By the top of the seventh, when the relief pitcher took over, I excused myself, saying I was headed to the restroom. Instead, I took a spot at the fence. Looking over at North’s dugout, I could see the white of Jay’s teeth as he smiled and fist-bumped his teammates as they headed for the field. For a split second, I allowed myself to feel what could have been, and then I pushed it aside and only felt joy for this remarkable kid and the future that lay ahead of him.
I cheered North’s team as the relief pitcher made a valiant effort but let one run in. They were still up by five, so I was feeling confident going into the seventh inning stretch. I realized I’d been gone a while and Naomi might send a search party out for me, so I turned to head back to the stands. North’s mascot spoke over the loudspeaker, priming the crowd for “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” Most of the crowd stood, preparing to sing along as I made my way back to our row. When I approached, Naomi and Ari were giving me a look I’d only ever seen on two other people: Laney and Fiona. That could not be good. Just as I craned my neck looking for Emmy, I heard a new voice over the loudspeaker.
“Um, hi. Thanks for letting me take over, and I apologize ahead of time.” I knew that voice. It took me a moment to track her down, but there was Emmy, standing by home plate with a microphone in her hand. What the hell was she doing? I looked to Naomi and Ari—and, hell, even Aldo—for some explanation but at her next words, my eyes shot straight back to Emmy before I could get any explanation. “This one’s for Gavin!” She thrust an awkward fist up in the air and I felt my mouth stretch in a big-ass grin as she began to sing—terribly—the first words of the iconic song. It was God-awful and fucking awesome all at the same time. But I’ll give her one thing, when that woman commits to something, she doesn’t half-ass it. She sang and swayed and beckoned for the crowd to join in. And we did. Even through tears of laughter, we did. I’d never be able to hear that song again without the image of Emmy in her red sundress butchering it just for me.
And that’s when I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that everything would be all right.
“Celebratory dinner at Hops!” yelled Ari.
The first game of the playoffs was over and North had made it to the next round.
“Jay might want to hang out with the team, so don’t give him a hard time if he begs off,” said Aldo. From what I’d seen today, Jay had the ideal dad for a player—someone to talk baseball with and play catch, but also someone who understood when you needed to roll with the team dynamic. He reminded me a little of my dad, but with the added flavor of slightly illegal substances.
“Ari, call your folks to join us,” Naomi suggested, and Ari pulled out her phone to increase the crowd to a number that didn’t have a hope of getting a table. Not that I had a vested interest. Emmy and I were abandoning the party to have a little get-together of our own even if we had to ninja fight our way out of there.
After the worst rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” in the history of the world, Emmy had politely handed the microphone back to the mascot who, though I can’t confirm it because of his costume, I strongly suspect had just peed himself with laughter. Then she’d very gracefully made her way off the field and up the bleachers directly to me and planted a hard kiss on my smiling lips. She was literally shaking and I pulled her onto my lap and took the cap from my head to place it on hers. That earned me a brilliant smile as she took deep breaths to calm herself. I couldn’t even imagine what it had taken for her to go so far outside of herself to get on that field and belt the hell out of that song. I was awestruck. She had just set the bar for our entire relationship going forward. I’d never be able to impress her with anything less than a public striptease or maybe the donation of a kidney. Not that I was concerned because Emerson Scott was not only absolutely certifiable, but she was mine.
“I think Gavin and I will catch up with you guys later,” Emmy said, clearly on the same page as me.
Naomi hugged us both. “Have fun, kids.”
“Yeah, have fun!” Ari echoed, leaving no doubt as to the kind of fun she was suggesting.
Emmy blushed, of course, and I grabbed her hand to pull her toward the parking lot.
I turned and yelled back, “Hey, Naomi! Ask Ari about Jax!”
I caught a glimpse of Ari’s death glare just as Naomi’s face lit up and she clasped her hands together, readying herself for the inquisition. Gavin, one; Ari, well, probably more than one.
“What was that about?” Emmy asked.
“Probably nothing, but it was fun anyway.” We continued toward my Jeep.
“I’m going to have to dig into this one later.” She gave me a sidelong glance.
“Definitely later. Right now, I’m taking you to my place and you’re going to tell me how Emerson Scott got the brilliant idea of serenading a couple hundred people.”
She put her free hand over her face. “Was it really that many?”
“Afraid so.” I shook my head and grinned. “But you definitely killed it.”
“Yeah, something tells me you’re using that word in its literal sense.”
I laughed and pulled her hand so she had no choice but to stumble into me. She gave a little yelp and I lowered my head, not able to wait any longer for another taste of her. She kissed me back and sighed into my mouth. Damn, I’d missed this.
She parted her lips and I took the invitation to slide my tongue inside to meet hers. I felt her arms circle my neck and I wrapped mine around her waist, closing any remaining space between us and fitting her body against mine. I angled to get a better taste and felt my cock clamoring to join in.
