The Life That Mattered (Life Duet 1)

“He was a solid hitter. Always got on base, but he never hit a home run. I honestly think he lacked the confidence to go for it. His coaches told him to just get on base, so that’s what he did because that’s what you do when you’re young like that. You spend a lot of time on the bases.”

Were we still talking about baseball in the literal sense?

“I think once you hit your thirties, no one should judge if you just hit it out of the park your first time up to bat.” Her lips twisted as she stopped in front of me. “The goal is to hit it home. If you can do that, then why the hell not, right?”

I thought I understood the metaphor. But if I was wrong, I could get thrown out of the game.

“Can I get you a drink?”

Evelyn shook her head.

My eyes narrowed, studying her for a few seconds.

“First base is fine.” She shrugged.

Fuck me …

My grin got a two-second debut before I kissed her. It was slow. A pace that set itself. Maybe she invited me to hit a home run, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t take my time walking up to the plate, take a few practice swings, and relish the fact that I was the star hitter that night.

The invisible crowd cheered, multiplying the adrenaline in my veins, making my heart pound in my chest. Our kiss intensified, demanding with a clear purpose. As I backed her down the hallway, I made it to second base. She moaned when the pad of my thumb brushed her hard nipple.

My mouth wanted to follow my thumb.

Two steps into my bedroom, I unfastened her jeans, and my fingers slipped deep into third base. Excuse me for not sliding into home quite yet, but Evelyn’s bases were fucking spectacular.

“Yesss …” she hissed, breaking the kiss to catch her breath as she pushed my shirt up my chest.

I grabbed the hem of it, removing it in one quick stroke with my free hand.

“Seriously?” Her tongue made a lazy swipe along her lower lip as her eyes met mine and her fingers traced the lines of my chest and abs. “Now you’re just showing off, Roe.” Blue eyes took a few drunk blinks as I rubbed her clit.

I worked hard to stay fit. And while I’d had women admire my body before, they never did it quite like Evelyn. Her little smirk of appreciation mixed with her finger’s fascination with every detail of my anatomy left me feeling on top of the world.

Keeping her hands busy counting my abs, she widened her stance a few inches. I about died when she bit her lip to accent her grin as she glanced up at me.

“I could stay on this base for hours.” I captured her mouth again, swallowing her deep moan.

After she branded me with a kiss unlike anything I’d shared with anyone before her, she pulled her head back abruptly. I groaned my disappointment, pausing my fingers inside of her.

“You just have a mattress … on your floor?”

I chuckled. It was a bit strained because her hands had left my abs, deciding to work the button and zipper to my jeans. “I told you … simple life. I don’t miss a lot of things that—”

Fuck … fuck, fuck, fuck!

“That what?” She smirked, lifting onto her toes to press a kiss to my jaw as her hand started to breach the waistband of my briefs.

My hand cuffed her wrist to stop her while removing my other hand from her pants. “I don’t have a condom.”

I didn’t plan on having sex that night with Evelyn. That earned me extra gentleman points. However, not having any condoms earned me the biggest fuck-up trophy. Every man should plan for miracles.

She dropped flat onto her feet, forehead pressed to my chest as her hands fell from my pants, limp at her sides.

“I haven’t played baseball since I arrived here.”

No excuse. Nope … it wasn’t an excuse, more like an epic man fail on my part.

Evelyn laughed, stepping back. She zipped and buttoned her jeans before straightening her bra and adjusting her sweater. Then she picked my shirt up from the floor and handed it to me. “Let’s go.”

“Go?”

“Let’s go get condoms. There’s a store less than a block from here that’s still open. We can walk.”

Things … all the spectacular things about Evelyn Taylor.

Yet another reason I knew something was special—different about Evelyn. I didn’t hesitate for a single second. I didn’t suggest another night. I didn’t point out the obvious fact that we were on day two of being together and suggest we slow down.

Nope.

Jacket. Boots. Out the door.

“We should jog.” I reached for her hand and started jogging as she held up her phone with the flashlight on to guide our way in the dark.