by Ella Jade
In It to Win It
by
Ella Jade
A.K. Layton
Lisa Knight
Olivia Starke
Lisa Huffman
CJ Bower
In It to Win It
Hitting It Out of the Park: copyright © 2016, Ella Jade
Jab: copyright © 2016, A.K. Layton
Soccer Mum: copyright © 2016, Lisa Knight
Second Time Around: copyright © 2016, Olivia Starke
All You Wanted: copyright © 2016, Lisa Huffman
Love in Victory Lane: copyright © 2016, CJ Bower
ISBN: 9781944270322
Publisher: Beachwalk Press, Inc.
Electronic Publication: July 2016
Editor: Lynne Sully
Cover: Fantasia Frog Designs
eBooks are not transferable. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews.
These stories are a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events, or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.
Hitting It Out of the Park
by Ella Jade
Francesca “Frankie” Cuttino relocated to the baseball-obsessed town of Kingston, Rhode Island to start a new life. She’s been taking refuge in her teaching job and indulging in binge watching TV. Welcoming the break from her three-time ex-fiancé, she takes comfort in the much needed alone time. But her sexy new neighbor has her rethinking the single life.
Professional baseball player Jed Silver is on the hitting streak of his career. He’s the newest member of the Kingston Crushers and the town’s latest obsession. He’s enjoying his rookie status and all the attention it earns him with the women. That all changes when he stumbles onto his gorgeous next-door neighbor who doesn’t have a clue who he is.
As baseball fever overtakes the town these two heat up the sheets, making for one explosive summer, until Frankie’s past catches up with her.
Dedication
To the fans of Kingston Heat...here’s a little bonus story for you.
Chapter 1
Francesca Cuttino peeked out of her living room window just in time to spy a moving truck pulling into the driveway next to her townhouse. From the buzz around the community she heard she was getting a new neighbor today. A single guy. That was all the information she’d been able to pull out of the realtor when he stopped by a few days ago.
What’s the big secret?
The street was quiet for a Saturday afternoon in July. Except for the big truck there wasn’t anything else going on, so Frankie went back to vacuuming and dusting her house. Now that summer was in full swing, she was on break from her teaching job, but tended to keep to her school year schedule of cleaning, laundry, and running errands on Saturday afternoons. She reserved the weekend nights for binge watching her favorite shows. Well, not this particular evening. Somehow she had let her friend and co-worker Maggie talk her into going to a local sports bar. The one where all the baseball players hung out. That didn’t mean much to her considering she’d never seen a game before.
At thirty, she was over the whole bar scene. She hadn’t been single since she was twenty-four. She’d finally broken up with her long-time boyfriend slash fiancé in January and was adapting to the single life. When she accepted the teaching position at the prestigious private school in Kingston, Rhode Island, Christopher had taken their break-up hard. After she ended their engagement for the third time he finally seemed to take the hint. He hadn’t contacted her in months. He wasn’t a bad guy, but he wasn’t who she had dreamed of spending the rest of her life with. They would never work, and once she admitted that to herself she realized she could no longer stay in the relationship. She couldn’t settle. It wasn’t fair to either of them.
“Where do you want this?” a deep voice bellowed from outside.
Frankie set down the furniture polish and glanced out the window, hoping to get a look at her new neighbor.
Holy shit!
A dark-haired man in a tight-fitting shirt and black basketball shorts stepped out onto the porch. The athletic clothes displayed his bulging biceps, broad shoulders, wide chest, and toned legs. What was this guy’s workout regiment? Whatever it was it was working overtime. Maybe he could give her a few fitness pointers. His tousled locks dusted his forehead and his attractive, trimmed beard accentuated his prominent jawline. When he hustled down the stairs to meet the movers he caught her lurking in the window.
Crap! She stood frozen.
The hottie with the tanned skin and panty-dropping smile winked at her before returning his attention to the large man standing by the truck with tattoo sleeves splashed across his muscular arms.
Frankie took a deep breath before making her way to the front door. She checked herself in the mirror. Not too bad. She slipped the band from her messy bun and shook out her long locks. She tugged her tank top down, but it didn’t reach her hips, leaving a thin line of her stomach exposed. She still wore the tight capri running pants she’d put on earlier with the expectations of going for a jog. She never made it. She was thankful now that she didn’t look sweaty and exhausted for her meeting with her new neighbor. First impressions and all. Pushing her bangs from her forehead, she opened the door.
If that was what her neighbor looked like, things were about to get a whole lot more interesting around here.
* * * *
Jed Silver directed the movers into his new house and hoped they didn’t break anything. It was difficult for him to supervise, because he was more interested in the sexy woman he’d caught checking him out from the window next door. He’d only been in Kingston for a few days, staying with a couple of teammates while he waited for his place to be ready.
