Home Run

by Heidi McLaughlin

  I continue to kiss where the neckline is, moving it as I go along my path. Ainsley rolls her neck, giving me a better angle with each kiss. Seeing her in a shirt that bears my name, a shirt I picked out for her, turns me on. Hell, she turns me on just by allowing me to be in her presence. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. Women in the past, they were something to pass the time during the off-season and never someone I could see a future with. Ainsley is different. I don’t care that I’ve only known her for a week. I want to be with her.

  I maneuver myself to sit against my headboard and bring her into my lap to give her a massage. Ainsley’s head moves back and forth as my fingers press into her muscles. I know she’s under a lot of stress and I can feel the tension in her shoulders.

  “Wait a second,” she says, leaning away from me. She pulls the hem of her shirt over her head, exposing her bra and back to me.

  “Shit,” I mutter as I feel myself starting to get hard. When she leans back into me, my erection grows. “Sorry,” I tell her. Poking her in the back with my dick isn’t something I want to be doing.

  “For what?”

  “Um…” I clear my throat and avoid answering her. If she can’t feel the protrusion, I’m not going to bring it to her attention. I’d rather die from humiliation at this point. I go back to work on her shoulders, switching between kneading and feather-light touches. Every pass, I pause and kiss her neck before continuing with her massage. Now that she’s let me do it once, I don’t want to stop.

  When my hands get to her bra straps, I falter, wondering what she’s going to say if I move them. The only way to find out is to try. I slide my fingers under the straps and push them off her shoulders, watching as her skin pebbles with goose bumps. Her hands reach behind, unclasping her bra.

  “Ainsley, what are you doing?” I ask huskily. She’s toeing a line I’m not sure she wants to cross. I’m so attracted to her that I’ve imagined myself with her many times, but never in my wildest dreams did this happen.

  She turns in my lap, facing me with her beautiful breasts on full display. I swallow hard and try to peel my eyes away from them.

  “What does it look like?”

  “Um…” Once again words are lost as I try to focus on her and not her breasts. “I don’t know. I’m a guy staring at a beautiful woman who has suddenly taken off her shirt and shown me a glimpse of herself.”

  “Do you like what you see?”

  Looking down at my crotch, I smirk. “I think the evidence speaks for itself.”

  Ainsley brings herself forward, straddling my lap. “I know that I made things difficult when we first met because I’m afraid of getting my heart broken.”

  “I’m not going to break your heart, Ainsley. From the moment I saw you at the zoo, I knew I wanted to get to know you.”

  “Me too. I’ve just been fighting the truth this whole time.”

  The tension between us changes. It’s as if we both know what’s coming next. I pull her onto my lap and bring my lips to her skin. Each kiss leads me to the gift she’s offering. My fingers roll her taut nipples, causing her to grind against me. Reaching down to taste her, my tongue laps over her sensitive flesh. Ainsley arches into me, pushing her breasts into my face and rubbing her core against my erection.

  Her hands are everywhere, lifting and tugging at my shirt. I slip it off for her and bask in the way her hands feel against my skin. Her lips are on my neck, teeth nibbling my skin, causing a fire to burn within me. Sliding her off my lap, I lay her down and caress her breasts as her hand slides down my shorts, digging her fingers into my ass.

  “Ainsley, what are we doing?”

  “What do you want to do?” she asks breathlessly as she flexes her hips into me. I fight the groan that is building, afraid of what her reaction might be.

  “I want it all,” I tell her truthfully. “I’ve wanted you from the night at the beach. I can’t get you out of my mind, but know if we do this, there’s no turning back.”

  “It’s what I want, too, Cooper.”

  Chapter 14

  Ainsley

  Cooper hovers above me. The strain of his muscles is evident in his arms, and the torment in his eyes is clear. I’ve been so hot and cold with him he’s probably expecting me to roll out from under him and bail. I can’t blame him, really. My standoffish attitude and defiant nature are probably worse than any curve ball he’s faced in the batter’s box.

