His eyes seemed to grow warmer, and his hand clasped hers tighter. “Oh, yeah?” he asked in a husky voice that made her hot from head to toe.
“Get in line, girlie,” the blonde yelled from a few seats over.
Kylee’s eyes widened in horror. It was one thing to be an obsessive fan girl, but quite another to let Chandler see that within moments of meeting him again. “Not like that,” she tried to rush out.
“She told me she’s had a crush on you for years,” her teenage buddy piped in.
Oh, my!
Kylee tried to pull her hand free, mortification tracing through her.
Chandler was beaming, and despite her embarrassment, all of her hopes of him someday noticing her like he had when they were teenagers blossomed. Was the superstar really staring at her as if she was appealing and his next date? But she selfishly didn’t want to be just some date to him. She wanted to be the one for him. Like he’d always been the one for her.
She shook her head to clear it. The grown-up Chandler Delta was a huge player both on the field and off, and she was too smart to let her heart get broken by the likes of him again.
Too late. You’re drooling like he’s a hot fudge sundae, that snarky voice said.
Faire taire, she hurled back.
“Chandler.” She leaned closer. “We have to talk.”
“All right.” He cocked his head. “I’d love to.”
His teammate behind him called out, “Come on, dude. Let me flirt with the brunette now.”
“Nope.” Chandler shot his teammate a death glare. “She’s mine.”
Kylee should’ve protested. She wasn’t any man’s property, but Chandler claiming she was his made her out of breath and faint.
“Hey, guys,” Chandler said to her teenage buddies. “Help me out here?”
They both grinned. “Sure.”
Chandler released her hand and Kylee felt the sting of disappointment. He’d been flirting with her just like he had the blonde and every other woman who flaunted themselves at him. She had to complete her mission, not let Chandler shuttle her off with the teenagers.
She started to tell him to wait, but he wasn’t going anywhere. She was. The two young men next to her started manhandling her. Kylee cried out in surprise. The one boy took her legs and the other looped his hands under her armpits. They swept her off the ground and lifted her over the railing.
Kylee was about to tell them to stop before they dropped her, but strong hands reached up and she was lowered down and against the perfect, albeit sweaty chest of one Chandler Delta, aka superstar middie for the Boston Cannons and her lifelong crush. Time stopped as she stared into his blue eyes, so close, so appealing. She felt safe and happy and as if no time had passed since he’d held her close all those years ago.
“Thanks, guys,” he told the boys.
“You’re the best, Chandler!” one cried.
He tilted his chin to them as his arms were full of her.
Kylee heard a female voice, probably the blonde, saying, “Why would he chooseher?”
Her neck tightened at those words. Why would he indeed? The connection from when they were teenagers? She’d believed their kisses were unreal and their bond unparalleled, but she’d dated a total of five different boys or men in her life, and none of them anywhere close to Chandler Delta’s level of charm, so she didn’t have a great comparison model. Could Chandler have felt the same about their short time together and never forgotten her? That was asking for an impossible dream. Possibly he felt a little nostalgia for home and the memories of those fun summer times.
Or more likely … Papa Delta had told his grandchildren to watch out for her and Chandler was instinctive enough to notice she looked like she’d been driving since yesterday and was running for her life and had information to convey before she was murdered. So he’d gotten her into his arms to protect her and pretend it was a romantic interest. That made sense.
She hated to look away from him, but she searched the stadium quickly. Thankfully, she didn’t see Creepy Eyes. But she could bet he was there, waiting her out. Would she endanger Chandler?
“I hate that I’m a sweaty mess the first time I get to hold you again in ten years.” Chandler easily drew her attention back to him.
“You remember … that?”
His blue gaze turned smoldering. “Beautiful Kylee … I have never forgottenthat.”