Challenging the Center (Santa Fe Bobcats #6)(32)

A door opened behind her, and she heard Caleb’s voice. “Kelly, you ready to move? I’ve got somewhere to be, so you’re coming with me.”

“Coming, Coach!” she called, giving Kristen a quick grin and jogging after the already-departing man.





Chapter 9





“Yeah, but Seattle’s no joke, even on our own home turf. The twelfth man is everyone, somehow.” Stephen Harrison rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced. “Loudest damn fans in the world.”

“You’re telling me,” Michael muttered. “You don’t have to listen for the audible anymore.”

“The beauty of switching sides.” Stephen slung an arm around him and squeezed in a friendly way that said, I can crush you with my bare hands, but I choose not to. Michael appreciated the restraint. “Hey, isn’t that your new best friend?”

“Hmm?” He swiveled his head, caught sight of a ponytail disappearing around a corner, and shrugged. “She had a meeting with a trainer on the other side of town.”

“Yeah, but—”

“There are dozens of females that work in this building, and you think all of them look the same?” Michael laughed and slapped Stephen in the stomach. “You’re taking that only have eyes for one woman thing a bit far, I think.”

“Okay,” Stephen said slowly as they rounded a corner. “Tell me what you think about her then.”

“My— Kat?” he corrected quickly.

“My Kat.” Stephen snickered. “Sure, whatever you say.”

“Shut up. I have no clue what her tennis game looks like, not that I’d know how to judge it even if I did. I know she’s a little crazy and maybe impulsive. She doesn’t think about the ramifications of her actions. She acts like she doesn’t care, but I can tell she does. She’s a hard worker, and she loves her sport. I don’t know about talent, but if love is enough, I think she can get there.”

“Uh-huh.” Stephen’s eyes drifted over his shoulder a little, as if losing himself in the conversation. “But what about her… as in the person?”

“I just told you she’s a hard worker,” Michael said, nudging Stephen.

“That’s all you’ve got?”

“That’s all I’m sharing with your gossipy ass.”

“Admit it, you like her.”

Michael narrowed his eyes at Stephen. “What the hell are you getting at?”

“You like-like her,” Stephen sang softly, mockingly.

“Bite me.”

“Admit it.”

“Fine!” Michael growled. “I like her.”

“No, say it. ‘I like-like her.’”

Michael glared. But Stephen wasn’t giving in, and Michael knew the man could play this annoying game all day, including in front of other people.

Through gritted teeth, he said, “I like-like her. So? It’s awkward. It feels wrong. But I do.”

Stephen just grinned like a two-year-old.

Michael shook his head and kept walking. Stephen lagged behind, and as he turned, he found him looking into a conference room. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing, just… nothing.” Stephen grinned and caught up with him.

“Weirdo,” Michael muttered.



That’s what you got for getting lost and ducking into a conference room to make a quick call to reception for directions back to the front door.

Kat stood in the cracked doorway of the room, phone clutched to her chest, breathing deeply.

So those kisses weren’t just spur of the moment acts. Well, they were spur of the moment, but he did… like her.

Like-like her.

Slowly a smile spread across her face. Her manny was in deep trouble…



As Michael toed off his shoes, he started at the knock on his door. He turned and answered it, finding Kat standing there. “Hey. How was—”

“Can I borrow your car?”

“My… huh? Where are you going?”

“Training,” she said as if he were asking the world’s dumbest question.

“That was this morning.” He opened his door wider, but she didn’t take the invitation to come in. “Talk to me.”

“I have to go to training,” she said again, exasperated. “If you want to come with me, fine. But I have to go. I need to get in a session before my shift, and this is the only time he could get me in before I have to be at work.”

“But you already met this guy this morning.”

“And realized he wasn’t a good fit. I’m trying someone new.”

“That you’ve never met? Where did you find this guy?” Her mouth was set in a stubborn line, refusal to play written all over her. “This is insane. Fine. I’m coming with you.” He wouldn’t be shocked to find out she’d hired some guy off Craigslist, knowing her impulsiveness.

But she simply smiled and accepted the ride.

“Where are we going?” he asked as he walked toward his SUV. She tried to bypass that for the Mustang, but he grabbed her arm and swung her back around.

“Come on, can’t we take the pretty?” she asked, batting her lashes.