Read Cleat Chaser for Free Online

and a pair of jeans—the perfect mix of dressy and casual.
    I glanced up to his eyes as Braden and Nikki finally ended their makeout session.
    “Yes.” She said. “Sorry about that. I get excited sometimes. Easton, this is my friend Kyrie.”
    “I think we’ve met.” He stepped forward and held out his hand.
    Light music began playing in the front of the restaurant, a string quartet by the sound of it. I pondered his bruised knuckles for a moment before my manners took over, and I extended my hand. His wide palm swallowed mine as we shook.
    “I don’t think so.”
    His deep blue eyes sparkled in the low light. “Weren’t you at the game last night?”
    I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t. Something about him—the same magnetism that had drawn me at the game—was still working against me now. “I was, but we never spoke.”
    “I saw you, though.” He held my hand for a moment longer than necessary before releasing me.
    “Well, now that introductions are out of the way, what are we eating?” Nikki took the seat next to Braden and looked everywhere but at me. Bitch.
    Easton pulled out my chair and I sat, once again giving way to my manners. He sat next to me and draped his napkin in his lap again.
    “So, Easton, tell us about you.” Nikki leaned forward as Braden rubbed his hand up and down her back.
    “Well.” He cleared his throat. “I’m from Atlanta. I’ve been playing baseball since I could walk. It’s all I’ve ever done really. I have a sister—”
    “All of that’s real interesting.” Nikki took a gulp of the wine the waiter had just poured. “But are you single?”
    I tried to kick her under the table, but Braden yelped instead and looked at me.
    Nikki ignored him, her focus on Easton. “Go on, tell me.”
    “Yes, I’m single.” He shifted in his seat, the elegant chair creaking under his weight.
    “Excellent.”
    I shook my head at Nikki, but Easton turned toward me so I stopped.
    “How about you?” he asked.
    “How about me what?” I dropped my eyes. Maybe if I could look at something else—anything else—I wouldn’t get lost in his gaze.
    “Are you single?”
    “Yes, she is.” Nikki giggled.
    Fight or flight kicked in again, and I pondered claiming I had to go to the restroom and, instead, hailing a cab and leaving. Before I could make my move, Easton draped his arm across the back of my chair and I got a hint of his aftershave—delicious and masculine. My eyelids fluttered closed.
    “You don’t mind, do you?” he asked.
    I tried not to. I really did, but in the end, I couldn’t help myself. I looked him in the eye. My heart hammered as I drank him in, every last detail of his handsome face. The way he’d looked on the field, intense and determined, had melted away. Here, he was relaxed, a small smile turning the corners of his sinful mouth as he held me captive. I let my eyes linger along his lips and wondered what he would taste like. He ran his fingertips lightly across my shoulder and my body erupted in goosebumps as heat pooled low in my stomach. Had I ever seen a more gorgeous man?
    The waiter stepped up, breaking the spell. I leaned forward, away from Easton’s too-direct gaze and the warm touch of his skin.
    I tried to get myself under control as the waiter took our orders. The restaurant was well known for steak, so I had an easy choice of entrée. Once our glasses were refilled, he hurried away. The air between Easton and me seemed to thicken by the moment. There was no air between Nikki and Braden, both of them glued together, their chairs wedged against each other.
    “So, any team news?” Nikki asked and dug into the baguette left by the waiter.
    “Nothing, really. We’re supposed to be getting a new pitcher sometime soon. That’s about it.” Braden ran his hand around Nikki’s back and rested his fingers along her ribs, right below her breast.
    The music grew louder, rising over the sound of diners’ conversations and the clink of