The Long Ball

by Aria Cole

  “You may be used to girls fawning all over you, pulling up their skirts with one cocky grin, but save your breath, hot shot. I’m not that girl, and I never will be. Now, if you’re done with the eye-fucking, can we get on to business?”

  Her reply swept the air from my lungs. She certainly wasn’t that girl, and that’s exactly why she’d caught my interest. She wasn’t impressed by any of the talent on this team, including mine, but I’m a man who likes a challenge. And Delilah Grey was one hell of a challenge.

  “To answer your question, no, there isn’t anything I want to say to you. I’m not the guy who should be in this seat.”

  “And who do you think is?”

  “Coach called you in after Rodriguez fucked up. Look, he’s my best friend, I’m not going to bullshit you. He isn’t a bad guy. He means well. He just likes to have fun. Every team needs that guy, and Rod is that guy. He keeps spirits up. I know you’re here because Coach thinks the partying has slowed us down, and I think it’s a great idea. Get the guys focused on their stats, challenging themselves and bettering their game. I think it’s a good plan, but don’t be too hard on Rod. His heart’s in the game. That’s the part that counts.” Sometimes he drinks too much, and that affects his game. I didn’t want to share that with her, but it was obvious that’s what was going on. Rod’s drinking was out of hand, but at least he showed up to practice and never lost his temper. He wasn’t an angry drunk, and that at least was something in my book.

  Delilah leaned back in her chair, eyes burning up the space between us before she swept her long dark hair over one shoulder. It fell down past the full swell of her breast, and the only thing I could think of was getting a look at all those dark tresses against the creamy flesh of her naked body.

  “So if you don’t think you need me, why are you here then?”

  “Because you interest me.” I was unable to keep the wide grin from my face.

  A wry smile cut across her full lips. Fuck, I wanted to bite those lips. I wanted to trace her curves under my palms and push my hands in her hair, kiss her so fucking hard that when we’d finish we’d both be gasping for air. “Well, I’ve got news for you, Cash Greenwood. I hate ball players. You couldn’t pay me to date one. You’re all the same, and I have no desire to get swept up in your bullshit. I’m here to help the team out, and I guarantee I’ll be gone just as soon as my job is done. Just between you and me, I refused this job three times, but your coach begged me, so here I am.”

  “Christ, you’re beautiful when you’re angry.” I couldn’t believe I’d just said that. I’d wanted to say something witty, but all I could think about was how her beauty took my breath away, so I’d said it. I’d called her beautiful.

  Her mouth opened and closed, shock lacing the features of her pretty face. “Excuse me?”

  “I said you’re beautiful when you’re angry. I didn’t know a person could be, I usually just think of pinched faces and ruddy cheeks, but the way your nose crinkles—”

  “Okay, stop.” She stood from her chair, sending it sliding on the floor behind her. Her eyes were wild, the fire burning bright behind her irises, her chest heaving with exasperated pants before she put a hand on one hip and pointed to the door with her other hand. “It’s been a pleasure, Greenwood. Send the next caveman in, if you could.”

  “Caveman?” I stood, hands planted on the desk in front of me as I leaned across the table, shortening the distance between us. “I can’t speak for the rest of the guys, but I’m definitely not a caveman. Give me a little time and you might even find I surprise you.” The fact that she lumped me in with all men bothered me. I didn’t want her thinking that I was one of these assholes who used women like they were nothing, then disregarded them.

  “Doubt it.”

  “I don’t.” I paused, eyes riveted on her pretty deep brown ones. The air hung heavy with a heady mix of arousal and irritation.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Greenwood.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Ya know, for a girl who hates baseball players so much, I find it odd you’re spending the next few months living and breathing it.”

  Her jaw worked back and forth at my words, her eyes falling to my cocky grin, then back to my eyes. “Yeah, well, it’s complicated.”

  I waited, hoping she’d elaborate. I was desperate to find out why she had such a chip on her shoulder. Hell, I was desperate to spend more time with her, period.

