Winning Streak

by Alice Ward

  I remembered hearing that plenty during my childhood. Every time I asked for his advice. That was usually what I’d get. “Do what’s right, Kitty-Kat, cause everything you do can come back to bite ya in the ass.”

  “So, did it? Come back to bite you in the ass?” I asked.

  “Oh yeah. Five years ago, right after your dad retired. Jasmine came back into my life, this time with a two-year-old boy named Benny. Apparently, she’d been living with a man, believing the kid was his. When he left, he demanded a DNA test, and of course, Benny wasn’t his. That left me.”

  “So, your wife found out?” I asked, feeling painfully sorry for this man, even though he was far from the victim. This still wasn’t anything I could use. Player knocks up stripper, loses wife, takes the kid. Ugh!

  “Yeah. She tried to stay for a while. We went to counseling. Jasmine took off, saying the baby was too much for her to handle, but not before shaking me down for a pretty penny to sign over custody. We couldn’t have kids, so it was actually a godsend at first. My wife was happy, loved that little boy, and I thought was forgiving me for my indiscretion.”

  “So, what happened?”

  “He was diagnosed with autism at three. She took off, saying it was my punishment for being a cheater, not hers.”

  My heart ached. The woman I once thought so sweet was now looking like a monster to me. “That’s horrible.” His eyes softened on mine. His stiff, squared chin relaxed, his lips parted, and a soft sigh escaped his throat.

  “No. She was a good woman for trying. I don’t blame her, but then again, I don’t take the blame for Benny’s disease either. He’s a great kid. There’s not been one day that’s felt like a punishment being his father.”

  “Wow.” I didn’t mean for that to be out loud.

  He told me all about Benny. He was now seven, in first grade, and keeping up with the other kids pretty damn well. The look of pride in his eyes when he spoke gave me goosebumps. I jotted all the information in my notes, realizing that no matter how he got Benny, he was the story the fans needed to hear about.

  I wrapped up our interview with a quick hug. It felt good to talk to Blake, especially after he quit bringing up my dad. “I bet your old man’s so proud of the woman you’ve become,” he said as he released our hug.

  His hands were on my shoulders, squeezing tightly. “It was real good of Rhett to try and make things right for Bobby,” he said softly.

  I stared into his eyes, my body frozen in confusion. “What do you mean?”

  Redness soared onto his cheeks like wildfire, his eyes shifted from their lock on mine and lowered toward the ground. “Hey, Osborne, let’s go!” one of the players yelled from the corridor.

  “Nothing,” he said quickly. “It was real good talking to ya, Katrina. I hope you got everything you needed.”

  Yeah, I got what I needed, and then some. What did he mean by Rhett making things right for my dad?

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Todd

  It was the bottom of the ninth against the Mets in our first exhibition game against each other. The bases were loaded, my knees ached like a son of a bitch, and the Florida heat was making my balls so sweaty they stuck to my cup.

  I caught Kat from the corner of my eye, snapping pictures, and posing the players with the fans. She’d worked hard the last couple weeks. From the looks of her, too hard. Her shorts were loose, baggy around her hips, and the tank top she’d once filled out so nicely just hung against her skin. Dark smudges under her eyes made it look like she hadn’t slept in days. What was wrong?

  She looked over her shoulder, our eyes met, and somehow the universe halted, allowing us the time to gaze into one another’s souls. Yes, I missed her. I thought it was obvious she missed me too.

  My knees screamed with agony as I squatted over the plate. My eyes moved over the field then toward Calvin on the mound, watching his movements and reading his thoughts. I knew he was tired, his fastballs taking a toll over the last several innings. I signaled a change up as the batter waited for the next pitch, he nodded. This was it. We were ahead 10-8, two strikes, and one hit could mean losing the game. That was something I wasn’t willing to do against my old team.

  Calvin wound up the pitch, my glove moved to the lower left of the strike zone. Vibrations rushed through my hand and to my body as the ball slammed into my glove. “Strike three, yourrrr out!” The umpire's words were like music to my ears.

