Spring Training

by Stacey Lynn Rhodes

  Aaron’s expression flashed from anger to confusion as his eyes flicked back and forth between the boys and Teri. “This is Alex? Alex is your son?” He sounded surprised, but there was a deeper emotion there she couldn’t put her finger on.

  “Yeah, he’s my other half, literally,” Emery joked.

  Alex elbowed him. “You mean your better half.”

  Em shoved back. “Ha, just because you shoved your way out first—”

  A brief scuffle for supremacy broke out, the boys’ traditional way of saying hello, but Teri and Aaron only had eyes for one another.

  “Uh, we’re going out.”

  “Don’t wait up.”

  The words barely penetrated, but the slamming of the door brought Teri to her senses at last. Realizing the boys had gone, she finally found her voice.

  “Hi, Aaron.”

  “Hi.”

  She searched his face for something, anything to give her a hint as to what he was thinking. C’mon, girl, just put it out there. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you too.” He took three big strides, then she was in his arms, their lips coming together with a month’s worth of deprivation. She poured everything she was into making love to his mouth, showing him without words how she had dreamt of and hoped for this very thing.

  She couldn’t get close enough and gave a frustrated hop. Aaron caught her ass in his hands as she wrapped her legs around him. Oh, shit.

  She attempted to pull away, and he followed with his lips, swallowing part of her words. “Stop, your shoulder—”

  “’S’fine, been rehabbing. Kiss me back.”

  Teri moaned into his mouth as she obeyed and felt her world tilt around her as he whirled around and strode down the hall to his room, kicking the door closed behind them then deliberately lowering her to the bed and covering her with his welcome weight.

  “Yes, yes,” she mumbled encouragement, as he slid his lips along her cheek to the hollow of her jaw.

  His voice reflected his need, gruff and hoarse. “We need to talk.”

  “Talk later, this now.”

  “No.” He reluctantly pulled away to half-recline next to her, reaching behind his neck to gently remove her hands. “You have to know something before this happens. If it’s going to happen.”

  It was like a dash of cold water, the way he sounded as if he was confessing something. She stopped fighting to hold him and gave him her full attention, patting his chest with her hand. “Okay, Aaron. What is it?” She was proud of how reasonable her voice sounded, considering all the emotions whirling about inside her.

  His green eyes pinned hers. “I’m going back to my team this week.”

  Teri was torn. On the one hand, he was moving away, but on the other…

  “That’s great news. Your shoulder must be doing better.”

  He stared at her. “It is. Teri”—he frowned as he clarified—“you know that means I’ll be leaving here. Within the next couple days.”

  Her heart swelled at his uncertain look. She continued to stroke his pecs, tracing the swells of muscle before gently smoothing over his troublesome shoulder.

  “I know. And apparently you’ve forgotten I don’t have a problem traveling.” She arched her brow. “Especially when it comes to baseball.”

  “Mmm.” Aaron tackled her and rolled them over so she was astride him. “You did that thing with your eyebrow again. Why does that turn me on?”

  “Oh, only my eyebrow turns you on?” Teri rolled her hips against his, delighted by the hard ridge she rode.

  “Even your eyebrow turns me on. Every part of you does.” He pulled her down into a hug, nuzzling her neck. “You are the sexiest, most loving woman I’ve ever known. I’m so glad you’re—” Aaron stopped and froze.

  Teri rose up just a bit to meet his gaze. “I’m yours. If you want me,” she finished for him, deciding to go for broke. “I can’t believe I fell in love with you in two days.”

  Her world tilted again as he reversed their positions with stunning speed. “Tell me again,” he demanded.

  She couldn’t dream of playing coy. “I love you, Aaron.”

  “Oh, God, Ter, I love you too. I was going crazy trying to figure out what went wrong and I couldn’t stop thinking about you. It’s been a hellish month. Don’t you ever keep us apart that long again,” he added fiercely.

  “Hey,” she began to protest. It wasn’t just her fault.

  But he went on with barely a pause, “And I won’t do anything stupid like imply I don’t want you in my bed. God, I was an idiot that night. What was I thinking?” he bemoaned. “We could’ve has this”—he thrust against her—“for the past month. Damn it.”

  “Let’s not waste any more time. Strip.” She gave him a push and they both got naked in record time, Aaron landing atop her again. God! The feeling of his warm, bare skin anchoring her to the mattress was heavenly. Then they were kissing again, rocking together, needing to connect on the most basic level, to sate their need, but also to reassure and build a foundation.

  He nibbled and licked his way down her body, concentrating for a long while on her breasts, which seemed to have a direct connection to her clit, every tug and suck translating itself into a growing need for him to get down there, damn it, and soon. As if reading her mind, he slid lower and slowly, deliberately parted her folds, running his tongue through her wetness then upwards. Teri watched as he spread her own moisture with his tongue, laving her clit along each side repeatedly then taking it in a hard suck, which had her throwing her head back helplessly. He punctuated the suction with a flick of his tongue, then the next draw had her coming. With his hands gripping her hips, she surrendered to the waves crashing over her.

