On the Shore (Cottonwood Cove, #3)(5)

Players that I’d had chemistry with.

My brothers that should have been there when we’d won the Super Bowl this year.

So, yeah, we’d done something right, but there’d been a lot of luck involved. Our opponents had had an off day due to a ton of injuries, and the stars had aligned for us.

But I’d taken a beating.

Our guys were young and inexperienced. And I was all about the team and helping one another, but not at the expense of getting my head bashed in over and over.

I reached for my iced coffee and looked up to see that a woman had just come in. She was wearing a pair of overalls and leaning over the counter, laughing.

Long, dark waves ran down her back, and she wiggled her cute ass as she spoke.

My dick jumped to attention.

Damn. It had been a while since I’d been laid.

I didn’t trust many people right now, as everyone wanted to know what I was going to do. And there were people willing to pay someone to weasel their way in and find out. So, I was keeping to myself.

I continued watching her until she stood all the way up, and I wondered how the fuck someone managed to make a pair of baggy denim overalls look sexy as hell.

She turned slowly—almost like she felt me staring at her.

When my gaze locked with dark brown eyes, the familiarity had me dropping my sandwich.

I’d seen this woman before.

You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

This was the woman who’d followed me into the bathroom a few weeks back. I’d been trying to have a private conversation with my mother.

An important fucking conversation.

Just one damn minute to myself.

It didn’t seem like a lot to ask for.

These people had no regard for privacy.

No human decency.

Her jaw fell open, and she glared at me. But I didn’t give her the chance to speak. I was on my feet and moving toward her.

“Do I need a restraining order? Did you follow me here?” I hissed, using my height to my advantage as I was a good foot taller than her.

She stormed toward me. “You arrogant, pretentious, narcissistic—”

“Is there an ending to your rant?” I crossed my arms over my chest.

She had some sort of pink scarf thing tied at the top of her head.

Her tan face was free of makeup, and the woman was flawless.

Stunning.

Yet here she was, once again, invading my space.

I’d had her removed from the press conference after she’d crossed the line, and she’d stayed away ever since then. I’d hoped she’d gotten the message.

“For your information, I live here,” she said, flailing her arms.

“Is that your story?”

She just stared at me and started backing away as if she couldn’t stand the sight of me.

The feeling’s mutual, sweetheart.

She may be hot as hell, but she was just another bloodsucking reporter out to make a buck at my expense.

“What’s it like to live in a world where you don’t see beyond yourself?” she asked, raising a brow as she held a cup filled with pink liquid in one hand.

“Are you seriously trying to interview me now? I promise you, if anyone finds out I’m here, I’ll file a restraining order against you so fast, your pretty little head will spin.”

Did I need to compliment her when I was threatening her?

“Do you seriously think I’m here for work? That I’m here for you?” she said, shaking her head.

There were grass stains on the knees of her denim overalls and what looked like a bit of dirt on her nose. Was this all a plan to make it appear that she was here on vacation?

“Nice try, sweetheart. Once a bloodsucker, always a bloodsucker. Get back in your car and go home.”

Something crossed over her features, and for a minute, it looked like her eyes were watering. But she quickly hardened, narrowing her gaze at me. The teenager behind the counter, who’d made my sandwich and drink and giggled endlessly just minutes ago, was watching us intently. If I wasn’t mistaken, it looked like she was shooting daggers at me, as well.

What kind of establishment allowed a man to get stalked and then shamed him for it?

“You are so out of line, and you don’t even know it. I hope karma kicks you in the ass. And for the record, I’m not going anywhere. I grew up here, you arrogant prick. So, if you don’t want to see me, I suggest you hightail it out of town. Because in Cottonwood Cove, the Reynolds’ are a bigger deal than you are, hotshot.” She smirked and whipped around, long, brown hair falling down her back.

“Nice try. Go back to the city. There’s no story here.” I couldn’t peel my eyes off her ass as she stormed to the door.

She held her hand high in the air and flipped me the bird as she pushed outside.

What the fuck was this?

I’d only been in Cottonwood Cove for thirty minutes.

How’d she even know that I was here?

I settled back in my chair as the young blonde behind the counter stormed over with a pitcher in her hand and reached for my glass. I hadn’t asked for a refill, but she didn’t seem to care whether I wanted one or not.

She just glared at me as if I were some kind of criminal.

“Do you allow your customers to get harassed by reporters here? Maybe I picked the wrong town to escape to.” I reached for my glass after she set it down.