  “Enjoy the rest of your night, Ms. Grey.” I winked when I pushed off the table, her frown deepening as her thighs shifted back and forth beneath that sexy power suit. I left the room with two thoughts running through my head: what would it look like if she was wearing nothing but those heels, and how would they feel digging in my back?

  “Man, Grey has a stick up her ass,” Rod commented as we left the clubhouse nearly three hours later. Apparently Delilah had lain into him, not that he didn’t deserve it.

  “I think it’s hot.” And I did. I was used to these women who would do anything I said whenever I said it. This one, though, was a hard ass. I liked the embers that burned in her, the inferno under the librarian get-up and cold stance. This girl was a fighter.

  “What?! Fuck that, I don’t like working for my dinner.”

  I shook my head, shoving my hands in my pockets and fishing out my keys. Rod and I had driven together because we lived in the same high-rise.

  “Since when have you ever liked the idea of any woman?” he scoffed as we approached my car.

  “Just because I don’t eat up the chicks that fall all over you doesn’t make me blind. It makes me selective. I don’t want a Big Mac when I could have a filet mignon.”

  “Pussy is pussy. No one is looking at the mantle when they’re poking a fire. You’re a Timberwolf, man. Enjoy the spoils.” Rod humped the air in a juvenile gesture. Some days I’m shocked that he’s my best friend.

  “Delilah wasn’t wrong when she called you a caveman.” I shook my head.

  “Caveman? Fuck, she’s a barracuda. I’m a great guy! Do you know anyone who doesn’t think I’m the life of the party?”

  “Aside from every woman you’ve ever met?”

  “No, people that really know me.”

  “People don’t really know you, man. You put so much noise out there—”

  “Hey, whose side are you on here?” Rod cut me an irritated look.

  “I’m not taking sides. Just not feelin’ the young, drunk, dumb, and full of cum vibe anymore.” That statement wasn’t fair. Rod had been there for me whenever I needed him, no questions asked. He had his faults, but the man was loyal, and I knew that if I needed him for anything he would be there. But just like everyone else, he had his own demons.

  “Oh, look at your holier-than-thou ass. Spare me, Cash. Spare me.”

  I shook my head as we pulled out of the parking garage, heading for our building, where I could thankfully drop his ass off and enjoy my last night alone for a long time. After this it was all double headers and late nights for me.

  “Wanna order pizza tonight?”

  “Nah, I’m gonna get some rest.” I pushed a hand through my hair, my thoughts still on Delilah Grey and her long dark hair. Would it be inappropriate to invite her to my place for a one-on-one session? Because I really fucking wanted to. I didn’t know what had gotten into me, but as soon as I saw her, I’d tucked my balls right into her purse. Now I just had to figure out how to get her to give me the time of day.

  No one had ever made me feel the things she’d made me feel down deep in my gut when she’d walked into the room. I’d wanted to haul her off over my shoulder and steal her back to my place. Sure, I had caveman tendencies, but I did a pretty good job at keeping them to myself. Until now. Until her.

  “Maybe Gina is around tonight.” Rod pulled out his phone and tapped out a text to his long-standing on-again-off-again fuck-buddy. Gina was a good girl. She really liked him, I could tell, and Rod liked
her, too. He may want to deny it, but Rod had found the one. I just hoped he could get his shit together before she walked away.

  “You should be good to her, man. Take her out or something.”

  “Nah.” He shook his head adamantly. “Gina’s too good for me. I’d never tie her down with my bullshit.” Rod’s demons held him in place. He was so scared to let a woman in that he just pushed away every girl he could possibly care for. He didn’t think he deserved someone kind or decent. If he didn’t stop, he was going to push the only girl that he cared about right out the door.

  “Maybe cut the bullshit. She likes you. I don’t know why she likes you, but she does.”

  “I'm too busy to be tied down.” He was typing again. The dumb fool wanted to be tied down, but his past just kept him running away instead of toward something. We had a similar past, except mine kept me closed off, and his kept him too open but never invested. “Sweet, Gina’s coming over in an hour. If you hear screams, don’t be alarmed.”

