Earning a Ring (More Than a Game Series Book 4)

by Kristina Mathews

  “Woman, you know I can’t let you do that, don’t you?”

  “Not even if I promise sex later?”

  He got a devilish look in his eyes. And she thought she had him.

  “Oh baby, you really think you can use sex as a bargaining tool?” He just laughed. “Honey, you’re the one who’s going to be begging me. You’ll promise me just about anything, just wait and see.”

  With that, he walked out the door.

  * * * *

  Damn, crazy woman. Bryce jogged down the stairs to the parking garage, ready to pick up more boxes. The only thing that kept him from just picking her up and carrying her over his shoulder to the bedroom was the fact that he knew she was scared.

  Hell, he was just as scared, but he wasn’t going to let her know that. He would be calm, cool, and patient. Just like his friend Johnny. He knew the more freaked out Rachel got, the more he had to stay in control.

  It just wasn’t going to be easy. Especially with the way her skin glowed and her hair seemed shinier than ever. And her breasts… Oh man, her breasts were like two lush, ripe—oh hell, he was getting himself all worked up and he couldn’t do anything about it.

  Bryce grabbed the heaviest box, in case Rachel snuck downstairs to help when he wasn’t looking. The woman was as stubborn as they came. She didn’t want his money. She didn’t want his body, or she pretended not to. Her kisses told him otherwise. But when she said no, well, he had to honor that. Even if she was his damned wife.

  He exhaled in frustration, as the elevator doors slid shut. This season was nothing like last year. Everything was easy, then. Everything he’d touched turned to gold. Even Rachel.

  Especially Rachel.

  This year he had the ridiculously lucrative contract and an incredibly beautiful wife.

  Now he just had to earn them.

  Chapter 7

  After unloading and unpacking the boxes, Rachel spent the rest of the morning taking care of the business of combining households. She put in a change of address and wrote up a letter informing her landlord that she would be vacating her apartment before the lease was up. He wasn’t happy, but when Bryce offered to pay half the rent and throw in tickets to the next home stand, he agreed.

  Their next stop had been to the bank. Rachel would have been perfectly happy to keep separate accounts, but Bryce wouldn’t have it. She was still surprised by how he was taking all of this. She’d blindsided him with the news of her pregnancy and he’d stepped up completely. Maybe a little too much. He’d embraced her and the idea of the baby without even flinching. She’d expected such a different reaction. She’d expected him to be angry. Or at least skeptical about the baby. He didn’t talk about his ex-wife much, but from what she could tell, he’d resented being trapped in a marriage he hadn’t wanted and being responsible for a child he never got to see.

  She figured he’d be extra cautious about getting stuck in a situation where he could be taken advantage of. Especially after he signed the huge contract. He was making more money than he’d ever dreamed of and six weeks later, an ex-lover shows up claiming to be pregnant? Most men would run straight to their lawyer’s office. Not Bryce. He married her, no questions asked. For all he knew, she might not even be pregnant. Maybe that was why he was so adamant about her not lifting anything heavy. So she couldn’t fake a fall and lose the baby that had never been there in the first place.

  Except she wasn’t faking, not about the baby, and not about her growing feelings for Bryce. He continued to surprise her in little ways. From the ice cream, to the blood tests, and now he was entrusting her with his money. And there was a lot of it.

  She tried not to think about the money. That wasn’t why she’d married Bryce. In fact, it scared her a little to have access to that kind of cash. She knew it worried Bryce, too, to have that much money thrown at him. Sure, he’d earned a lot of it for his performance last year, but she knew he’d be expected to be even better this year.

  So far this season, he was feeling the pressure. His average was down, as well as his on-base percentage and run totals. A lot of people believed the weight of the contract was behind it. As news of their marriage became public knowledge, she imagined she’d get more than her share of blame as well.

  “Come on, Bryce.” Rachel forgot she was supposed to be neutral when she watched him step up to the plate in the ninth inning. He’d gone hitless in his first three at bats. The Goliaths were down by a run with two outs and two on. “Please get a hit.”