  But I want this and I want it with him. Call it female intuition or hormones, but something deep inside is telling me that things with Cooper are going to be different. He’s going to show me that love exists and that not all men are pigs when it comes to other women. He chased me, and I’ve finally been caught, despite trying to run from him.

  Cooper slowly realigns himself and sits back on his knees, his gaze roaming over my body as my chest heaves. The prospect of what is about to happen excites me. I take in his tempting, attractive physique, from his broad chest, to his devilishly handsome face, to his growing erection. The stare-off we’re having is intense. Heat fills my body as he examines only half of what I’m offering him.

  His hand moves over his arousal, never breaking eye contact with me.

  “You’re teasing me,” I tell him, reaching for him to come closer. The prolonged anticipation is almost unbearable.

  Cooper leans forward on his powerful arms and blazes a trail of openmouthed kisses down the center of my body, bypassing my eager breasts. He licks a path above the waistband of my shorts, pulling them down little by little until I feel the cool air mix with his warm breath above my mound. Instinctively, I arch my hips as he tugs my shorts off, leaving me in nothing but my underwear.

  My heart beats loudly as his hands roam over the lace of my panties. Each brush along my core sends shivers up my spine. I lift my hips again, showing him that I want to go further.

  Slowly, he peels the remaining undergarment from my body, his eyes smoldering with desire as he looks at me. “Are you sure?” he asks, his voice strong and confident.

  “Without a doubt.” I peer at him with intense urgency. The sexual magnetism in the room is about to combust, or I will, if he doesn’t touch me soon.

  “You’re so beautiful, Ainsley. You have no idea how much I want you.” He lingers over me, his arms creating a bridge to keep him from lying on top of me.

  “Show me,” I demand, confidently using my feet to push down his shorts. To my surprise, he’s gone commando, causing me to gasp at the site of his manhood. His fully erect penis bobs against his stomach. Without pause, my hand wraps around his shaft, pumping lightly. I’m awarded with a throaty groan and a searing kiss as his lips claim mine.

  His kisses are hungry, needy, as he nips at my lips, making love to my mouth. One arm steadies him while his calloused hand massages, pinches, and rubs my breasts, making the ache between my legs increase.

  The strong hardness of his lips is now on my breasts as he moves down my body, removing himself from my grip. I call out in displeasure, earning a chuckle from him. My hand delves into his hair, massaging as he teases me.

  He returns to kissing me, but only briefly, before he’s making his way down my body. Before I know what’s happening, I’m being pulled to the end of the bed with my legs never touching the ground. I raise my head slightly to see my legs are over his shoulders and he’s smiling at me.

  My head drops to his bed, and my back arches off the comforter when he licks my already wet pussy. He does it again with his thumb adding pressure to my swollen clit. Cooper sucks greedily at my core, taking everything that I’m offering him. My fingers dig into his blanket as my body temperature rises, thanks to the way he’s making me feel.

  “Fuck, you taste divine, Ainsley. My fingers beg to touch you, to feel inside of you, but my cock demands that your sweet pussy feel him first.”

  “Sounds like you have a dilemma,” I say, pushing my hips toward him. He stands, stroking his erection while I gawk at him. I lick my lips, letting him k
now that I’ll take him in my mouth, but he shakes his head no.

  Cooper reaches for the drawer in his bedside table and pulls out a box of condoms. He tears one open, sliding it over his shaft.

  “I bought these this morning,” he tells me, as he motions for me to move up the bed. He crawls between my legs, causing the ache to return with a mighty force. “I had hoped after the beach…” He trails off as he centers himself. I trust him. I trust that he’s telling the truth and isn’t a man-whore.

  Cooper sits back on his knees, with me on my elbows, as I watch him enter me. My eyes roll back as my body adjusts to his size. He pulls out, and my insides ache, waiting to be filled again.

  “Cooper, don’t tease me.”

