Page 54 of Convincing the Catcher

She turns her body so that she’s almost on her stomach, looking up at me.

“Would you … would you tell me no again if I asked you to be my first?” she whispers, her eyes staring up at me with absolute fear. Not fear of me, but instead fear of me telling her no. Fear of being embarrassed.

I drag in a deep breath, knowing damn well that I’m at my wits’ end of patience when it comes to keeping her at arm’s length, trying to do right by her and be the good guy.

“Harland,” I rasp, “don’t … don’t ask me for something like that if you’re going to regret it.” I glide my hand up her body, ruffling her shirt before stroking my thumb along her cheek. “I’m not that strong of a man to tell you no twice.” I cringe. “Once almost killed me.”

She presses her tits against my body, and I feel her nipples straining through her shirt.

“Something good has to come of this week,” she whimpers. “I know we’re just friends. I know what I said—about not needing a distraction from softball at NEU.” Her hand is between us, skirting along my abdomen, dropping damn near to the band of my sweatpants. “But right now, we’re not at NEU. So, for now, until I go home tomorrow night … there is no softball.”

My cock strains against my pants, and I swallow harshly. “You’re asking me to⁠—”

“Fuck me …” she croaks, and for a virgin, I never expected those words to fly from her mouth so boldly.

“Yeah. You’re asking me to fuck you, Harland, and then to pretend like it didn’t happen when we get back to campus.” My eyes narrow instinctively. “What? Are you saying you don’t want to be my friend when we get back tomorrow night?”

“I want to be your friend always, Cane.” She looks down regrettably. “But I made my dad a promise a long time ago that I wouldn’t lose sight of my dream. I want to keep my promise to honor him.” She looks at me again. “Even though I may want you in ways I swore I wouldn’t allow myself to, I know if I let myself completely fall for you, I’d never come up for air. And I’d throw away all of my hard work just to be with you.”

“I’d never let you do that,” I say, irked. “Ever.”

She shakes her head. “You wouldn’t have to, Cane. You’re the type of guy who would be all-consuming without even meaning to be.” She smiles sadly. “Because you’re that good.” She inhales sharply, and suddenly, her face changes to something more daring just before her nails dig against my flesh. “But before we get back there, won’t you please take something from me that I’ve been carrying around? Take it and give me something to look back on from this week and smile about.”

My dick is rock hard, and that probably makes me a piece of shit, but when a woman as beautiful, strong, and talented as Harland Meadows is looking at you with her big green eyes, practically begging you not only for your dick, but also to be her first … how the fuck am I not supposed to be hard right now? Every bit of control I have is disappearing into thin air, imagining being the first one ever to be inside of her.

She’s trusting me with that.

“It’s going to hurt,” I tell her, stroking her cheek. “I’ll do my best to make it okay for you, but … it’s not going to feel good at first.”

“I’d rather have that pain than the pain I’m feeling right now,” she whispers, pushing my sweatpants down slightly. “But I don’t know what I’m doing … so you’re going to have to show me.”

At that, a whimper rips through my throat. This woman? This fucking angel … she may just be the death of me.

“I don’t have a condom,” I say, knowing that’s likely a deal-breaker. I mean, it is for me normally. But with her, I’d make an exception.

“I’m on the pill.” She darts her eyes away. “Not because of sex—obviously. But because it helps with my cycles.”

My head fucking spins, imagining fucking her bare, with absolutely nothing between us. What a fucking dream that would be. Before I can say anything, she does.

“I want to make you feel good, Cane.” She peeks up at me through her thick lashes. “I need to make you feel good.”

Fucking hell.

How am I supposed to say no to her right now when she’s looking at me with those innocent fuck-me eyes?

When she pushes my sweatpants down further, my steel cock springs free, and right away, her eyes widen, and she gulps.

“You’re huge …” She gasps, biting down on her lip. “I—can I … take all of you?”

I’m somewhere between groaning in need and chuckling from the look on her face, but the energy in this room, it’s too thick right now for laughter. Because deep down, I know she’s asking me to put a Band-Aid over a bullet hole.

A Band-Aid that won’t hold for long and could end up doing more harm than good.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” I ask her thickly. “Like, one thousand percent sure?”

“Yes,” she promises. “Please.”

Her hand brushes my cock, making it bounce, and she gnaws on her lip nervously.