Spring Training

by Stacey Lynn Rhodes

  “Perfect,” he repeated, a bit more forceful, apparently noticing her moment of doubt. A sudden burst of affection for Aaron had her giving him a tight hug, genuine and nonsexual despite their intimate position. Teri had really enjoyed his company all day. He was a likeable guy once she’d managed to get past his reserve. She figured his cool front had probably come from dealing with his media fame.

  She studied his familiar face. To Teri, as with everyone who followed baseball, he had been very recognizable—a larger than life, but two-dimensional figure—before today. Someone seen in highlight clips, official photos and sports magazine spreads. Now, out of uniform and with his hair cut short, he seemed so much more human, real and touchable. She wondered how many people saw this side of him.

  She was observing him closely, so she noticed the very slight wince as he shifted above her.

  “Are you okay?”

  He looked surprised then regretful. “It’s my shoulder, I have to—” He began to lever himself up with his good arm.

  “Oh! Of course.” She helped push him up with her hands on his chest, instantly missing the feel of his weight pressing her down into the cushions. She scooted up and backwards into a sitting position as he settled next to her, lifting his good arm and looking at her in invitation.

  “How’s that?” she asked, fitting herself against his side, snuggling in.

  “Almost perfect?” He quirked his lips as he waited for her reaction then yelped as Teri elbowed him. “Ouch! You have sharp elbows.”

  Teri snickered as she soothed his abused side with a gentle stroke of her hand, completely at ease. She continued to pet him as she rested her head against his chest. How was it that she was so comfortable with Aaron so soon?

  It had been a long time since she’d had someone to cuddle with, that’s for sure. And Aaron was very affectionate. She recalled the gentle pressure to her back as he’d guided her, the way he had gravitated toward her on the couch. Very touchy-feely, obviously comfortable with it, and she was the same way. It was nice—more than nice—to be with someone who enjoyed contact as much as she did. Teri was soaking it up, and it looked as though it was feeding a need for Aaron as well.

  And speaking of feeding a need…

  Teri reached over to grasp Aaron’s forearm, giving a hard squeeze, which startled a huff of laughter out of Aaron.

  “What are you doing?” His eyes twinkled down at her and she grinned back.

  “I’ve been dying to do that all day.” She continued to learn the feel of that corded, muscled arm, her touch trailing over the crisp, light hair. God, he was incredible. She’d always had a thing for powerful arms, and after playing ball for as long as he had, he had them in spades. “Damn, feel those pipes.”

  Unbelievably, Aaron went beet red. Okay, that was just too cute.

  “Am I embarrassing you?” Teri teased, leaning forward for a better look at his flushed face, hand still caressing his arm.

  “Yes”—he laughed—“and my first instinct is to throw you back down on the couch, but you know how well that worked out last time.”

  It had certainly worked for her anyway. She thought for a moment. “We don’t want you to get hurt again, so let’s do this instead.” Teri stood, reluctantly letting go of her prize, and began to encourage Aaron to lie down on his good side. As he realized what she was up to, his eyes lit up and he arranged himself to accommodate her. Teri wasted no time in spooning with him, and the feel of his long, warm body wrapped around her lulled her into utter contentment.

  Well, most of her.

  She wriggled and he groaned in her ear. “Will you settle down?”

  “Sorry,” she responded, unrepentant. “All that dancing wound me up.”

  “If you still feel like dancing…” Aaron slowly slid his hand across her abdomen and slid it down to cup her sex, just like she had earlier on the stairs, but oh, stars. His touch was much different, larger, warmer, urging her back against his growing erection. She reached behind her with her hand, finding his scalp as she tilted her head to expose her neck to his kiss.

  Aaron stroked his long fingers over her core, and she was instantly frustrated by the layers of clothing between his touch and her flesh. Zeroing in on her clit, he tapped and pressed, the sensation muted by her jeans, and now it was her turn to groan as she shamelessly threw her leg over the top of his thigh, opening to his exploration.

