Guess I’d have to try harder when we shared a classroom next year. I didn’t even know why he agreed to the assignment—probably thinking of me more like an additional set of hands than a co-teacher. At least it was only for one year; then, I’d move on to someone who actually cared if their students’ succeeded.
The sudden rush of anxiety made my fingers itch, and I glanced around the hotel room. Even though we’d only been here for a week, clutter covered every inch, thanks to Ollie. While I’d never be able to thank her enough for opening her home to me when I needed one, the girl was a slob. It was like the chaos in her mind spilled out around her, and she left a trail wherever she went. You could see the piles of things she started to sort before she lost focus, moving on to another task she’d never finish.
I tried to relax as my coffee brewed, reminding myself it was summer vacation and I’d earned some time to rest. But my body refused to settle, knowing there were things to be done—clothes to pack, reservations to double check, and snacks to buy, all the small things that used to trigger my ex-husband if I left them to the last minute. My jaw tensed, sucked into flashbacks of the many times Todd had walked through the door, barely taking his shoes off before berating me. It didn’t matter that my career was just as demanding as his—Todd thought our house was my responsibility. Even though my day started at five in the morning and didn’t stop until long after I got home, none of that mattered to him, and he made sure I knew it. It became so frequent, I couldn’t relax with chores hanging over my head.
Just as I started to pick up Ollie’s stuff, the door to the hotel room burst open, Ollie juggling her bag and two giant coffees in her hands. She squeezed her phone between her neck and her shoulder, talking to someone about an account that needed to be revitalized. I just shookmy head, always impressed by Ollie’s ability to multi-task. In the past couple of months, Ollie had started an online marketing firm, focusing on local athletes. She’d planned on keeping it small, but Parker had recruited most of the guys in Erie City to check out her services, so her roster was already becoming too much for her to manage alone. The work never stopped, but Ollie loved it, enjoyed swooping in to make sure her clients’ reputations were pristine.
As she walked into the kitchen, she dropped her bags on the counter, shot me a glare before looking down at her shirt in my hands. “Don’t you dare,” she mouthed as she nodded into the phone. “Yup, that campaign sounds good. Send me the details, and I’ll get everything set up.Yup.” She rolled her eyes at me. “Listen, Theo. You either learn to trust me or find someone else to work with, someone your clients will pay double the price for half-ass work. Now, leave me alone so I can enjoy the rest of my morning.”
With that, she hung up her phone, tossing it back in her purse. Her knowing smirk filled the lower half of her face. “It smells like sex in here.”
My mouth spluttered open. “Wh-what are you talking about?”
Ollie rolled her eyes. “Dammit, I was hoping that would trip you up. Way to squash my dreams that you’d gotten down and dirty last night.”
I shook my head, hoping to hide the blush that colored my cheeks. While I wanted nothing more than to tell Ollie everything about Damien, we’d promised not to say anything, and I was determined to keep my word. “What about you?” I asked, changing the subject. “Why didn’t you make it back last night?”
“Nothing scandalous,” Ollie groaned as she dropped onto the couch. “After we got everyone back to their rooms,Parker and I stayed up talking. You know Park—can’t leave the game on the field.”
I nodded, trying to keep my mouth shut. Ollie was always an open book—except when it came to her relationship with Parker. If anyone asked if they were more than friends, she’d instantly shut them down.
There were moments I tried to broach the subject, but right now, when I had a secret of my own, I kept my mouth shut.
TEN
Most days, I lived to be on the field. I loved the sounds, the smells, the turf underneath my cleats. I even loved how the sun beat down on my head, reminding me to keep my mind focused. Days spent like this one—on the field with my team—were what kept me going.
Today, however, an ice pick had lodged itself into my brain.
As I headed over to the baseline, I groaned and ran my hand over my face. God, I was getting too old for this shit. After the all-star game, we’d headed back to Erie City, only to jump back on a plane the next day to play a series out in Phoenix. We’d won it in a clean sweep, and we’d spent the last night celebrating our victory. Now, it felt like lead filled my bones.
There used to be a time when I stayed up all night and still walked onto the field with a smile on my face the next morning. Not anymore. Once I hit thirty, if I didn’t get a solid night’s sleep, my body ached all damn day. My eyes stung under the lights, desperate to closefor a few hours. Glancing down at my watch, I cursed under my breath. No way that would happen soon.
As I closed my eyes and let my head fall back, my mind instantly drifted to last week, when I’d spent the entire night exploring every inch of Brianna’s body. It had been the beginning of this long stretch, and it definitely started me off on the wrong foot, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Being wrapped up in Brianna felt right—more so than anything else had in a long time. Pretty sure that woman drained me dry, keeping up with me long into the early hours. Right before dawn, when her gorgeous eyes finally fluttered closed, I lay in her bed, staring as her chest rose and fell. I waited for the usual itch—the one that told me to leave before she woke up. Instead, I had to fight the urge to snuggle up to her, to wrap my arms around her and pull her close. That threw me off enough to get me to move, to head home. I’d only gotten three hours of sleep before it was time to meet the guys at the airport.
“Ramos, get your head out of your ass and start running. No fucking around before this weekend.”
I groaned and forced my legs to move. Baseball didn’t give a shit about my exhaustion, and our manager, Benny Weber, cared even less. The man was a hard ass, already coming to our team last year with a decade of experience and a legendary temper. It was getting easier to battle his moods, but he had no tolerance for excuses. Plus, I couldn’t tell my team I was distracted because I’d been dreaming about fucking their friend to oblivion.
“Shit,” Parker groaned as he approached my side. His pale skin was even more pallid than usual. “Remind me again why we went out last night?”
“The rookies made us,” Cam said as he tagged secondbase. “Thought it would be a good time for some team bonding because they had a week off before the series.”
“Oh yeah,” Parker answered. “Remind me never to listen to them again. I feel like shit on burnt toast.”
I shook my head, glad all of us were in pain today. Being the old man on the team came with enough shit; I didn’t need to bring any more attention to it by limping around the field after a night out. They’d all been ready to celebrate, but I was ready to go home after my first drink. While most of the younger guys were looking to find someone for the night, no one interested me. No, Brianna was all I could think about.
When I closed my eyes, I could still feel her pulsing around me.Shit. Not good. Just the fucking memory of Brianna had my dick hardening in my pants. No way the guys would ever let me live it down if they caught on.
And no matter how much I craved Brianna, we were done. One night—it had to be only one night. After only a few hours together, the wounds from her divorce seemed to heal a little. There would always be scars, but eventually, she’d be able to move past them. She deserved it all—the marriage, the white picket fence, the man who would be home every night when the clock struck five. But a beautiful woman like that deserved to be worshipped, and I was a selfish enough bastard to be the one who wanted to bring her pleasure. My job was done.
So why the hell did I suddenly want more?
“D?” Parker asked, pulling me back into the conversation.
“What?” I said, running my hand over my head. “Sorry, zoned out for a minute.”