  I jumped up, immediately ran to the mound, lifting Calvin from his feet and slinging him around like he was a rag doll. We were finally working well together. Fuckin’ finally! Kat snapped pictures of the two of us, smiling from behind her camera when she caught me looking at her. Damn, that girl was under my skin.

  “You look like you’re having fun,” I said, leaning against the fence toward Kat.

  Her face flushed with color as she turned to find me standing there. Yeah, I caught you lookin’ at me.

  “Just doing my job,” she said sweetly.

  “About that. I’m really sorry… for everything,” I admitted.

  Her eyes softened, her lips parted. I could see her cheeks fighting against the smile forming on her face. God, I’d missed that look, that smile.

  “I’m sorry too,” she said. For what, I had no idea. I was the ass. She’d kept her promise to leave Marcus out of the media, using herself instead to spin the angle. There were still so many questions about why we were in that part of town, and I knew her life would be much easier if we told the truth. But she didn’t, and for that, I was appreciative.

  “You’ve got no reason to be sorry.”

  “You look tired,” I noted.

  She let out a sigh, closed her eyes for a moment, and then stared into mine. “Rhett has me working overtime to set up charity events.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah, and actually, I could really use your help.” She smiled, and I knew I’d help her with anything.

  “Anything you need, it’s yours,” I offered, realizing that was a stretch.

  “There’s an event scheduled at the elementary school up the street. I could really use you there to help ease the last incident,” she tossed out in her semiprofessional, semi-sexually seductive tone.

  I nodded. “Deal. On one condition.”

  “What’s that?” she asked with exhaustion in her tone.

  “Go to the beach with me afterwards.”

  “Why? You plan on wrestling a shark?” she asked, chuckling beneath her anxiety.

  I slid up my sleeve, exposed the large scar I’d received from a cleat in the minors and smiled. “Been there, done that.”

  Her eyes widened, her lips formed a circle of surprise as she ran her fingers across my scarred skin. Her touch brought something alive in me, not just sexually, something else, something deeper. I laughed at her naivety, explaining how the guy on third base had almost torn my arm off. “I’ll never play without my gear again,” I laughed. “So, is it a deal?”

  “It’s a deal,” she replied.

  There was that smile again, fighting not to appear. Her cheeks twitched, turned a pretty shade of pink that reminded me of the tender flesh between her legs, causing my dick to jump in my pants.

  “You don’t think I’ll scare the kids, do ya?” I asked, pointing at the faded bruises on my face. The black under my eyes had begun to turn a lime green, but the marks on my cheeks were still dark purple.

  “I can fix that,” she said, moving her hand slowly toward my face. The smoothness of her skin against mine felt so good. I wanted to reach up and touch her, but I didn’t.

  “I have some makeup in my room. Come by before the event, and I’ll fix you right up.” She glanced around and pulled her hand away.

  I’d never been so anxious to do a charity meet-n-greet in all my life. The next two days waiting for the event had been killing me. Kat was busy with her interviews, her charity scheduling, and Lord only knows what else. She wasn’t accessible, at least not to me. But today was the d
ay, and I planned to get as much Kat time as I possibly could.

  My hand was reached toward her door, clenched in a fist, and ready to knock when it opened. Kat looked surprised as she opened it, her eyes narrowed and her head tilted. “Todd?”

  “You told me to come by,” I said, pointing to the marks on my face that were already clearing up.

  “Of course, come in,” she said, motioning for me to enter. “I’m running late. I’d forgotten.”

  It didn’t make me feel so great that she’d forgotten me, but I was still holding her to our deal. “You pack your bikini?” I asked.

  “Bikini?”

  “Yeah. You promised to go to the beach with me after the event,” I said, smiling with as much charm as I could muster.

  “I said I’d go to the beach. I didn’t say anything about a bikini,” she smirked.

  “What else do you wear at the beach?” I asked with a laugh. “A gray suit and heels?”

  She stood back, held her arms open and showed me the outfit she was already wearing. White shorts, fuck they were nice and short. And a pink tank top, this one tighter than the other, pressing nicely against her firm breasts. I bit my bottom lip, rose an eyebrow to show my approval, and without realizing it, a growl escaped my throat.

