Page 24

Lap Dancing Around Our Feelings

Holland

I wake up to the sound of a cupboard door banging shut, followed by a muttered curse. I sit up slowly on the couch and peer into my kitchen. Mallory is standing there, wearing yesterday’s clothes and a grimace.

“Sorry,” she says, sucking in a quick breath when she notices me. “I was trying not to wake you.”

I scrub my hands over my face and grab my phone off the coffee table, checking the time. “It’s fine. We have to get going anyway.”

She nods and gestures to my coffee maker. “I started coffee. Hope that’s okay.”

“That’s great. I’m going to shower quick, and then we’ll go. Do you need anything?”

She smooths back her ponytail that’s been reassembled since yesterday.

I miss her messy, unkempt top knot and the strands that had slipped out to frame her face.

It made me feel like I was getting a glimpse at the real Mallory, the side of her she doesn’t show to just anyone.

It felt like a privilege, like I’d won the proverbial lottery.

“Nope.” Her tone is clipped. “I’m all set. I’ll be ready whenever you are.”

I stand from the couch and cross toward my bedroom, keeping an eye on her. She’s stiff and mechanical as she sips coffee. She’s not meeting my gaze. “You feeling better, then?” I ask.

She nods decisively. “Almost good as new.”

“Great.” I smile, and she returns it, but it looks forced. “I’ll just be a second. ”

I duck into my bedroom and am immediately assaulted by the scent of her. I don’t know how that’s possible because it’s not like she had her shampoo here. But I can tell my space is altered having had her sleep in here last night.

I quickly shower and get myself dressed for the day, and when I walk back into the living room twenty minutes later, Mallory is drying the coffee mug she used and placing it back in the cupboard.

She flicks her gaze to me for a brief second before looking away. “What’s the game plan for this morning?”

As I suspected, she’s all business. Gone is the woman who shared personal details about her family and her feelings last night. In her place is the sterile, buttoned-up coach I’m used to.

It’s for the best. I know that. Especially since her own words are ringing in my ear: No boyfriend. Not right now.

Mallory isn’t interested in dating. Not me or anyone.

When I learned what she’s been doing to support her family, everything about her made more sense.

Although, if I’m being honest, I think she still could afford to live a little, let her hair down…

even figuratively. She deserves that. No one can enjoy having their nose to the grindstone twenty-four seven. Right?

“Daisy is going to be waiting for us at the back entrance to the inn. She’ll sneak you inside. She swears there’s an ironclad way to get you up to your room without being seen.”

Mallory frowns. “My fate is in the hands of a sixty-something inn owner?”

I shrug. “I trust Daisy. Besides, she’s the best chance you’ve got.”

Mallory nods once. “Alright, then. Let’s go. I need to change before filming.”

My gaze slips down her body and back up again in a quick, cursory glance. I resist the urge to tell her I think she looks good how she is. Because that would be weird.

Last night, I could have said that. Last night, when we were in our cocoon of sharing, sponsored by cold meds and moonlight .

But today, it’s a different story.

I follow Mallory out the door, locking it behind me. She jogs down the metal staircase, and I go down behind her.

Headlights flash into the alley, and Mallory curses again. “Seriously? Is nothing private in this town?”

“Not really,” I admit.

I recognize Inez’s car. She steps out from behind the wheel, an apron looped across her arm. “Morning, you two!” She beams at us and studies Mallory. “You’re looking better.”

Mallory’s shoulders drop from up by her ears. “I feel better.”

“Must’ve had a good at-home doctor.” Inez winks at me.

I rock back on my heels. “I do what I can.”

Mallory narrows her gaze at me in a look that’s so familiar I have to refrain from reaching out and hugging her. I do enjoy her as my grumpy, stern coach. She shifts her gaze to Inez. “Listen, Inez. It’s super important that no one knows I was here overnight.”

Inez’s eyes widen, and she nods. “Oh. Of course. I won’t spread it around. I mean, the Kasper sisters know, because of the care package and all. Hey, how did you like the rolls? Were they alright?”

Mallory lets out a small sigh. “They were delicious. Thank you for thinking to send them up. But seriously, the best thing you can do for me is forget you saw me here. Please don’t tell anyone else.”