Then I remembered where we were and groaned—in disappointment this time. I tore my mouth from hers and she pulled in a deep breath, looking a bit dazed. “Let’s get the hell out of here,” I practically growled. She just nodded her head and we ran the rest of the way to my Jeep.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Sandwiches
EMERSON
I laughed out loud as we sped down the highway, the wind whipping my hair around and the sound of my laugh getting lost in the breeze. Gavin looked over and gave me an inquisitive glance accompanied by an adoring smile. It was too loud to talk, but I shouted nonetheless.
“I can’t believe I did that!”
He coughed out a quick laugh, then signaled to take the off-ramp, driving us toward his place in High Point. I’d never been there and was curious to see where he lived.
Last night, when Ari told me what they’d all done for me I’d been completely floored and not a little overwhelmed. As I listened to her explain about Fiona and this Ollie guy and how she and Gavin had been communicating with each other all week to ensure my personal life and my career didn’t fall apart, I felt like crying—in a good way.
Mandy’s words from the grocery store echoed in my head and I thought about how incredibly lucky I was to have so many people championing me—caring for me. My mom, Aldo, Jay, Ari, Ari’s whole darn family, my dad—in his own way, even Thomas Wheeler and Gavin’s friends who hardly knew me! And then there was Gavin. I mattered to a lot of people, and that was a gift I didn’t ever want to squander.
If I couldn’t find a way to balance my career aspirations with my personal life, there was a problem with my priorities. I didn’t want to end up like my father, where partnerships only belonged in his professional life, not his personal one. Truthfully, it made me feel a bit sorry for my dad, something I’d never in my life felt toward him.
My mother and Mrs. Amante butted their way into the conversation, of course, and Ari was more than happy to share the details of my saga. I had to endure a bit of admonishing from my mom for not telling her everything in the first place, but I didn’t mind it much—not with the new revelations seating themselves in my heart and mind. Then all three women tasked themselves with hatching a plan—a plan to reclaim my life and reclaim my boyfriend. And not necessarily in that order.
We all decided the situation called for a big gesture. And nothing gets
bigger for me than standing in front of a crowd of people and making a complete idiot of myself. Gavin had let me have my freak out when I lost my job and he’d supported my need for space. Then he’d gone and worked behind the scenes as my biggest ally, even taking on my dad and spearheading an illegal hacking endeavor. All for me. He needed to know that his actions, his kindness, meant the world to me. So I had to go big or go home. And I was Emerson Scott. I wasn’t about to go home.
The seventh-inning stretch had been my mom’s idea. Ari’s suggestion was luring Gavin to karaoke and singing some incredibly cheesy love song, but plenty of people do that. I needed something a bit more terrifying and significant, and if the smile on Gavin’s face was anything to go by, I’d hit the mark perfectly. The surprising part was, even though I was trembling with fear the entire time I held that microphone, it was also freeing in a sense. If I could survive that, I could survive just about anything.
We pulled into a complex of townhouses, and Gavin steered to a parking spot a few buildings down the road. The outside was tidy and the place relatively new.
“So, ready to get the grand tour?”
I was kind of thinking I just wanted him to show me the bedroom first, and that thought alone shocked me.
“Wait, why are you blushing?” Gavin asked, turning fully in his seat to face me as he removed his seatbelt.
“No reason,” I managed while I busied myself getting out.
Gavin met me on the walkway and stopped me with a hand on my arm. “Are you thinking of sandwiches again?” His grin was wicked.
“Shut up and show me your place.”
He chuckled as I preceded him up the walkway to his front door. He caught up with me and unlocked the door, pushing it open so I could go in ahead of him. “Just to be clear, I really like sandwiches.”
I scowled, making him laugh again.
He showed me the main floor, which was comprised of a kitchen, dining room, and living room, all surprisingly neat considering he hadn’t been expecting company. I don’t know why I was surprised, though. Gavin had a history of disproving all my preconceived notions about guys, and especially guys his age. If I’d learned anything over the last couple months, it was that judging people only made your life narrower. When I met him, I’d been under the impression that I knew way more about life than he did, but all evidence suggested that Gavin Monroe could teach me a thing or two. Or ten.
“So, are you going to tell me how you ended up at home plate singing your heart out to all your fans?” He pulled me to him and our bodies met front to front, fitting together perfectly.
“Um, let’s just say I needed a change in perspective and I have some really pushy broads in my life.”
“I like the pushy broads in your life. But I like you the most.”
“What a coincidence. I’m pretty fond of you as well.” I felt my lips curve up as his head descended so his mouth could claim mine. It was exactly what I wanted—what I needed. His mouth on mine, his body on mine, our separation over the last week obliterated.
He seemed to be feeling the same, because he claimed my mouth with his own just as his hands took possession of my butt, pulling me in to feel his arousal. He was hard and I relished the feel of the evidence against my stomach. I couldn’t believe I’d ever thought I could do without this—without him—in my life. And it was about so much more than the physical. The electricity he brought to my body just reaffirmed everything else I knew about the two of us and the way we belonged together.
I answered the claim of his hands with a claiming of my own. I grasped his biceps and then slid my hands up until they threaded through his hair. I felt the sudden and unfamiliar urge to tug on the handfuls of hair I held—so I did. He responded with a growl and I smiled against his mouth. What had I been doing my whole adult life? Sex and lust and love—yes, I said it—was supposed to be liberating and fun. How had I not known that before?
