Here for You (18 page)

Without hesitation, he pulls the jersey over my head and I immediately feel more content in his arms. He rolls us so I’m on my back and his body is half draped over mine. He trails kisses down my neck and his mouth finds a breast at the same time his hand moves to the other one. “You are so perfect.” I moan at the contact on both sides. He doesn’t increase his speed but rather takes his time exploring. I arch up into him and I hear the soft growl deep in his throat. “Careful.”

He sits partially up and pulls my thong down my legs. “Cam.”

He places his mouth on mine to stop the protest. “Only for you, Ash. I will not push you before you’re ready, but making you feel good will give me pleasure.”

Even though he could overpower me, I know he won’t. His face moves down by my chest and his tongue runs over my taut bud and I forget my own name let alone what I’m actually supposed to be fighting against. The moment his powerful hand slides between my legs I give up trying to control my body. I’ve given up the thought that I can resist him anymore. The man is irresistible to begin with and sleeping next to him without acting on my desire is the most difficult thing I’ve ever done.

Shit
. He moves his hand with perfect precision and knows exactly how much pressure to put where. His mouth finds mine, and I try to focus on that before I explode in three seconds. When he slides a finger in me, I can’t help the reaction as my hips buck up and I moan inappropriately. I feel him smile against my mouth. “My girl likes it.”

Again,
shit
. That title alone almost undoes me. Forget it. I can’t control my body’s reaction to him. I move against his hand as he gives me the exact right speed and pressure. When I feel myself nearing the edge, I grab on to him with one hand and the other grabs the edge of the bed. The second my orgasm hits, I see stars behind my lids and stop breathing. It ripples through my body and I swear this moment is heaven as I shiver at the last waves.

Cam waits for my body to completely still before he moves his hand.

“Wow. I know they pay you millions for that hand but I would actually say priceless is more appropriate.” He chuckles. “I’m serious.”

I know the majority of my sexual experiences have been with one partner, but not only does Cam seem to know my body better than Charlie ever did, I swear he knows it better than
I
do. Already.

“Thank you.”

“Thank
me
? What are you talking about?”

“Ash, I could watch you do that all day every day and be totally content. You make me feel wanted.”

I laugh. “Trust me when I say you’re wanted. You’re perfect.”

He leans down to kiss me and I try to show him in my kiss how important he is to me. He moans as he pulls his mouth away. He turns on his side and wraps his arm around me to pull me tight to him. As has become standard over the last week, our bodies are flush against one another. It feels like home.

My head gets more confused every day as I fall harder for Ashley. She makes it so easy to care about her. I’ve never had anyone support me unconditionally, without asking for anything in return. I know I have to be careful not to hurt her, but she makes me feel so good that I don’t think I can turn her away or stop what we have. We weren’t supposed to take things this far, but she makes everything better and keeps me going every day. I know it’s probably selfish, but I want whatever she’s willing to give. I give everything that I can at this point and that’s the best I can do.

We’re having dinner tonight with Larry and Patty from the launch party. I haven’t had a chance to talk to her more about them because everything has been non-stop since Sunday. We lost our last game of the season, but I’m not worried because I think it will make the guys come out hungrier on Friday night. Playoffs start in only two days, and I’m looking forward to it as I expect us to go all the way this year.

I’m waiting in her favorite room, the solarium, while she finishes getting ready. We haven’t had a lot of evening time with just the two of us. Even though we’re together, it seems like one of us always has a work obligation. At least that will change for me after the season. I hear her heels clicking on the wood floor as she makes her way to me.

When I turn, she looks beautiful as always. Her hair is down and straightened. The light catches her golden strands as she walks toward me. Although her black tank dress is absolutely business appropriate, she still looks sexy as hell to me. As usual she’s wearing very high heels, which I admit I love. Not only do they make her long legs look even hotter but it also makes her only a few inches shorter than me. Most guys probably prefer a petite girl so they feel more powerful, but I find it to be the opposite with Ashley.

I get up when she reaches me. “You look fantastic this evening, Ms. Hughes.” I lean down to give her a quick kiss, careful not to mess up her lipstick.

As usual she blushes at the compliment, and that makes it so much more fun. She never expects it but always appreciates it. “Thanks. You’re lookin’ pretty good there yourself, Mr. Hottie.”

I laugh at the nickname. Quinn still uses it sometimes, too. “Ready?” I put my arm out for her.

“Yes. The car should be downstairs waiting.”

Once we’re settled in the back of the car and on our way to dinner I turn to her. “So what is this dinner about tonight?”

She looks away at first and when she turns back to me, I see pain in her eyes. That’s not what I expected, considering we’re heading to a business dinner. “What’s wrong?”

She shakes her head. “Sorry. Um, there are a few things I need to discuss with Mr. Conner. He’s been involved in business with my family since before I even started at the company. He goes way back with my family.”

I pick up her hand and turn it to kiss the palm. I feel her shiver. “That doesn’t seem to be a good thing.”

“It is, but there are also painful memories. That’s all.” She waves her hand at me to try and clear the subject but I’m not letting her off that easy tonight. I’ve shared all of my problems with her, but she has yet to open up about her family.

“Ash, will you tell me about your family tonight?” She swallows hard, and I squeeze the hand that I’m still holding between mine. I see tears in her eyes and I don’t want her to go through with this tonight if it’s going to be too painful for her. “Are you sure this dinner is a good idea?”

She nods. “Yeah. I need to have this meeting because there are some things I’m considering. Let’s see how I feel after dinner. If I’m up for it, I’ll tell you tonight.”

“Fair enough. I’m here if you need anything.”

