Free Win Me Over by Nicole Michaels Page B

realizing he didn’t do all that often, certainly not with a woman, but she was so easy to be around. They fell quiet and he decided he should go before things got awkward. “I guess I’ll see you Thursday.”
    â€œOkay. Are you going to tell me how to get there?”
    â€œOh yeah.” He glanced around, looking for something to write on; instead, she held up her phone.
    â€œWhy don’t you just text it to me? That way I can call you if I get lost.”
    He nodded and pulled his phone out of his pocket, and she quickly begin to rattle off her number. That was easy. He typed out his address, hit send, and waited until she received it.
    â€œPerfect. Thursday it is.” She squeezed his arm, her touch shocking and soothing him at the same time. “Stop worrying, Coach. This will be great, and the best part is that whether you like it or not, you’re going to love hanging out with me.”
    That was certain, because he already did.
    *   *   *
    At a quarter till seven Callie turned off the highway and onto Buckle Road. A wooden sign announcing the neighborhood, Oak Hill, sat off to the side. She’d seen it several times but never driven up. In fact, she was shocked this was where Bennett lived. With its manicured lawns and estate-sized homes, Oak Hill was popular with the country club crowd and the tastefully rich. Definitely not the place a public school teacher lived, but who was she to judge? Bennett had played for the NFL at one time, so maybe he had some money.
    She was still a little surprised about his sudden change of heart. He’d seemed so certain in his classroom that day, but the fact that it had to do with his players made sense. From what she could tell he was incredibly dedicated to them. It was kind of sexy to see a man be so passionate about something. The fact that it was teenagers was even more adorable. She could also relate to that. Even in such a short time as dance coach she already had such immense pride and connection with her girls.
    She also liked to think that he wanted to dance with her—even if it was just a little bit—because she was excited to dance with him. The past two nights she’d been up late, tweaking a routine she’d done in college and making it work for this competition. It was fairly easy, a little bit sensual, and of course lovely. Now all she had to do was keep her body in check while she put her hands on this sexy beast of a man. No big deal.
    Callie rolled down her window, loving the crisp scent of the air and the sound of the trees’ rustling in the breeze. This was the best time of year, late summer with just a hint of the chill to come.
    Large houses dotted the fields and the trees thickened as the road began to wind up the hill. After a minute or so she realized she hadn’t seen another house in the last half mile. Bennett had said his was the last one on the right; had she missed it? She decided to go a little farther and finally spotted another house nestled among several oak trees. So she really had been right on the mark with the secluded enough to murder someone jab.
    She pulled into the long driveway, and her mouth dropped open as the home came into view. It was gorgeous. Not massive, but beautiful, with brick and stucco. A large wrought-iron door was bracketed by several low-pitched gables on the roof. The landscaping was well maintained and three garages took up almost as much of the front façade as the rest of the house. One of the garage doors opened as she pulled up and parked on the cement pad out front.
    As the door lifted, a small white fur ball of a dog darted out to Callie’s car, yapping all the way. She smiled as she opened her door, the little dog pushing her nose in to bark at her.
    â€œWell, look at you,” she cooed, leaning down to scratch the dog’s little white head. “You’re about the sweetest little thing I ever saw.”
    She was fairly