  He enters me, fully sheathing himself. I cry out and fall against the mattress. Another thrust and my nails are digging into his thighs as our eyes meet. His hands move down my sides until they’re firmly gripping my hips. Using them as leverage, he pumps into me, slowly, watching each time he enters my body.

  “This is so fucking hot,” he says as he disconnects from my body, only to push himself back in. I rise up and watch as he enters my core each time.

  I gasp in sweet agony as the pressure quickly builds. I’ve been fucked slowly. I’ve never been with a man who takes his time to bask in the emotion of what we’re doing. Even as his hips move faster, he watches us connect, either with body parts or with our eyes.

  Cooper’s hands roam over my body, seizing my breasts while my hips meet his thrusts. His fingers pinch my taut nipples, causing me to scream out. He moves forward, his body partially covering mine, changing our position. My legs rise over his hips, allowing him to go deeper.

  “Yes, yes, Cooper. Oh shit,” I say breathlessly. He groans in between kisses, as our bodies become a frenzy of desire. He moves faster, pumping into my body as if I’ve been made for him.

  “Fuck, Ainsley. Fucking magic,” he says, thrusting faster.

  My legs start to quiver as the intense sensation of my orgasm starts. “Don’t stop,” I beg him. “I’m so close, Cooper, please don’t stop.” I cup his face with my hands and kiss him deeply, giving him every moan and whimper I can as my walls clench down around him.

  He pulls away, grunting out his release even through the aftershocks. Our bodies are slick with sweat as he collapses on top of me, and our breathing is labored. I hold him to me with my fingers playing with the back of his hair, causing him to sigh.

  Cooper kisses my neck until he finds my lips. This kiss is different, hungrier, if that is even possible. When he slides off me, I feel a loss I’ve never felt before. In past relationships, I’ve never had the desire to be locked in someone’s embrace, but that is what I’m feeling now. I reach over and touch him. He smiles and holds my hand.

  Rolling onto his side, he brushes my damp hair out of my face. “I feel like I should thank you.”

  “For what?” I chuckle.

  He shrugs. “That was the most intense love-fucking I’ve ever done.”

  “Make fuck?” I question, rolling onto my side to match him. He places his hand on my hip and leans down to kiss the valley of my breasts.

  “I don’t want to scare you by saying the wrong thing,” he says in between kisses.

  When he finally looks at me, I smile, hoping to convey that I’m more than okay with everything right now. “I love that you’re so sensitive, Cooper. It’s endearing.”

  “Don’t tell the guys, okay?”

  I laugh, and he pulls me into him. We start to make out until he pushes me away.

  “I need to dispose of this condom.” He slides off his bed and disappears from his room as naked as the day he was born. It’s a good thing his roommates aren’t home, although if they were, I don’t know if we would’ve done what we just did.

  Cooper returns with two glasses of ice water, handing me one. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  His phone starts to ring. It must be a designated ring tone, and by the look on his face, whoever is on the other end is someone he doesn’t want to talk to right now.

  “Hello,” he says as he sits down on the bed, placing his glass of water on his nightstand so he can put his hand on my leg.

  “Yeah, I did.”

  “Fine.”

  “Yes, I know, Dad.” He sighs heavily.

  “I said tomorrow.”

  “No, I can’t right now.”

  “I just can’t. Tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, bye.”

  Cooper throws his phone onto the chair in his room and leans back on his bed, covering his face. I’m sure that was a conversation he didn’t want me to hear, and because I’m nosy, I’m going to ask him about it. “Everything, okay?”

  “You’re here, everything is perfect.” He pulls me to him, and my body molds to his. His words don’t match his body language, and even though I know better, I press on.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  He shakes his head. “That was my dad. He’s in town, and he’s pissed about my performance today.” Seeing what a conversation with his dad does to Cooper gives me mixed feelings. When I sat next to him earlier, I thought we’d have a friendly bonding moment over our admiration of Cooper. It only took one inning for me to realize that his father is on the extreme level of parenting. I know I should mention something to Cooper but don’t want to worsen his mood.

  “Well, the performance I just witnessed was a home run,” I say, winking at him. He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “I’m sorry, Cooper.”

