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

by Kristina Mathews

  But one of the things about the game they both loved was the way that it wasn’t always about being faster. Sometimes working the count, waiting on the right pitch was better than being too aggressive. There was no clock in baseball. The game would unfold on its own time.

  He stared at her naked body with a raw hunger. His eyes moved over each part of her, lingering on her breasts, her belly, before traveling the length of her. Did he notice the small changes as he slowly took off his clothes?

  “Please…” She trembled in anticipation. “Touch me.”

  “God, you’re gorgeous.” He lowered himself carefully to the bed. He looked at her like he’d never seen her naked before. Maybe they’d never taken the time to just look. Their previous encounters had always been so rushed.

  She closed her eyes as he slowly caressed her curves. Bryce ran his hand across her skin, lowered his mouth to her breasts, savoring each one like a rich dessert. Her whole body was more sensitive, but especially her nipples. She bucked as he drew her breast into his mouth. And when he scraped his teeth across her sensitive flesh, she yelped in pleasure.

  He moved his hand down her body, stopping at her abdomen. He lifted his head and smiled.

  “Our baby is in there.” His voice held a tinge of awe.

  “Yes.” She closed her eyes again, so he wouldn’t see the tears that sprung up unexpectedly. “Yes he is.”

  “Or she?” He sounded almost giddy.

  “I can’t help but think it’s a boy.” She couldn’t explain it, but she was sure they were having a son.

  “Either way, our kid is going to be amazing.” He placed a small, sweet kiss just below her navel.

  Rachel squeezed her eyes tighter.

  “Bryce. Focus.” She was losing her patience. “Remember how I got pregnant in the first place? Let’s do that.”

  He laughed.

  “Yes. Let’s.” He positioned himself on top of her, but still he hesitated.

  “You’re not going to hurt me.” She knew he was thinking about the baby. “But I may hurt you if you don’t hurry up. I want you inside me. Now.”

  Bryce eased the tip of his penis into her opening. He hesitated for a moment and finally pushed his way inside. Slowly, and carefully, he began to move. Delicious friction built as his body started to take over and his thrusts became more urgent.

  Rachel lifted her hips, taking him deeper. She wrapped her legs around him and bucked beneath him as her climax became closer and closer. Finally her release came crashing over her and she cried out. He pumped once. Twice. A third time and then he shuddered and groaned as he emptied himself into her.

  Tears leaked out of her eyes. Her body continued to throb with the aftershocks of a quick, yet intense orgasm. Her heart felt like it would burst from her chest, and her head was spinning with the realization that Bryce was her husband. The father of their unborn child.

  And he would be leaving for a seven day road trip after tomorrow’s game.

  Chapter 8

  Bryce dressed as quickly and as quietly as possible. He wanted to let Rachel sleep since she didn’t have to be to the ballpark as early as he did.

  She was beautiful. Her dark red hair splayed out across his pillow, her sweet mouth quivering with a hint of a smile. Was she dreaming of him? Or their lovemaking from the night before?

  He got hard just remembering how sweet and hot it had been. Different from the other times, but every bit as good. If not better.

  She moaned and her eyes fluttered open. Her smile was almost enough to make him crawl back in bed. But he had work to do before the final game of the home stand.

  “Good morning.” He brushed a soft kiss across her lips. “I wanted to let you sleep in.”

  “Mmmm.” She reached up and pulled him down for a longer kiss. “Thanks.”

  “I was just about to head into work.” The morning after had never been awkward before. They’d both pretended it was no big deal. “I was going to put my bags in your car, so I could head straight to the airport after the game.”

  “Sure. That’s fine.” A pained look crossed her face, but then it was gone. “So, you’re not taking your car?”

  “I thought I’d jog to the park.” He shrugged. He didn’t want to leave his ’Vette in the player’s lot. “You can drive my car while I’m gone if you want.”

  “Thanks, but I’ll stick with my Honda.” She shifted and the sheet fell away, revealing her gorgeous breasts. They were lusher than he remembered. Or maybe he was just paying attention now. Appreciating what he had.

  “How many miles do you have on that thing?”

  She thought for a minute. “A hundred and twenty thousand?”

  “You need a new car.” He didn’t like leaving her with such an old vehicle. “I’d hate to think of you breaking down somewhere while I’m on the road.”

  “First of all, that car will probably run for another hundred and fifty thousand miles.” She pulled the sheet up over her breasts with a scowl on her face. “And second of all, I’ve been taking care of myself for quite some time.”

  “Of course you have.” He should just shut up now. He was going to get himself into trouble. “Sorry, I’m new at this…caring for another person thing. But that’s how I roll, baby, I go all out or not at all.”

  She laughed, and let the sheet fall away. If it was this hard leaving her this morning, how was he going to last for a seven day road trip?

  “You sure you can’t come with me?” He bent down to kiss her, with at least a hope of changing her mind. “We could have a lot of fun together.”

  “I never traveled with the team before.” She sighed. “Except for the playoffs. I have my routine, and I need to stick to it as much as I can, while I can.”

  “So what do you do on your days off?” Bryce sat down on the edge of the bed, not ready to leave the woman he wanted to know better.