  His hand left her for a moment and she canted her head back in disbelief. Then those nimble fingers were at the top button of her jeans, working it open then easing the zipper down.

  Teri held her breath and pulled in her stomach, pussy clenching in anticipation, expecting a zig as he again zagged and abandoned her lower body. Disappointed, she made a frustrated noise in her throat, prompting a low chuckle from behind her.

  “I gotcha,” he promised, and found his way under her shirt. She gave a smile as he paused and sucked in a breath as he discovered her braless state. Every touch and slide of his hand against her bare skin was heavenly and her nipples were like cut diamonds, almost painful as they begged for soothing.

  Humming with pleasure, she undulated against him as he plucked and teased her breasts, alternating between cupping then running his palm over their curves. Surging against her ass, he met her rhythm and she finally needed to take more. She flipped halfway over, onto her back, leaving her body open to his whims while allowing her access to his zipper.

  She glanced up, arrested by the heated look on his handsome face as they worked together to open his jeans. Unimpeded by underwear—oh, gads, he goes commando?—his cock sprang out into her palm as if dying for her touch, silky warmth over steel. She closed her fingers around him as he delved into her jeans and found her slick center.

  “Ahh,” she gasped as he used her own juices to make his pass over her clit almost unbearably perfect. She licked her palm with as much spit as she could manage then returned her hand to his hot erection as he took her mouth in a torrid kiss.

  Both of them were on edge from the dancing and the foreplay, and Teri knew it wouldn’t take long for him to bring her over the top, not with his knowing, demanding caress. It was just what she needed. She strove for the pinnacle, working her hand over his cock as she arched into his touch. Milking pre-cum from the head, using it to help her gliding grip, she writhed helplessly and panted into his mouth.

  The continuous groan emanating from his throat suddenly cut off then intensified as the length in her hand grew even harder. Then warmth spilled over her hand. She tensed and was there with him, tossing her head back as she crested and peaked. Aaron’s mouth stilled on hers but he didn’t move away as they shared the moment of bliss along with their very breath as they floated in descent.

  Teri opened her eyes—when had she closed them?—and Aaron was watching her with a pleased and sated expression, his handsome face almost slack with repletion, other than the slight smile quirking one corner of his luscious lips. As she held his gaze, she raised her hand and ran her tongue along the side of her finger, gathering his cum for a taste.

  His eyebrows shot up, but he recovered quickly as he gave her tender clit one last, unbearable stroke before bringing his own finger up to suck off her essence.

  Then they were both laughing and kissing. Teri burrowed into his chest, not able to get close enough. She heaved a contented sigh.

  “Wow.” Aaron’s chest rumbled under her with his voice. “Haven’t made out on the couch like that in years. That was fun. Like being a teenager again.”

  “That wasn’t that long ago for you. Wait’ll you get to my age,” she scolded, feeling a bit put out at the reference to age right that minute.

  Aaron gave her a hard hug. “Hey. Don’t start getting hung up on age. I can’t help when I was born.”

  “True,” she conceded, deciding to let it go for now. A yawn snuck up on her. “We’d better get off the couch before we fall asleep here.”

  “A few more minutes?” Aaron tempted as he gently stroked her
arm.

  Yes, she was tempted all right. But the last thing she wanted was for Emery to come in and find her all tangled up with a man—especially his roommate.

  “Nope, up and at ’em.” She did a controlled roll off the couch then stood and fastened her jeans, easily evading Aaron’s half-hearted attempt to grab her ass. She paused for a second as a thought occurred to her. “Unless this is my bed for tonight. Either way, you need to get up.”

  Aaron stood and tucked himself back into his jeans, making a show of being disgruntled. “I put clean sheets on his bed this afternoon for you to use, so actually this is Emery’s bed tonight. Oops.” He checked the cushions. “Looks like we were careful.”

  Teri snorted. “Oh shit, well, that’s good. And thanks for making the bed. I was going to get to it…” A bit shy now that the tension between them had finally been banked, she fell back on her humor, giving him a teasing look over her shoulder as she preceded him down the hall. “At least we should both sleep well tonight now.”