He’d been traded to the Crushers ten days earlier in a surprise move no one saw coming. The franchise paid big dollars for the third baseman with a current lucky streak in the batter’s box. He’d been having success in the hitting department since last season, picking up endorsements from a couple of big companies along the way. At twenty-five he was well on his way to living out a fulfilling career in the only job he’d ever wanted. Everyone was surprised when the Crushers offered a deal to his current team in Chicago. Kingston had won the World Series last season and had spent the past few years building a dream baseball team. Jed was happy to be invited to the franchise. He saw big things for them and for him.
Well, hello. The exotic beauty who had been peering out the window all afternoon finally made an appearance. He thought he was going to have to initiate contact. He swore her hair had been pulled back a few minutes ago when he caught her eyeing him up, but now it was down. He liked it flowing and untamed. The wavy, black strands fell over her shoulders, gleaming in the sunlight.
When she headed toward him, he studied her lean, toned legs. How long would it take him to get her to wrap those around his hips? He was betting a few hours. Maybe even sooner if she knew who he was.
“Hi.” She made her way across her narrow driveway and to his pavement. “I’m Frankie Cuttino. I guess we’re neighbors.”
“Lucky me.” He extended his hand. “I’m Jed Silver.”
“Hey, Jed.” When she took his hand her perky breasts jiggled above the dip in her shirt. “Welcome to the neighborhood.”
“Thanks, ah, Frankie?” He figured it was a nickname.
“Short for Francesca, but only my grandpa from Brooklyn calls me that. His name is Francesco.”
“An Italian girl?”
“Born and raised in New Jersey just outside of New York City.” Her wide smile showed off her straight, white teeth. “Where are you from?”
“South Carolina.”
“A southern boy.”
“I have the manners to prove it.”
“We’re both a ways from home, huh?”
“Work sort of relocated me.”
“Me too. I came out here to be closer to my sister’s family. I ended up with a fantastic job at a great school.” She slipped the rubber band off her wrist and secured her hair in a low ponytail. “I’m a second grade teacher.”
Hot. He’d never had a teacher in his bed before.
“Kingston seems like a nice town.”
“If you’re into baseball.” A flirty giggle escaped her full, pink lips. “This town is obsessed.”
“You don’t like the sport?” This might be the first time a woman approached him without knowing what he did for a living.
“I don’t know anything about it,” she admitted. “The town is crawling with baseball players. I probably run into them all the time and don’t even know it.”
“Really?” He smirked because she had no idea who he was. Should he tell her? Would it even mean anything to her?
“Are you one of those Kingston junkies?” she asked. “A die-hard Crushers fan?”
“I follow the sport.” He’d recently become a fan of the Crushers. “I hear the town is pretty loyal to their team.”
“Obsessed, I tell you. They seem to be a good bunch of guys though. The music teacher at my school is married to the star pitcher. The one from Texas.”
“Both the star pitchers are from Texas. Pax or Holt?” Jed knew which one she referred to, but he wanted to keep the conversation going.
“Pax. Who’s Holt?”
“You might be the first girl I’ve met in this town who doesn’t know who Holt Clemson is.”
“How many girls have you met?” she teased. “Didn’t you just get here?”
“Only one worth writing home about.” He gazed into those wide, chocolate eyes.
“Oh, a charmer.”
“Just being honest.”
“Hey, slugger,” one of the movers called. “Where do you want this stuff?”
“In the spare room.” Jed motioned toward the house as he spoke to Frankie. “All the boxes are labeled, but this company isn’t very self-sufficient.”
“Slugger?”
“Maybe he’s one of those obsessed baseball fans you mentioned?”
“I’ll leave you to it,” she said. “I’ll see you around.”
“I’m certain of it.”
“Okay.” She headed toward her house, but then she turned, catching him staring at her.
That’s right, I’m checking out your ass.
“Umm, there’s this bar called Bennet’s over by the stadium.”
“I know it.”
“I’ll be there tonight.”
“That’s a sports bar. I thought you weren’t into baseball.” Bennet’s was known in town as the place to go if you were looking for the team. That was where he’d met all the women in town who were obsessed with the players. The guys on his team told him he’d have no problem keeping his bed warm.
“A friend of mine hangs out with the team and she invited me. Anyway, if you’re not doing anything and want to grab a drink I’ll be there around eight.”
“Maybe.” He had already planned to go there later tonight to meet up with some of the team. “Thanks.”
“What about this box?” the mover hollered to him.
“I’m coming.” He turned and smiled at his new neighbor, reveling in the possibilities. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Frankie.”
“You too.” She stood in her driveway, watching as he took the box from the guy standing by the truck. He winked over his shoulder as he went back inside.
A trendy house, a starting spot in the lineup of the top team in baseball, and one of the sexiest school teachers he’d ever seen steps away from where he slept. And the kicker? She had no clue who he was. Not that he was that popular. He’d been in the majors for a year and was still new to the scene, but in that time he’d only been with women who wanted to score with a player. One-night stands in different cities. That was how most rookies got christened to their new status in the big leagues. It was exciting last summer, but it was getting old.
