The Closer (All About the Diamond #5)
Page 4
Houck
I wake up again and she’s gone. I didn’t get to hold her all night. She must not have wanted to be in my bed. What was I thinking? Of course she doesn’t want to be with me. She’s not interested in me. She fell asleep. I take my shirt off and shed my sweatpants. I’m ready to go back to sleep when the toilet flushes and Angie walks out of my master bathroom. I’m stripped to my boxer briefs. Is she coming back to my bed or what? Come back to bed, Angie. Please, come back to bed. She walks straight back to my bed and climbs under the blankets, reaching for me and snuggling against me. She didn’t fully wake up, but she’s aware something is different. Her hands roam my body from my waist across my abs to my chest. She buries her cold feet between my legs. She giggles happily and is back to sleep with her fingers splayed across my chest within seconds. Fuck! Her hand touching my bare chest lights me on fire. She makes me want more. I’d give her anything, everything, if she’d stay with me.
Angie
I wake up in bed with D. His arms are wrapped around me and holding me close to him. I’m nuzzled against him with my hand on his bare chest and my feet snuggled between his legs. What happened? How did I get here? When did he lose his shirt? And pants? Should I get out of bed and go to my own room? My lips are pressed to his chest and he kisses my forehead. He’s awake. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to invade your bed.” I’m surprised at myself and unsure about the situation. I move to get out of bed, but he stops me.
His grip on me tightens. “Please stay here with me,” he says in a heartfelt raspy tone.
“Okay.” My whole body relaxes. He wants me here. “D?”
“Yeah?”
“What are we doing?”
“Sleeping.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Do you like my arms around you, holding you?” he asks me.
“Yes.” It’s what I want.
“Then enjoy it with me. We don’t have to talk about it. I’ll never do anything you don’t want me to do.”
“D, am I the one who’s not interested?”
“Testing a theory.”
That’s not an answer. I kiss and explore his bare chest as I go back to sleep.
Chapter Six
Angie
Waking up in his arms with my hands on his shirtless body may be the best thing I’ve ever experienced. He’s a professional athlete and has the body to prove it. His thick, corded arms protect me while his hands are splayed across my back with need. His long muscular legs warm my always cold feet between his calves. His lips touch my forehead with his nose buried in my hair. More than any of the rest of it, it’s D. My Super D I’ve talked to or text messaged almost everyday since college. He’s always been there for me.
I lie quiet and still, wanting as much of him as I can get and appreciating his manly scent while I wait for him to wake up. I’m happy to stay right here all day, but he can’t. I’ll be going to the baseball game tonight to watch his team play and hopefully cheer for him pitching for the save again.
Houck
I don’t want to move. I want everything to stay exactly the way it is right now. I’ve stayed in bed longer today than I ever do during the baseball season. This could be the only time I have Angie in my bed. Test the theory is a fine plan, but what did I learn? She appreciates my shirtless body. Does it mean she wants me? I need more. I need the kiss.
I kiss her forehead, “Ang? Are you awake?”
“Yeah. Good morning,” she says softly and doesn’t move.
“Were you comfortable last night?”
“It was perfect. D, were you testing the theory?”
Angie
He pulls me against him, “I think the theory tested us.” He gazes into my eyes and I can’t help but to search his, wondering what his test results are and if they match the possessiveness he has in his hands. “Spend the night with me tonight?” He says low and raspy.
I smile and kiss his cheek while I glide my hand across his abs.
“I’m taking that as a yes.”
“It’s most definitely a yes.” I stop and worry about what happens next. What about our friendship? “Are we still friends?”
“We’ll always be friends. Nothing can change that.”
What about part two of testing the theory? Will it happen? I don’t want him questioning my intent, “I don’t know who the one is that’s not interested.” I stop and drag my teeth across his earlobe, then whisper, “If it’s me, you’re wrong. I’m interested.”
He pulls back away from me, holding me at arms length while he reads my expression and body language. His eyes shine and he laughs, “The first time I kiss you can’t be in my bed when I’m mostly naked.”
“Why not?” I need to kiss him. I need answers. Everything’s right and I don’t want to wait anymore. I run my fingers through his hair and pull his lips to mine. Chaste, not pushing it further. I pull away and get out of his bed with him watching my every move.
