Stealing Home: A Diamonds and Dugouts Novel

by Jennifer Seasons

  LORELEI FELT MARK’S toned body flex, the hard muscles bunch, and then she was on her back. He was looming over her in the darkness, his erection rubbing against her crotch. She bit her lip when he shoved roughly against her. It might have hurt if she wasn’t so turned on. Instead, it sent tremors shooting off inside her like fireworks.

  “Now you’re in for it, sweetheart. You’re going to pay for teasing me,” Mark growled against her neck.

  God, she hoped so.

  Power still swam in her brain like a heady concoction. She’d made him hard, mad for her. Her. Lorelei Littleton. It made her drunk from the knowledge.

  She’d needed to know how much she affected him. Though she’d been teasing earlier it had been the truth. It didn’t matter that it was the stupidest thing she could do, that it ruined everything, all her plans. She couldn’t help it.

  She was falling for the catcher with the fast hands.

  A gasp escaped her when Mark’s hand undid her zipper, dove inside. Through her cotton panties he cupped her.

  “You’re wet, Lorelei. Your panties are soaked with your juice. I can smell it on you, your desire for me. But I want to hear you say it. Tell me how you feel,” he demanded.

  In the darkness, lying on the floor, she felt his fingers rub her through her panties and she groaned. He slipped a finger around the cotton and found her. Touched her where she wanted him the most.

  “Say it, Lorelei. Tell me you’re wet for me.” His mouth found a spot below her ear and he kissed her there. His tongue slid over the curve of her ear and he nipped her with his teeth. She moaned and arched into his fingers.

  “I’m wet, Mark,” she whispered. Her stomach turned to liquid. She felt like she was about to burst into flames.

  He trailed a searing path of wet kisses down her chest. His tongue flicked over the hard peaks of her nipples before he continued on his path. “No,” he said against the flat of her stomach, “tell me I make you wet. That I make your pussy ache. Say the words, Lorelei. It turns me on to hear those dirty words come from your pretty mouth.”

  He was making demands, trying to shock her. Instead, her arousal only grew hotter. She thrilled at the dirty talk, her body responded to the call of it. Responded to him.

  She went wild. “You make my pussy ache, Mark. I want you inside me now. Only you have what I need.” It was true.

  His gravelly laugh echoed in her gut. He pulled his hand from her pants and yanked them off. Her panties followed. He disappeared for a second. She heard him strip and the sound of foil tearing as he covered himself. Then he was back and his hard hands were running up the length of her bare thighs. His hot breath whispering across her skin. He traced a finger over her wet curls. “That’s right, baby. Only I have what you need. But not yet, Lorelei. You tormented me, now it’s my turn. Ask me again. Ask me again what you did at the bar.”

  Lorelei reached for him, touched him everywhere she could reach. Arms, shoulders, the back of his head. He blew on her crotch and her body ignited like a flash fire.

  She knew what he wanted to hear. “Do you want to kiss my pussy, Mark?”

  His answer was swift and hard. “Fuck, yes.”

  Then his mouth was on her in a hot, wet, openmouthed kiss. A sound of primitive aroused male tore from his throat. He found her clit with his tongue, rubbed over it in circular motions, sucked. Lorelei thought she was going to die from the feel of it.

  When her inner muscles starting to clench and she neared orgasm, Mark shifted. His toned athlete’s body covered her and the plump head of his erection pressed between her slick folds.

  This was what she wanted, craved. She needed to go over the edge. Hunger clawed deep in her belly and she arched her hips. With a ragged groan he sank into her. His thick shaft stretched her, filled her, and she gasped.

  “Oh God, Lorelei. You’re so tight around me.” He thrust deep and her inner muscles clamped around him, started to quiver.

  He kissed her and she could taste herself on his mouth. His tongue thrust inside, over hers as he started to move in slow, long strokes.

  She didn’t want slow. Raising her legs, Lorelei wrapped them around his muscular back. His hard body strained from exertion as she took him deeper still until she felt him against her womb.