“I know. Just having you along with me tonight is helpful. It gives me added strength.”

Not wanting to upset her more than necessary right now, I simply nod rather than question her further.

Larry and Patty are sitting at the bar when we walk into the restaurant. It’s a very upscale seafood restaurant this evening, and the ambiance is sophisticated and refined. I feel a little out of my element, but next to Ashley I feel like I belong. Larry gets up and gives Ashley a hug while Patty gets up and does the same to me. As I said before, I like this couple and a hug from her feels like what I’m missing from my mom. I shake Larry’s hand and the four of us follow the hostess to our table.

Everyone else orders a cocktail. I order a glass of wine to be social, but I will only have one tonight. I have practice tomorrow, and I don’t want anything making me cloudy over the next two days. I have to pitch on Friday, so I need to be on top of my game. I know they’re coming to the game on Friday, so I think that’s a safe topic to bring up. Ashley seems down again, and I want to help lift her mood.

“You two are going to the game on Friday, right?”

Larry’s smile widens. “Hell, yeah. Looking forward to it, kid.” I chuckle at the “kid” comment. He called me “son” the first time he met me. I know I’m about thirty years younger, but I still think it’s interesting. I’m guessing it has something to do with his relationship with Ashley.

“Well then, I’ll do my best to give you a win.”

“I have no doubt.”

I smile at the comment.

“He better win. I mean, he did already give me my first division title, but I’m expecting my first playoff win now.” Ashley smiles at me, and the pride in her eyes is enough to make me win that game no matter what. Cameron gives me the same look sometimes. Between the two of them, it’s all I need to make me feel powerful.

“I’ll do my best, Ash.”

She pats my thigh, and I reach down to hold her hand. She’s different in front of Larry and Patty, so I know it’s okay to act like her boyfriend. She squeezes my hand, and I smile back because hers is contagious. I love when she looks so carefree and happy. But just as quickly her features shift as she turns back to Larry.

They’re talking about the show on Saturday night when our waitress comes over. Larry and Ash order a seafood platter for the table, and everyone puts in their entrée orders too. I have a feeling tonight is more business than personal and that Ashley doesn’t want to be here too long.

As they are discussing the brand and what her company will be doing for it, I feel pride for Ashley now that I know it’s hers. Patty is sitting across from me, and when I ask her if they have kids, she spends the next thirty minutes telling me about their two kids and four grandchildren. Her face lights up with every story, and I enjoy listening to her talk about them. I’m not able to focus on Ashley’s conversation and still be able pay attention to Patty, though, so now I’m not sure what they’re discussing.

We’ve finished the seafood platter, and when our entrées have been delivered, the conversation switches back to my baseball career. I’m lucky enough to have been part of the same team for my entire career. I feel like part of a family with the organization, and the fans have been supportive since the beginning. There’s nothing like the rush of adrenaline when you hear the fans chanting your name or cheering out of their minds for you. It’s a feeling that can never be replicated.

When I’m finished with my food, I excuse myself to use the restroom. I don’t mind talking about baseball, but I don’t want the conversation to switch to my personal life or family. I can’t handle talking about that, and I don’t want to be rude to Ashley’s friends, so getting away from the table for a few minutes is the best answer.

As I walk back to the table a few minutes later, I can’t keep my eyes off Ashley. She’s watching Patty tell a story and she’s nodding her head and smiling at whatever Patty is saying. I could watch Ash for hours and never grow tired of it. I love being around her and everything just feels better this way. I’m trying to stick to the promise I made to myself that I will never let her go. Now that I have her in my life, I want her to stay.

I turn back to Larry now that Cam is back. I know he’ll talk to Patty while I try to finish up business. “Why now?”

He looks at me and tilts his head just slightly to the side. “Because your dad is out of the picture.”

The answer is what I expected, but it still hits me a little harder than I thought it would. “I understand.”

“You’ve done a fantastic job, Ashley. To be honest, the only reason why I didn’t pounce immediately was because I wanted to make sure the company remained the solid player that it had been for so long. I knew you’d been at the helm for years prior to your father passing, but I wanted to be sure the industry and the clients were aware of that too. If anything, your company’s value went up with the passing of your father, which is due to your personal reputation.”

Cam’s arm is draped over my shoulder and his fingers are lazily running up and down my bare arm. Every pass of his fingers is causing me to need him more right now. I want to feel those fingers across my entire body, and it’s taking everything I have to remain focused. I glance at him to try and give him a warning, but he’s not looking my direction. I move slightly in my seat, but his arm stays with me and his fingers continue. I try to push the feelings out of my head and continue with Larry.

“Again, I understand. But why do you think I’m interested?”

Larry leans back in his chair and picks up his glass. He swirls the remaining liquid and watches it move around the glass. Finally he lifts his eyes back to me. “I know it’s time. I know you don’t want to live out your father’s dream.”

Larry knows me so well. What he says is one hundred percent accurate. “I’ll tell you what. I’m not sure if I’m ready. Let me think about it. If I can come up with a number I would be happy with, then we’ll talk. If I can’t even come up with a number, there’s no point in us negotiating because we’ll never reach a number.”

I’m very aware that Cam’s fingers have stopped and when I slide my eyes in his direction, I see that he’s fully focused on me. He caught the important words in the conversation, and he now realizes what’s happening.

“That’s a fair request, and you’re correct. We need to know
if
there’s a number. You need to be ready or you will not negotiate with a clear head. Let’s assume we agree on a number, will you stay on board?”

“I’ll do whatever you need for a limited period of time. After that I will always be available to you, but I need to leave it behind and pursue my own dream.”