  “I have to get inside you.” Aaron groaned, then crawled up to cradle her head in his hands. “Do we have to worry about birth control? I’m clean—I haven’t been with anyone since before my injury last fall. But I have condoms if you want to wait for proof.”

  Teri touched his face as warmth spread through her, loving his serious concern, but had no intention of having anything between them this first time.

  “I trust you. It’s been years for me—I’m good too, and I get the shot. C’mon.” She reached between them and took his silky, steel-hard erection in her hand, savoring the heft of him and the slippery glide of pre-cum easing her thumb’s exploration of the head.

  He adjusted his position and she rubbed the tip of his cock against her own slick entrance. Removing her hand, she left the moment of entry up to him, and kissed him for all she was worth, humming as he slowly pushed his way into her.

  This was what she’d been dreaming about and anticipating for the past month, and their eyes communed silently as he held himself over her, each slow thrust rubbing his pubic hair over her sensitive clit as his girth stretched her repeatedly on each entry. His pace quickened and she held on for the ride, her gaze never leaving his face as the tautness there gave way to a look of repletion. He raised himself up as he pressed and held tight within her, jerking a bit in his aftermath before collapsing over her and wrapping her in a tight embrace.

  Her heart soared as they floated back to earth, fitting together as if they’d been custom made for one another. Teri smiled against his neck, running her hands over his smooth back, unable to stop touching him now that she had the right.

  “What’s the smile for?” He braced himself up on his forearms on either side of her head.

  “Just happy.” And that was the whole truth and nothing but. Everything she was feeling right now could be boiled down to sheer and utter happiness.

  “We gonna make this work?” he asked, but it felt more like a statement.

  “Mm-hmm. Spring training’s over. Time we made a team.”

  “A team of two,” he paused. “Well, four. Are they going to be okay with us?”

  Teri grinned. “Why do you think they took off and said not to wait up? So, Mr Reynolds, you’re going to sign on with us?”

  “A perman
ent, lifetime contract, if you’ll have me.”

  “Oh, I’ll have you.” Teri pulled him down. “Play ball.”

  Also available from Totally Bound Publishing:

  What’s her Secret?: Secret Identity

  Stacey Lynn Rhodes

  Excerpt

  Chapter One

  Sienna steered her car into a parking space a few blocks from her destination. Transit wasn’t really an option this time of day but luckily she had her choice of on-street parking due to the hour. It was a dark part of the city, and at this forgotten time of the morning not another car or person was to be seen. Not the greatest neighborhood for her to be walking around in, but whatever.

  She flipped down the visor to take a quick look, and when the light popped on, she had a jolt of surprise to see her real self staring back at her. It was definitely the easiest undercover role Sienna had ever got into character for. The sad truth was, as one of the few female detectives in her precinct and with a talent for successfully immersing herself in whatever persona was needed, she got assigned mostly to white-collar crime cases. Her usual role was to cozy up to big business types as their new assistant or other office worker. Sienna had also done her time in Vice doing prostitution sting ops.

  This time she was going to take over a coffee shop as a barista-slash-business manager for the owner, her dear ‘Uncle Harlan’, who had suddenly needed to leave town due to a family illness. In reality, Harlan Coffman had been arrested the day before—a cog in the bigger wheel of a huge potential drug bust—and if he continued to cooperate, would likely be disappearing into protective custody until after arrests and trials of the main players.

  Harlan’s arrest had come about after a simple visit for questioning by Sienna and her partner at his home the day before. Too many small arrests had been linked back to Harlan or his shop in various ways, so they’d decided to see if they could rattle him by a surprise visit at his home. He’d already appeared frightened and stressed when they’d arrived, and when they’d identified themselves, he’d broken down. They’d immediately taken him downtown to continue the interview at the station, and he’d been more than forthcoming…except in linking his small-potatoes distribution end of the operation with the manufacturer and ringleader.

  Since then, they’d gotten a warrant to search his residence and phone records. Nothing had yet borne fruit in positively identifying who he was working for. But they’d come to the conclusion that, with all the time Harlan spent at the coffee shop, there had to be some contact there—some connection. They needed a person on the inside to find out what was happening in order to wrap this case up and guarantee a conviction and an end to the growing problem.

  So the tats and piercings Sienna usually had to hide or downplay were suddenly an acceptable part of—and even an asset to—her character’s appearance. She could style her hair any way she wanted and wear her own wardrobe. And after her experience working as a barista in college, that didn’t need a crash course to learn. In short, she was made for this particular role, and she was looking forward to it.

  Sienna grabbed her messenger bag-cum-purse then got out of the car and took a quick look around. A couple of homeless people leaned in recessed doorways, probably asleep. The sight made her sad but not nervous. She could handle herself and they were just trying to get a night’s sleep under cover from the intermittent showers. She locked up behind her and began to walk purposefully toward Primo Café through the light fog, hoping to time her arrival with that of the employee she’d be working with.

  Harlan’s note to his main employee and assistant manager, Jay Ayers, gave the story that his mother had taken a turn for the worse and he’d need to be on the East Coast for an undetermined amount of time. In the meantime, his niece Sienna, who was between jobs, had agreed to come take over the business and help Jay out. Harlan closed by saying he could be best reached by email as he’d usually have his phone off as per hospital rules. Of course, both the inbox and his phone were being monitored by the department.

