Page 1 of Hot Shot
Chapter one
Hunter
Fuck,it’shot.The guys weren’t kidding when they told me to be prepared for it to still be a million degrees out even in late August. The humidity makes the heat even worse. My shirt is already clinging to my body and I’ve only walked a block. Today is definitely going to be a two shower kind of day. But I don’t have time to worry about that right now nor slow down my pace.
I’m running late for lunch with Wes, one of my teammates, because I couldn’t find a parking on the street closer to the restaurant. Instead I had to pay an exorbitant amount to park in one of the city’s garages.
As I hurry down the sidewalk lined with oak trees, thankful for the slightly cooler temperature in the shade, I catch movement out of the corner of my eye. Turning, I spot a parked car in front of the high-rise buildings, and pause midstep.
Are my eyes playing tricks on me?
I stare at the car, trying to figure out if I’m really seeing what I think I am. I pull my sunglasses down as if somehow that will make the scene clearer.
Is that a woman?
Climbing into her back seat?
I scrub a hand down my face, wiping the sweat away as I watch the scene play out. Yep, definitely a woman climbing across the center console of her car to get to the back seat.
Did she just?
Yeah, she flashed me.
Holy shit.
What the hell is going on?
My brain immediately goes to worst-case scenarios and my feet move down the sidewalk as if they have a mind of their own. When I get close enough, I can see that she’s got the back seats down and is reaching into the trunk.
Is she hurt? Trapped? A prisoner?
Before I can spiral anymore, I tap on the driver’s side window. She startles and turns my way. I lift a hand in greeting. Her face is red and she grimaces before she scrambles back over the center console and opens the door. The most beautiful hazel eyes peer up at me.
“Hi.” My voice comes out hoarse. I clear my throat. “I happened to see you from over there.” I gesture to where I came from. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. Not hurt. Or . . .” I shrug, studying her face.
“I’m good.” She climbs out of the car, holding a small bag in one hand and using the other to smooth down her dress. “Well, I’m not okay exactly.”
“Oh?” I raise my eyebrows as I get my first real look at her.
Well, the first one that isn’t her bare ass. I take a deep breath, trying not to replay that visual and hoping she can’t tell that my thoughts are not PG right now.
She’s probably somewhere around five-five or five-six if I had to guess, with shoulder-length curly brown hair that hangs free over her bare shoulders.
I take a step back to give her some room. I am, after all, a stranger. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable. I’m hoping she’ll fill in the blanks of her story as my eyes dart around looking for the cause of her problem.
“It’s been a day. My battery is dead. At least I hope it’s only a dead battery and not something else.”
“Do you need a jump? My truck is over there.” I point in the direction of the parking garage.
“I’ve got a jump box.” She lifts the bag in her hand. “I should be good. But thanks.” She flashes me a smile.
I nod, searching for a reason to stay because I’m drawn to her. I want to talk more.
Maybe because I’m lonely being in a new city, my only friends are the guys on the team.
“Do you want me to hang around in case it doesn’t work?” The words come out of my mouth before I can stop them.
She doesn’t know me. And Wes is waiting for me. But I’m not about to walk away from a beautiful woman in distress. He can wait.
