanks,” she says, taking the cup. Then she looks around and spots me. She smiles shyly and walks over to my table. I stand to shake her hand.
“Hello,” I all but growl. I need to reign it in.
“Mr. Halstead?”
“Please call me Mitch. Ms. Richards, I presume?” I ask, after clearing my throat.
“Kylie, please, but yes, that’s me,” she says, her delicate hands are shaking in front of her.
“Are you nervous?” I ask her, but she doesn’t answer right away. Instead, she stares at me for a minute or two before answering. We are still standing, and it seems we are both using the opportunity to check each other out. She flips her hair behind her back before sitting down. I follow suit. Without thinking, I reach my hands out and place them over hers. That first touch is electric, unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.
Whatever it takes, she’s mine.
Chapter Two
Kylie Richards
I can’t believe that I am sitting across from the Mitchell Halstead, who asked me to call him Mitch, and he’s touching my hands. I feel like my face is on fire right now. His fucking beard makes my pussy tingle and I am going to need more of that. I can’t stop staring at his face. His beard is perfect. Perfectly groomed, the perfect length. Just perfection. It’s rich brown just like his hair, but with a little bit of red mixed in. I can’t stop fixating on it. His lips are moving but there’s like this… buzzing in my head and I can’t hear what he’s saying. I’m twenty-two years old, I should be able to control myself around a gorgeous man, but I can’t. I bite my lip to try to bring myself back to this meeting. It works.
“I’m sorry. Can you repeat that?”
“I asked if you were nervous,” he repeats, patiently. I must look the dumbest person in the world. Who acts like a space cadet at the interview for their dream job? That’s right… Kylie Ariana Richards does.
“A bit. I have been a fan of yours since you started playing professionally.”
“You’re a fan of the game?” he questions.
“Big time. I’ve got five older brothers. They all played in high school. I was forced to play on the weekends to even out the teams.”
“That sounds about right,” he says chuckling.
“Anyway, I was nervous, but now I’m not.”
“Is that so? What changed?” he asks.
“I’m not sure. You kinda put me at ease. I think I was nervous about meeting the myth.”
“The myth?”
“You know, the you that’s in magazines and on TV,” I reply.
“All highly exaggerated, I assure you. A lot of it is downright false.”
“I am sure.” I smile brightly at him. Instinctively, I know exactly what he’s talking about. The one thing I have never seen in any capacity is him with a woman. Bloggers speculate about his sexuality on a daily basis, but I never believed it, not for a second. As a fan of football, I watch all the time. Besides the actual game, I love the fact that he leads his team in a prayer before each game on the field.
We talk for another twenty minutes, never once mentioning the job that I am actually here for.
“Where did you go to college?” he asks.
“Did you even look at my resume?” I blurt out.
“Of course, I did. I am going to be honest here. I’ve never interviewed anyone before. I am not really sure what to do.”
“Ah. Okay. Of course, I want to say hire me, I can help you with that, but I won’t,” I say, laughing.
“You’re adorable,” he says chuckling. I swallow thickly, blinking rapidly. He stares at me and I feel my face heating under his gaze.
“Montana State University-Billings is my alma mater,” I say, answering his question, just to get him to stop staring at me, but it doesn’t deter him. He just smiles at me and I swear if I weren’t sitting down my knees would have buckled.