by Alice Ward
“Of course not. I was just getting ready for the day,” I lied, sliding down against my pillow and allowing my aching hips to relax.
Thoughts of the night before shoved into my mind against my will. Rhett’s voice was traveling into the distance as I lost myself in the memory of Todd’s body pressed against mine, and the sheer pleasure he delivered with his fingers, his tongue, his cock, and oh God, the toys. What had I done?
“I was thinking that a great way to work on the team’s image is to speak with them one on one. Get to know them on a personal level.” A personal level. I almost chuckled as another image of my tongue sliding up Todd’s cock filled my mind.
“I researched each player individually before arriving. I’m not sure what else I could find out about them,” I said.
“I believe there’s much more to these men than what you can find in the media. Find out about their home lives, their passions, hell, even their childhoods could be useful to create a better, softer image.” His voice was chipper, excited, and almost full of laughter as he spoke.
“I didn’t think you wanted them to appear soft.”
“Oh, they are still Beasts. I have no intentions of taming them down to a domesticated team of felines. This is for the fans, the media. We need them to appear human, not immortal as most would believe they are,” he said with confidence.
“So, don’t file down their jagged edges, just cover them with cushions?” I asked, half laughing myself.
“Exactly. That’s why I hired you, Katrina. You get it, you get baseball, and you get the players.”
A sense of pride rushed through me at his words. I’d wondered why he hired me, an inexperienced, green kid out of college. Maybe I did have an edge over Lana in that department. She was all about the PR, the marketing, but I was more in tune with the players. The grit is what fans love to see, but too much, and they could turn on you on a dime. Rhett wasn’t a stupid man. He had successful businesses all over the country, and gearing me and Lana together on this may have been one of his most ingenious ideas yet.
“I will start today,” I agreed and disconnected the call after we’d said our goodbyes.
My confidence grew quickly as I pulled myself from the warmth of my bed. The thought of talking to each of the players on a personal level terrified me to some degree, but knowing that Rhett thought I was the best person for that job eased the fear soaring through my veins.
My designer clothes hung on cloth hangers in the hotel’s armoire, expensive shoes to match placed carefully underneath. My jewelry, some of the less expensive stuff Dad didn’t sell off was locked away in a small jewelry box, along with my sweet sixteen ring. I knew a thing or two about image, and about creating one that wasn’t true. Maybe I was more cut out for this job than Rhett truly knew. I was a fraud. Walking around like I was somebody. I was Bobby Delaney’s daughter, but that didn’t mean much anymore. He was no longer a baseball star, no longer successful, rich, or even admirable. A legend? Sure. But, once word got out about his gambling addiction and how he let his fortune fall through his fingers… the legend would be tarnished.
I thumbed through my clothes, chose a yellow silk blouse, thin gray jacket, and matching skirt. I would put on my game face, interview the players, and prod into their personal lives, digging for something useful, something good. All while hiding all the bad in my life. Hiding my personal life entirely.
I placed my clothes neatly on the bed, walked into the bathroom, and turned on the shower. I slipped out of my long cotton night shirt, letting the cool air in the room flow around my nude body. The shower nozzle was cold to the touch, causing me to shiver as I turned it on to a warmer than usual setting. I stepped inside, stood under the warm water, and thought about Todd. He was so sweet, so sensual, and he swore what happened would be our secret. Would he keep that secret?
My mind filled with panic as I realized how the players spent their time talking about conquests. I’d be one hell of a trophy, handcuffing and fucking the team babysitter during the first week. Shit. Katrina, why did you let your guard down?
I rushed my usual relaxing shower, realizing the guys would soon be ready to leave for practice. It was the first scrimmage, played at our field. I wanted to watch the interaction between Todd and Calvin but felt a little sick about focusing so hard on Todd at the moment. What if he did tell someone? How was it going to look, me following him around like a puppy dog? It was my job. I shrugged off the anxiety, dried off, and dressed for the day in my expensive clothing.
You can do this, Katrina.
***
There he was. God, he was beautiful. My eyes ached as they worked hard not to stare at the muscular form in front of me. “Good morning,” Todd said, turning around to catch me ogling him.
“Good morning,” I replied, choking on my words as they came out.
He laughed. His eyes danced, and his full lips curved into a half smile. My body reacted, tightening, tensing, and swelling as his eyes penetrated mine.
“Shuttle's here!” Kane shouted from across the lobby.
Most of the guys moved toward the front doors, but Todd stood in his spot. “You okay?” he asked.
I nodded. My cheeks flushed with heat, and I knew they were as red as my ass cheeks after Todd had spanked them.
“No driver today?” he asked, looking past me and into the parking lot.
“I thought I’d ride with you guys today.” That wasn’t exactly the truth. My driver was set to pick me up later that day. I called and canceled instead of making him rush to get me early. Rhett’s instructions made me eager to get to practice, to watch, and decide in which order I would speak with the players.
“After you,” Todd said, pushing open the front doors to the hotel.
