Behind in the Count: A Portland Pioneers Novel

by Micah K. Chaplin

  Zella blushed at the way Mike glanced in her direction.

  “I don’t want to blow you guys off for a girl,” Derek said, clearly reading his brother’s insinuation.

  Ken chuckled as he stepped forward and put a hand on his son’s shoulder.

  “You’ve made it very clear she’s not just any girl,” Ken said. “Besides, we’ll still see you for brunch tomorrow. Bring Zella along if you want.”

  Derek gave up on arguing with his family and they quickly decided where and when to meet for brunch. They all walked to the parking garage and went their separate ways.

  Being in Derek’s car again felt right to Zella, especially when he reached over and held her hand while he drove. This was what she’d been missing.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Back at her apartment, the TV was still on and tuned into the channel she and Kate had left it on. They were replaying the game already.

  “Do you want to watch?” she asked him.

  “Not really,” he said.

  “Do you want to see what ESPN and MLB Network are saying about you?” she asked.

  “Not really,” he said.

  He reached for the remote and pushed the power button until the screen went black.

  “I’m not interested in anything on TV,” he said.

  Zella looked up at him, waiting for him to elaborate. And he did. But not with words. First, she felt his arms around her and then his lips on hers. The kiss at the ballpark had been filled with emotions. This one was too. At first. But it quickly evolved into something more heated.

  Without breaking the kiss, Zella pushed the jacket off his shoulders and reached for the buttons on the front of his shirt. As she got to the bottom, he pulled away and looked down, watching her fingers push apart the fabric of his shirt and spread over his stomach.

  “Zella,” he groaned.

  “Do you want me to stop?” she asked.

  “No. I mean, not unless you want to,” he said.

  “Then let’s keep going,” she said.

  She pressed a kiss to his chest as she tugged the hem of his shirt out of his pants. She finished unbuttoning it and he shrugged out of it, giving her freedom to explore him with her hands and lips.

  Derek watched her tiny hands move over his body, and it was almost too much. He didn’t want to rush this, but he also wasn’t sure his patience would hold out. His resolve was even more tested as she reached for his belt, slowly undoing it and opening his pants. She looked up, hearing his sharp intake of breath.

  “Go easy down there,” he said. “I don’t want this to be over before it starts.”

  She smiled up at him. “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of you.”

  With the great care she promised, she pushed the waistband of his pants until they slid down his legs, pooling at his feet. He shuffled around a bit until he stood in front of her wearing just his boxer briefs. And they were incredibly tight at the moment. Especially as she ran her palms down his chest, stopping at his lower stomach. She bit her lip and looked up at him and then hooked her fingers in the waistband.

  “Come on, let’s go get more comfortable,” she said.

  With a light tug, she led him down the short hallway to her bedroom. It was dark until she turned on the lamp next to her bed, filling the room with a soft glow.

  He pulled her against him and kissed her again, but she cut it short, pushing him onto the bed. He shifted to settle more comfortably on the mattress.

  When he looked up, she was tossing aside her Pioneers t-shirt. She then peeled off her yoga pants. She was on display for him now, save a light grey lacy bra and panties set that concealed next to nothing. Her body was even better than what he’d imagined she was hiding under her clothes. And he’d spent plenty of time imagining it. But nothing lived up to the reality that was standing in front of him now. Derek was surprised he didn’t lose it right there.

  “Damn,” he murmured.

  Zella laughed and climbed onto the bed beside him.

  “I’ll leave the rest for you to remove,” she said softly. “When you’re ready.”

  Derek turned on his side and pushed up on his elbow.

  “Oh, I’m ready, Zel, but I’m trying to go slow,” he said. “You should know it’s been a while for me.”

  “That’s OK,” she said, touching his face.

  “And I’ve only been with one other person,” he said. “I’m just not … I mean, I don’t …”

  Zella started laughing, and he stared at her curiously.

  “Derek, stop talking and start touching me,” she said.

  He pushed her onto her back and leaned over to kiss her. While their mouths melded together, he traced a finger down her jawline, neck, and along the edge of her bra. She arched against his hand, seemingly begging for more of his touch, a request he was too happy to indulge. He spread his palm over her side and slid it along her stomach and up to her breast. Her skin was soft and the heat radiating off her told him she was just as worked up as he was. Or she was getting there.

  Even though he was tense with need, Derek was determined not to rush this. He wanted to savor every moment of this. Zella wasn’t making that easy though. In fact she was making it very hard. Every little moan or gasp in response to his touch went straight to his groin. Once he removed her underthings, his situation became even more problematic. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold off. Fortunately, Zella seemed to be on the same page.

  “Now, Derek,” she whispered. “Please.”

  He didn’t need any further pleading. While he ditched his boxer briefs, she reached into the drawer of her nightstand and produced a small packet. He looked at her curiously.

  “I bought them a few weeks ago,” she explained. “While you were on rehab assignment. I thought maybe we’d need them when you got back.”

  “And you were right,” Derek said, joining her on the bed. “It’s just a little delayed.”

  “It’s already worth the wait,” she said.

