Third Base (The Boys of Summer 1)

“Yeah, but you can dive head first into a base and get up just fine.”

I lean forward so the gap between us isn’t so big. “But our bodies are trained for that. We aren’t trained to expel the contents of our stomach. If we were, being sick would be called something else.”

“Good point.” I love that she concedes, but the glint in her eye tells me that even though I may have won this round, the next won’t be so easy. Sadistically, I look forward to an all-out heated battle with her. I have a feeling she’s a fiery little devil when she wants to be.

When the check arrives, I quickly pay and balk at her offering me her half. I give her a stern look, telling her that I don’t want her money, before I crack a smile. The eye roll is epic and so worth it. I’m comfortable with Daisy and am sensing that she feels the same way.

As I leave the booth, I take her hand and pull her behind me. My palm is on fire from her touch, sending my mind into overdrive. I don’t give her any option but to follow me to my car across the street. Her short legs have to work double time to keep up with my long strides. That is something I’m going to have to make an effort to change when I’m with her.

When we get to the side of my car, away from traffic, I pull her into my arms. She gasps, caught off guard, but I can’t wait any longer. It sucks that I have to bend to hug her, but it’s worth it to be able to have her pressed against my body. Her arms slide under my jacket and around my waist, as I take a deep inhale of her neck and hair. It’s not flowers that I smell, but the sun and beach. Her hair smells like coconut, causing me to linger longer than what is deemed acceptable for a friendly hug.

Touching her in the most innocent way – a hug – is killing me. My nerve endings are on fire, like they’re exposed and I’m finding that I have to grit my teeth to keep some semblance of composure. I let my lips graze her cheek, hoping to convey my intentions.

When I pull back to see if Daisy is feeling what I am, she doesn’t meet my eyes, effectively killing my mojo. I know for a fact that if she had looked at me, I would’ve kissed her. And I would’ve loved it. Instead, I’m forced to find any excuse to touch her. I push her hair behind her shoulder, tempted to pull it forward again. She looks at me, but the moment isn’t right.

“What time is your class?”

“I have class at two.”

“May I drive you?”

She nods and my inner self is fist pumping like there’s no tomorrow. I open the door and help her slide in before running around to the other side. At least for today, the inside of my car will smell like Daisy and that makes me very happy.

After dropping Daisy off on campus, and watching her walk away, I drove around town trying to stay enveloped in everything of her that’s been left in my car. I need to find a subtle way to find out what fragrance she wears so I can make sure she’s always fully stocked. It’s hard to describe and seems ridiculous for me to say she smells like warmth and home, but that’s what it is for me. She makes me feel comfortable.

I stop at my Brownstone before heading to the stadium. I plan to ask Daisy if she wants to do something for her birthday, preferably at my place, so we can have some privacy. When I open the door I can tell my maid service has already come and gone. It doesn’t take them long to clean during the season since I’m hardly home. The winter is a different story. There are days when I refuse to leave because it’s so cold, and I dread the winter workouts.

As I look around, I wonder if Daisy will like my place. All my walls are gray, but with white woodwork and cabinets. I went with black, red and white furniture to blend with the gray. My guest bedroom has a white comforter while mine is dark blue. My leather couch and comforter are the only things I picked out. My mom and sister did the rest.

I look at my king size bed and imagine Daisy lying there with her blonde hair, contrasting with my blue sheets. She’s going to look pale, gorgeous, and sexy as fuck, and I can’t wait until I’m lying next to her. I want to see her in my home, to see if these things I’m feeling are the real deal or just from the excitement from knowing someone new. What I do know is that my senses are heightened when I touch her and my nerves are zinging with electricity when she’s near. I never felt like this with Sarah. That has to mean something although I’m not sure what. What I am sure of is that my gut is telling me I can’t push her no matter how much I want to get to know every inch of her body as soon as humanly possible.

When I arrive at the stadium there’s a note in my locker to go see the GM. If it were serious, he would’ve called me and asked me to come in. As is, it’s still nerve-racking climbing the stairs to see the man who could change your life in the blink of an eye. What’s worse is that he’s only a few years older than me.

Wendy is sitting at her desk, typing away. When I walk in, she stops and smiles. “Mr. Stone is waiting for you.”

“Thanks,” I say. I knock on his door once before I twist the knob and enter. Ryan Stone is standing at his floor to ceiling windows that overlooks the field. He truly has the best view, but there’s nothing like being down where the action is. “Hey boss.”

Ryan turns around and motions for me to sit in one of the chairs that are situated in front of his desk. Last year, I walked in to talk to him about the BoRe Blogger only to be interrupted by none other than Hadley Carter, who I had a massive crush on. Turns out, Hadley and our boss used to be an item and she was here to win him back. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t believe in love. She won her man back, and they ended up getting married on the field.

“How are you feeling these days?”

I know he’s asking about my nervous tick and honestly I haven’t felt it during the past few days. Come to think of it, this afternoon at lunch I didn’t have to hide my hands at all.

“I’ve been trying acupuncture and I think it’s helping, but not all the time. When I’m nervous, it’s always worse.”

Ryan opens a file and briefly picks up a sheet of paper before setting it down on top of the open folder on his desk. “I’m not seeing it affect you on the field.”

I shake my head. “No sir, I’m comfortable on the field and when I’m batting.”

“The extra time with Diamond paid off then?”

“I believe so.”

Ryan makes a note and closes my file. He’s been a hands-on general manager, making sure that everything is okay with his players.

“Are you ready for some media training?”

I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. I’ve been waiting for this moment for over a year now. “Yes, sir. Tell me what I have to do.”