“Ang?” He calls out to me as I’m about to leave his room. I turn to find him sitting up in bed with the blanket covering him up to his waist and his strong chest bare. His eyes catch mine and he grins, “Have dinner with me tonight after the game?”
“I’ll be here. Good luck at the game today.” I walk away, leaving him to get ready for work. I take a quick shower and throw on shorts and a tank top. I pour myself some juice and sit out on his balcony, enjoying the cool breeze and bright blue San Diego sky. I’m buzzing at the idea of being with D. Kissing him wasn’t weird at all. In fact, I want more.
Houck
I lie back down and stretch out across my bed. She kissed me and walked away. She’s spending the night with me tonight and we’re having dinner together. I need to get ready and go to the stadium. Fuck! I need to kiss her. No time for distractions, I already stayed in bed too long. I clean up and get ready for work. I sit at my kitchen island and eat a bowl of cereal, noticing she’s doing yoga in the sunlight on my balcony. Stretching and bending, slow and methodically. I can’t help myself. She’s sexy and I’m not leaving her wondering until after the game. I need more now.
I join her on my balcony. Her eyes are closed and her hands are reaching for the sky. She’s beautiful, calm and centered. I hesitate, examining every inch of her and suddenly worry the kiss might go bad. What if it’s not special for her? Not the connection I’m anticipating? I don’t have time for a second chance. It doesn’t matter. I reach for her, leaning down to her ear I whisper, “Angie.” I kiss her in front of her ear and she gazes up at me. My arm is around her and my other hand in her hair, I press my lips to hers asking for more. Asking for everything she’s willing to give me. She’s the one, she’s always been the one. Her soft lips receive me willingly and kiss me back. Our kiss turns open-mouthed, our lips meeting repeatedly. She wraps her arms around my neck and arches into me. My heart pounds. She wants me. I slide my tongue against her lips and she opens for me immediately, greeting my tongue with hers and I’m done. I tighten my grip on her and control the kiss, my body ready to explode. I taste every bit of her lips and our tongues dance together. Her hands pushing up into my hair like she’s trying to hold on. I glide my hands down her body and lift her up against me. She clings to me, wrapping her legs around my waist and arms around my neck. She throws her head back and giggles, then gazes straight into my eyes. “What are you looking for?” I ask her.
“I’m not sure.”
“You don’t need to look anymore. You found me.”
“I have competition. Who’s the one?” Her voice is concerned but confident.
I lean my forehead to hers and kiss her nose, “There’s no competition. I didn’t think you were interested in me.”
She claims my mouth with hers leaving no question in my mind. She’s more confident and forward than any woman I’ve been with. Not one of the skanks who goes straight for my dick because it’s all they want. Is it because it’s us or is she always aggressive? I’m hot all over, simply holding her and kissing her. Thi
s can’t be like other women. I can’t screw this up. She’s only here a few days and this has to be at her pace. I can’t carry her off to my room and fuck her, she’s more than all of them together. This heat, her hands on me make my blood sizzle with desire. I’ve never wanted a woman more. I want her everywhere, not just wrapped around my cock. I tug on her sweet lips and I’m out of breath. I break the kiss and hug her close, whispering in her ear, “I’m all in. We don’t need to rush us. Everything at your pace, Ang.” I take a deep breath, “I need to get to the stadium, so I can pitch tonight. I’ll be watching for you.”
“I’ll be there,” she says as she slides down my body rubbing against my hard-on. “That’s pleasing,” she giggles. “We’ll figure it out,” she continues as she bites her lower lip.
I roll my eyes and give her a quick kiss before I run to the stadium. I’m glad I’m only across the street, I’d be late for sure. I adjust myself in the elevator and regain control.
I run into the stadium and Carter yells for me when I pass his office, “Houck!”
I turn around and lean in his doorway, “Yeah?”
“Running late?” he smiles. “Need assistance with anything today? BP is at 2:00.”
“Can you arrange a candlelight dinner for two? After tonight’s game?”
“Absolutely, where at?”
“My place on the balcony.”
“No problem.”
