by Ana Shay
Legitimize him.
Resting my hands on his chest, I shook my head, pushing him back. “That was not a date, Tate. I don’t go on dates with my brother.” I laughed, and he held my hand in place, just above his heart, looking down on me. I left out the fact that I don’t really go on dates, period. I didn’t want him to think I was a lonely beaver or anything. Wait, maybe that was the wrong choice of animal.
The cold night air meant I could see his breath mingling with mine. A slight chill only cooled by Tate’s body. “Well, then I’ll just have to take you on one when I’m back from my road trip.” His confident words made me involuntarily purr as I watched his head drop down. We shouldn’t be doing this. There’s a chance if Josh finds out, I could get fired. Tate’s lips were inches away from mine. I should stop it. But I don’t. Because as much as I love working for the Catfish, I love being chased by Tate more. Besides, there’s a constant niggling in my head that both Mary and Tate checked, and it was fine. There’s nothing wrong with me wanting Tate. I’ve been telling myself that over and over, hoping I would feel less guilty.
He gently brushed his lips against mine, barely kissing me but igniting every nerve in my body. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling running through my chest, straight down to my toes. I was waiting for him to press harder, kiss me like he meant it, but he was intent on grazing his lips across mine. Not kissing me fully and teasing me relentlessly.
Just as I felt his body press against mine and anticipated him deepening the kiss, the cold air hit my wet lips. His body backed away. Eyes shut, feeling a little too wanton from just a kiss, I invertedly groaned in protest. It can’t be finished just yet. If I’m going to break the rules, I want more than just the gentle brush of his lips. He shook his head, watching my reaction, and looked down at my lips. “Screw it.” He wisped out, threading his hand through my hair; he guided me towards him. I could feel his fingers tighten their hold as his lips claimed mine with force.
Controlling the kiss, he pulled me closer, resting one of his hands on my hip, keeping me in place. His kiss was soft, hard, intense, and soothing all at once. It filled me with a deep-seated need to be closer to him. As his fingers tickled my hair, I realized that before him, I’d never really been kissed. Not like this. Not with nearly as much passion. His tongue swiped across my bottom lip, and I opened for him. I was lost in the sensations running through my body at every point of connection.
I was hungry. Insatiable, even. I wanted more of him, and I’d worry about the consequences later.
With my back against his car, Tate’s jeans rubbed against my thigh as he moved his body against me. Even through all the layers, I could feel his hardness against my thigh. I found it hard to believe that I was the one making him feel that way. “You’re so hot.” He said in between kisses and thrusted his body against me again just to emphasize the point. My head rolled back to rest on the roof of the car as he kissed down my neck. It was delicious and naughty being outside in a parking lot, not something I’d ever done before. Tate had a way of making me feel adventurous, sexy even with just a single glance.
I jumped when a horn honked on the other side of the lot, combined with a flash of what I presumed was a passing headlight. My hands clutched at Tate’s muscular shoulders. He looked up at me, concerned and confused. “Are you okay?” Brows furrowed, he waited for an answer, and the cold air hit me like a bucket of ice water. Dampening the mood and bringing me back to reality. We’ve been dry-humping in a parking lot. We shouldn’t be doing this down here because we’re grown adults, but also, anyone could take a picture and sell it to the highest bidder. It would be all over the news, which wouldn’t look great for the Carolina Catfish or us. I shouldn’t be doing this. For my job’s sake. For my sanity’s sake. But as I turn back and see his full lips, all I can think about is how much I want to do it again. And again.
He leaned back in, ready for round two, but my palms met his lips before he could get too close. His eyes widened as he took in my attempt at a stony face. “I should be heading to my apartment.” I felt his lips curling into a smile under my touch. “Alone.” I clarified, and his body slumped a little. To call my apartment humble would be exaggerating, and even though Tate didn’t bat an eyelid at the parking lot, I’m not sure I could say the same for the rest of my place. The walls are so thin. I could tell when Mr. Bricks, my next-door neighbor, flushed the toilet, which is a monumental mood killer. Not that I’d even set a mood in there before.