  She gripped her microphone tightly, wishing the collective will of forty-thousand people could put the ball into play. The first ball came right over the outside corner of the plate before tailing off as Bryce swung and missed.

  Rachel’s stomach clenched.

  The next pitch caught the inside part of the plate as the umpire called “Strike.”

  Her stomach rolled.

  “Please, baby, please,” Rachel muttered to herself. If her heart was pounding this hard, she could only imagine what Bryce must be feeling right now.

  The next pitch was in the dirt, and thankfully, Bryce was able to lay off it.

  She could feel the tension rising around her. The whole ballpark was buzzing. The Goliaths were down to their last strike and last year’s hero was at the plate. Could he do it again? Or would the game end in disappointment?

  Here came the pitch. Rachel closed her eyes, holding her breath. It seemed like an eternity before she heard the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, and the rising pitch of the announcer’s voice.

  “He hits it high. He hits it deep.” Rachel opened her eyes when she heard the home run call. “It is gone! A three-run shot. Goliaths win!”

  Rachel rushed down to the sidelines as Bryce was congratulated at the plate. His teammates were jumping up and down, giving back slaps and high fives, and hugging Bryce. They were like a bunch of ten-year-olds after winning their first game.

  It was a beautiful thing. And Bryce was in the middle of it, smiling, cheering, and embracing his teammates. When he saw Rachel, his grin grew even wider. He took off his hat, shook his head, and let his hair dance around his shoulders. With a look of pride on his face, he sauntered over to where Rachel stood to conduct the post-game interview.

  Her throat closed up and she was unable to speak. She was so happy for him. And proud, and about a half dozen other emotions she couldn’t name. He’d done his job and done it well. Now she needed to do her job, but all she wanted was to throw her arms around him and celebrate in private.

  He must have read her mind because he gave her a look that probably wasn’t suitable for prime time. This was a family show, after all.

  “That had to feel pretty good.” She found her voice. “Nothing like a walk-off to win the game in front of the home crowd.”

  “Yeah. It did feel pretty good.” PG words, but the way he said it, she felt like he was describing one of their more X-rated encounters. “It’s been too long.”

  “Yes, it has.”

  Rachel knew he wasn’t talking about the home run, she just hoped no one else figured it out. But the heat in his eyes was enough to melt all her reservations.

  “We found out last year that you’re something special.” She tried to maintain her composure. She had a job to do, and it wasn’t to engage in verbal foreplay.

  “Last year was great.” He smiled as they shared the memory of their dozen or so encounters. The audience would believe he was talking about the World Series. “But I’m here for the long haul. I know it isn’t always going to be easy. But I promise I’ll give it my best shot, every day.”

  “That’s all we can ask.” She could hear the slight crack in her voice.

  “I’ll give you everything you ask for and more.” He leaned closer and whispered in her ear, “Let’s go back to our place.”

  “Bryce.” Her cheeks flamed. “We’re still on camera.”

  “Right. Sometimes I forget I have to share you.” He turned toward the small group of fans standin
g around, perhaps hoping for an autograph after the interview. “But the best fans in the world deserve the best, and Rachel’s the best, wouldn’t you agree?”

  The crowd cheered.

  “She’s beautiful, talented, and smart, too.” He turned his megawatt grin back toward her. “From here on out, I’m going to make sure you have a reason to talk to me after every game.”

  He ran his fingers through his hair, replaced his cap, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading back to the clubhouse.

  It wasn’t the first time he’d ended an interview with the suggestion they hook up at his place. It was the first time she was nervous about it. And instead of trying to hide their affair, Bryce had made sure that everyone watching at home knew how he’d be celebrating the game winning home run.

  * * * *

  Bryce had taken a quick shower, knowing there would be several reporters wanting to speak to him after the win. None of them as pretty as Rachel, though. He’d answered the questions about his slow start with his usual positive, I’m-just-happy-to-help-the-ball-club attitude.