  “Nothing too exciting. I work out. Catch up on laundry, pick up my dry cleaning. Get my nails done. My hair cut.” She brushed her hair off her forehead. “Do a little reading, binge watch the TV shows I miss when I’m at the game. Watch chick flicks—things like that.”

  “Take a spa day.” He could picture her naked with someone’s hands sliding across her skin. “Maybe you should do that on the day I fly home.”

  “Why? So I’ll be all relaxed and ready for you?” She seemed to be able to read the direction his thoughts were heading.

  “Damn, woman. How am I supposed to survive seven nights without you?” He’d spent the last year trying to do that, and he’d been miserable.

  “You’ll survive.” She had a teasing grin on her face. “You’d better.”

  “Look, Rachel, I know I haven’t been…” What was he trying to say? He hadn’t been faithful to a woman he hadn’t technically been dating.

  “You never made promises.” She tried to let him off the hook. “We didn’t have a relationship.”

  “Rachel…” He didn’t want to leave her thinking about what an ass he’d been. “Let me make a promise to you now.”

  He reached for her, taking her hands in his.

  “I promise I will be the man you deserve.” He hitched a breath. “I’ll live all those vows I made the other night when I made you my wife.”

  “I believe you.” Her voice had a small catch to it. Like she wanted to have faith in him, but she wasn’t going into this blind.

  “Good.” He pushed himself off the bed. “I can go into work with nothing on my mind except baseball.”

  “I hope I’ll be interviewing you after the game.” She started to get up. She was working today, too.

  “I’ll do my best to give you something to talk about.” He had to get out of there before he was tempted to push her back down on the bed and let her have her way with him.

  After one last kiss, he grabbed his duffel bag and headed out the door.

  * * * *

  Rachel usually didn’t do post-game interviews after a loss. Today’s game was particularly f
rustrating, especially for Bryce. He’d gone hitless at the plate and committed two errors in the field. She was glad she didn’t have to discuss his performance on camera.

  But as she made her way into the clubhouse, she wondered how he would respond to her privately. Last night had been amazing. Almost perfect. Too bad the game today had to bring them down.

  “What do you want?” Bryce snapped at her when she approached him near his locker.

  You. Us. A chance

  “I thought I’d say goodbye to my husband before you leave for a week-long road trip.” She wasn’t surprised by his attitude, a little hurt, but not surprised. She’d seen it enough around the clubhouse. Still, she didn’t want him to know just how hard his leaving was on her.

  “You’re not going to get all clingy on me? Make me check in twelve times a day?” He was obviously pissed off. Probably because of the game. His performance. She tried not to take it personally. He wasn’t acting any different than most of his teammates after a loss. They just hadn’t had the chance to establish a routine. Boundaries. Was Bryce the kind of guy who needed space after a tough game? Or did he respond to distraction? Maybe he just needed to be told to snap out of it. And then there was the age old method of using sex as a diversion.

  Except he had to get on the plane soon.

  And he was kind of being an ass.

  “Your suitcase is still in my car.” She held her head high. Not going to let him see her disappointment. “You want me to go grab it for you?”

  “No. I’ll get it.” He ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t need anything else to worry about. I had enough distractions today. Couldn’t keep my head in the game.”

  “And that’s my fault?” What the hell?

  “You kept me up too late.” Yes. He definitely thought it was her fault. “And then I kept thinking about…well, everything.”

  The baby. Her. Was he second guessing the decision to get married?

  “Well. You have a few days where you won’t have to worry about anything except your game.” She clenched her jaw to keep from crying. Angry tears were the worst. “Just do me a favor, and text me when you land. So I know you’re still alive.”

  She turned and headed for the exit.

  “Rachel, wait.” He stood and moved closer, but he didn’t reach for her. “Let me just grab my stuff and I’ll follow you to your car.”

  Right. His suitcase. He pulled his phone and his wallet out of his locker and shoved them in his pockets. He walked beside her, close enough that she could smell the stuff he put in his hair after his shower. She could feel his agitation vibrating through the small space between them.

  If he was going to take it out on her every time he lost, they weren’t going to make it to the All-Star break.

  “You really should get a new car.” Bryce pulled his suitcase out of the trunk after she unlocked it. “I hate the idea of you breaking down on the bridge when I’m so far away.”

  “I’ve had this car for six years, never had a problem.” She slammed the trunk shut. “Besides, I have Triple A. I can call for roadside assistance and get free maps.”

  “Like I want some tow truck driver picking you up on the side of the road.” He flung his duffel bag over his shoulder and crossed his arms. “You could get one of those snappy SUVs. With lots of room for, you know, car seats.”

  “I’m not going to pull into the dealership the minute you leave town and just buy a new car.” The last thing she wanted was to be seen as a gold-digger. The terms of his contract were very well-known. “It would make me look bad.”

  “Making my wife drive around in a 1997 Honda makes me look bad.”

  “It’s a 2008.” And she’d just paid it off last year. “It’s a perfectly good car. It will last another ten years.”

  “Sure, it’s fine.” He glanced over to the bus that was waiting to take the team to the airport. “I gotta go.”

