Page 78 of Praising the Pitcher

“No … ah.” She chokes out my name in the sweetest fucking sound.

“Come all over my dick, baby.” I grunt against her lips before I move my face to her neck, burying it against her. My balls draw up tight, ready to empty inside her. “I don’t deserve this. No one does. But fuck, give it to me.” I barely choke out the words and she’s crying out with her spine leaving the bed.

“Noah … fuck … Noah!” She’s screaming my name now, and I love it.

My dick explodes, filling her with hot cum as my movements become jerky. “Filling you up …” I murmur against her neck.

When I hit the peak of my orgasm, I squeeze my eyes shut because goddamn, I feel lightheaded. Her pussy is draining the life from me, but I love it.

With nothing but the sound of our pants in the room, I finally pull back and look down at her. Her eyes sparkle as she looks up at me. Her cheeks are flushed in a just-fucked sort of way, and I’m a lucky man for putting that stain on her skin.

“That was … a lot better than my first time,” she whispers, cracking a smile before she giggles. “Like, no comparison.”

“You know how to make a man feel good about himself, Smoke,” I drawl, pressing a kiss to her nose. “Get ready though. Because that’s only the first time of many … tonight.”

Though she looks a little nervous, her face is mostly filled with excitement. And even though I just came—probably the hardest I have in my entire fucking life—my dick twitches inside her as I think about all the things I want to do to her after what seems like a lifetime of waiting.

I don’t think I could ever get enough of this sweet girl. And right now, I have a lot of making up to do because I’ve fucked up. A lot.

TWENTY-EIGHT

GIGI

Of all the times I’ve brought myself to an orgasm, it never felt as intense as the two Noah gave me tonight. Instead of coming on slowly and ending all too quickly, these came on fast, hitting my body like a wave smashing against a ledge. And like a wave, it slowly crept through every part of me, leaving me not all at once, but subtly, until finally, my mind could think again.

Between my legs is sore, but that’s no surprise with what Noah is packing. He was anything but rough—afraid to hurt me, I’m sure.

I keep my head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. A few hours ago, I hated him. Or, I wanted to hate him. I don’t think I have it in me to actually feel that way. And then he showed up, split his heart open, telling me his insecurities, and suddenly, trying to hate Noah King wasn’t possible.

Because how he admitted to feeling, I’ve felt myself. Only, my insecurities don’t come from an ex who betrayed me, but instead, feeling like I will never be enough for my only living parent. It’s different, sure. But the rejection? It’s the same.

I saw a side of him I hadn’t really seen before, and even though I hate that he carries that with him, it made me want him even more.

From the outside looking in, he seems like the most confident guy on campus. Carrying himself with a certain swagger, making girls’ hearts flutter when he passes by. Or the smirk he’s been known to flash in the past, when he knows he’s going to take a woman home with him—even if it was just for the night. Everything about this man screamed confidence, yet now I’m seeing that was a facade. Much like the one I wear when I’m on the mound.

I don’t walk to the center of the field, touch the dirt, and take an easy breath because it’s actually easy. I do it because that’s what I want others to think.

“You’re awfully quiet, Smoke,” he murmurs, keeping his hand on my side, holding me close. “You regretting what we did?”

“No way,” I whisper instantly. “The opposite actually.”

I’ve spent so much of my life feeling alone. It sort of became a second skin because I was accustomed to it. But right now? Feeling his skin against mine, his heart in my ear and his arm protectively resting on me … I feel the opposite of alone.

“Good.” Noah leans forward, kissing the top of my head. “Because by the looks of the weather forecast, even if you wanted to kick my ass out, I think we’re going to be stuck here till tomorrow afternoon.”

At first, a smile tugs at my lips, but then my brow furrows and I flip onto my stomach to look at him, keeping my chin against his rock-hard abs.

“What about your parents? And Haven?” I frown, thinking about his sister telling me how much she loves spending the holidays with her parents and Noah—even if he’s a shithead.

Her words, not mine.

He grins subtly. “Trust me, my sister will be too far up D’s ass to care where I’m at. I’m sure she was going to sneak over to his place anyway.” He chuckles. “As for my mom and dad? They’ll be just fine if it’s the two of them.” He cringes. “Gross.”

I fight back a laugh before I realize what this means. A full night and most of the day tomorrow with just the two of us here. A shiver runs down my spine, imagining how we’ll pass the time.

This isn’t what I had in mind for Christmas. Nope … this is even better.

He grazes his fingers around my tattoo again, as if he knows exactly where it is without even having to look. “We didn’t get to talk as much as we normally do at the tattoo shop that night,” he says softly. “What made you choose stand tall?” He pauses. “If you don’t want to share, it’s okay.”