Home Run Baby: A Sports Romance (72 page)

Finally, she guides me down and slips my tip inside of her.

I close my eyes, feeling pure heaven as she takes every long inch of me.

“Johnny…”
She moans my name, reaching up to guide me down and I lean over to give her the kiss she craves.

Our fingers entwine, our pulses sync. Everything clicks into place as I fuck her and I’m struck with complete, blissful epiphany.

I’m not just fucking Rose Hawthorne right now. I’m making love to her.

I adjust the grind, giving it to her the way I know her body adores it and she gasps with pleasure.

“Johnny, don’t stop!” she moans, her voice squeaking a little with each thrust.

Her breathing labors, her thighs twitch, and soon, her tight pussy quivers around my shaft and I feel the orgasm break inside of her. She digs her nails into my back, scratching hard and the delicious pain sends me over the edge, too.

I come with her, continuing the hard fuck until my cock slips out of her and I collapse against her soft breasts.

“Okay…” She catches her breath. “This van is
awesome.
”

I laugh against her skin, kissing her softly as I look up into her wild, blue-tinted eyes. We shift onto our sides, embraced in each other’s arms, and we lie still while I gently run my fingertips along her curve for God knows how long.

I lie back and she instantly fits into the crook of my arm, setting her head on my chest and I breathe in the warm scent of her hair.

“This is nice,” she whispers, looking out the open door to the shining world outside.

“Yeah.” I kiss her head. “It’s not too bad.”

Chapter 18

Rose

I wake up and, for a second, I’m not sure where I am but I know beyond doubt that I’m safe.

The morning sun barely bleeds through the tinted windows, an autumn wind hustles the trees outside the closed van, and John Kirby lies behind me with a strong arm wrapped around me, clinging to me in his sleep.

I hesitate, not wanting to wake him, but I crane my neck to look back anyway. A rush of warmth overwhelms me as I gaze at him and I can’t help but roll around to get a better look at him.

His eyes flutter open and he shows a weak smile, exhausted but content, as he stirs beneath our blanket. “Hey…”

“Hey,” I say. “So, we fell asleep.”

“Yes, we did.”

I furrow my brow. “When?”

He shifts onto his back and yawns. “Oh… sometime after the
third
time, I think.”

“Third or fourth?”

“Definitely third.”

“Are you sure?”

“Nope.”

We laugh and I sit up, scanning the van for my clothes.

“What are you doing?” he asks me.

“Looking for my phone—”

“No.”
He grabs my arm and pulls me back to him. “Not yet. Please.”

“Why not?” I laugh.

“Because if you check your phone, then the outside world takes over.”

I smile. “You make an excellent point.” I settle back down on the mattress and he hugs me against him again. “I can spare a few more minutes.”

John kisses me as he caresses my cheek. “So…” he says, clearing his throat, “Junior Morgan is getting married next month.”

I nod. “Congratulations to Junior Morgan.”

“I want you to go with me to the wedding.”

“Um…” I blink.
“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because
obvious
. Private dates in modified vans are one thing but I can’t be your
date
to a
wedding
.”

“There’s no rule against you being my plus one,” he argues. “Friends go with friends to weddings
all the time
.”

“It will look like a date, no matter
what. It’s too risky.”

His fingers spider up my bare arm. “But I
like
risky.”

“No,” I say, shaking the tickle off.

His lip curls to one side. “Cary Pierce will be there.”

I frown at his sinister eyes. “That’s
cheating
.”

“Five hundred and fifty-seven touchdowns…”

“John…”

“Eighty-one thousand passing yards…”

“Stop.”

He laughs. “I know you can’t resist a good statistical rundown.”

I hum sarcastically. “Oh, take me
now
.
”

“Come to the wedding with me,”
he says, kissing my neck. “Nothing bad will happen, I promise. We’ll just hang out, drink a little champagne, find a vacant room to fool around in…”

“Nope.”

“Okay,” he laughs, “maybe not that last part… unless you change your mind.”

“I won’t.”

His lips hover above mine. “We’ll see.” He kisses me slowly and I quiver lightly as he pulls my bottom lip between his teeth — a move that always turns my bones to jelly.

“Okay…”
I sigh. “I’ll go to the wedding with you.”

He kisses me even harder. “Thank you. Be sure to wear something…”

“Elegant and professional?”

“I was going to say
naughty
and
revealing
, but yeah, we’ll go with those.”

I laugh. “I can be all of the above.”

“I know you can,” he smiles, leaning in for another kiss. “Wait…” He pulls away. “You’ve never slept with Junior Morgan, have you?”

I pause. “No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure.”

“Good.”

I blink with confusion but quickly forget all about it once his lips attack my neck again.