Maybe the girl next door could teach him a few new plays.
Chapter 2
Maggie fished out the cherry in her drink and popped it into her mouth. Her boyfriend Kyle was out of town on business, but Frankie suspected Maggie liked spending Saturday nights at Bennet’s since she was always there. She’d been trying to get Frankie to go with her for months.
“So.” Eating the cherry, she dropped the stem on her napkin. “What are you in the market for?”
“What do you mean?” Frankie sipped her martini.
“I think the pitchers are spoken for, but we have a shortstop, a catcher, a couple of outfielders, and the hottest new third baseman. He might be the sexiest guy I’ve seen in a few months.”
“What are you, the team’s pimp?”
“No, no.” Maggie laughed. “I only hooked Pax and Sophia up.”
“Sophia did pretty good with him.”
“She tamed the untamable, and they are the most adorable couple with the most gorgeous little girl. I love my godchild.”
“She’s the sweetest little thing.”
Sophia was out on maternity leave from school, but she brought Ariella to visit the staff and students every few weeks. Frankie couldn’t help but feel a twinge in her ovaries whenever Soph and Pax visited. Watching Sophia’s handsome husband with the baby created hope for single women everywhere.
“Well, do you want to pull up the team website and check out the available players? I’m sure you could go home with one of them. Maybe even two.” Maggie winked. “It has been a while for you.”
“I don’t do one-night stands.”
“Maybe that’s your problem. You’re a vibrant woman in a town full of sex-crazed baseball players. Once you pop that Crusher cherry you’ll never stop.”
“You settled down.”
“I met Kyle and that was that, but before I did...” She smiled. “Oh man, coming of age in this town was so much fun.”
“I’ll bet.”
“I’ll be your wingman.” She finished her drink. “You just holler when you see something you like.”
“I met my new neighbor today.”
“Is he cute?”
“Beyond cute.” Frankie couldn’t stop thinking about him all afternoon. The way those sparkling blue eyes stared into hers made her stomach flutter. “He’s a little younger than me, but he was checking me out.”
“How much younger?”
“I don’t know.” She wasn’t good with age, but Jed had to be in his mid-twenties. At least she hoped he wasn’t much younger than that. “Not much, but he had this boyish, southern charm, a deep, commanding voice, and that scruffy beard that makes any guy ten times hotter.”
“You have a crush?”
“Maybe.” She pressed her lips to the sugared rim of her glass. “He is crush-worthy.”
“Then what the hell are you doing here? Go home and hit that.”
“Yeah, because that’s so my style.” Not that she hadn’t thought about knocking on his door and offering herself to him, but she would never have the nerve to do anything like that. She didn’t know where she’d found the courage to ask him out for a drink.
“It should be. You’re single and you have a new prospect steps from your house. It’s the perfect set-up.”
“I did invite him here for a drink. I don’t know if he’ll show, but maybe.”
“If not...” Maggie glanced at the door. “You could start with them.”
Frankie turned just as four of the most drool-worthy men made their way into the bar. Girls were jumping out of their chairs to get to them. One was hotter than the next.
“Crushers?” Frankie asked.
“What’s wrong with you?” Maggie shook her head. “You live two miles from the stadium and have never been to a game. This town is crawling with some of the most available cock and you don’t even know their names.”
“Oh my God!” Frankie’s cheeks heated over Maggie’s blunt assessment.
“The one with the dark hair and the five o’clock shadow is off-limits. His name is Nic, he’s the second baseman and belongs to Sage Milan, the reporter.”
“I met Sage and her sister Rosalie at Sophia’s house once.”
“Yes, so the guy with the baseball cap and the kissable lips is Holt. He and Rosalie are together. That leaves the cutie with the blond hair and blue eyes. That’s Ryder Stanton, the shortstop I was talking about earlier, but I think he has a thing for Casey Bennet.”
“The waitress over there?” How did Maggie keep this all straight?
“Yeah, her dad owns this place, but for some reason she’s sworn off players. Silly girl.”
“Maybe she’s a smart girl. They all sound like they’ve seen their fair share of hotel rooms.”
“They’re on the road a lot. What do you want them to do?”
“Some of them seem to be settling down,” Frankie said.
“As they get older. Like I said, Pax, Holt, and Nic have all fallen hard this past year. The one with the beer in his hand is Cory. He’s a cocky left fielder. I hear he’s a handful, but good for a solid fuck.”
Frankie covered her face in her hands. “Where do you hear this stuff?”
“I’m just keeping it real. If you’re interested in him, I can feel him out for you.”
“No.” Frankie couldn’t get the image of Jed out of her mind. If he showed up, would she have the nerve to approach him? If he came to the bar, would he be looking for her?
“Maybe a few more players will trickle in tonight and you’ll see something you...”
Frankie lost her breath when her sexy fantasy of a neighbor walked in, smiling at a couple of girls by the door. He glanced around the bar area. Was he looking for her?