  Nothing else existed. Only the man above her and the thick erection stroking into her.

  “I want more.” She bit his corded neck and he swore.

  “You want more?” He panted, his breath harsh.

  “Yes!” She raked her nails down his back. He responded with a growling sound deep in his throat.

  And he gave her more, his body pounded into her harder, faster. He gave her more until every nerve in her body sparked like an electrical current and need became a white-hot ball in the pit of her stomach. Until all she could do was feel, cling to Mark.

  Their breathing grew more ragged. Over and over he thrust into her until suddenly she gasped. Crying out in the darkness, her body burst and an orgasm tore through her. It flooded through her, over her as her inner muscles convulsed against his shaft. Her body sucked him in, pulsed around him until he pushed deep and went still. A groan tore from his throat and his body went rigid as he climaxed.

  They lay there afterward not moving, their breathing rapid, their hearts pounding. Neither spoke for a long while.

  Later his hand stroked over her hair and he shifted. “That was utterly, completely amazing.”

  It was more than amazing for Lorelei. It was the best sex of her life. Incredible, earth-shattering, mind-blowing sex.

  They’d damn near set the room on fire. And she couldn’t have felt better about that if she tried.

  Mark rolled off her onto his back. His arm reached around her and he pulled her against his side. “I suppose one of us should turn on the light,” he murmured.

  His fingers trailed a lazy path up and down her arm. Her palm flattened against his damp chest and she rested her head on his muscular shoulder. “No. The dark’s nice.” She couldn’t get up if she wanted to—her thighs were still trembling.

  His chest rumbled when he chuckled. “Yeah, you’re right. The dark’s nice.”

  He shifted slightly under her and she felt one of his hands run over her hip down to her knee. Gripping gently he lifted her leg and settled it over his. She nudged his testicles and felt the crisp hair covering his heavy thighs tickle the sensitive skin of her leg. He kept his hand on her knee.

  “When’s your birthday?” His voice was the rough, deep sound of satisfied male.

  Idly her fingers began to explore his chest. “May twelfth. When’s yours?”

  “November fifteenth. How old are you?”

  So he was a Scorpio. Didn’t that just figure? She vaguely remembered reading his birth date on his bio page, but she’d forgotten about that little fact. “I’m twenty-eight. Why do you ask?”

  Firm lips pressed against her forehead and he sighed. “Just curious is all. I figure I need to know these things. Women tend to get upset when you don’t know.”

  The warm, contented afterglow that had settled over Lorelei abruptly disappeared. She was sure that he hadn’t meant to, but that comment had just reminded her who Mark Cutter was. He’d probably had to remember a lot of birth dates in his lifetime.

  She tried to sit up, but he tightened his arm around her like a vise. A heavy leg tangled with hers and clamped down. She couldn’t move.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  For air. But she didn’t think he wanted to hear that so she said instead as she settled back down, “Nowhere, just getting more comfortable.”

  His grip loosened and he relaxed again. His hard leg rubbed over hers in a slow rhythm. “You want to get on the bed?”

  Her body and mind melted. Not particularly. It felt incredible in his arms. Even the doubts couldn’t overshadow that. She had a fleeting thought about why that might be, but it dissolved into nothing when his fingertips skimmed her bare back. His touch felt decadent against he
r skin.

  There would be time later to think on things. “No, I’m fine,” she said.

  They were quiet for a moment, their even breathing the only sound in the room. Mark began stroking her arm with his fingers again. It felt so good she closed her eyes and sighed. Let her hand glide over the dips and planes of his corrugated stomach. He had such an awesome body.

  “Lorelei?” he said quietly.

  “Hmm?” Her fingers reached springy pubic hair.

  “What do you do for a living?” He sucked in air and his stomach muscles quivered beneath her hand.

  It mildly surprised her that he was asking. That he was interested in her beyond a bout of sweaty sex. She decided to take that as a good sign. “I write articles for gardening magazines.”

  “You mean like stuff on how to grow tomatoes and keep bugs from eating your flowers?”