My chest jolts.
“Shit.”

He pauses. “What?”

“It’s Monday.”

“So?”

I stare at him, waiting until he catches up to me.

Finally, he nods. “It’s
Monday
,” he says. “We have classes.”

I point towards my jeans lying by his ankles. “Pants, please.”

John reluctantly bends forward to grab them but he holds them back without giving them to me. “Just one more kiss first.”

I lean into him and he cups my cheek, holding me there as his lips take over mine. “Thank you, John,” I whisper. “This was…”

“Nice?”
he smiles.

“Perfect
.”

He kisses me again and I kiss him back, letting the moment last for a little while longer.

***

I could not be more exhausted. My abs burn and my legs twinge when I walk from being stretched just a bit too far but…

Yeah, it was worth it.

I stand by the coffee cart, patiently waiting for my chance at a shot of caffeine before heading towards Prism Hall, and I can’t stop the smile from stretching across my face.

John Kirby
.

“You’re shining a bit too bright for a Monday morning, sweetheart.”

I cringe and glance over my shoulder to find Douglas standing behind me. “Hey, Douglas,” I mutter, my smile finally falling.

He nudges me with his elbow. “What’s got you so happy?”

I look forward. “Nothing.”

“Well, I know just the thing that’ll turn that frown around…” he says, lowering his voice to a sexy growl. Or, to a growl that he
thinks
is sexy. When I don’t say a word, he leans in closer like a damn child. “Don’t you want to know what it is?”

“Not really.”

“You’ll change your mind tonight,” he says. “Eight o’clock. I’ll swing by your place—”

“Douglas.” I turn around and inhale a quick breath. “No.”

“Okay. We’ll make it my place, then.”

“No,”
I repeat. “I’ve said
no
before, I’m saying
no
now, and I will continue to say
no
until you get the hint in that thick fucking skull of yours. No. It’s not going to happen.”

He laughs and takes a step back. “If you say so…”

“I do.” I step out of line, suddenly not needing that caffeine boost after all. “Never speak to me again.”

I leave him behind, feeling the edges of my lips twitch with each step I take. By the time I reach the lecture hall, my smile is back and it grows just a little wider when I see John sitting in his seat in the front row.

Just
perfect
.

NOVEMBER

Chapter 19

John

Damn, I look good.

I don’t get to break out the suit very often but I sure as hell jump when the chance comes up. Windsor knotted tie. Shiny, black shoes. I’m like a damn secret agent on an undercover mission.

I just need a badass lady to hang on my arm and this outfit is officially complete.

Junior Morgan is getting married today and the timing couldn’t be more perfect. We dominated the game last night. Just one more game left in the season, just one more chance to nab that championship. School is great. Life is great. And Rose…

To say that I’m on cloud nine doesn’t quite cover it.

I can’t exactly scream it from the rooftops but there’s plenty of words and feelings I’d happily express if I could — things I’ve never said or felt before in my life about anyone.

Rose is my rock. My pulse. She’s the reason I get up in the morning.

And today, she’s my date to this wedding.

I knock on her door, quickly taking a last look at myself to make sure I still look damn good —
I do
— before I hear her sliding the lock free from the inside.

The door opens and my heart stops.

“Hey, John.” She turns away, perfectly unaware of the fact that I’m standing dead in her hallway. “I’m running a little late. Just need a few minutes…”

Rose wears a navy blue dress with short sleeves. The skirt ends at her knees and, unlike those tight pencil skirts I’m so fond of, this one has a bit of flair that sways with her hips. Strappy, black heels. Blonde hair up without even a single loose lock dangling down.

My lungs lurch. I should probably start breathing again.

“John, you okay?” she chuckles as she slides an earring into her lobe.

“Rose, I love…” I bite my tongue, “that dress.”

“Yeah?” She gives me a quick twirl. “I changed like three times.”

“It’s perfect.”

She looks at me and smiles. “And
you
… you clean up very nicely.”

I shake my head. “I don’t know, Rose. I think I’m just going to make you look bad.”

She laughs. “I guess we’ll see. Are you going to come in or stand out there?”

I look down, realizing I’m still standing in her hallway. “I am going to come in,” I say, walking forward and kicking the door closed behind me, “and do this.”

I grab her hand and pull her closer to me.

“Wait, wait—” she says.

I crush my lips on hers. She relaxes in my arms and kisses me back, softly chuckling as her hand slides over my neck.

“That’s the only one you get,” she says, backing up. “I don’t want to have to keep redoing my lipstick.”

“Well, in that case—”

I tug her back in for another kiss. Our lips blend and caress together, matching like perfect puzzle pieces and my heart thumps like crazy.