I stepped outside. My body was on fire, and the cool morning Florida air was a relief to my skin. The shuttle doors were already open, the driver smiling as I reached for the railing near the first step. Todd’s hand pressed against my back, offering a helpful boost to the shuttle step. His thumb glided down my spine gently, slowly lowering down my back until resting just above my tailbone. A sigh escaped my lips without consent. I stepped up to the next step, and then into the shuttle. A single seat in the back was empty, room enough for both Todd and me. No way!
“Have a seat,” Kane Steele offered. I watched as he slid to one side, making room for me on the black leather seat.
“Thank you.” I slid into the seat next to him. Damn, he smelled as good as he looked.
Todd’s eyes avoided contact with mine as he continued to the back of the shuttle. I wanted to turn and look, to see if he took the empty seat in the back, but I didn’t. I knew he wouldn’t be able to resist teasing me if I’d made it to that secluded seat with him. And, I knew I wouldn’t have been able to resist letting him do it.
Kane was super sweet on the ride to the field. His deep voice vibrated into my soul, his eyes penetrated like green rupees into my heart. Wow. This man was deliciously handsome. I decided that he would be one of my first interviews. He was easy to talk to, and even though sexier than hell, my attraction to him was low, thanks to my distraction with Todd.
On the field, Calvin and Todd stood at the mound, from what I could see, communicating quite well. The practice was slow-paced as the guys saved their true energy for their first game. I was growing tired from working on my interview notes. I’d lined everyone up in the order I wanted to interview them, with Todd nearly at the bottom of the list. I needed to stay focused, keep myself professional, and Todd Morris stripped me of all my self-discipline.
Blake Osborne, the pitcher recruited from Atlanta, my dad’s old team. He was another one I had at the bottom of my list. He had been close to my dad when they played together, and I wasn’t exactly sure if they still were. I dreaded the questions he would ask me, knowing they would be personal, and all about my dad.
Oh, Daddy’s doin’ just fine, Blake, thanks for asking. He and Mom are in their low-end condo, all their belongings so
ld or repossessed by the bank. Yeah, me, I’m great, just working for a living for the first time in my life. No thanks!
Todd took the plate. It was the first time I’d watched him swing a bat. He oozed confidence as he beat the bat into the dirt. His strong arms flexed, their muscles tightening as he pulled the bat up past his shoulders. I watched him carefully, eyeing the pitcher and shifting his sight to the coach of the opposing team. As a catcher, he knew the tricks to hiding the pitch signs, and I knew he was well aware of how to catch them as well.
The ball flew like a rocket from the pitcher's hand. My body clenched the bleacher I sat on as Todd brought the bat around to meet the ball, sending it far into the left field. His power excited me, more than I wanted to admit. The crack of the bat against the ball made my nipples tighten, and my panties stuck against my skin. Damn, he was going to be hard to resist.
All the players were impressive, more so than I’d realized during practice. Against an opposing team, they worked together like a well-oiled machine. Even the newer guys on the team were meshing well as Beasts. Kane Steele had the look, the body, and the talent that this team — Rhett’s team — was made of. He’d done a hell of a job creating a team of amazing players. The only downside was the fact that so many of them had found their way to the dim light of the media. That’s your job, Katrina. Make these boys look good, on and off the field.
I didn’t wait around for the players after the game. They won without what seemed to be much effort. The other team had to be impressed. They’d taken a pretty good ass whoopin’ out there. I was growing excited about the season. Excited to watch Todd grow as a player, as a person. I knew I could find something amazing in his life to shape him into one of the most loved players on the team, possibly the league. But I still wasn’t ready to move him higher on my list.
I took a cab to the condo, ordered a pizza, spread out all my notes, and began working on finishing my list of interviews. Each player had notes that I already knew from the media, the fan sites, and the team pages—some bad, some good. The ones heavier on the bad image side were at the top of my list, all except Todd.
A knock on my door pulled me from my notes. I grabbed my wallet and opened the door. I expected to see the pizza box pushed toward me with a delivery boy behind it, but instead, I saw Todd Morris.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Todd
I don’t know what the hell I was doing standing outside of Katrina’s door. She'd told me we had to cool it, and she hadn’t exactly acted like she’d changed her mind today at the field, or on the shuttle ride for that matter. Still, here I stood, unable to stop myself from knocking on her door. When it flung open, I felt something stirring inside of me. Something I hadn’t felt in a long while. Her eyes were wide, and a twenty-dollar bill was held between her fingers. I smiled, looked at the money she was holding out, and refrained from the off-color comments that came into my head.
“I thought you were the pizza guy,” she said quickly, her expression fading to confusion, embarrassment, irritation. I couldn’t tell.
“What’s all that?” I asked, nodding toward the papers strewn all over the coffee table, the couch, and flowing onto the floor.
“Rhett asked me to interview each of the players. Help the fans see them in a more personal light. I’ve been googling everyone, making notes, thinking of questions.” She clamped her lips closed to stop the words from bursting from her mouth.
“Have you googled me yet?” I asked, curious if she had.
“No.”
I felt a little hurt. I would’ve thought she’d be more interested. “You should.”
She lifted her chin. “I plan to.”
“You won’t find the good stuff though,” I teased, hoping to spark her curiosity.
