“That sounds great.”
After eighteen holes, she chatted with other people she knew there, a few clients, people she’d gone to school with. Then she spotted Tag across the lawn, standing near the clubhouse entrance, surrounded by three gorgeous girls smiling up at him. She stood there and watched him for a moment as he talked and laughed, his wide smile flashing charm all over the place, and her heart turned over in her chest. She began walking toward him.
She felt as though her heart reached out to him and he seemed to sense it. He looked up and spotted her. He kept talking, but he didn’t take his eyes off her. As she neared the group, he said, “Excuse me, ladies,” with another charming smile, and detached himself from them. He moved toward her, his gaze still fastened on her face, making her heart tremble and her skin tingle.
“Hi,” she said when they stood face-to-face, a little breathless.
“Hi.”
They stared at each other.
“Um,” she began. “I was just talking to Mike Glendower.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Mmm. He um…wants to talk to me about a job.”
Tag lifted one eyebrow. “A job?”
“Legal counsel. He says they’re looking for someone here.”
Tag’s slow smile had her pulse fluttering. “Huh. That’s true.”
“I just wanted to mention it to you…I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m not even sure I’m interested. Although it is intriguing. And I’ve been thinking a lot about my career this week. Thanks to you.”
His lips quirked.
“Would it be a problem for you if I worked for the team? Because I don’t want to make things uncomfortable, and if it would be, I won’t even call him to set up the meeting.”
He didn’t answer. His eyes roved over her face. Her heart beat even faster, but she kept a cool smile on her face, her hands steady on the tote bag she held over her shoulder.
“It wouldn’t be a problem for me,” he said finally, his voice low and smoky. “If it’s something you’re interested in, go for it.”
“It might be.”
He moved a little closer. “Kyla…”
She tipped her head back to look up at him, so tall, so broad, so handsome.
“I missed you this week,” he said quietly.
Everything inside her melted into liquid. Her mouth went soft and her eyes closed briefly at the surge of emotion inside her. “Oh.” She looked at him again, saw her own feelings reflected back in his brown eyes. “I missed you too.”
“Tag Heller!” A man stopped beside them. Kyla didn’t know him, but Tag did.
“Hey, Norm. How are you?”
“Great! Just wanted to say hi and tell you how happy we all are the team’s back in town.”
“Thanks.” Tag’s smile held charm and enthusiasm. “Glad to be here. It’s going to be an exciting year.”
“Yeah, definitely.” The man glanced at Kyla.
Tag introduced them and Kyla shook hands and smiled.
“Great turnout this year,” Norm said.
“Definitely.” Tag grinned. “The team moving back brought a lot of attention to our little golf tournament. I think we raised a good chunk of cash for Children’s Hospital today.”
“Sure hope so, it’s a good cause. Nice to see you again. Good luck this season.”
“Thanks.”
And Norm moved on.
“I wish we could get out of here,” Tag muttered, sliding his hand around her arm. “But I have to stick around for a while.”
“I know.”
Their eyes met and held again in a connection of heat and longing. “I know what we said,” he murmured, his face so close to hers she could see the glint of whiskers on his jaw, the flecks of gold and cinnamon in his eyes. She could breathe in his scent, that fresh clean scent. “Up at the lake. How neither of us was looking for a relationship.”
She nodded, holding his gaze.
“I wasn’t looking for one,” he added, touching her cheek, fingertips grazing her jaw. “But I think it found me.”
A tremulous smile tugged at her lips. “Oh yeah?”
He bent and touched his nose to hers. “Yeah.”
“Well, I wasn’t looking for one either. Didn’t have time. But this week…I seem to have freed up some time in my life for other things. Thanks to a very smart man who annoyed me with some tough questions.”
He smiled. “That’s good.” He paused. “I’ve been burnt a few times, Kyla. I kind of have a hard time trusting women.”
“Me?” she asked quietly.
“No. Not you. Never you. That’s why…I―”
“Jesus.” Someone slapped Tag on the back and Kyla looked up to see Logan standing there grinning. “Would you two get a room?”
Heat scorched her cheeks, but she smiled back at Logan. His grin held warm affection.
“Shaddup,” Tag said mildly. His hand slid down Kyla’s bare arm until it clasped her hand in a warm grip.
“Or should I say a tent,” Logan added with a wicked little lift of one eyebrow that reminded her of Tag.
“Uh…” Bereft of words, she looked at Tag, who was grinning broadly. He shrugged as he met her eyes. Logan moved away to talk to someone else.
“I said nothing,” he murmured in her ear. “I can’t help it if people noticed things.”
“Like your mother,” she added. She bit her lip. “Tag…”
“I know. I’m not taking this lightly, Kyla.” He regarded her seriously, turning to face her, holding both her hands with his. Once again, he seemed to know what she was thinking.
“Your mom talked to me,” she said. “Up at the lake. I felt horrible because she thought there was something between us and she was all happy about it. I had to tell her it wasn’t really anything. If we mess this up…”
“I know. I hear you. I’m picking up what you’re putting down.”
She laughed reluctantly. “Seriously, Tag.”
“I am serious. As serious as a game misconduct. No, as serious as a full-season suspension. I know what this means. I know the consequences of things going wrong, believe me. But Kyla…I need you.” He paused and she saw the vulnerability in his eyes, the same as she felt. “I never thought I’d say this. I want a relationship. It’s true, I wasn’t looking for one, but…well, I want one with you.”
The vulnerability she saw somehow reassured her and made her want to reassure him. “Oh me too,” she said in a rush. “I never realized what it would be like…”
They were both dancing around it, like two players squaring off for a fight, both knowing it was too soon to be talking about love and forever, but knowing they both felt it.
“This isn’t the place to be talking about this stuff,” she whispered.
“Kyla.”
“What?”
“Wanna go on a date with me?”
A bubble of joy rose up inside her and made her laugh. “A date?”
“Yeah. You know. Like a couple. Maybe dinner. I know this really cool place on Portage, across from Assiniboine Park. Tiny little place, great food. Tomorrow night.”
She lowered her eyelashes, breathed in the smell of him, absorbed the warmth of his body. “Oh. A date.” She smiled and tipped her head back. “I’d like that. But just so you know…I don’t put out on the first date.”
He laughed and brushed his mouth over hers. “We’ll see about that.”