walked across the Cleveland sidelines, waiting for the game to start. Kai adjusted his pads, getting one of the assistant defensive coaches to help him fix the lacings and all Gia was able to do was watch the man twist as he looked over his shoulder, blissfully shirtless, explaining to the coach where the problem lay.
The bastard looked up when the adjustment was made and caught Gia watching him, her gaze stuck to the long slope of his broad muscles, then to the wide, smug grin on his face before he winked at her. She bristled, looking around her to assure no one had seen her gawking at one of her players and then moved back upstairs and into the box to watch the game.
More consideration of a new place came to her one Friday afternoon when Gia finally made it home from the office after leaving Cat and Reese drinking at the latter’s apartment, both women complaining about men—Cat and Wilson’s incessant flirting, which Gia could relate to but never tell her assistant about, and Reese about whoever it was she was pining over.
She was distracted when she came to the mailboxes, thinking of Reese and the rumors she’s heard flying around about her and Glenn and all the times the woman had promised Gia there had been nothing between them. So, Gia was only half-aware of the approaching figure who stood next to her as she unlocked her mailbox, not moving as she thumbed through the junk mail and post cards her parents sent from yet another trip to Tuscany.
It was only when Gia turned that she realized Kai stood next to her, leaning against the row of brass mailboxes, that usual, not-bothered-by-anything smirk set firmly over his mouth.
“Nani,” he greeted, his gaze on her face, shifting lower the closer she came to him. “Long day?”
“Something like that,” she told him, moving out of the small alcove that housed the mailboxes. “Any letters from home?” She nodded to his empty hands, rolling her eyes when he slipped his keys in his pocket. He likely hadn’t bothered checking his box.
“I’ll admit, I spotted you standing there and wanted to say hello.” He jogged in front of her, holding open the door that led to the lobby. “We haven’t spoken since that night we…you know…” When Gia jerked a glare at him, Kai’s smirk stretched into a full smile. “I was going to say ‘that night we were stuck together in the black out.’”
“Oh, I’m sure that’s exactly what you planned to say.” Gia reached for the call button in the elevator corridor, but Kai hurried to push it first, lifting his hand in apology when she frowned at him.
“Just trying to be helpful.” That frown deepened, and the man exhaled, scratching his chin. “You seem a little…irritated.” He leaned closer, whispering against her ear. “Is it because I caught you staring at me before the game. Oof,” Kai said, holding his stomach when Gia elbowed him there.
“I’m not irritated, young man,” Gia said, holding back the smug grin she wanted to release when Kai rolled his eyes before she looked up at the numbers above the elevator, wanting them to lower so she could get inside that car and into her apartment without him keeping her distracted. “Maybe,” she continued, an idea coming to her, “I just don’t like you.”
“Ha, no, nani, that’s definitely not it,” he said, leaning against the wall with his feet crossed in front of him.
“What makes you so confident?”
He smirked, the twitch of his mouth going still as he went on looking at her. “Because, Gia,” Kai started, standing up straight. He rested his palm against the wall and left virtually no room between where he and Gia stood. “Twice now I’ve kissed you…really, intimately…kissed you.” Kai brushed Gia’s hair behind her ear and his breath tickled against her bare neck. “The way you kissed me back, touched me…no one kisses someone they don’t like with that much…passion.” She glanced at him, holding her breath when he reached for her cheek. “You got that in spades.”
The elevator chiming broke them apart and Gia was grateful for the interruption. She hurried inside, stepping close to the front, to access the buttons while Kai stepped behind her, stretching his arms against the railing that ran along the back of the car.
“Um…four please,” he said, laughing under his breath.
“So…damn funny…” Gia started, then stepped back, making way for the security guard who tipped his hat to both