Text to Angie - BP at 2:00, game at 5:00 today
Text to Angie - Not that I’ll be hitting
Text from Angie - I’ll be there :)
Angie
There’s a smile on my face I can’t control. A man has never affected me this way. He’s a tropical storm. Hot and sending lightning from my fingertips to my toes, leaving the thunder to rumble nervously in my belly. He’s known I’m the one and didn’t think I’m interested. Honestly, I hadn’t considered him until Lucy and her pre-marital course. He’s always been my friend D. That’s it. Lying next to him last night, sleeping in his bed and simply being live, in person with him is a whole other ball game. I had to kiss him. I couldn’t resist caressing his bare skin. He’s known I’m the one all this time, and I didn’t? Aren’t women supposed to be more intuitive of these things? I guess I’ve always been more of a guy in some ways. I don’t want to be a guy with D. Huh, what I found sliding down his body, Super D might be a description of him.
Since the game is earlier today, I don’t have much time to get ready. I put my jersey and cap on over my shorts and tank top. I get distracted as I wander through his place and find myself leaning in the doorway to his bedroom. What am I doing here? I don’t live here. I’m leaving in a few days. Can this work? Did I destroy our friendship? No. I can figure this out. But, right now all I can do is focus on his bed and the memory of his protective arms around me. The room is filled with his clean masculine scent and when I close my eyes he’s pressing his lips to mine. I’m consumed by his heat and possessive fingers in my hair. Simply imagining him my pulse races and I’m unsure how I’m going to handle being near him alone tonight.
Chapter Seven
Angie
I find Sherry behind the dug out for batting practice and sit next to her. How does she do this everyday in her condition? Business alone could make it a challenge for me, but I’m not allowing any extra complications right now. I’m focusing on now and not how life will want to get in the way. “Hi, did I miss anything?”
“You’re right on time,” she turns and examines me, getting a big grin on her face. “Looks like you tested the theory with positive results.”
I nod, “We’ll find out after the game.” We only kissed once, but damn was it an amazing kiss.
The team emerges from the dugout a few at a time. A bunch of pitchers walk to the outfield in a cluster and Seno drags D with him to take a turn at bat. Sherry yells at Seno and I follow suit loudly, “Go Super D!” She pats my knee and gives me a thumbs up. He smiles as he runs up to visit me. He grabs my hand and pulls me up out of my seat, then gazing into my eyes he kisses me. Not a sweet peck, no this was more. His hands are on my face holding me where he wants me while he brushes his lips against mine, sucking and nibbling on them until my breath turns ragged.
He breaks the kiss to whisper, warm in my ear, “I want to kiss you all night long. I have fifteen years of imagining what it’s like to kiss you to make up for. I’ll be happy kissing you and holding you again tonight.” His tone, sincere and raspy, hits me directly in the gut causing the thunder to rumble. He kisses me below my ear and lifts me up to kiss and nuzzle at my neck, driving me crazy. I whimper uncontrollably and wrap my legs around him right there in front of everyone. The team catcalls at us, woots, whistles, “Get it!” and “Houck’s got a hottie.”
I lean down to whisper in his ear, hard to speak because he has me worked up, “You make me hot. You make me want more than kissing. You make me lose control.” I tug on his ear with my teeth and sigh, “I want you.”
He whispers back to me, “I want you, too. We’ll talk over dinner, this can’t be a game. You’re the only woman I want.” He smiles at me and I nod at him in agreement. He gives me a quick peck on the lips as he sets me back on the ground and he’s gone.
“Looks mind blowing to me,” Sherry comments. “I remember those first kisses when he left me punch drunk. I thought I was crazy. It was the new guy excitement.” She laughs, “It still happens.”
I smile and focus on batting practice, or at least pretend to because I can’t focus on anything except D and putting words together is a challenge. He’s right, we can’t be a game and we should do the adult thing and talk about it, but it’s new and I want to enjoy it. It’s wrong, but I’d take his D out for a ride and find out if it should be the Super D. Not in a bad way, it’s just that everything has been more than I’ve experienced before. Better than anything before and I’m a curious girl who’s always taken a male perspective on sex. I’m not the village bicycle. I’m pickier than most, but if I find a ride I want to take—why wait? It doesn’t have to be more than sex. Huh, maybe that’s the problem? We’ve been friends for so long it can’t be a satisfying fuck? We have to be more than sex? Maybe I’m not ready for this. Damn that Lucy!
Text to Lucy - I’m mad at you
Text from Lucy - What did I do now?
Text to Lucy - You told me about your workbook lesson
Text from Lucy - What happened? You kissed?
Text to Lucy - Yes we kissed.
Text from Lucy - And it was good?
