Dare to Stay (Dare Nation 4)

She looked into his brown eyes and forced a smile. Yes, they would talk on her return, she thought. He deserved as much. He deserved better than a woman who couldn’t reciprocate his feelings.

“Knock knock,” a familiar male voice said before she could answer. “Am I interrupting something?”

Dammit, Braden. Did the man have radar? She stepped away from Cole, not that she had been going to kiss him, but Braden had walked in on a private moment.

“Yes,” Cole said.

“No,” she uttered at the same time. They were at work. They couldn’t admit to having private moments. “It’s fine. What can I do for you?”

Braden looked from her to Cole, his expression suspicious. “I wanted to discuss the players and schedule for the weekend. Since we didn’t have time to talk about them at dinner the other night.”

Oh, he did not just do that, she thought, narrowing her gaze.

“I realize we had other things to discuss. Private things,” Braden continued, clearly determined to make a point in front of the other man.

She stiffened at his insinuation that there had been something personal between them.

“What’s going on? Do you two know each other outside of work?” Cole asked.

“We do,” she said, keeping things deliberately vague, and her pointed stare warned Braden to keep his mouth shut about their past.

He treated her to a curt nod.

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” Cole sounded as hurt as he was confused.

Guilt filled her. “It’s complicated and I’ll explain everything when I get back, okay? In the meantime, Dr. Prescott and I need to talk.”

Taking a step back, Cole looked between them, giving her a chance to contrast the two men.

There were obvious differences, the hair and eye color, the fact that Cole was lean with more of a golfer’s build whereas Braden was built more like his brother Damon and worked out, giving him a more muscled appearance. Personality wise, they couldn’t be more opposite, either. Cole was more of a relaxed, beta type, where Braden opted for a take-charge attitude.

One guess which she was more attracted to. She sighed and faced Cole.

“If I don’t see you before you go, have a good trip,” he said.

“Thank you,” she said. “I’ll touch base when I get back.” Or more likely she’d see him at work first.

One last glance at them both and Cole strode out. She could only imagine the conclusions he’d drawn.

Furious, she braced her hands on her hips and turned to Braden. “What was that about? Peeing on your territory, which I am not?”

“Babe, he ran out with his tail between his legs. He’s not the guy for you.”

She held back a growl of frustration, refusing to admit Braden had a point. “What did you want?”

He sat down on the edge of her desk, looking comfortable and at ease. “I wanted to say hello and see if you were ready to go. Which I see from your bag that you are.”

“What happened to discussing players and the weekend schedule?” She tapped her foot against the floor, already knowing it had been an excuse to interrupt them.

“I just wanted to come by and say hi.” He shrugged. “Don’t blame me if Mr. Nice Guy let himself be run off. How are you?”

“I’m fine. Looking forward to your first away game?” she asked.

“Hoping you’ll show me the ropes. Are these away weekends really jam-packed?”

She nodded. “We’ll touch down, get to the hotel, and the players and coaches will go into meetings. There’s a dinner and curfew. Then we’ll be at the stadium bright and early, taking care of business, and fly home that same night.”

His phone buzzed and he glanced at the text. “I’m being summoned. See you on the bus and, if not, on the plane,” he said because they took multiple buses to the airport.

She nodded and walked over to her desk, sitting down in her chair.

“Willow?”

She jerked her head up, surprised to see he hadn’t yet left.

“Save me a seat on the plane,” he said with a wink.

And then he was gone.

“Argh.” She laid her head down on the desk and groaned.

The man was a tease and he tested her restraint. But at least she knew, with well over one hundred people traveling with the team, she wouldn’t have to spend time with him except when their paths crossed on the field or during conversation over certain players.

She’d have no problem keeping him at a distance.

* * *

The trip to Denver was long, and the team rented its own huge plane. Braden boarded late, having been held up by a quick meeting with the other doctors traveling with him. He wasn’t surprised to see that Willow had chosen an aisle seat next to one of her trainers, leaving no room for him to join her.

He stifled a grin. She really was making him work for the smallest inroads, and he sobered at the reason why. During their time together, she’d given him a small grasp on her history. She never liked to talk about her childhood. He just knew she’d grown up in foster care and not with a big family like he’d had around him.