Inez taps the outside of her nose. “You got it. Your secret is safe with me.” She glances between us. “How about, as payback for my loyalty, you let me design the cake for the wedding?”

Mallory splutters, and Inez’s lips twitch.

I roll my eyes at her, and she cracks.

A full-blown smile rises on her face. “I’m messing with you.” She waves us past her. “Go. Have a great rest of your day.”

Mallory looks unsure, but she nods and walks toward where my car is parked. As she gets closer to Inez, the café owner reaches out a hand and grabs her arm. “Hey. Don’t worry about a thing. We’ve got your back.”

Mallory presses her lips together before blowing out a breath. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

She gets into my car, and Inez watches her tug her seatbelt across her chest.

“Is she always so anxious and high-strung?” she asks.

“She’s under a lot of pressure, and this show is a lot of stress.” I glance down at Inez. “Thanks for having my back.”

“Of course. We got you, Holland. This whole town is rooting for you. You and her.”

I shake my head. “She isn’t into me like that.”

“You sure about that?”

“She told me she’s not in a place to be dating anyone. She’s doing the show to earn some extra money to help her family.”

Inez hums. “That’s honorable.”

“I agree,” I sigh because the heart wants what it wants, and even though she’s not an option, my heart seems to want Mallory.

“I’m still holding out hope for the two of you. There are definite…feelings happening here.” She gestures to the car and back to me.

“Feelings are fickle.”

She tips her head back and forth. “True. But you and Mallory have a history, don’t you? You’ve been working together for years.”

She waits for me to nod my agreement.

“You respect her. She must respect you enough to stick around. That’s a foundation you can build on, if that’s what you want.”

“What about how she told me she doesn’t want me?”

“The Holland I know won’t give up without a fight.” Inez’s eyes twinkle in the dawn’s light.

I offer her a small smile, not sure I’m completely buying in to what she’s suggesting. I have no idea how I would go about convincing Mallory to give me a chance. Not when I now know her reason for acting professional.

“In any case, I was only half kidding about the wedding cake.” Inez pats me on the shoulder and lets herself into the café. “Keep me in mind.”

I make a noncommittal sound in response, but as I slide behind the wheel and pull out onto the sleepy Main Street of downtown Cashmere Cove, I turn over what Inez said.

Could I convince Mallory to give me a chance?

Do I want to risk jeopardizing the professional set-up we have for a chance at more with her?

Yes.

The answer comes to me as clear and crisp as a well-struck drive, sailing on a perfect line over the fairway.

Yes, I do .

“Holland!” Mallory’s frantic voice pierces through my thoughts. She’s banging on my shoulder.

“What?” I jolt forward, the sound of my first name on her lips making my insides fizz. “What is it?”

“There’s a production van in front of us. What do we do?”

I blink, and sure enough, one of the MEM -branded vehicles is pulling into Daisy’s driveway.

“Why are they here so early?” I groan. Why can nothing be easy? Why can’t I date Mal for real and not have to put up with all of this? Whose bright idea was it to go on this show, when I’m obviously half in love with my golf coach and in no way interested in anyone else? Oh, yeah…I’m the genius.

Mallory grips my arm with alarming force. “I don’t have five million dollars to cover the breach in my contract.”

Her obvious panic halts my self-pity in its tracks.

“I’m not going to let anything like that happen,” I say matter-of-factly.

“But you should get in the backseat. Stay hidden. I’m going to park right up by the van.

I’ll get out and chat with them, create some sort of diversion, and then you can get out the opposite side of the car and hot-foot it to the side entrance off the kitchen.

That’s where Daisy said she’ll be waiting. ”

There’s real fear and a bit of a wild look in Mallory’s eyes. I reach across the console and grab her wrist. Her head snaps down, and she stares at where my skin is touching hers.

“Hey. Look at me.” She slowly raises her gaze to meet mine. Our pulses sync, and my throat goes dry. I squeeze her wrist, willing her to believe that I’ve got this—that I’ve got her . “It’s going to be fine. Get in the backseat and hide for now, okay?”

She swallows. “Okay.”

She unlatches her seatbelt and squirms in her seat, getting herself turned around so she can stick a leg over the console. Mallory is not a large person, but my car is also not very large. She straddles the console, and the right side of her backside is inches away from my face.