I forced myself away from him because if I had a choice, I’d let him touch me for hours. Since this wasn’t a date, though, I really shouldn’t be inviting a guy up to my room. Especially one that could get me fired if Josh found out about any of this. He stood back, watching me as I chewed my lip and walked backward.
Do I really want to do this?
Do I really want to end it now?
My perfect guy was standing in front of me, begging me with his eyes to bring him upstairs, and I’m hesitating. Because of an unpaid job. One that forces me to work overtime because of my mascot commitment and that my best friend had to beg to get me on staff. The job was my dream, though, and although it wasn’t paying now, it could happen in the future. “Are you really going to leave me like this?” He laughed, arms in the air as he watched me click the elevator button.
I nodded, watching my feet while suppressing a giggle. “Oh no, I know why you don’t want me up there.” He said confidently, making me whip my head back up. “You’re worried I’ll see all your Tate Sorenson memorabilia?” He barked out a laugh. Flashes of my room came to mind. My framed Tate Sorenson jersey from his 40/40 season, the five trading cards sitting on my desk with his face on them, the make-shift calendar of Tate in little more than a towel (I created a more risqué one for my home collection). He can’t see all that. He’ll think I’m obsessed with him. Well, I guess I kind of am, but he’ll assume that’s the only reason I’ve been talking to him. A bat chaser I am not. Or, I guess, not on purpose.
“No, It’s not that.” I lied, “You’ve got to be up early for your trip to Milwaukee tomorrow.” I had a calendar on my desk with all their games marked and pretty much had their schedule memorized at this point.
He shrugged a shoulder, scratching the stubble on his chin. I turned around, needing some respite from his too gorgeous face. “I’ll be on the bus with a bunch of smelly guys all day. I won’t miss anything if I sleep through it.” The elevator dinged open, yet my feet were planted firmly in place. I didn’t want this night to end. As I looked into the metal interior, I heard footsteps coming up behind me. I knew who it was without looking. His hand touched my hip again, immediately scorching me. “Can I come up, Cali?” His voice thick with intensity and want.
“Your car. You can’t leave it out here.” It was my final defense before I threw caution to the wind and ignored everything. It was also the truth; I didn’t want to be the reason he had no tires when he came back down.
“I don’t care too much about my car right now,” He purred into my ear, and I paused. No man has ever been so forthright about wanting me. It’s a turn on that I can’t deny, and it’s screwing with my head and my decisions. He lifted his hands off me, raising them to his sides as I glanced over my shoulder to look at him. “But if you don’t want me to come up. That’s fine. I will take you on that date, though.” His feet backed away, but I don’t feel the sense of relief I was expecting. It was more like an ache of sadness. I didn’t want him to go. I wanted him to fight for me. He watched my reaction as he walked backward.
I don’t want this to end.
It’s now or never.
He stood at his car, hand on the handle. He’s leaving it up to me, and I’m the most indecisive person I know.
Raising my head to the ceiling, I swiped my face, already thinking about the decision's consequences and not caring. “If you come up, you have to promise to give me a few minutes to sort out my apartment before you come in,” I speak to the ground because I can’t handle h
is smug smile. I brush over the fact that I’ve never invited anyone up to my apartment, let alone a guy that I like. Who also happens to be a multi-millionaire.
He lifted his hands to his heart. “I promise.” He jogged over to me, tucking me under his arm, smiling down at me smugly. “What’s your floor number?”
“Six,” I said, nuzzling closer into his chest, inhaling his scent. When he pressed the button, the number lit up.
Well, here goes nothing.
Chapter 10
Standing outside Cali’s apartment, I leaned against the door, waiting to be invited in. She was on the other side, rushing around, and I assumed cleaning. Every now and again, I’d hear the occasional grunt with a swear word mixed in. Objects dropped loudly, and I wondered if she was a hoarder. Maybe just a baseball hoarder. That thought went out of my head when I swear I just heard some symbols clanging. I laughed to myself when I heard another curse word leave her mouth. It was adorable.
