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The absurdity of the thought had me laughing out loud, the sound jerking Hawk’s head toward me.
“Sorry. It’s just… yeah.” I gestured down to the hoodie/white dress combo I had going on. “I’m in a wedding gown.”
Hawk stopped his stroll and stared at me. He’d been doing that a lot since I’d gotten into his car, and I couldn’t figure out what it meant. Did I look funny? I probably resembled a little girl playing dress-up to him, not to mention the raccoon look Bryce said my face resembled.
My stomach rumbled loudly, breaking up the moment. Covering my mouth, I chuckled as I glanced down.
“Any chance we can get some food?” I asked, glancing back up at him. Hawk rubbed his chin, a peppering of facial hair on his youthful face.
“I have an idea, but we gotta be stealthy.”
Hawk reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling me along down the hallway. I knew he’d said something, but the instant his hand made contact, all thoughts ceased to exist.
Hawk’s large palm wrapped around mine, the roughness speaking to all the nights he spent catching. I followed in a haze as he hurried down the hotel’s first floor. The blue carpet with gold dots swirled around me, and I vaguely caught sight of the plain walls with generic paintings.
My heart thumped loudly, and I worried he’d hear it any second now. Not that I could say anything. All my words had become caught in my throat, which felt full of cotton. Was I losing my mind? Having an episode? Surely this wasn’t how people always felt when touching a hot guy?
There was no doubt Hawk was attractive. He had the whole bad boy look down pat with his faux hawk and shaved sides, the tips dyed to match his team colors during the season. Today it was his regular brown and brushed down, the long pieces falling into his mismatched eyes each time he turned his head. He had a slight gash through one eyebrow and a small scar on his chin from a fall off his bicycle.
I knew his face almost as well as my brother’s, considering it was rare for them to ever be apart. But rarely did I get the chance to stare so openly at him. Whenever he caught me staring as a kid, he’d stick out his tongue or make a funny face to make me laugh. He’d been good at that when I could barely get off the couch.
As I grew older, my cheeks would heat, and I’d turn away, embarrassed for getting caught gawking. Then, at some point, I pushed Hawk out of my mind, content to focus on Brandon. During that time, he’d gotten a few tattoos and piercings, though none were visible today since he wore a suit.
And boy, did he wear it well.
His catcher’s bubble butt filled the back, his thick thighs stretching against the material with each step. His broad chest had the white dress shirt straining with each twist of his muscles. I honestly didn’t know which version I preferred to drool over—in his catcher gear or this suit.
“Follow my lead.”
“Hmm,” I said, realizing he’d said something. I’d been staring at his butt, and as he glanced back to check on me, I wondered if he’d caught me. My cheeks flushed hotter at the thought, and I stared, waiting for him to tell me what he’d said.
“Keep the hood up and let me do the talking.”
I saluted him, and he snickered, shaking his head at my gesture. Hawk peeked into a door and pulled me in after him. The sound of pans clanging and water spraying hit my ears as we crept down a hall. We stopped with our backs against a wall outside a door, and Hawk lifted his finger to his lips. I nodded in understanding as he went back to watching.
When I’d suggested food, I hadn’t thought it would involve espionage, but with the way my heart raced and my energy spiked, I couldn’t deny I was enjoying it. It was the most fun I’d had in a while, and it kept me from wondering what everyone back at Emerald Park was doing.
Hawk tugged on my hand, and we were moving again. I had to assume we were in some back tunnel of the hotel for staff. I could hear different things going on past the walls we passed. One room sounded like a Bar Mitzvah and another a high school reunion. Amazingly, we hadn’t been spotted yet, and I hoped our luck would continue.
As my face planted into his back next, I realized he’d stopped suddenly. I rubbed my nose as I tried to hear what they were saying.
“Owie. Your back’s too hard.”
“Shh, Blazy,” he whispered, his eyes dropping to my face just as a conversation drifted to us.
“Who had today’s wedding being canceled in the pot?”
“I think it was Craig,” another voice responded. “What do they want us to do with the food?”
“Box it up. Take what you want, and the rest is to be donated to a food pantry.”
“I’ll let the others know.”
“Perfect timing,” Hawk whispered, glancing down at me.
Oh. It was my wedding reception. Bittersweet emotions rolled through me at the knowledge. Hawk linked our fingers and ducked to peer into a door before opening it.
“Grab stuff, but be quick,” he said, nodding at the food.
