Beyond the Play (Out of Reach 3)

“We’re more,” I agree with him. “And we have many more days like this ahead of us.”

“Years,” he corrects.

“Then move, Bailey. Show me what you can do.”

“Fuck,” he groans. “Are you sure? This won’t last much longer.”

“I’m sure. Give me all of you.”

My words, or maybe my acceptance of his, are all he needs to unleash everything he has. My arms and legs are wrapped around him tightly as he thrusts hard and fast. There’s no more talking as he takes what he needs and, in the process, gives me what I need as well.

The fire inside me now burns at an accelerated pace, and before I know it, I’m calling out his name, digging my nails into his back. He rocks into me one last time and stills. I open my eyes in time to see his head thrown back and his jaw clenched tightly as he releases inside me.

His arms quiver as he tries to hold his weight off me. “You okay?” This time I’m the one concerned.

He lifts his head, and a slow smile pulls at his lips. “I’ve never been more okay in my entire life. You’ve ruined me, Parker. Ruined. Me.” He drops a kiss to my lips and slowly pulls out of my body. Immediately, I miss the connection. “Let me clean up. I’ll be right back.”

I know I should do the same, but my legs are jelly, and from the way he’s wobbling his way to the bathroom, I’d say he’s feeling the same way. A few minutes later, he’s sitting next to me on the bed, tapping my thighs for me to open as he helps clean me with a warm washcloth. Once he’s satisfied, he tosses the rag through the bathroom door not a single care where it lands and crawls over top of me, pulling the covers over us.

I’m back in his arms where we both want me to be. “In case we weren’t clear in all our previous conversations, you’re mine, Parker. It’s going to take the world ending for that to change.”

I don’t know what to say to that other than “I’m falling in love with you,” so instead, I say nothing at all. I snuggle into him and let the rhythm of his heartbeat lull me to sleep.

CHAPTER 25

Holden

The past four months have been nothing short of incredible. If you’d have asked me that first night four months ago where I’d be today, I never would have said, “madly in love with Parker Monroe,” but here I am.

Parker and I have settled into a routine of sorts, but that’s all about to change. I have to report to spring training in just a few days, which means I’m leaving for Florida, and my girl and my heart will still be here in Tennessee.

This weekend is Valentine’s Day, and although I know it’s cliché, I plan to tell her that I’m in love with her. So many times over the past couple of months, I’ve almost said the words. In fact, there are times when we’re in bed at night—and I know from her even breaths she’s sound asleep—that I’ve whispered them to her. That changes this weekend. I’m having a hard time with leaving her, and no way am I going to just jet off to spring training without her knowing that she is the absolute love of my life.

Hands down.

No question.

She’s my game changer.

I knew that October night all those months ago when I saw her for the first time that she was different. I just didn’t know that she was not only going to change my life but alter who I am as a person. Hell, even the media portray us as a baseball royalty couple, second place of course to Cameron and Paisley. And to hear Easton tell it, we are in third place. He is the king of the family, after all. His words, not mine. Not to mention I now have a new agent, who is not of the frame of mind that all press is good press.

I want to be better for her. I want to show her every single day that nothing is more important to me than her.

Not even baseball.

If it were not for the fact that it’s only been four months since I’ve known her and that I know she wants to graduate from college first, I’d be asking her to marry me tonight—confessions of love and promises of happily ever after. I’ve considered it, and hell, I even bought a ring. I was out shopping last week for today, and I saw it. I just knew it was meant for Parker. I bought it with the intention of proposing tonight, but I talked myself out of it. There’s no rush. I’ll let her focus on her last semester of college, and then all bets are off.