I gently tapped my knuckles against the door. “Everything okay in there?” I asked quietly, noting the neighbor’s door is close, and I didn’t want to disturb them.
The noise stopped for just a second. “Everything’s fine.” She piped back, but there was a strain in her voice. Why was she so afraid of me seeing all her baseball stuff? All that fiery passion she has for The Fish is hot, and her dedication to the team is commendable. Especially to the team shortstop. She’s not the average fan. She’s not the average girl. I already knew that.
I gently rested my forehead on her door, closing my eyes and thinking back to the parking lot when her hands clasped my shoulders, and I was rocking my hips against her. I would have taken her then and there if there wasn’t a risk of the police being called for indecent exposure. I don’t know what will happen between us tonight, but I have this aching need to be closer to her. The fact that she invited me up gives me some confidence that she might be feeling the same way.
When I opened my eyes, I noticed a piece of thick green paint peeling off the door. I picked at it, wondering if I had time in the next month to come back and re-paint it as a surprise for her. I’d paint it Catfish Blue. She’d love it. Maybe I could even find her a little catfish door knocker. Shaking my head, I laughed at my own desperation. One kiss, and this girl’s already got me tied in knots, planning surprise maintenance on her house. With my ear pressed against the door, I could hear her shuffling towards it, and I take a step back. She sighed as the doorknob turned and the door opened.
As she becomes more visible, her intoxicating vanilla and raspberry scent invades the hallway. She bites her lip, looking more nervous than the first day I met her in the medical center. “Can I come in?” I gave her my best encouraging smile as she looked behind me. She was a little skittish and wild, something I really liked about her.
Moving back, she looked anywhere but me as I breezed past. My smile faltered, and I stopped. After taking two steps into her room, I nearly walked into her bed. It felt like I was intruding. As comfortable as her white bedsheets looked, I didn’t think that’s where we should be starting. There’s a little kitchenette just off to the side, and a door leading to what I assume is the bathroom. The whole place is clean, fresh, and beautifully decorated, but the room is… small. Smaller than the third guest bedroom in my apartment. No wonder she was so hesitant to bring me up. She probably thought the only thing I wanted to do was get her into bed. In all honesty, I just wanted to spend more time with her. We’ve talked a lot through text, but it’s just that. Text messages. I wanted to talk and really get to know her.
The clean white lines decorating her apartment evoked a coastal vibe, exactly what I expected from Cali. I imagined she’d do a beach style house if she had the space. Did the marketing department not pay her enough to get a better place closer to the stadium? Not that I’d tell her because she already seemed a little hesitant to let me come up, but this is far out on the wrong side of town.
“I know what you’re thinking.” She started, moving around me and into her kitchenette. “It’s small. I don’t often let people up here, and I think it feels smaller with someone of your height and width in here too.” Her eyes flittered across my shoulders, inspecting me. “But you asked.” She shrugged, turning towards her fridge. “Would you like a drink?” She asked, and I watched her perky butt as she bent further into the refrigerator. “I have water, coke, orange juice, and cranberry juice.” I barely listened to her listing off the options. All I could hear was the nervousness crackling off her voice. I feel like an ass. Maybe I shouldn’t have pushed her to invite me up.
As she talks, I rub my thighs, wondering where I should sit or what I should do with myself. She can’t fit a sofa in here. “I’d love a water.” She grabbed a couple of bottles and shut the door with her thigh, walking back over to me with a smile. “Please. Take a seat.” She gestured with her head towards the bed. Now, it felt really awkward. Yes, I know I had invited myself up, and maybe there was a small part of me that was hoping I’d get into her bed, but this just feels forced. I edged down to the mattress, resting my ass as close to the end as I could. My knees nearly hit the wall.
“Penn mentioned you guys lived locally?” I asked as she handed me a drink and perched a comfortable distance away from me. The place is far from downtown and even further away from the stadium. Why on earth did she pick it?
