“We’re here for the Athletics Partnership Reception,” I said, keeping my voice steady. Only then did she look at me. I gave her a polite smile that verged on annoyed. The spark of annoyance didn’t last, though. I shut it down as soon as it appeared. He wasn’t doing anything wrong, and neither was she. They were single. The fact that my pulse had an opinion about that was entirely my own problem.
“Of course.” She looked down, flushed. “Right this way.”
Connor stepped beside me as the hostess led us across the lobby, and I forced myself not to overthink the way her gaze kept darting his way. People tended to do that around him. He had an effortless magnetism that was becoming increasingly… distracting.
We followed her toward a bank of glass elevators, each one glowing in warm light. “This is your private lift,” she said, pressing thePbutton. “It will take you directly to the penthouse floor, where the rest of your guests are waiting.”
The doors slid open, and I stepped inside, bracing myself for everything waiting at the top. Connor followed, and before the doors closed, the hostess locked eyes with him and said, “If you need anything at all, I’ll be here at the front desk.”
The moment the doors sealed shut, the noise of the lobby faded and left just the two of us in the small space. A laugh bubbled in my throat.
“Something funny?”
I looked at a loose thread coming from my clutch, refusing to meet his eyes. “Does that always happen for you?”
Connor huffed an amused noise. “What?”
Then I did look at him, and his expression me he knew exactly what I was talking about. “Don’t be obtuse, Connor. You’re smarter than that.”
That smirk only deepened the longer we stared at each other. “Jealous, sunshine?”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I said quickly.
His answering smile wasn’t wide; it wasn’t even really a smile. More of a slow pull at the corner of his mouth while his eyes flicked sideways, and he licked the side that threatened amusement. It was masculine and sexual and,fuck, I was trapped in a very small space with that energy. It was snaking around me somehow, taunting me. Offering me a taste.
He shifted his weight enough for the subtle scent of his aftershave to drift toward me. The walls were shrinking around us. My pulse thudded at the base of my throat, and I hated that he could probably see the effect he was having on me.
Connor didn’t touch me, but he didn’t need to. His presence tilted toward mine with the kind of intention that made heat lick up the back of my neck. The mirrored elevator doors reflected our silhouettes—his broad frame angled toward me, my posture stiff as I stared ahead.
A slow inhale broadened his chest. The faintest lowering of his gaze before he caught himself. Time seemed to pause, and the lift hummed, but all I was aware of was him. Even without looking directly at him, his presence pressed in from every angle. The heat of his body radiating across the narrow gap, theweight of his stare on the side of my face. My grip on my clutch tightened, knuckles whitening.
He leaned back slightly, but it didn’t feel like he was giving me space, it only pulled my attention more. Every movement was amplified in this tight metal box. It echoed back at me in the reflection I was pretending not to study.
Then he finally turned fully to me, and I wasn’t sure where to look anymore because his breath was almost dusting the tip of my collarbone as he said, “Teddy, I’m not looking at her.”
I forced my chin higher, using my peripheral vision instead of meeting his gaze. A creeping warmth unfurled at the back of my neck, threading down my spine and settling in my core. My ears flamed just as his mouth opened to say something else, but by some mercy, the doors opened to the lift and a sweep of cool air rushed in, washing over me.
Oxygen hit me, and I swallowed it down greedily, hoping it would compose me. I didn’t wait or look back at him as I stepped out of the space.
The room boasted more people with expensive watches and designer suits than I’d ever seen. Champagne balanced between their fingers as an accessory that glittered alongside their wealth and status.
These were the people I was supposed to be charming tonight, and seeing them reminded me that I didn’t need any distractions. Especially those of the one person who had invaded so much of my space over the last month. I needed to focus and be on track with making sure these investors were confident in everything they’d given us so far. That stadium was a gift, a move that I knew we had to earn through this upcoming season, and I was determined to prove we deserved it and so much more.
A server drifted past with a tray of champagne flutes. “Champagne?” she offered.
I took one, mainly so I had something to do with my hands. Connor reached for one too, his fingers brushing the stem just as the server slipped away. He didn’t look at me, but awareness simmered between us like static beneath the noise of the party. One I’d have to ignore.
I made an effort to take in my surroundings. The terrace was stunning—open glass walls overlooking the dark stretch of Solterra Bay, with golden lights softening the room. Small groups of executives and sponsors stood gathered near tall cocktail tables, each conversation looking more strategic than social.
I scanned the crowd instinctively, looking for any anchor point, any familiar face. Coach Emery stood near one of the windowed walls, speaking to another woman. She looked composed, stylish, absolutely in her element. And next to them was Coach Knox. He was taller than I remembered in a suit, arms crossed as he nodded along to something being said.
“Do we go over?” Connor asked quietly, standing too close. His voice slid right down the overheated line that still threaded through my chest, and I forced my spine straighter before I stepped sideways and answered.
“I think we should,” I said. “At least to let them know we’re here.”
Connor only moved when I moved, walking a half-step beside me, close enough that the heat of him didn’t dissipate fast enough. My pace increased.
Coach Emery spotted us first. Her face broke into a warm, proud smile. “Teddy,” she said as she reached for me with one arm. “And Connor, you both look fantastic.”