  I shook my head, finding my best friend completely fucking hopeless, and yet still he managed to make me smile.

  “And that’s why you’re a caveman.”

  Rod rolled his eyes as I pulled the car into my reserved parking space.

  “At least this caveman gets laid once in awhile.”

  “Once in awhile? I’m surprised your dick hasn’t fallen off from overuse. How you don’t have a fucking STD is beyond me. I hope you wrap that dick up before you use it.”

  “Not this dick, man. I’ve got some serious endurance. And yes, asshole, I always wrap up little Rod. Big Daddy takes care of his little man.” Rod grabbed his cock, grinning like a moron as we stepped into the elevator.

  “Jesus, what the fuck does Gina see in you? You are a fucking moron. You are twenty-nine and just gave your junk a nickname. Tell her I say hi and she should dump your ass.” I punched the button for the penthouse.

  He paused for a minute as the elevator whirred up eighteen floors. “Join us if you get bored. Loads of pizza, and Gina says you’re sweet, not like the other buffoons on the team, so you’re welcome anytime. Just don’t touch her, man. She is off limits.”

  I laughed at the vehemence in his voice, Rod may have wanted to deny it, but Gina had him by the balls.

  “Thanks, man. I think I’m in for the night, though. Leftovers and a baseball game.”

  “You know, you really should find yourself a girl, Greenwood. Someone to go home to at night instead of spending all that time alone. Or better yet, a hot piece of ass that will come on over and just fuck your brains out.”

  I nodded, turning his words over in my head. I did want that. I wanted a good woman and kids running around under my feet. But I didn’t want what I’d had as a kid. No way did I want that for any kid of mine. “Thanks for the advice, caveman.”

  He nodded, the doors sliding open once we’d come to a stop. “Later, bro.”

  “Later,” I called as the doors whirred closed. Never had I been so thankful to be alone in my life. I realized, though, that I longed for her company. I’d be more than happy to spend time with Delilah Grey any day of the week.

  2

  Delilah

  “So I fisted her ass in both my hands, slammed her against my front door, and right there in the hallway, man, her hands go for my di—”

  “Hey, boys,” I chimed in just before one of the players went into a graphic story about his latest sexual conquest.

  “Ms. Grey.” The players’ eyes roamed up and down my body, sending a painful shiver through me. Baseball players are douchebags. I never thought I’d find myself here, behind the scenes and working with these rowdy, testosterone-injected jocks. But the coach was an old family friend and I couldn’t exactly say no, and for a former ball player he was a decent guy—married since he was twenty-one to a wife he adored—he kept his nose clean and was never known for any destructive behavior. I only wished that the other ball players in my life were like him.

  “Prepared to play the best game of your lives tonight?” I stopped, nailing them with my eyes so they knew I meant business.

  “Sure thing, hot stuff.” The player winked. I groaned inwardly just as my eyes landed on a soft, sympathetic gaze caressing mine.

  “Show the woman some respect, asshole.” Cash socked him in the shoulder, then turned. His eyes nailed mine, and I felt my lungs empty like rapidly deflating balloons. I still didn’t know how I managed to keep my wits about me yesterday. Then last night while in bed, his dancing dark brown eyes and his cocky mouth ran through my head, the image so vivid that for a few moments I thought I could reach out and touch him.

  The things Cash Greenwood made me feel didn’t at all sit well with me. He was arrogant, conceited, and without a doubt a total manwhore, just like all the other players on the team. I remembered the headlines when his buddy Rodriguez had been caught getting lucky with a fan in the locker room a few years ago. That was a shitstorm, and so was he. And considering they say like attracts like, I was pretty sure Cash enjoyed the same excesses. He was just lucky that his escapades were yet to be caught on camera.

  “Mornin’.” Cash’s body pressed up against mine, his fingers trailing across the skin at my wrist like a kiss. His kiss. What would Cash’s kisses feel like? I could just imagine my fingers tracking along that rugged jawline, his broad palms splayed across my back when he pressed his lips to mine. I quickly snapped out of my reverie.