Text to Lucy - No, it wasn’t good
Text to Lucy - It was better than good
Text from Lucy - He’s the one?
Text to Lucy - I’m not talking about the one
Text from Lucy - What else happened?
Text to Lucy - I slept with him all night and I’m going to do it again
Text to Lucy - Since we were friends, does it mean we can’t fuck?
Text from Lucy - Umm
Text from Lucy - Stop being such a guy
Text to Lucy - But…
Text from Lucy - Seriously. You’re a girl at heart. Stop hiding.
Text from Lucy - He’s the one. Let him be the one.
Text from Lucy - Let it be different this time.
I shove my phone in my pocket without answering again. She’s right, but I have no clue how to be a girl. Let him take the lead? I guess? I’ll consider it.
Houck
“Looks like it’s going well with your friend,” Seno laughs.
“Man, when I kiss her she makes me stronger. She’s not like anybody else.”
He hands me a bat, “Show me how much stronger.”
Fuck. Again? I’m not going to argue with him, but there’s no way I get brought in to hit. I’m the closer. I stand in ready to hit and everything seems to be moving slower around me. The ball is in focus. The pitch is obvious from the release and the grip the pitcher is using. The spin of the ball out of the two-finger grip, and it starts to dro
p. It’s a sinker ball, but it doesn’t appear to have much drop on it. I swing my bat hard and connect. The sound is clean and rewarding off my bat, but not as rewarding as the sound coming from behind the dug out. “Woooooo! That’s my Super D! Go D!” at the top of her lungs as the ball flies out of the park. The next pitch is a four-seamer straight fastball and I see it coming, straight down the middle of the plate. Smack! Again and I have the power to do anything as the ball lands in the visiting bullpen. “That’s my man! Go Super D! Super D!” Everything is clear. I connect to every pitch, hitting six more out of the park during batting practice and being rewarded by Angie’s cheering every time. My Super D. My Man. She makes me better, indestructible, tougher, stronger. I’m a superhero for her. I’m her Super D and I want to be hers.
Chapter Eight
Angie
The game is going great. The Seals are up 7-2 in the 7th inning and D probably won’t get to pitch because the team is ahead by more than 3, it’s not a save situation. It’s still a win. In the 8th inning the wheels come off and the visiting team scores 5, tying the game at 7 with a bases loaded walk and a grand slam. It’s ugly and he’s warming up in the pen. The game is tied and they don’t play all of the closer lights when he comes running in. “Sex Type Thing” rattles the stadium and he’s into it. I’m standing on my feet yelling from behind home plate, “Let’s do this Super D! You can hold them!” He’s ready and the first batter steps into the box. Seno gives the sign and the pitch is straight down the middle at 99 miles per hour, strike one. Second pitch is low, but catches the strike zone for a called strike. Third pitch is challenging the hitter, right down the middle and he swings getting a piece of it and fouling it off. Fourth pitch, a changeup thrown in to throw off the hitter’s timing and a called ball. Fifth pitch, 103 miles per hour. Fastball straight down the pipe and the hitter swings and misses. Strike three. One out. The second hitter steps into the box and Seno does his routine of swinging his head from side to side and turning to wave at Sherry. He’s funny. He does things to throw off timing and make the hitter’s wonder. I wouldn’t be surprised if he says things to throw them off, too. Sherry does. Seno gives the sign and D delivers the pitch on the high inside corner for a strike, exactly where the catcher is set up. The second pitch is on fire. A strike clocked at 106 miles per hour and flame graphics run on all the light bars and the big screen. The hitter never saw it coming. Third pitch is a changeup again, the hitter swings and misses. Strike three. Two out. Third hitter digs his cleats in and the pitch is delivered low and inside to push him back away from the plate. Ball one. The second pitch is 102 miles per hour right down the pipe, the hitter swings and misses. The count is one ball and one strike. Third pitch is a fastball down the middle again, this time at 104 miles per hour and the hitter is caught looking. One and two. Fourth pitch and he let’s it rip, challenging the hitter. Flames light up the stadium again as he strikes out the side, this time hitting 107 miles per hour. I’m out of my seat screaming for him, “That’s my Super D! Way to bring the heat!” He smiles at me as he walks off the mound. He kisses two fingers and points them at me. It’s crazy how happy it makes me, but it does. It makes me more than happy and I can’t explain it.