I close my eyes because I am a gentleman, but this is a lot for me to handle right now, especially when my feelings for my golf coach have done a swan dive into the sea of unprofessionalism.

Mallory’s foot must slip, or she misjudges the curve of the backseat floor board, because she squeals and tips into me. My hands instinctively come up to catch her, and I end up palming her butt.

“Bradley! Get your hands off of me!”

I immediately let go, but without me supporting her, she falls all the way on top of me, so she’s sitting in my lap.

“Holland!”

“What? I did what you asked me to do!” I wrap my arms around her because I don’t hate this. Not one bit. “If you wanted to cuddle, you could have said something last night.”

She shoves me on the shoulder. “In your dreams.”

“You got that right.”

She rolls her eyes. She must think I’m kidding.

“Help me up.” She pushes off my chest, but there’s not very much room between her and the steering wheel .

“Careful.” I tug her closer to me.

“Holland.” She says my name, and it wobbles a little on her lips.

“What?” I ask her.

“Let me go right now.”

I’d like to dissect the morsel of hesitation I hear, as if I were a mad scientist poring over research in his lab. I do feel sort of crazed right now, so…

“Bradley!” Mal’s tone is firm now.

“I’m not trying to get handsy,” I tell her. “I’m trying to stop you from accidentally honking the horn and drawing attention to our little…situation here.”

Her eyes bulge, and she presses herself flush against me. She’s warm, and she still smells like peaches, and I want to bury my nose into the soft skin at her neck, and—

Focus, Holland!

I meet her gaze, our faces mere inches from each other.

The warmth of her breath mingles with mine, and every filament in my body is pulsing with golden desire to brush my lips against hers.

Her eyes are so green, and as they search mine, they transform from the color of a golf green to darkened emeralds.

There’s uncertainty there. It’s not a common look from Mallory.

She’s usually so decisive and so sure. Now, it’s like she’s wavering on the edge of something, listing toward me and toward an unknown future where things between us could be different. Less professional and more personal.

“What do you want me to do, Mal?” My voice is hoarse and low, and it cracks on her name. I don’t even care. I want her to know she has this effect on me. That I’m willing to lay myself bare for her.

Her eyes flare wide, and she sucks in a quick breath, opening her mouth. “I—“

She swallows and gives her head a slight shake. Her eyes lose their hazy luster and regain their usual determined glint. “I think if you let go of me, I can climb into the back from here. ”

I nod slowly. The spell is broken. I’m trying to remember it’s a good thing.

Because Mal made herself entirely clear—she sees me as a paycheck.

I’m her boss. She’s my coach. It’s a working relationship that works, and I should be doing everything in my power to preserve it…

not call it all into question because I can’t stop thinking about how it would feel to kiss her again.

How it would feel if a woman like her—so capable and confident and stunning—would actually want to be with a guy like me.

What’s wrong with me that, even knowing all that, I want to shoot my shot with her?

Using me for leverage, Mallory angles herself away from my chest, grunting as she contorts her body. I keep my hands hovering at waist level—only to prevent her from falling into the horn, not because I’m hoping for another chance to feel the curve of her hip under my palm.

When she leans and looks like she’s going to fall back into me, I use all my willpower to gently push her toward the backseat rather than pull her close. She manages to skewer her other leg through the opening between the driver and passenger seats and thrusts herself onto the floor behind me.

I peek backward, and she’s staring up at me, cheeks the color of fruit punch. She looks so embarrassed and out of her element that I default to something easy and comfortable to diffuse the lingering tension from her accidental lap dance.

“How’s the leg room back there?” I crack. “Comfy?”

“You”—she points at me—“will never speak of this again. You got that? Scrub the entire past twenty-four hours from your brain.”

I roll my lips into my mouth, trying to hold in my laugh.

She’s transformed from embarrassed to livid, but dang it if she’s not adorable.

It’s going to be impossible for me to forget any part of the past day.

In fact, I’m currently making copies of all these moments and saving them in a file in my brain so, even though I’m about to lose the originals, I’ll forever have the memories to look back on.

“Bradley.” Her voice holds a heavy dose of warning. “I mean it.”

I can’t stop myself from grinning…because if we’re going to go back to our former coach and player antagonizing, then I am for sure going to give her crap about this from now until forever. I shoot her a wink. “Whatever you say, Coach.”