  She gave a low laugh. “Something like that. It’s a little more exciting than that to me, but that’s the idea.”

  Mark was silent for a moment, and then asked, “Do you like it? I mean is that what you’ve always wanted to do?”

  She supposed he would look at in that way. Baseball wasn’t just his job, it was his life. He’d probably been born knowing he was bound for the major leagues.

  “Gardening is one of my passions, writing is another. So for me it was only a natural step to combine the two.”

  “So you like it?”

  “Yes I do. I get to work from home, call my own hours, spend lots of quality time with my family. But the pay could definitely be better.”

  “Is that why you stole my necklace? Because your job doesn’t pay well?” He asked it casually, but Lorelei could hear the edge he tried to hide in his voice.

  She removed her hand from his body and placed it on her hip. “I can’t tell you why. It’s too personal.”

  His body tensed and steel entered his voice. “I think we just got pretty damn personal, Lorelei. I deserve an answer and I want to know why you did it.”

  He was right. He did deserve an explanation. But she couldn’t give it. If she did it meant laying her family open to an outsider’s view, giving them opportunity to judge. And once they started, they never stopped.

  For as long as she could remember she’d had it drilled in to her that family business stayed in the family. It didn’t get shared for other people’s scrutiny. After her sister’s death her parents became almost fanatical about it in their grief. Even now, after they were gone, being closed-lipped was a habit she couldn’t break. Even if it upset Mark not to get an answer.

  If she told him one thing, it would lead to another. Then another. Pretty soon her family’s entire closet of skeletons would be on display for his perusal. He would eventually find out the truth about her mother. Though her mom had always had problems, after Lucy’s death she had gone off the deep end and hurt a lot of people. Lorelei was sure that’s why her parents had become so paranoid about privacy. Because Barb Littleton’s crazy behavior had created more buzz than a swarm of bees. There were still things that happened that she and Logan never talked about, shared traumas that had shaped and molded them both. More things still that her father had kept from them.

  It was her mother who had started the barn fire. On purpose. Though it had never been openly acknowledged by their parents, Logan was sure that she’d been schizophrenic and had lit the hay on fire during a delusional episode. Her father had tried to save her, but they didn’t make it out on time.

  What would Mark think of her if he knew all that?

  She wasn’t willing to be that exposed and vulnerable—that open to rejection. She didn’t have that kind of trust in her. She could, however, turn the conversation back to him, and ask him about his necklace. Put the spotlight back on him and see if he was willing to open up.

  “Why is that cross so important to you, Mark?” She really wanted to know.

  “Why’s it so damn important to you?” he shot back. With a curse he moved and rolled Lorelei on her back. Pinned her arms above her head. His hard thighs straddled her and his hands gripped her wrists. The hair on his calves rubbed against her legs and his feet wrapped over her shins, held them to the floor. Instantly heat flashed in her stomach and her blood warmed. All her senses were alert in the dark and it excited her to feel his large, hard body over her but not be able to see him clearly. It sent a shock of feminine wariness zinging through her.

  “I’ll make a deal with you, Mark. When you tell me your secrets, I’ll tell you why the necklace means so much.”

  “They’re none of your business. They’re mine.” His silhouette lowered toward her on his warning. His breath washed over her neck and she felt the weight of his erection on her stomach. Annoyance mingled with arousal inside her. Arousal won when his mouth found her jaw and he began kissing a moist, slow trail to her mouth. She strained against the hands still holding hers and released a soft moan. In one fluid motion he stretched his large body and settled over her. Hot flesh came up against her and her nipples grew tight. It was full body contact, bare skin to bare skin.

  His mouth reached hers and he licked the corner of her lips until she opened it for him. Then he whispered, “Do you know what a triple is, Lorelei?”

  She was melting again. “Yes.”

  “Good, because I plan on hitting one tonight.”

  Chapter 18

  MARK HIT TRIPLES for three straight days off the field. By the time they were back in Denver, Lorelei was pretty darn sure she’d made up for her celibate streak of the past two years in spades. Boy, he’d been right about one thing: When he found something he did well he kept at it.