  “Yeah. Have a good trip.” She had a slight hitch in her voice. This was hardly the goodbye she’d hoped to have.

  “Thanks.” He gave her a quick kiss before walking toward the bus, taking her heart with him.

  It was so much simpler when they were just having sex. When she could pretend it didn’t matter what he did when he was on the road. That they weren’t really a couple and they didn’t have a future together.

  She’d known sleeping with him was going to get her into trouble. She’d known that very first night. But somehow being around him had turned her into this stupid girl who let her hormones make decisions for her. And what did it get her? A whole new set of hormones flooding her system. Making her believe she was in love with Bryce Baxter.

  Chapter 9

  Bryce couldn’t get comfortable on the plane. The wide leather seats of the first class cabin weren’t soft enough. The air seemed stuffier than normal. At least there wasn’t a lot of chatter from his teammates. After a loss, most of them slipped on the noise-cancelling headphones and listened to music, watched movies, or smart guys like Marco Santiago might even read a book.

  None of those distractions were going to work for Bryce, though. He was too agitated. The game was only part of the reason. For the first time since Rachel had come to him with news of her pregnancy, he had time to sit and think. Something he rarely did before he acted.

  He was a married man now. About to become a father again. He’d need to start thinking about someone other than himself.

  He replayed today’s game in his head. That first error had been because he’d been trying too hard to look good. Thought he could hit the highlight reel with a spectacular double play, and then he could give Rachel the credit for turning him into Superman. Too bad he’d looked more like the Joker out there.

  It wasn’t Rachel’s fault he’d been thinking of her instead of focusing on the game. Yet when she came to say goodbye, that’s exactly what he’d told her. He hadn’t meant it as a negative. Not really. Last night had been amazing. And he’d lain awake long after she’d fallen asleep, just thinking about what a lucky bastard he was. About how he was going to get it right this time.

  Shit. He’d been a real ass. He needed to figure out a way to keep his professional worries to himself. Not take it out on Rachel when he screwed up. And what the hell was that argument about her car all about?

  He got that she wouldn’t want to just waltz into a dealership and whip out her brand new checkbook. She had a reputation to keep. Although she wasn’t as famous as most of the players, she was well-known around San Francisco. She had her share of fans. He’d been asked more than once about her as he was signing some guy’s autograph. Mostly things like “Is she as hot up close?” or “you two ever…?” The kinds of questions he had to work really hard to keep smiling and ignore as he scrawled his name on a baseball card or program or bill of a hat.

  At least now he had a comeback. “She’s my wife.” That ought to keep most guys from being rude. Most, but not all. Bryce hated the fact that he wasn’t going to be there to protect her from jerks. Jerks who thought that just because she was on TV, she was public property. And the fact that she smiled and was friendly to them didn’t mean she was interested.

  He didn’t have to worry about his teammates. No matter how jealous he’d been when she’d interviewed one of them, he’d always known that they respected her as a journalist. As a woman. And now they’d respect her as his wife. He trusted the guys on this plane. Every last one of them.

  He trusted most of the fans, too. Goliaths fans were passionate, loyal, and enthusiastic. They’d welcomed him to San Francisco and he’d immediately felt like part of the community.

  Bryce knew he should stay away from the Internet after a loss, but he was already in a pissy mood and it wasn’t just the loss. He’d finally made love to his wife, and he had to leave. The frustration of not being able to hold her for the next seven nights only compounded his irritability. So checking to see what the trolls were saying about him on Twitter couldn’t make him feel any worse.


  There were the standard “@BryceBaxter sucks!” tweets. Sometimes even he had to agree. Like today. He’d also have to agree with “#overpaid.” He scrolled down, looking to see if anyone came up with something clever or even amusing.

  #Goliaths have no pride.

  @BryceBaxter can’t buy a hit with the diamonds in his World Series ring.

  Maybe if @BryceBaxter hadn’t married @RachelParker the #Goliaths would be in 1st place.

  That last one was a little harsh. And totally untrue.

  He looked at Rachel’s Twitter feed.

  Hey @RachelParker, maybe if you did your wifely duties better, Baxter would start hitting.

  What the f—

  Bryce punched the back of the seat.

  “Hey now.” Marco Santiago turned around, glaring at him from the seat in front of him. “You’re not the only one who had a bad game.”

  “Sorry, man. Just some jerk on Twitter.” Bryce hadn’t meant to disturb his teammate.

  “You know you shouldn’t read that stuff, especially after a loss.” Marco turned back around, continuing the conversation from the row in front of Bryce. “It just gets you even more frustrated.”

  “Yeah, well I usually think it’s kind of funny.” Bryce tried to laugh it off, the way he’d done so many times in his life. “But not when they bring my wife into it.”

  “She’s strong, she can handle it.” Marco had gone through similar frustrations when his relationship with Hunter first became public. But since she was the owner of the team at the time, it was even bigger news. And some of the things people had said about Hunter were pretty sexist. That she chose players based on their looks instead of talent. They’d asked him if she traded for him because of the size of his bat and they weren’t talking about the ones made in Louisville. Marco had been forced to stand there and manage to avoid punching the reporter in the face.