Cleat Catcher (The Cleat Chaser Duet Book 2) (12 page)

He licked a few more times, then scooted my hips down a little and grinned up at me.

“You go on to your parents’ house and get some grub. I’m all good here.”

“You. Are. Ridiculous.” I said between pants. I wanted to kiss him, but ‘contortionist’ wasn’t in my repertoire.

“Nope. Just full of delicious pussy.” He ran his hands across my ass and gave my mound a hard kiss. “And if they ask, feel free to tell your parents I already ate.”

“Braden didn’t mind fending for himself for dinner, did he?” Mother asked with faux concern as we sat down at the table.

I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face. “He did just fine. Don’t worry.”

“I hate that I missed the chance to meet him.” Ben, my older brother, smiled warmly at me. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed him. He worked in a bigger city a few hours away and rarely came home.

“You’ll meet him soon. Maybe you can come to a game with me?”

“That would be awesome. Do you get good seats?” His light brown hair needed a cut, but he was otherwise well put-together in a simple button-down and jeans.

“The best. Right behind home plate.” I smiled, warming at the thought of having an ally at the table.

“Count me in.”

My father cleared his throat and leaned forward, elbows on the table. “Speaking of Braden, we’d like to talk about what happened. Your mother and I need to know what sort of future you see with him.”

Way to start the heavy shit as early as possibl
e. I placed my napkin in my lap as the cook set the salad course in front of me. “I see a long future with him.”

My mother coughed dryly, but I continued, “He’s the only man I’ve ever felt this way about. I’m in love with him. Whenever I think about him, I smile.” As if on cue, the corners of my lips turned up at the thought of the orgasm he’d given me before I’d left the apartment. “We argue sometimes, sure. We have tiffs like the one here. Though, in his defense, he was goaded into that.” I shot a pointed look at my mother, who avoided my gaze. “But we always make up. We’re always there for each other. He’s the one.”

“But he has a temper.” My father speared a piece of lettuce.

I crossed my arms. “Not really. That scene, caused by
Carter
, was completely out of character for him.”

“Are you saying I missed a scene?” Ben ran a hand through his hair and chuckled. “Why do I always miss the good stuff?”

I nodded. “Mom decided she would invite Carter over for dinner at the same time I was bringing Braden to meet them.”

“Mom.” Ben slung his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “Come on, you know that wasn’t cool.”

He’d always had a way with her. Maybe it was because he was the oldest or maybe because he was a boy, but Mom always caved when it came to Ben. Relief began to surge inside me just from knowing he was on my side.

She pursed her lips. “Well, I just thought—”

“You’re too smart for your own good.” He squeezed her again before going back to his salad. “So, if Carter and Braden were here together, of course there was some sort of a fight, right?”

Despite Ben’s efforts, Mom seemed undeterred. “Braden isn’t the sort of man I pictured you with. He’s so, so angry. And he’s uneducated.”

“He knows what he needs to know to succeed at baseball. That’s his career.” I shrugged.

“But what will he do after his career is over?” My father’s eyes softened, and he put a hand on my upper arm. “He’s got what, five good years of baseball left, if that? His knees will go eventually. It happens to all catchers. Then what’s his plan? You’ve always been a hard worker, setting goals and knocking them down. Mom told me how you’re writing an article for
Style and Substance
now, already moving up. You have a bright future. We’re so proud of you. We just want to make sure you aren’t chaining yourself to someone who doesn’t share your work ethic.”

I fidgeted in my seat. Braden and I had never talked about what his plans were after baseball. Did he have some sort of backup career? What
would
he do when the seasons were over? Dad withdrew his hand, and the room fell silent as the cook replaced our salad plates with the main course—prime rib, roasted vegetables, and baked potatoes.

“He’ll find something else after baseball. We’ll figure it out together.” My voice had lost some of its strength, but I tried to sit a little taller to make up for it. “That’s how we do everything. Together.”

Dad cut into his prime rib and made an “oomph” noise. Mom shifted in her seat, and I suspected she’d kicked him under the table.

He began, “You know, I’m still involved in certain baseball circles.” He glanced at Mom but continued, “I was talking to a friend of the Ravens GM the other day after a round of golf at the club. He mentioned that Braden might be traded. Has he discussed that with you?”

Mom couldn’t contain her triumphant smile. I’d wipe that right off for her.

“We’ve discussed it. It’s one of the reasons he was so upset the other night. The trade talks were weighing on him. Maybe if you’d treated him like a person instead of some sort of insect you needed to brush away, he would have shared that information.” I was telling the truth, mostly. I didn’t mention that he hadn’t even told me until we were standing in the front yard and he was yelling at me. I winced at the memory. I’d resolved to forgive him for it, to try and forget it. But it still hurt all the same.

Mom’s smile fell away, and at least I got a slice of satisfaction from dousing her smugness.

“And that’s why he yelled—”

“Wait.” Ben’s eyes narrowed. “He yelled at you?”

“Just a little. Nothing crazy.”

Mom’s smile was back.

Ben pinched the bridge of his nose. “‘Just a little’? He’s lucky I don’t kick his ass! No guy yells at you, understand?”

I stared at him. “You’re yelling right now.”

“I’m your brother!” He clanged his fork on his plate. “I get to yell when you act like an idiot and let some guy walk all over you.”