  He kissed her tenderly and took the package from her hand.

  When he was sure they were both ready, he moved over her and eased into her. He went as slow as he could, watching her face to make sure she was comfortable. Her ever-expressive eyes indicated nothing but pleasure and adoration as she looked up at him. He kissed her and slowly started moving. Derek was pretty sure he’d never felt anything as incredible as her body wrapped around his. And she kept making those little sounds and telling him when to go faster and slower.

  Much as Derek feared, the whole experience was shorter than he would have liked. He looked down at Zella, ready to apologize and offer some lame explanation. The look on her face stopped him. Then she kissed him softly and settled next to him as they pulled the covers up.

  After a few hours sleep, he woke up to her hands coaxing him back to life. And he really didn’t need much coaxing. After a long drought, he was ready to go again with minimal effort from Zella. Fortunately, his body was more patient this time, and the encore was considerably more explosive than the main event.

  As was the second encore.

  By the time they finally got dressed to head to the restaurant to meet his family, Derek and Zella were both smiling and glowing with satisfaction. Derek hoped his family wouldn’t comment on the fact that he was wearing the same clothes from the previous evening. A suit seemed a little formal for brunch with family, but he didn’t have time to go home and change. Upon discovering his dilemma, Zella put on a nice dress.

  “Now we’ll both be overdressed,” she’d said, kissing him.

  His family greeted her warmly and asked her about her job, her hometown, and about how she got into baseball operations. Zella fit in well with them, and she seemed to like them too. Conversation flowed easily, and she took teasing from Mike pretty well. That was the true test, in Derek’s mind.

  When the check arrived, Derek snatched it up before his brother or father could reach for it. There was some arguing after that, but they eventu
ally let Derek pay.

  “Are you going to the game tonight, Zella?” Bruna asked.

  “I hadn’t planned on it,” Zella said. “But I could be persuaded.”

  “We’d love to have you join us,” Linda said. “I bet Derek could get another seat next to ours.”

  “Well, I might have to move you guys around, but I can probably get you five seats together somewhere,” Derek said.

  He looked at Zella. “Are you sure? You’re still supposed to be taking it easy.”

  She nodded. “I’m fine. A night at the ballpark sounds good. As long as you’re not pitching, it should be pretty relaxing.”

  He laughed. “Valid point.”

  “In the meantime, I should go home and rest a bit before the game,” she said. “And you should spend some time with your family.”

  “I’m spending time with them now,” Derek said.

  “You need to spend time with them without me,” Zella said.

  “No I don’t,” Derek argued.

  “Shush, D. She’s giving us permission to talk about her behind her back,” Mike teased.

  Zella laughed. “I’ll get a cab home. And I’ll see you after the game.”

  “OK. If you’re sure,” he said.

  “I am,” she said.

  She leaned over to kiss him and then excused herself from the table to go call a cab.

  “She’s adorable,” Linda said.

  “And smart too,” Ken said. “When I told you to find a nice girl, you really went out and did it.”

  “Yeah, I can see now why Reid was worried about you during that breakup,” Mike said. “You are head over heels for her.”

  Derek shrugged. “Yeah. I don’t know what’s going to happen after this. Her parents haven’t really changed their minds, but right now I’m just glad to have her back.”

  “Like I told you when you were home, just keep working to show them who you really are,” Mike said. “Show them you’re more than your past.”

  Derek nodded. “I will.”

  “And I’ll help.” Derek felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Zella there.

  “I’m going to do what I can to help my parents see the Derek I see,” she said. “My dad’s pretty stubborn, so it might take a while, but I’m stubborn too, so I’ll keep trying.”

  When Zella’s cab arrived, Derek walked her out and kissed her again before letting her out of his sight.

  His family continued to compliment Zella for the rest of the afternoon. It was reassuring to him that they liked her. Despite being very aware of their recent breakup, Derek’s parents and brother had welcomed her to the fold without reservations. She and Bruna seemed like they had formed a pretty fast friendship as well.

  This was what he’d pictured. This was what he wanted.

  He just hoped he would eventually win her parents over too.

  When she got home, Zella finally pulled out her phone to listen to the voicemail that had been taunting her from the phone screen since the previous evening. It was from her parents and she hadn’t been interested in hearing what they had to say. It would have ruined the night.

  Besides, she’d been plenty busy since she first saw their name on the display. Between jetting to the ballpark with Kate to catch the last inning, the emotional reunion with Derek, and a night of him in her bed, Zella hadn’t had much downtime.

  But it was time to deal with the reality. She hit play on the voicemail and heard her mother’s voice.

  “Zella. We’re watching the game and just saw Derek’s interview. Please call us when you get a chance.”

  The tone and words conveyed nothing about the nature of their call. She was wary about calling them back, not ready to give up the glow and good feelings still coursing through her. But Zella knew she couldn’t delay. They were her parents and she couldn’t ignore them. Taking a deep breath, she selected their home number from her contacts and hit the “call” button.

  There was no answer, so she tried her mother’s cell phone number.

  “Zella!” Cheryl said brightly. “We’re almost to Portland now.”