“Yeah, they live about ten minutes away from the stadium.” I stop myself from asking the obvious question. “They wanted me to live with them after college, but after four years of independence, I couldn’t imagine going back. I liked being on my own… and not smelling of incense all the time.” She took a long swig of her drink, and I watched her throat as she swallowed. Ideas ran through my head that shouldn’t.
I leaned back, noting the springs on the bed were piercing my butt. How on earth could she sleep on this? Maybe while I’m painting her door, I’ll get her a new mattress. One with memory foam. I would get it solely for sleeping purposes, of course. “Is that why you didn’t pick something closer to the stadium? Because it was too close to your parents?”
She snorted, playing with the bottle of her water. “No, it’s not that. I can’t afford to live any closer.” She paused, her eyes darted up to meet mine, and then fluttered back down the bottle cap she was fiddling with. Her cheeks were a little rosy. “My internship with the Catfish is unpaid.” She mumbled and shrugged with no amount of sadness or remorse in her voice. My stomach immediately dropped. She worked four years on a degree to work at a job unpaid. How does that work? When I graduated from high school, I went straight to playing baseball. I wasn’t paid much, but the accommodation was sorted during the season, and I could go home when I wasn’t playing. I had it easy compared to her. Now, I’m earning well over 25 million a year, and she’s not getting a cent by the same corporation.
“Interns don’t get paid?” I sounded dumb, and, in a way, I was. It’s not like I went to college or ever intended on working in a back-office career. I have no idea how they function or what you have to go through to get them. Apparently, it’s like playing in AAA.
She shook her head, tucking a blonde strand behind her ear as she squeezed the bottle. I did my best not to think about what her hands would feel like doing it around me. “Nope. Marketing internships are popular because there aren’t a lot of them in Charlotte. The Catfish program is one of the most sought-after. I think they had over three thousand applications this year for ten spots.” My eyebrows raised in surprise. “I may have had a little help from my friend, Mary. You met her the other day, the small girl.” I noted her name for future reference as Cali turned toward me, her cheeks ruddy as she slowly dragged her eyes up. “They usually have ten interns. This is the first year they’ve had eleven interns.” The implication was hanging there, but she wasn’t going to explicitly say it. She’s only there because Mary helped her. No wonder she’s so afraid of losing her job by taking a chance on me. She has such little confidence in her abilities. That ass of a boss know
s that and is praying on it. I knew that guy was an idiot the minute I met him.
I titled my head, squinting as I watched her expression, desperate to understand her. To know more about her. “You don’t do it for the money, though, do you? You love the Catfish more than any person I’ve ever met.”
“Yeah, I mean, not many people can say they’re in their dream job fresh out of college. But I am. Now all I need is a salary to match.” She giggled, lightening the mood in the room entirely. I want to ask her how she’s paying for this place, but it’s too personal, and frankly, all my commonsense leaves when her mouth connects with that water bottle she’s been toying with. Her lips wrap around the opening like they would if she was sucking my -. “I’ll get there eventually.” She said with a stilted smile after finishing her sip and wiping her mouth.
“Uh huh.” I drawled out, not listening because all I could think about is how I’ve been missing out on the Californian beaches all these years. It’s like I’ve been dehydrated, and now I’m ready to drown. Her half-lidded eyes flit between my lips and eyes, the dazed expression telling me everything I need to know. She’s thinking the same thing I am. My body is vibrating, itching to touch her, but waiting for her to make the first move. I forced myself up here. She’s got to want it as much as me.
I looked around the tiny apartment, “So, where did you hide all the Tate Sorenson memorabilia?” I asked with a chuckle. It was then she caught me off guard. She grazed her palm against my stubbled chin, guiding me to look at her as she turned to me, edging us closer. I was quiet, worried that I would scare her away like a feral cat if I made another noise. She leaned in, her lips touched mine, tentatively. My cock immediately stirred. She pecked hesitant kisses across my mouth, scratching my stubble as she went along. I languished in her touch, letting her explore me however she wanted, waiting patiently for her to deepen the kiss.