Ben was so even-keeled that his anger took me off guard.

I needed him on my side. “It wasn’t like that. When you meet him, you’ll see. I promise, he’s never yelled before. It was just that one time.”

“One time too many,” Ben grumbled.

“Please have some faith in me. I would never be with a guy who mistreated me, okay?” I tucked my hair behind my ears and stared down at my plate as tears burned behind my eyes. My parents? I could handle their disapproval. But my brother, too?

Ben took a deep breath and, in a calmer voice, asked, “So, where are they thinking of sending him?”

He was throwing me a bone. I’d take it and run with it. “He doesn’t know. They haven’t actually sat down and discussed it yet. There will be a meeting next week, I think.”

I picked at my food and tried to regain the same confidence I had when I left the apartment, fully satisfied with myself and my boyfriend.

“Are you okay with leaving your job, though?” Ben asked. “Especially now that you’re getting more responsibilities? Doesn’t it bother him that he’ll be taking you away from all that?”

“He hasn’t …” My fingers went cold as I realized what I was about to say. “He hasn’t asked me to go with him.” My voice was small, almost as small as I felt.

“Thank God.” My mother drained her glass and motioned for another.

Disappointment hit me so hard in the chest that I thought it might bruise. Even after Braden and I had made up and discussed the trade issue, he’d never asked if I’d go with him. He’d talked about places he didn’t want to go or teams he wouldn’t mind joining. He’d even discussed the costs of moving all his things. But never once did he ask, or even mention, that I’d be at his side.

“Nik, you okay?” Ben placed his napkin next to his plate and rose.

“Yes, I’m fine.” I stood and held out my palm toward him. “Stay, finish your meal. I’m not feeling so great. I think I’ll go.”

“Nikki, please stay.” Dad’s pleading tone joined Ben’s concerned look and made my insides heave. They pitied me, and it almost broke me down to tears. I couldn’t let it.

I straightened my back, wiped an errant tear from my cheek, and strode toward the front door. “I can’t. I have something I need to do.”

B
RADEN

I
HEARD A
rattling against the door handle. “Fuck me. Nik’s home early.” Grabbing the remote, I clicked the power button and turned the TV on. The laptop tumbled over onto the floor, and the wireless mouse rolled under the coffee table. “Son of a fuck.”

I shot back against the cushion, doing my best to act normal. Nik pushed the door open. “Hey, babe. I was waiting for my dessert course.” I made a show of scrubbing my hand across my mouth and face like I was clearing her a space.

“I’m good.” Her tone was flat, and she didn’t even look at me.

What the hell?

Her usual spark was gone. She sauntered over to the side table, and dropped her keys and bag on it.

I glanced down at the laptop screen full of porn.
Fuck!
I’d been researching some new shit to try out with her, but there was no way she’d believe me. My gaze drifted to the mouse way up under the table. There was no chance I could get to it without giving away my knee situation.

Using my good leg, I tried to gently kick the computer screen closed, and, of course, it only opened wider.

“Have you moved from the couch all night? Did you even shower?” She sighed, still facing the wall like she had no interest in looking at me.

“What’s wrong, babe? What happened?” My mind raced. A lot could have occurred at Estate de CuntMuffin that would set her off. I’d been worried the whole time she was gone.

“I’m fine.” She turned around, and I watched her eyes dart straight to the computer screen. Her brows pinched together and her hands went to her hips.

Fuck me. This won’t be good.

“Nice, Braden. Real fucking nice.”

“It’s not what you think. I don’t look at porn.” I stared in the other direction and mumbled. “Often.”

“Your fingers slip and accidentally type in ‘fuckmedaddy.com?’” She scowled and began to pace back and forth.

I’d expected her to be upset about the porn, but not this much. I was halfway hoping she’d want to look at it with me. “No. I was trying to find new stuff to try out on you. If you must know.”

Her lips curled like she might smile, and then they mashed back into a thin line.

So close.

“Have they said if you’re going to be traded or not?” She took another step toward me, ignoring all of the pussy acrobatics flashing on the laptop.

“No.” I tilted my head to my lap and ground my teeth while I tried to compose myself. I’d been trying to forget about that shit all day, but the pain in my knee kept it front and center in my mind.

She made a
pfft
sound and threw her arms in the air.

“Babe, I’m sorry. I know I’m supposed to have a clue what you’re upset about. I just don’t.”

A million things rocketed through my mind at once and brought my entire thought process to a crashing halt. My brain buffered slower than the inverted cowgirl pussy nomming scene I’d attempted to watch earlier.

Nik scowled, and then folded her arms across her chest. She stared me down like a closer in the ninth inning. “Think really really hard about the problem we have.”

My eyes rolled up toward the ceiling. “Uhh, your parents?” I glanced back and tried to judge her reaction.

She made a loud sound like a buzzer that startled me.

“Fucking hell. I mean, umm, me being traded?” I held my hands up and shrugged.

“Warmer.” She took another step toward me.

I hated this fucking guessing game. Why couldn’t she just say it? Heat rushed into my face, and my body tensed.

“Can you just tell me? Please. Stop fucking around with me.” I smacked my hand against the back of the sofa, and Nik jumped.

“Maybe my parents were right. Maybe you do have anger issues.” She stomped off a few steps and whipped back around. “
Easton!
”