Free The Balled And The Beautiful: A College Sports Romance Story by Nicole Chance Page A

they stood, her world shuddered, and she could feel the blood rushed from her face. The world went dark, and the last thing she heard was his deep, rumbling voice swearing as he pulled her even closer. But the last thing she felt , was safe.

Chapter 2
     
    Her head was pounding as she swam through the murky dreams of the man’s brown eyes. Her mouth felt like she had been chewing on cotton balls, and her eyes burned painfully as she fought to peel them open. Bright light blinded her, and the sounds of someone moving on the other side of the room had her tensing once more in fear.
    Where was she? This was definitely not the tiny room she had rented; the light proved that. Her tiny hotel room's only window had been directly beside the wall of the next building, so close she could have reached out to touch it… if it had not been covered by security bars. As her eyes adjusted to the bright morning light, a warm breeze swept over her from the open balcony, easing her headache a touch. The gauzy white drapes danced in the warm wind, and through the double doors she could see the spread of the city. The sun was high in the sky, and she could hear the sounds of Athens below as she stared out at the city. The Acropolis reached up from the center of it, drawing her gaze, and the absent thought that she had missed her booked tour flashed through her mind.
    Well, that was one down payment she wasn't getting back.
    Finally, taking a deep breath through her nose, Amanda cautiously pressed herself up and glanced around. The sound of the sink turning on in the bathroom had her drawing back into the surprisingly luxurious pillows stacked behind her. She glanced down, running her hands over the gorgeous white bedding absently.
    This was no bargain hotel. The room was bright and airy, decorated in the Mediterranean style of white and pastels. The bed itself was huge and unbelievable soft. A half wall separated a sitting room from the bedroom where she lay, complete with a big screen tv murmuring softly. She peeled back the covers as quietly as she could, glancing down at herself as she did. She was still fully dressed, much to her relief except for the light leather jacket she had worn the night before, and her shoes. A quick glance found them sitting nearby on another crisp white chair.
    The sound of running water stopped and she froze, fear buzzing in her veins. The man from the night before stepped from the bathroom, wiping his hands careless on a white hand towel. His expression was sober when it fell on her. Her memories of the day before were fuzzy, blurred by whatever that cloth had been soaked in, adrenaline and fear. But when he opened his mouth his voice was the same deep, rich baritone she had dreamt of all night.
    "You're awake," he greeted. "I'm glad. I was afraid you hit your head when you fell last night."
    She shook her head mutely, hands clenched in the bedding as she stared up at him. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a thin waist, but her gaze only lingered there for a moment before being swept up in his own. His brows were furrowed and he dropped the towel on a nearby counter as he made his way towards her. His eyes were the brown of fresh earth, warm and with the promise of life. She swallowed as he came to stand beside the bed, leaning down to examine her.
    She could feel her cheeks flushing as he gazed deep into her eyes, touching her chin gently and tilting it from side to side. Gentle fingers sent a fission of energy through her, and she hoped that he didn't notice her breathing speeding up.
    "Your pupils look fine. How's your head? Anything hurt?" he pulled away abruptly. He rubbed at the hand that had touched her, glancing down at it with a frown.
    "It's-" her voice caught and she cleared her throat before she tried again. "It's fine. I'm fine. I...where am I?"
    Other questions filled her mouth but she refused to let them out. 'Who are you?' was definitely top of the list, but it was quickly followed by 'Why am