  She blushed, quickly rushed into her bathroom, and returned seconds later with a pink zippered bag. “Sit down.”

  I sat. Kat fumbled in the pink bag, digging through various tubes and bottles before finally pulling out a small brown squeeze tube. “What’s that?” I asked, suddenly cautious about makeup being applied to my face.

  “Concealer,” she replied, pushing her hand against my forehead to tilt my head back to the chair. “It’s nothing that will show. It’s designed to hide blemishes.”

  The brush was cold as it slid across my skin, first at my cheek and then under my eye. Her finger was warm sliding across the goo to smooth it. I watched as she moved closer, leaning over me to check her work. Her vanilla scent, her smooth skin, and her warm breath were too much to bear. I gripped her hand as she pulled it from my face, tugging her closer to me. Our lips met, explosions, wildfires, and even volcanoes erupted within me from her touch. It’d been too long. She felt it too, I knew she did.

  “We have to go,” she whispered, barely pulling her lips away from mine.

  Her eyes were wildly excited, but her actions cold and precise. “Okay,” I agreed, deciding now wasn’t the time to argue.

  She rushed me from the room, shared an elevator with me, barely speaking, and then jumped into a black car out front, leaving me to ride with the other players on the shuttle.

  My eyes pulled to Kat like magnets to metal as she led the kids in a cheer. “Here.” She handed me a speed gun. My hand grazed over hers as I took the device from her. What was it about her that drove me so wild?

  The kids lined up, all taking a turn at the pitcher’s mound while I clocked their speed. One boy, Jimmy, he was a natural, throwing out thirty mile an hour balls toward the batter. “Wow. You got some arm,” I told him, his cheeks rounding with pride.

  “You’re really great with these kids,” she said softly, her hand sliding gently up my arm as she spoke.

  “I have a surprise for you after this,” I grinned. I knew her curiosity was bursting as she gazed at me with that beautiful smirk and those gorgeous, narrowed eyes.

  “Are you ready to watch how the pitcher and catcher work together?” she yelled to the kids, ignoring my comment. They all cheered as Calvin took the mound.

  I handed the speed gun to Ace, loaded my gear on, and took my spot at the plate. Kat explained every move we made, giving the kids an insight into how we had to work together. They all oohed and awed at the accuracy in each pitch. It felt good to get the credit for my part, even if only from a group of fifth graders. Kat smiled in my direction as she told the kids to watch where I placed my glove. Calvin slammed the ball into my palm, each time, exactly where I directed him.

  The kids had a blast, and I had to admit, so did I. But the tension between me and Kat was growing stronger with each glance, and I was glad it was finally over. “Hang back,” I said as I passed Kat and headed out the door with the other players.

  Everyone climbed onto the shuttle, Ace and Calvin expressing excitement to get back to their girls. I envied them. But, for now, I had my girl.

  “You comin’?” Calvin asked, holding the door.

  “No, I got a ride,” I said, motioning over my shoulder at the red Corvette pulling up.

  “Nice,” he said with a wink.

  A tall man wearing a suit exited the Corvette, handed me the keys, and had me sign for the car. As he headed to the car waiting for him, Kat walked out of the school. “What’s this?” she asked, her eyes wide and expressive.

  “Our ride to the beach,” I smiled.

  She seemed reluctant as I opened the passenger door. The shuttle, the team, and any sign of the media were gone. “I’ll take it easy,” I promised.

  Her lips tightened, but they were fighting back a smile, I could tell. I laughed. “Baby, you’re gonna have to learn to let go.”

  I started the car, revved the engine, and peeled out of the parking lot as Kat gripped the dashboard so tight her knuckles whitened. “You said you’d take it easy,” she squealed.

  The excitement in her eyes told me she wanted it, but her tone said something entirely different. I let off the gas and cruised past our condo. “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “I have this all night. I’d hate to let it go to waste,” I smiled, moving off the A1A.