  “What?” Zella asked. “What are you doing?”

  “We’re coming to see you, of course,” Cheryl said.

  “You’re what? I don’t understand,” Zella said.

  “We should be at your apartment in about half an hour. We’ll explain it then,” Cheryl said.

  “OK,” Zella said warily.

  She was still completely perplexed by the conversation as she hung up. She looked around to see if her apartment was clean enough for their surprise visit. Standing in the living room, in the very spot where she’d undressed Derek the previous night, she flushed a little. She didn’t want to stop that memory, but she quickly reminded herself that her parents would be arriving shortly. She needed to tidy up a little.

  Once she was sure the main living areas were presentable, Zella moved into her bedroom. Memories from the previous night flashed into her head again. And memories from the morning, which had been considerably better. All of it was good, really. Just having Derek naked in her bed had been a thrill, but admittedly the big event had been shorter than she would have liked. There was regret in his eyes as he moved off of her, and she was pretty sure he was about to apologize, but she didn’t want him to do that. She kissed him before he could speak and curled up next to him, murmuring words of approval for his body, which was definitely worthy of praise, even if his performance had been a bit abbreviated. She didn’t want him to feel bad about what had happened because she certainly didn’t. They had both dozed off, exhausted from the long day.

  When she woke a few hours later and felt his warmth beside her, she turned over to look at him. The sun was starting to rise, providing a little light for her to make out the lines of his face. Even in sleep, he was incredibly handsome. Her eyes continued down to his shoulders, chest, and arms. His level of fitness didn’t surprise her, but seeing it was still a huge turn-on and she reached out to run her hands over his muscles. He stirred slightly and rolled to his back but didn’t fully wake up. She smiled, feeling emboldened as she continued on her mission.

  After seeing his slight disappointment the previous night, she wanted to stroke his ego. Among other things. She’d barely touched him the previous night, wanting to let him take the lead. And he’d done well. She’d been so distracted by the way he touched her and kissed her that she didn’t even realize she hadn’t touched him until he was moving over her. She was ready to get her hands on him now. So she did, taking her time on his chest and stomach before moving lower. She wrapped her hand around him and leisurely explored his length. His body responded almost immediately and he let out a soft moan in his sleep. His breathing changed, and she could tell he was gaining consciousness along with arousal. It was incredibly empowering to have this effect on him and she was getting turned on too. By the time he woke up, they were both raring to go again. This time was much better. For Derek and for Zella.

  The third time was good too. It was more leisurely but also more thorough since both of them were wide awake from start to fantastic finish.

  She didn’t know how long she’d stood there, staring at her bed and replaying memories of Derek. Her body was completely flushed and tingling and she suddenly remembered her parents were on the way. She stripped out of her dress and pulled on jeans and a t-shirt, a more appropriate outfit for the game.

  The game!

  She wondered if she should text Derek to tell him she might not make it to the game. Or maybe her parents would want to go, so she should ask for two more tickets.

  As she was debating what to send to him regarding the issue, she heard a knock at her door. Tucking her phone in her pocket, she hurried out to let her parents in.

  “Can I get you water or something else to drink?” she asked as they stood awkwardly in her living room.

  She was dying to ask them why they were there, but she’d been raised to be a good hostess. They must have seen through her act an
d recognized her curiosity because her father waved off the drink offer, gesturing toward the furniture. Her parents sat on the couch and Zella took the chair.

  “We want to talk about Derek,” Cheryl said.

  “We’ve done that already, and anything more you had to say could have been said over the phone,” Zella said.

  “It could,” Cheryl agreed. “But we wanted to say it to your face.”

  “And we’d like to talk to Derek too,” Arnold added.

  Zella blinked, looking between the two of them. This seemed promising, but she didn’t want to get ahead of herself.

  “We might have been wrong about him,” Arnold said. “I can’t say for sure that we were because I still think there’s a risk.”

  Cheryl reached over and took her husband’s hand.

  “But we’re willing to give him a chance to prove us wrong,” she said.

  “Really?” Zella asked. “What changed your minds?”

  “Well, you know I started to see him differently when he showed up at the hospital,” Cheryl said. “I saw the way he looked at you. Like he wanted nothing more than to hold you and take care of you. But he also kept his distance out of respect for us, which speaks very highly of him. Especially since it looked like quite the battle for him to stay away from you.”

  Zella nodded, remembering that evening as well. Everything her mother said was exactly what she’d seen too. She was relieved her mother had recognized the good in Derek. Then again, she’d already seen some change in her mother’s attitude about him. Her father was the real test. She looked at him, wanting to hear why he had changed his mind.

  “That interview last night. I saw that ‘Z’ on his glove, not too far from his daughter’s initials. I knew then that you were special to him,” Arnold said.

  Zella nodded, blinking as she felt tears in her eyes. This was a huge thing for her father, who never talked about his feelings.

  “It also reminded me that he has a little girl. He understands why I’m worried about you, and I am worried. I don’t want to see you hurt,” Arnold said. “But if he’s the guy, I won’t stop you from being with him.”