Hollington Homecoming, Volume Two: Passion Overtime

He looked deep into her eyes and when he smiled, her heart murmured. Kyra made a point of dropping Charles’s name into the conversation, but every time their fingers accidentally touched, she had an overpowering desire to kiss him. To just lean over and plant one on him. Her face flushed at the thought. She’d obviously lost grip with reality, and if she knew what was good for her, she’d stay on her side of the table. “Charles is taking me to the theater.”

“Mind if I come?”

“Right, like you’d skip the biggest party of the year to see an all-woman play.”

“I would,” he affirmed with a quick nod of his head. “I’m sick of the single scene. If the right woman came along, I’d propose in an instant.”

Her mouth creaked open.

“Don’t look so surprised, Kyra. I haven’t been an Eagle Scout, but I’m not as bad as the media makes me out to be. Pro athletes need love, too!”

“With your wild bachelor lifestyle, I find it hard to believe you’re ready for a monogamous relationship.”

“Having a wife and family is all that really matters.”

Kyra wasn’t convinced. “Why the sudden change of heart?”

“There’s nothing sudden about it. I’ve been partying like a rock star since I entered the NFL, and now it’s time to grow up. At least, that’s what Big Mama says!”

His deep, rumbling laugh brought a smile to her lips. He sobered, and spoke openly about the challenges of being wealthy in a country obsessed with looks and celebrity. Kyra listened, enraptured by the sound of his voice. In that moment, Terrence reminded her of the sweet, caring guy she’d fallen for all those years ago. And if she was being honest with herself, he’d never, ever left her heart. In spite of their acrimonious breakup, he still represented everything she wanted in a man. Sincere, down-to-earth, chivalrous. In her book, Terrence was still one hell of a guy and the more he talked about family and community, the more she fantasized about kissing him.

“I want someone to come home to. Someone who has my back.” Pain filled his dark brown eyes. “You can’t put a monetary value on love, Kyra. It’s a special thing, and hard to find. I want a wife, kids and a happy family. That’s my definition of success.”

“You really mean that?”

His gaze pinned her to the chair. “With all my heart.”

Chapter 10

Kyra didn’t know when or how it happened, but their fingers had twined. Pulling away, she leaped to her feet. “It’s too late for this conversation. You came to help me landscape, right? Well, we should get started,” she insisted, glancing nervously around the backyard. “Did you notice the evergreen out front?”

He stared at her for a long, nerve-racking moment. “You want the limbs thinned and the lower branches cut off, right?”