  “All right, Ms. Grey?” Cash breathed against my neck and sent an explosion of flames through every last nerve ending I possessed. His breath was warm and tempting, almost intoxicating in its allure.

  “I’m fine, thank you.” I swallowed, taking a single step back and averting my eyes from his. “And good morning, Mr. Greenwood.”

  “Enjoy the game?” His lips hovered just inches from mine, close enough to send waves of arousal pounding through my blood.

  “I told you, I don’t like—”

  “I know, I know, but I’m hoping I can change your mind about that.”

  “Doubt it. I’ve spent too many hours of my life in the dugout. I know what to expect, and it’s not for me.”

  “Spent a lot of time in the dugout, huh?” He tipped his head to the side, narrowing his eyes as he worked over my words.

  “Grew up in one.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “So…you must have someone in the family who played ball?”

  “Maybe.” I grinned, turning on my heel and retreating down the long hall that led to the field. I hadn’t meant to reveal that bit of information about growing up in a ball field, but that doesn't mean I had to reveal anything else. I never told anyone about my childhood. The chaos that surrounded it was already too much for me to bear. I wasn’t interested in rehashing any of it.

  “Delilah!” Cash called, but I kept walking, pretending I couldn’t hear. Don’t let him see you sweat, because if you turn around right now he’s going to see the cheesy smile on your traitorous face. I turned the corner, stepping up into the rows of seats and taking my place next to the dugout. I didn’t like to be right in there with them, interrupting their flow, but I did like to be close throughout the game to get a sense of the players, learn their habits under pressure, and make a note of how they held themselves when cameras were on and thousands of pairs of eyes were watching their every move.

  I watched as the players filtered out onto the field one by one, tossing balls and swinging bats as they warmed up. I may not have liked the jocks under those uniforms, but something about a ball field made me feel more at home than anything else ever had. The smell of the popcorn, the glare of the stadium lights, the sound of cleats on dusty bags as players rounded bases. I had a love-hate relationship with this game, I had been introduced to it at an early age and since then it had been a constant in my life. Dad had hauled me and my little sister to the ball field every time he played a home game in the summer. We’d bring our toys, books, anything we could think of to keep us busy as he played. I looked at the ben
ch, then at the field, and happy memories as a little girl flooded me. Then, just like I had been hit by a hammer, the pain catapulted into my heart and mind. I quickly remembered why ball players were men that I needed to stay far away from.

  “Jesus, where’s Cash?” Coach hollered just as Cash came around the corner and jogged out onto the field, his walk-up song, “Greenlight” by Pitbull, pounding through the speakers. Red light, green light, give me everything you got, red light, green light…

  Dammit, why did he have to be so tall and broad and…sexy?

  I averted my eyes to my phone, tapping out a text to meet a girlfriend for drinks later. I’d have to keep my mind preoccupied if I was going to spend every day of the next nine months watching him play.

  Any hot players you can hook me up with? Tori replied.

  I groaned.

  Why did it seem like the universe was conspiring against me?

  Ball players suck, Tori. ;)

  I waited for her answer, my eyes lifting and catching Cash’s gaze on mine. What the hell? Why was he looking at me? A crooked grin turned his lips before he brushed his thumb across his lower lip.

  His really full lower lip.

  I frowned, turning back to my phone to find Tori had replied.

  Gimme names. I’ll Google them and tell you which ones are bangable.

  I choked down a laugh before typing out. I’m working! You’re being a distraction!

  Isn’t that what you wanted, a distraction? Came her quick reply.

  Yes, but I don’t think of these guys like that. I have a job to do. I waited, ready to shove the phone in my bag and ignore her altogether.

  Then why aren’t you doing it instead of texting me? ;)

  I sent her the middle finger emoji, then dropped the phone into my bag and turned my eyes back to the players. Cash was waiting near the dugout, swinging a bat as he waited for his turn at bat. His gaze swung across the crowd, settling on mine instantly.