  The door opened and he walked in to his condo just as she was finishing up lunch. Two plates loaded with grilled chicken salad sat on the black granite counters. It had been a struggle to cook the chicken breasts since all he had was a hunkering stainless steel contraption out on the balcony. After ten minutes of muttering and then five more of flat-out swearing she’d figured out how it worked. Then she’d felt like an idiot. Turned out all she’d had to do was push a stupid button.

  She’d stood there frowning, thinking to herself that she was glad no one was out there to witness her blond moment when she’d caught wind of a snickering above her. Her gaze had whipped up to see a young teenage girl hanging over the balcony above her; she’d obviously enjoyed eavesdropping.

  Lorelei had turned to walk back inside when she’d realized that just about every teenage girl had a cell phone. So she’d strolled to the edge of the balcony, smiled up at the young girl, and introduced herself. She’d figured with the cell phone she could call Dina and be out of the locked apartment in no time.

  After a few minutes spent convincing the girl to loan out her precious cellular, and then a few more spent finagling the phone down with a roll of blue yarn, Lorelei had grabbed it. Then she’d wasted no time dialing the number she’d memorized. She could still remember the conversation clearly.

  Dina had answered on the fourth ring. “This better be good.”

  “Hi, Dina.”

  “Well, well. Look who’s decided to grow some balls after all. Since you’re calling me I assume you have the goods?”

  Lorelei glanced through the glass doors at the living room. “Not exactly. I have it,” she rushed on before Dina could interrupt, “but I need your help.”

  A drawn-out sigh came through the phone. “Really. What is it that I’m supposed to help you with?”

  Talking to the woman was like listening to nails on a chalkboard—they both grated. “I’m still stuck in Mark’s condo, but he’s gone. I need you to come let me out and then I’ll take you to get the necklace.” It didn’t sit easy with her, but she still needed the money. So much had happened between her and Mark since the beginning, and she was trying like hell to keep a divisive line between business and personal. But she couldn’t help wishing there was another way.

  Dina cut into her thoughts. “Silly girl. I can’t help you. Have you forgotten that the prick
has a restraining order against me? I’ll be arrested if I step within a thousand feet of his place.”

  “But—”

  “No buts. I’m paying you an ass ton of money, so figure this out yourself. I have better things to worry about than the two of you playing hanky-panky.”

  Frustration made her tone sharp and she snapped. “I’m beginning to think you don’t actually want his charm after all.”

  Dina snorted and replied coldly, “I’m beginning to think you don’t want the money after all.”

  Exhaling, Lorelei grasped at her composure. “I’m sorry.”

  “You might be sorry, but you better not make me sorry I hired you.” There was a shuffle in the background. “I’m late for an appointment. Get off your ass and do something, Lorelei. Or stop wasting my time.”

  On that note the line went dead.

  And that had been that. A perfect opportunity completely wasted.

  Lorelei had stared at the phone with a sinking feeling and then gave it back to the girl. Maybe she was cursed. Because it seemed like every opportunity that cropped up just got smashed to bits, and that there was simply no way for this to work.

  Or maybe was there a way and she just didn’t want to see it because of what it would mean for her and Mark.

  “What smells so good?” The deep timbre of Mark’s voice drifted in from the foyer, pulling her back to the present. He appeared in the doorway and she saw his mouth drop. “You made me lunch?”

  Lorelei glanced down at the plates and back to his shocked expression, her heart suddenly a little bubble of happiness. “Yep. I thought I’d prove to you I can make more than just brownies and junk food.” She handed him a plate. “Here, eat this one. There’s things in there called vegetables. You might just like them.”

  He laughed at the words she threw back at him and took the plate in a strong hand. The other ran intimately over her butt and squeezed. His mouth lowered to her neck and he nuzzled the sensitive skin. “I’d rather eat you.” He gave her a playful nip and straightened. “But a guy’s got to get his protein and roughage first.”