Heat spreads along my chest, and I know there’s nothing I can do to hide the flush taking over.
Mystery man lets out a low chuckle that causes something to burn in the pit of my stomach.
And it’s official. I’m officially losing my mind.
A throat clears behind us.
It’s Chase.
Oh my god, Chase!
I quickly jump to my feet, giving myself some distance, leaving Chase sitting on the ground with mystery man bent at the knees beside him.
“You okay?” mystery man asks, hiding his grin.
Did I say hiding? I meant attempting to hide his grin and failing. Miserably.
“Yo, nineteen!” a familiar voice calls from somewhere in the distance.
The man turns his head, refusing to take his eyes off mine until the very last second, when he glances over his shoulder.
I follow his line of sight to find Brady walking up.
Brady nods his chin, the universal I’m about to bullet this ball and you better be there to catch it motion all guys seem to understand, and then he does just that.
The guy catches it effortlessly. Seriously. No effort. He pretty much pushed to his feet, lifted his hand and boom. Ball meet open palm.
There’s that laugh again.
Brady jogs over, Mason and Cameron on his tail.
Mystery man looks back at me and smiles, briefly flicking his gaze over my body, but not in a pervy way, maybe not even on purpose. More like, ‘you’re a woman in a tiny bikini and I’m a man with eyes.’
Chase must notice, too, because he snaps out of whatever fog he was in, hops to his feet, and positions himself directly behind me. I’m talking flesh to flesh. So close my head jerks around in shock, spotting the scowl building across his face Brady reaches us, instantly taking note of mine and Chase’s nearness. He frowns, quirking a blond brow in question. Just like that, Chase shuffles away from me.
My chest heats for an entirely different reason now.
“Wud up, man?” Brady smiles, going in for the infamous bromance handshake, slap thing. “Didn’t know you’d be back in town.”
“Wait.” I look between the stranger and Brady. “You two know each other?”
Mystery guy looks at me with a sly grin. “Ah… she speaks.”
Brady’s gaze narrows expectantly.
So I explain, “I was a casualty of a rogue football.”
Another earned chuckle, but when my eyes pop toward him, I don’t get to see his expression because Brady steps into my space, kissing my hair.
“You okay, Ari baby?” he asks sincerely, petting my hair like a dog.
“Fine.” I try to push him off, but he shifts, now throwing his arm around me.
He nods, facing his apparent friend. “I take it you haven’t met my girl yet?”
Mystery man grows curious, cutting a quick glance toward Chase.
Oh awesome, he thinks I’m a groupie now.
Before I can defend myself, Mason arrives and does it for me.
“She’s not your girl, asshole.” My brother’s annoyance is evident in his tone.
Brady laughs and I slip from his grasp, looking toward my brother.
Mason slides up with a full-blown smile, the kind you wear as a kid when stepping into the stadium at your first pro football game. “Bro, what up? How you doin’？”
Mystery man is staring at me but addresses Mason. “Good, just relaxing while I can.” He cuts a glance toward Mase but quickly makes me his focus once more. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, no big deal.”
As quickly as I respond, Mason is before me, frown in full effect.
These boys, I swear. “I said I’m fine, Mason. Chill. I got knocked by the ball. I’m alive and breathing. Like I said, no big deal.”
“It was my bad,” the stranger speaks, a hint of hidden humor in his melodic tone. “I misread the pass.”
Mase nods, backing off as a grin splits his lips. “A missed pass, that doesn’t sound like the guy I know.”
“I’m sure I can teach you a thing or two about following through,” Chase spits with unmistakable arrogance.
My spine goes straight, but I force myself not to look his way.
“Harper.” The guy jerks his chin. “How’s the shoulder?”
“Perfect.”
“Uh,” Cam draws. “Are we about to drop trou, maybe pull out a ruler?”
I can’t keep my gaze from flying to Cameron, who grins at the newcomer.
“Nah, we’re good. I think he’s worried about his girl,” mystery man says, his eyes never leaving mine.