  “Your marriage to Rachel Parker came as a big surprise.” Veteran reporter Bill Radcliff wasn’t quite finished. “It almost seems like a publicity stunt, aimed at distracting the fans from your slump.”

  “Wow.” Bryce looked him straight in the eye. “I wouldn’t figure you for the kind of guy who’d take a cheap shot and say the s-word to my face.” He took a deep breath, trying to channel the calmness his friend Johnny always exuded. “My marriage is real.” He smiled, just thinking about Rachel. “It may have come as a surprise to you, but honestly, it was inevitable. She’s been behind my success since last year. She was there every step of the way.”

  “You were seen with other women in the past year.” Radcliff glanced at his iPad, as if he were checking dates. “As recently as spring training.”

  “I guess I thought about testing the free agent market.” He hated the fact that his encounters with other women were public knowledge. He also hated how he’d hurt Rachel. “Turns out this is where I belong.”

  He hoped Radcliff would drop it, but he had a sinking feeling he wouldn’t.

  “It just seems odd that you’d rush off to Vegas in the middle of the biggest slump of your career.”

  “Reno,” Bryce corrected. “We were married in Reno, and if you must know why we didn’t wait until the season is over, it’s because when I finally realized what was missing from my life, from my game, I wasn’t going to sit back and wait. I saw the opportunity and I took it.”

  “So you’re saying you needed to get married in order to start hitting again?” Radcliff sounded more than a little skeptical. “There’s a rumor going around that Cupid is at least partially responsible for the incredible run the Goliaths made last season.”

  “Cupid?” Now Bryce was the one who was skeptical.

  “First Johnny Scottsdale reunited with his college sweetheart.” The reporter couldn’t quite look him in the eye. “Then Marco Santiago and Hunter Collins got married, and now you’re telling us that you and Rachel Parker were together all along as well?”

  “Do you need dates and times?” Bryce asked. “Or are you satisfied knowing that we’ve been seeing each other off and on for over a year? Does that fit with your rally cupid angle?”

  “Rally cupid, huh? I think I’m going to create a hashtag with that one.” Radcliff laughed.

  “I’ve got a hashtag for you,” Bryce couldn’t help but give one last comment. “#Winning, #Repeat, #Baxterbetterthanever. Take your pick.”

  “You really think this team has what it takes to repeat?”

  “With our women behind us.” Bryce winked. “You bet.”

  “Don’t you know betting on baseball will keep you out of the Hall of Fame?” Radcliff was having fun with him now.

  “Ain’t nothing going to keep me out of the Hall.” Bryce flashed his cockiest grin. The camera ate that shit up.

  “You do realize it’s the sportswriters who vote on whether or not you get in?”

  “You guys love me and you know it.” Bryce didn’t reserve his charm for Rachel only.

  “You know your wife doesn’t get a vote.”

  “And that’s a shame. She’s good at her job.” Bryce knew some of the beat writers looked down upon the TV reporters, especially the female ones. “In a lot of ways she works harder than you hacks. She’s got to think on her feet, always present a smile even after a loss, and she doesn’t have a chance to edit her report before she sends it in. It’s live.”

  “And then she’s got to go home and put up with your ego.” Radcliff had just the barest hint of a smirk.

  “Oh, she can take it. She may be the only one who can put up with my ego.” Bryce grinned like he’d just said the funniest thing ever, but he was just covering up for the fact that his chest suddenly felt too tight. He knew he’d gotten lucky when he convinced Rachel to marry him. And he was about to get even luckier.

  She was waiting for him. He wondered how much of the interview she’d overheard.

  * * * *

  “Do you really think I’m that good at my job?” She waited until they got to his Corvette before asking.

  “Of course. Why do you think I hit so many home runs last year?” He kept his tone light. Teasing. “I wanted to be the one you talked to every night.”

  “You know I have to talk to the other players, too.”