  Aaron stopped and pulled her back into his arms. “Sleep with me tonight.”

  And oh, wasn’t that a decadent thought? How long had it been since she’d slept with strong arms wrapped around her? Conflicted, the war inside her was won by her customary self-denial. “Better not. Not that I don’t want to,” she hastily assured him as his face dropped a bit. “But let’s just call it a night. Okay?”

  Aaron was nodding before she finished speaking. “Okay. But if you change your mind…” He trailed off, indicating his bedroom door.

  “You’ll be the first to know,” she finished lightly. “I had fun tonight,” she added, dawdling. Now that the time had come, she hated to part from him. Teri forced herself to open the door to Emery’s room and step inside. “Night, Aaron.”

  “Night, Teri. Glad to have you.”

  She closed the door and leaned back against it, feeling her heart pound as the innuendo in his goodnight added an almost physical touch to his words. “I’ll be glad to have you, too,” she whispered with a smile, looking forward to sweet dreams.

  Chapter Five

  Teri stretched herself awake, feeling sated and happy. Oh, yes, pleasant dreams indeed. Wow, Aaron was something else. She squirmed as she remembered how expertly and unselfishly he’d brought her to pleasure last night. She opened her eyes, looking around in vain for a clock, and felt her good mood take a slight dip as she noticed the state of Emery’s room. Back to reality, Mom. Boxes were stacked haphazardly, piles of clothes everywhere. Guess she would be doing some unpacking today or it would likely never get done.

  She peeked out into the hall, then padded to the bathroom to get herself ready for the day. It was very quiet so either everyone was still sleeping or they’d already gone to practice.

  Teri was just finished getting dressed as she heard the landline ring. Walking out into the living room, she listened to it ring a few times before it went to the machine. Nobody home then. She headed to the kitchen to see whether Aaron was a coffee drinker or if she needed to make a trip out.

  As the message began, she heard Aaron’s voice coming from the machine. “Teri? If you’re there, please pick up.”

  She quickly crossed to the phone and lifted the receiver. “Hey, Aaron. Good morning,” she added huskily, eyes finally landing on the stovetop clock. Ten oh nine. Jeez, she’d slept in. No wonder she felt so good.

  “Is Emery there?”

  Teri frowned and walked out into the living room. It looked just the same as when they’d gone to bed the night before. No shoes by the door or keys on the entry table. “No, it doesn’t look like it. Are you at practice?”

  “Yes, just started at ten, but Emery’s not here yet.” He blew out a breath. “McCauley is pretty strict about the guys being punctual, so I wanted to try to get him here before they notice he’s missing. Damn it!” Aaron’s frustration was evident in his voice, and it reflected her own rising ire.

  “I’ll try his phone. Maybe if he hears my ringtone, he’ll get a frickin’ clue,” she snapped then softened. “Thanks, Aaron, Em’s lucky to have you watching his back. Maybe he’ll start actually appreciating it himself one of these days.”

  The edge vanished from his tone. “Sorry for the abrupt awakening. Hey, I’ve got to get going. I’m going to track down Mitch and Chet to see if they know where he went.” Aaron sighed. “Call me if you get hold of him.” As he rattled off his cell number, she grabbed a pen and wrote it on her hand.

  “Got it.” Teri hung up and found her phone. No messages. She hit Em’s speed dial and waited, tapping her foot.

  Just before it went to voicemail, she heard his voice, still groggy from sleep. “Ma?”

  “Emery Paul! Where are you? Never mind. You need to get to practice, right now. It’s after ten.”

  “Shit!” There was a loud clunk as Em apparently dropped the phone, and Teri heard some rustling and the murmur of a feminine voice.

  Oh, great.

  “Emery. Em!” she called, and he came back on the line.

  “What, Ma? I’ve gotta get dressed.” His voice was muffled as if he were holding it to his ear with his shoulder.

  “Do you have a ride and everything you need?”