  Once on the highway, she relaxed. “This is a nice car,” she said, sliding her hand across the leather interior.

  “You want to see what it can do?” I asked, grinning in her direction.

  “Maybe just a little,” she giggled.

  My foot pushed on the gas, speeding the car up to eighty, and then ninety in just a few seconds. The force sent her back against her seat, laughter, squeals, and excitement oozed from her as we raced down the highway. “Faster?” I asked.

  Her cheeks were bright red, and her eyes wild as she nodded. A soft squeal escaped her lips as I punched it, sending her back further into her seat. My body rushed with adrenaline, a much-needed sensation I’d missed these last several weeks. Watching her light up, enjoying the speed, and knowing she trusted me made the sensation all that more enjoyable.

  I let off the gas, slowed to the speed limit, and watched her eyes move toward the cop sitting along the side of the road. As we passed him, she laughed, “Close one.”

  I whipped the car into the parking lot of a jet ski rental shop. “What are we doing here?” she asked, the excitement in her voice turning to anxiousness.

  “You’re gonna love it,” I promised.

  Inside the shop, a woman with tanned, leathered skin handed me a receipt to take outside to the beach in exchange for my credit card. Kat was still whining that she wasn’t ready. “There are sharks out there,” she moaned.

  I gripped her hand, ignored her excuses, and guided her to the tiki hut where a man waited to set us up. “Wet suits?” he asked.

  “Absolutely,” I said, handing him the receipt.

  Kat looked adorable in her pink wet suit. It was so tight it clung to her hourglass-shaped body. “We may need to keep that,” I said, considering cutting a few holes in it, of course. She blushed, obviously on the same track.

  The man gave us a quick overview of how to operate the jet skis. Kat listened carefully, asking him to repeat himself on various occasions. “You’ve never done this?” I asked, surprised by how little risk she’d taken in her life.

  “No,” she replied, her tone quick and nervous.

  We started out slow, Kat not willing to accelerate enough to get over the waves that banged against the shore. “You have to gun it,” I shouted, blasting over one of the larger waves.

  It was obvious her fear was taking over. I didn’t think she was going to be able to make it past the breaking wave
s. “I’m coming,” I shouted, turning my jet ski around to call it a day. I didn’t want to push. If she was scared, she was scared.

  Her jet ski turned toward me and suddenly moved forward with a wild intention. Holy shit, girl, you did it! I was shocked as she blasted over the wave and made her way to me. “How’d that feel?” I asked.

  “Fucking amazing!” Her eyes were lit up like a Christmas tree.

  The waves were still slapping, nipping at our feet. “Come on, let’s take a cruise,” I said, turning and taking off toward the depths of the ocean without waiting for her to refuse.

  Looking over my shoulder, she kept up, and soon was beside me. The faster I went, the faster she went. I dove the nose of the jet ski into the water, accelerating hard to sink it and me into the waves. As I popped up, Kat was squealing with delight. “You try it,” I teased, knowing the response before her head even began shaking with a hard no.

  “What about this?” I asked, turning the jet ski around to get a head start. I circled it around, spun fast past her, and then made my way back toward the large wave forming. As soon as the nose touched the wave, I lifted up hard, pushing the jet ski high into the air. I pulled back, flipping myself before landing back on the water. Kat was speechless at first, staring at me with a strange look in her eye. Was she pissed?

  “Nothing scares you, does it?” she asked as I pulled up beside her.

  “Nope,” I lied. She scared me.

  Finally, a smile. My heart calmed as her eyes softened on mine. I didn’t want her to think I was just an adrenaline junkie like the tabloids and the Mets said.

  She looked up at the sky. “It’s getting dark.”

  I nodded, turned my jet ski around, and headed for the shore with her beside me. I didn’t speed up once. I wanted this moment to last.

  “You two looked like you were having fun out there,” the man at the stand said.

  I watched Kat smile, nod, and then blush a little as I gave her a wink. My eyes followed her as she stepped into a small hut to change and dry off. “You hungry?” I asked when we were both back in our clothes, motioning to the pizza place across the street.