  She knew the area around the café inside and out, having done surveillance and research in the weeks leading up to Coffman’s arrest. She’d even taken it upon herself to go into the shop for coffee a few times to assess the layout and meet the assistant. So even though she’d been thrown into this undercover job last minute with minimal planning and even less intel, she felt confident that she could hold her own, both in keeping her cover and gaining the trust of the people associated with the café. If her boss ever got her the damn associated case files that would help immensely. But it wasn’t anything new to have a hard time getting permissions or information from her boss. Sienna had learned to wing it.

  Better to apologize than to beg.

  She checked her phone as she strode down the last block toward the café. Almost four a.m. Right on time to be there for the start of Jay’s shift.

  Thank God she was a morning person.

  From the information they’d gotten from Harlan, the alley door was alarmed so the staff always came and went through the front door. After a few minutes of trial and error, Sienna had the security gate unlocked and rolled back and the front door open.

  She had just stepped inside and was hunting for the lights—it was a rather dark section of the block—when a wary voice came from behind her.

  “Can I help you?”

  Sienna turned. “You must be Jay Ayers.” She offered her hand, which he slowly took to shake. “I’m Sienna Coffman.”

  “Coffman?” Dueling expressions of dawning comprehension and worry crossed his face.

  “I’m Harlan’s niece. I thought he told you I was coming?”

  Jay frowned and stepped inside, closing and locking the door behind them. “No, sorry.”

  “Oh.” She feigned puzzlement, but of course, he hadn’t been inside yet to get the planted note. “Well, I’m sure he meant to. He had to leave town suddenly. His mom’s not doing well. I offered to come help out here until he gets back.” She made sure to have steady eye contact to counteract the load of bullshit she was feeding him. “He gave me his keys and said to be here at four. Said you know everything there is to know.”

  Which was why he was one of the primary people Sienna would be watching.

  Jay still looked a bit suspicious, and that in turn pricked Sienna’s instincts. She would bide her time, though, and she made her expression as open and guileless as possible. Sienna knew she looked at least a decade younger than her thirty-six years, especially in her current wardrobe of layered tanks that exposed her shoulder and back tattoos, baggy khaki cargo shorts and black boots. She’d gleefully maxed out on visible piercings, sporting six earrings and a cuff on each ear, a silver lip ring, a matching ring in her eyebrow and her birthstone amethyst nose stud.

  Her styling was total counterculture, Portland hipster barista. So…basically, herself.

  Jay had made his way to the elusive switch and turned on recessed lights around the edge of the room. He gave her a quick once-over now that it was easier to see, his eyes lingering on the side of her neck for a moment before his lips quirked in a half-smile. “Come on back then.” He led the way down the hall toward the back, polite enough to not mention the monster hickey she was sporting, courtesy of the hot dance floor make-out session with buff and blond Greg during her trip to the dance club two nights prior.

  Sienna had caught relentless ribbing from her partner Tyson and the other support personnel yesterday. Even though she was single and no saint, she usually had more self-respect than to allow that kind of teenaged branding. But when Greg had come up behind her and wrapped her in his embrace then run his lips down along her neck, she hadn’t been able to help cocking her head to the side, giving him tacit approval to do what he wanted. And obviously what he’d wanted was to mark her well into next week while he’d worked magic with his hands under cover of her clothing.

  Actually, she’d be lucky if his bite marks and hickies faded by then. Especially the big one he’d sucked up while sh
e’d come against his hand…

  Sienna flushed at the memory of falling apart right there in his arms on the dance floor. Clearing her throat, she pulled her focus back to the situation at hand, annoyed with herself at having let her concentration on the job slip. Normally, she didn’t let anything throw her off, but Greg kept seeping into her thoughts.

  “Huh.”

  Jay had picked up the note and was reading it. She waited for him to share the news with her.

  “Letter from your uncle. He basically said what you did. You go by Cici?”

  Those fuckers. “Yeah. Family nickname I kind of hate. Sienna is fine.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I kind of like Cici.” Jay was relaxed enough around her now to wink at her, catching her a bit off-guard. Everything that they had on him pointed to him being gay, but maybe he was just friendly. Or bi.

  Or had horrible taste in nicknames.

  She followed his lead and shot him an evil glare. “Use it and die.”

  “Die laughing,” he shot back quickly. He tossed her an apron. “Here you go. We’d better get started on the scones or we’ll never be ready on time. You can hang your bag up here if you want.” He indicated a row of hooks on the wall behind the office door. He shrugged out of his coat and hung it on a hook then put on the apron he’d taken down from there. She walked over to follow his suggestion then put on her own apron.

  She finally processed what he’d said about the scones. “You guys bake here?” She sucked at cooking.

  He led the way into the small galley. “Technically yes, though we get the dough pre-made. Today’s batches are in the fridge—I put them in to defrost last night.” He waved his hand at the appliance. “We get a few other baked goods already done. That delivery will come in about half an hour. Bagels, strudels, muffins—that sort of thing. But the scones are our big seller.” He started washing his hands and she stepped up next to him at the sink to follow suit.