  “It’s not your battle. I’ve been trying to cut the cord, so to speak, for a while, but short of me telling him to get lost, he doesn’t get it. He said I’m distracted, not focused, and if I’m lucky, they’ll send me back to Triple-A.”

  I don’t have a clue as to what any of that means, so I don’t ask. So what if he didn’t get a hit today? There was a bunch of other players that performed the same as he did. “It was one game. You have thirty more to prove that you are where you belong.”

  He looks at me quizzically. “How do you know how many games we have left?”

  I look away sheepishly, realizing I’ve been caught. He tickles my sides until I find myself under him again. “Tell me.”

  I roll my eyes and pretend like I don’t care. I do, but he doesn’t need to know. “I looked you up.”

  “You did? Before or after we met?”

  Totally beforehand. “After.”

  “Hmm, and?” He waggles his eyebrows at me.

  “Cooper Bailey, are you fishing for compliments?”

  “I am if you’ve got them.”

  “And nothing. I already had your program, so I thought I’d look to see what you’re doing socially since you were calling. I was pleasantly surprised to see you don’t act like a douche, unlike some of the players.”

  “I’m not a douche.”

  “That’s good to know, since we’ve just had sex.”

  “We love-fucked, Ainsley, and we’re about to do it again.” He leans over to the nightstand and grabs another condom. “Roll over,” he commands, and I do, getting up on my knees.

  He slaps my ass and groans. “You better hang on, Ainsley.”

  Chapter 15

  Cooper

  Waking up with Ainsley beside me wasn’t something I had planned on. Before we knew it, the afternoon had turned to night and Guerra and Wilder came home. The last thing I wanted to do was parade her in front of them. Knowing them the way I do, I know they’d be disrespectful, but in a playful way, and I have no doubt Ainsley would have played along, but I wasn’t in the mood. It was fairly obvious to me that she was content staying when she had slid underneath my blankets and closed her eyes.

  But I didn’t. Each time I closed my eyes, I thought she was going to disappear. I watched her until my eyes couldn’t stay open any longer. I’d startle awake when she’d move, fearful that she was trying to sneak out. I didn’t want the night to end and knew, once the sun rose, we’d be in
that awkward stage of “did she really mean to give herself to me,” and that wasn’t something I was looking forward to.

  Shit, just thinking about being with her last night has my body zinging. Never in a million years did I expect her to be so forward, so willing. The way her body reacted to my touch, that alone was enough to make me hard. Every moment of us being together is seared into my mind. Images of her, when she was the most vulnerable, replay over and over, reminding me of what we shared. And what I hope to share again.

  What I didn’t bank on is her waking up at four a.m. to tell me she was leaving. I wanted her to stay wrapped in my arms, where I knew she belonged, but she was insistent that she had to get home. I know her mom isn’t well, and she was probably worried about her.

  Instead of heading back to bed, I decide that this is the perfect time to get some batting practice in. I’d wake Wilder and Guerra, but the likelihood of them wanting to go to the park so early is nil. They’re dedicated, but not like I am.

  The drive over to the park is quick, and when I pull into the parking lot, the field lights are already on. Which is a bonus for me since I won’t have to wait for them now. As soon as I step out of my car, the sound of the bat cracking against the ball gets my blood flowing. Someone is here, thinking the same thing I am—more practice. I stop in the clubhouse to slip on my cleats and grab my mitt before heading out.

  When I get to the top of the concrete stairs, I freeze. Putting balls into the pitching machine is one of the grounds crew. In the batter’s box is Steve Bainbridge. Part of me wants to turn around and head back home, since the animosity between us is brewing. The other part of me wants to take my swings, too. If he’s here practicing, then I should be as well.

  The crunch of the gravel under my cleats gets his attention. He holds up his hand and tells the guy to stop feeding him the balls.

  “What’re you doing here?” he asks with his bat resting on his shoulder. Bainbridge is an intimidating guy, but I stand tall next to him.