Not that I had a lot of time to think about it, because Gavin suddenly hiked me up so I had no choice but to encircle his waist with my legs while he strode toward the stairs. God, I’d never wanted anything so badly in my life as I wanted this man. My mouth took over and burned a path from his neck to his ear where my teeth nipped at the lobe, drawing a curse from Gavin.
Before I knew what was happening, I felt a mattress at my back and a hard, male body descending over my front, covering me from head to toe. He kissed my neck and I threw my head back to give him better access as my back arched under the caress of his hand on my breast.
“We need to get this sweater off. Now,” he murmured into the skin of my throat before running his tongue over my pulse point. That sent a shock to the lowest part of my belly, and I was up on my elbows in no time, working to discard my sweater. Gavin lowered the straps of my sundress and then the bodice, exposing my naked breasts to him. Yes, Ari had finally convinced me to let the girls go free, and I was beyond grateful for it at this moment. Gavin took one of my nipples in his mouth while his hand played with the other. All I could do was wrap my legs around him and run my fingers through his hair while he worshipped my breasts—there was no other word for it.
When he switched his mouth to my other breast, he let his hand travel down to my thigh, where my dress had ridden up. His fingers traced a path to the edge of my panties before slipping under the silky fabric. I moaned in anticipation and he lifted his head from my chest to look into my face. I wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he must have found it because he got up on his knees, pulled my dress up to my waist and slid my panties completely off—all before I even knew what was happening.
But I didn’t have any time to be embarrassed or protest—not that any woman in her right mind ever would in this situation. He lowered his mouth to the juncture of my thighs and proceeded to use his fingers and tongue in a combination of caresses and strokes that had me panting and moaning and probably speaking in tongues. My climax washed over me, but his attentions continued until the last shudder ran through my body.
He wiped his mouth on the sheet but I was too shocked and boneless to be embarrassed. Then he came back up over me, still completely dressed, mind you, and smiled. “Did you just say, ‘Heavens to Mergatroyd’?” He looked like he was about to laugh.
“Quite possibly,” I panted in response, not even caring that he was laughing at me.
“Just checking.” He pressed a hard kiss to my mouth and then went back up on his knees, removing his shirt in the process and then going to the button of his jeans.
Finally!
I drank in the sight of his bare upper body, lean and muscled with only the scars on his right arm and shoulder breaking the smooth expanse of skin and smattering of hair. My hands stroked his stomach of their own volition and I was pleased to feel his muscles clench in response. A new boldness overtook me and I pushed his hands out of the way so I could lower his zipper and yank his jeans down—then his boxer briefs until he was completely exposed to me.
He quickly shucked the garment the rest of the way and I dispensed with my dress. Then we were on each other, fully naked, our skin soaking up the sensations each of us provoked in the other. I was considering never wearing clothes again, this felt so right. We explored and caressed with hands and mouths, our fingers and tongues tracing paths over one another’s skin until I thought I might pass out from the adrenaline rush and the clenching of my belly and sex.
As if reading my mind, Gavin lifted himself up and opened the drawer of his bedside table. He removed a condom and quickly tore the packet open before rolling it down his length. Then he settled on top of me and took my face between his hands.
“I missed you,” he said, and it made my nose sting a bit as my eyes got wet.
“I missed you too. I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about, Emmy. I’m just happy to have you back.”
“I’m happy to be back,” I said quietly as I encircled his waist with my legs and silently urged him to get down to business.
W
hich he did—spectacularly.
When we were both spent and satisfied, we snuggled together in a sweaty heap, exchanging small kisses now and then while we silently basked in each other’s company and closeness.
Finally, Gavin sighed. “Well that didn’t suck.”
I laughed out loud.
He pulled me even closer and placed a kiss on my head. “The only thing that could have made this better is if we had your woobie.”
I smacked his chest and he laughed at his own joke. Then he rolled me over and covered me with his body once more, essentially obliterating any protests on my part. As he came in for a kiss, he still had that smile I loved plastered on his face. I couldn’t help but smile back, and then his lips were on mine and our bodies awoke. It looked like our time-out was over and we were ready to resume play.
Epilogue
EMERSON
One Month Later
“There they are!” Ari pointed to a blue tent in the middle of a long row. My mom and Aldo were under the tent chatting with some potential customers. Ari and Jay headed that way and Gavin pulled me along by the hand.
The School for Visual Arts in Winston-Salem was hosting an art fair this weekend, complete with demonstrations and vendors of all kinds. Of course, Mom and Aldo had jumped at the chance to do a big event so close to home.
The place was busy with crowds of people checking out all the different booths and the wares up for purchase. Fiona had already bought a pair of earrings, a leather belt, and a bag of kettle corn, and we’d only been here ten minutes. The entire gang had come along, just to add to the chaos of the event. I had gotten to know Gavin’s friends a lot better over the past few weeks, and they had accepted both Ari and me with open arms. It felt great to expand my personal life to include more friends and experience more of what life had to offer. I was so grateful that I’d finally let myself embrace it.
The Game (Carolina Connections Book 4) Page 28