  “Yeah, I have a ride. Oh, fuck, my bag—equipment. It’s still in my truck. I think I have some workout clothes in there…”

  Teri was already grabbing her purse and keys. “I’ll meet you there.” She shook her head, sliding into her sport sandals. Whatever. “We have a lot to discuss, kiddo, so don’t even think about making any plans for tonight. Capiche?” With that, she hung up.

  She hustled out of the apartment, locked up behind her then went down the stairs, wondering where the hell Emery had parked so she could grab his gear.

  Finally locating Emery’s pickup, she decided to just go ahead and take it instead of moving his stuff to her own car.

  She hopped in and checked that, yes, his bags were behind the seat. She leaned over, unzipped the duffle bag and was relieved to spy some clothes and cleats. They might not be clean but whatever. Irritated by the abrupt and frustrating turn to what had started out as a nice day, she bounced into the seat and adjusted it forward until she could reach the pedals. She started the engine, and rolled her eyes. Not only was the oil light on, the fuel gauge rested just above empty. Typical.

  Great. Hopefully I won’t run out of gas.

  Before she pulled out, she dialed Aaron.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, it’s me. He’s on his way, and so am I since his stuff is all in his truck.”

  Aaron blew out a breath. “Thanks, Teri.” Aaron sounded relieved but had a hint of disgust in his voice. “Good thing our group started with conditioning instead of field time today. He might actually get away with it, but this has got to stop.”

  “I agree. Believe me, we’ll be having a ‘come to Jesus’ tonight.”

  Aaron snorted dismissively. “Well, you already had one yesterday, which didn’t exactly do the trick. Not sure how effective more talking’s going to be.”

  Teri prickled as the not-so-subtle dig at her parenting hit home. “Wow, thanks for throwing that back in my face. I’ll see you later. I have to drive now.”

  “Teri—”

  His voice was cut off satisfyingly as she hung up on him.

  * * * *

  She was still steaming when she pulled up to the stadium just in time to see Emery unfolding himself from the passenger’s seat of a red Miata. Teri pulled in right behind him and was somewhat mollified to see a relieved and grateful expression on his face as he spotted her. She threw the truck into park, left it running and hopped out.

  Emery hurriedly said goodbye to whoever was in the car and hustled over. He reached past her through the driver’s door grab his equipment bag and his duffle out of backseat area of the cab. “Thanks, Ma. I’m so sorry—”

  “Don’t thank me—thank Aaron. He’s the one who got the search party going. Now get in there before you’re missed.” She swatte
d his butt, hard. He jumped but wisely didn’t say anything. “Go!” she prodded.

  He headed for the stadium at a run, and she watched him until he’d disappeared from view, then got back into the truck. She sat for a few minutes, letting the adrenaline drain from her, leaving her feeling tired and every year of her age. Her gaze landed on the fuel light. Fuck. She’d better gas up before her day got even worse.

  She went toward a gas station she’d spotted on the way there, and while she was waiting to turn left, her phone chimed with a text. By the time she’d pulled up to the pumps, another one hit.

  Figuring it was either Em or maybe Aaron, she ignored them, and got out to fill the tank. That was the limit of her restraint, though, and her curiosity got the better of her by the time she’d grabbed the receipt and got back in.

  She glanced at her phone, and one was from Aaron.

  Thanks for getting him here. Coach noticed. Not happy. Might be late getting home.

  Wonderful. She sighed and since she couldn’t think of a polite reply, and didn’t really want to talk to him anyway after the criticism earlier, she moved on to the next text, this one from Alex.

  Were you at the party with Em last night or did he sneak out? LOL. Check FB.

  She had no desire to see whatever was on Facebook, but she did answer this one.

  He escaped when we went dancing. I look away for one second… Sigh.

  Well, it had been more than a second that she’d been distracted. She shifted on the seat as the memory of last night brought back a pleasant residual ache. Her phone rang with Alex’s ringtone.

  “Hi, honey.”

  “Hey, Ma. What’s wrong? Em giving you a hard time?”

  Alex had always been so in tune with her moods. Even as a young boy, he’d seemed to know exactly what she was thinking.