“I’m sure there’s plenty of good stuff on there about you. Like your skydiving adventures, your motorcycle accident,” she paused, looking into my eyes with an unexpected kindness and possibly remorse for her teasing.
“So, you have googled me.” I leaned against the door frame, finding a comfortable spot to continue my flirting. It was obvious she wasn’t going to let me inside. I didn’t blame her for that. I knew what I wanted to do to her. I knew she wanted it too.
Her cheeks blushed to a light pink. Her eyes narrowed as they glanced away from mine. Yes, she was still interested.
“There’s some rides I’d like to check out on the Boardwalk. I’d love it if you came with me.”
She seemed to hesitate.
“We could have some fun while you interview me. So you’d still be working,” I said, trying to sound convincing.
I thought her lips parted to say yes, but then the pizza man showed up, interrupting our conversation. She handed him the twenty and took the pizza. She held it in her hands, shifting from foot to foot in her doorway. Did she want me to leave?
“I can’t picture Todd Morris at an amusement park,” she said with a soft laugh.
“Hey, I’m not allowed to chase an adrenaline rush any way else. Roller coasters are allowed. I checked.”
Her smile displayed an amusement for not only the thought of me on a kiddie ride but also for my charm. I watched her lips carefully as they parted once again. My chest tightened as I anticipated her response, hoping it to be a yes.
“I just ordered this pizza,” she said, looking over her shoulder at the work she had spread out all over the room.
“Put it in the fridge. You’ll be up late working it looks like. You’ll need a snack. There are amazing corn dogs down on the pier.” I smiled and winked, hoping that would push her over the edge of her reluctance.
“Okay.” She turned, walked the pizza to the fridge, slid it inside, and then met me back at the door.
“You don’t want to change?” I asked, checking out her high heels and business suit.
“Oh.” She quickly turned back, stepping toward her work. I watched her grab a notepad and a pen, and stuff it in her purse before meeting me at the door once again.
“No, this is fine,” she said.
Okay, I get it. Keep it professional. Damn, she turned me on.
I followed her to the elevator, leaned in to push the button and got a whiff of her sweet perfume. She seemed nervous as we waited for the doors to open, and even more so once we were inside, alone. “This is strictly professional,” she insisted.
“Of course,” I agreed, fighting back my smile. In the lobby, I called a cab and then led her into the small lounge past the front desk. “Would you like a drink?”
“No, thank you,” she replied, her professional air firmly in place.
The bartender was a tall man. He had thick blond curls and an out-of-date mustache under a large pimpled nose. His skin was leathered, most likely from the hot Florida sun. “What can I get ya?” he asked.
“Yuengling draft.”
“And for the lady?” He shifted his attention to Katrina.
I was hoping she’d change her mind, but “nothing for me, thanks” was all she said.
He gave me a look of condolence and turned to get my beer. “The cab company said it’d be a few minutes,” I explained, taking my beer from the bartender and slipping him a twenty-dollar bill.
He returned with my change, slapping it on the bar in front of me. I smiled, nodded, and took a long sip. “So, what can you tell me about Todd Morris that the fans would love to know?” she asked.
“The fans? How about what you’d love to know?” I answered her question with a question.
She smiled, shifted in her seat, and cleared her throat. I couldn’t believe I made her nervous. After last night. After what we’d done together. I figured she’d be as cool as a cucumber around me.
“What about family?” she asked.
“A brother, a sister, a mother, no dad.”
“Where’s your dad?”
I chugged a large slug of my beer and the bartender nodded toward the door. I looked over her shoulder the parking lot. “The cab’s here.”
&nbs
p; “Your change,” she said, motioning to the money I’d left sitting on the bar.
“That’s his.”
I offered my hand to help her down from the tall stool. Her skin was warm to the touch, delicate and soft, just as I remembered. My cock twitched at the memory of her taste, of how she felt, of how her skin reddened when smacked with the leather flogger.
In the cab, Katrina immediately continued her questioning. “So what happened to your dad?”
“He was never around much. He took off when I was young. I barely remember him.”
“You ever thought of looking him up now that you're…” she paused.
“A baseball star?” I asked.
“An adult,” she clarified.
“He passed away ten years ago. I looked him up. Just a little too late, I guess.”
The cab pulled up in front of the large hotel that offered a quick entrance to the boardwalk. “You ready for some fun?” I asked, opening the door, and sliding out of the backseat. I extended my hand. She grasped it, smiled, and slid out into my arms.
“I didn’t mean to bring up your dad,” she whispered.
She was so close. Her body was pressing against mine. The urge I had to kiss her, to stroke her hair from her face, to tell her how beautiful she was in the sunlight was almost too much to control. “It’s okay. But, I’m sure that’s not the stuff the fans want to know.”
“You’d be surprised,” she said.
I pulled away. I didn’t like the idea of being placed in the spotlight for something that didn’t define me. I wasn’t an amazing baseball player because my dad left when I was a kid. I wasn’t anything because of that fact. It was useless information. Next question.
“What else do you want to know?” I asked, changing the subject quickly.
It was obvious she was reluctant to ask anything after her first bomb. “You tell me something you want me to know,” she said. Nice save.
“I’ll tell ya what. You ride a ride with me, I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”