  “Yes. And I’ll try to remember you’re just doing your job.” He put his hand on her thigh. “I’m a pretty competitive guy, you know.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “So when you smile at my teammates, I’m going to feel a little possessive.” He gave her knee a little squeeze. “I’ll work on keeping my feelings to myself.”

  “Just because I’m smiling doesn’t mean I’m flirting. You know there’s a difference.”

  “I know, up here.” He tapped his forehead. “But I won’t always like it.”

  “So what are you saying? I should quit?” She wasn’t going to give up on something that she’d worked so hard for.

  “Absolutely not.” He turned to look her in the eye. “Your job is important to you. And you’re good at it. I’m just saying I’m not so good at watching you interview other guys. Part of it is because I know they all think you’re hot. Part of it is because you’re not interviewing me.”

  “They don’t all think I’m hot.” Please. She knew what she was and what she wasn’t. She was the attractive, but not too attractive, voice of the crowd. She was pretty enough to hold the attention of the male crowd, but not so much that she alienated the female fan base. She wore comfortable, casual, yet stylish clothes. Not the evening gowns female reporters wore on some of the networks. She was accessible. Not hot.

  “Sure they do.” He said it like it was a fact. “And even though I know they’ll all respect the fact that you’re my wife, I’m still going to have my moments of jealousy.”

  “Thanks for the heads up.” She tried to play it cool, but she felt anything but.

  “I can’t help it. You’re gorgeous.” And he sounded like he really meant it.

  “Stop.” She spent more than eighty-two games a year in front of the camera, yet she never felt more self-conscious than she did right now, alone with Bryce.

  “I’ll never stop telling you you’re beautiful. And talented. And smart.”

  “You’re just trying to soften me up, so you can have your way with me.” She was in danger of falling all the way in love with him.

  “Do you want me to have my way with you?” There was no mistaking the desire in his voice.

  “Yes.” Her heart hammered with the admission. “Yes, Bryce. I think it’s time.”

  He grinned, then put the car in gear.

  By the time they pulled out of the parking lot of the ballpark, she was more than ready to make love to her husband.

  Her husband.

  The man who’d broken her heart a dozen times. Except when she thought of
it, she’d been the one to push him away. Other than that first time, when he’d told her that he was a one and done kind of guy. After that, she’d been the one to rush out the door, swearing it was the last time. And he’d just smiled, nodded, and come back for more.

  She reached over and gave his knee a squeeze.

  “Careful, woman. You know what your touch does to me.”

  “Yes. I do.” Finally they arrived at their building. Bryce pulled into the parking garage, and maneuvered the Corvette into the narrow slot. He reached down and brought her hand to his mouth. He kissed the inside of her wrist, causing her to tremble at the promise of what was to come.

  The elevator seemed to take forever. But they finally reached their floor. He held the doors open for her and took her hand as they walked to the apartment. He slid the key into the lock and opened the door. Before she could step inside, he swooped her up into his arms and carried her over the threshold.

  Tears stung her eyes at the clichéd romanticism of the gesture.

  “Put me down,” she insisted.

  “Not until we get to the bed.” He toed the door closed and flipped the lock.

  “Bryce, I don’t want you to end up on the DL.”

  “Then you’d better hold on tight.” He shifted her weight as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I think we’re going to have a great workout.”

  Gently, he lowered her to the bed. He dropped a soft kiss on her forehead before reaching for the buttons on her blouse.

  Slowly, meticulously, he undressed her. It was such a change from every other time. In the past, their encounters had been frantic, hurried, and a little on the wild side. But this time, it was different. He took his time. Almost as if he wanted to discover her for the first time.

  “Bryce.” She was getting impatient. “Hurry, please.”

  “Not tonight.” He placed a soft, slow kiss on her lips. “Tonight we’re going to savor every moment.”

  She was torn between wanting to slow down and enjoy each sensation, and wanting him to hurry up and get to the good part. Because she knew how good it could be. All she’d have to do was mention how tired she was, and he’d kick into a super speed. The kind of speed he had on the base paths when he had a chance to score.