Over the Fence: Lyssa Layne's Baseball Romances (52 page)

And like that, there goes my panties again.

CHAPTER 9

Jace

Another win, these boys are on fire! I couldn’t be prouder of the progress they’re making and how hard the entire team works together. Not to mention there’s a blue-eyed beauty that’s happily sitting in the stands that I have to will myself to not stare at. It’s been a week since we flirted at the pizza party and I’m already looking forward to it again. I sigh, since when did flirting with a woman become the extent of my activities with the opposite sex? I’m starting to feel really pathetic…and turned on by the brunette making her way to me wearing a pair of short jean shorts and a tight purple tank top that lets me really see the perfect curves she has hidden under her scrubs.

“Hey, great game!” Laurel pushes off her tip toes, sliding one arm around my neck in a hug attempt failed. It’s like halfway into the motions to wrap her arms around me, she changed her mind. I slip my arm around her waist, pulling her against me so I can feel her perky breasts pressed against my chest. She doesn’t seem to mind that I hold on to her a few seconds longer than needed as I tell her thanks.

Reluctantly I release my grip, but let my hand linger on her back. Her cheeks almost look sunburnt from her blushing and she’s about to start the non-stop flow of words when someone calls my name. Laurel turns to see who wants my attention, pivoting her body and ending with her back against me. I glance down to confirm how close we are but my dick has already answered. My hand that was on her back, slips to her waist and I look to see who is calling for me without letting Laurel out of my touch.

Camila waves from the other side of the backstop while Evan glares from behind her.
What the hell did I do now?
Maybe they stopped by the house first and he’s pissed because I repainted the porch and tossed the Christmas lights. I don’t know and I really don’t give a fuck either. Laurel takes a step forward and as much as I want to keep my hands firmly on her body, I let her go.

“Evan Purser!” she says in an upbeat voice and jogs through the dugout toward the linebacker. Fuck, maybe football players are her thing.

I follow behind but stop in my steps when she throws her arms around his neck, not even hesitating like she did with me. Evan laughs and lifts her up into a bear hug. Camila and I glance at each other, both of us uncomfortable at this display although Camila has much more reason than I do. Evan sets Laurel back on the ground and when the two turn to us, they both suddenly realize how awkward this is and jump apart from each other. Evan wastes no time moving to Camila and kissing her cheek while Laurel stands there, unsure where to go.

Before she starts talking and doesn’t know when to stop, I casually comment, “So, you two know each other?”

Evan nods. “Her dad was my football coach…guess you never called him.”

Laurel steps between the two of us and looks up at Evan. “Actually, Daddy speaks very highly of Jace.” She looks at me. “He’s having us over for a barbecue today and wanted to know if you would like to come.”

I lift an eyebrow, wondering if she’s asking or Coach is. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

Turning her attention back to Evan, she adds, “He’d love for you and your girlfriend to come, too, Ev.”

I see Camila flinch slightly as Laurel speaks to Evan with a familiarity that she’s not used to. I laugh and pick up the ball bag as the three of them make plans. Grey and Sam are still on the field practicing and I wonder if I’ve created baseball monsters but they’re happy and staying out of trouble so I’m not going to complain.

“Jace, why don’t you ride with us?” Camila says and Evan’s nostrils flare.
Shit, I’m in trouble now.

“He’s riding with us. I hope you don’t mind,” Laurel says to Camila, putting on a smile that is as fake as some of the tits I’ve seen.

Camila nods and she and Evan walk toward the parking lot. Grey and Sam are done, complaining that they’re starving. The four of us walk toward Laurel’s car, passing her dad, who is parked a few spots away from her.

“Hey Daddy, add three more to the guest list. Jace, Evan, and his girlfriend are coming over.”

His eyes light up when she calls him “Daddy” and love exudes from the two of them as she gives him a hug. Coach nods as she pulls away. “You know the more the merrier. Stop and get some more drinks on your way over. Grey and Sam, why don’t you two ride with me?”

The boys thrust their gloves at Laurel and jump into Coach’s old truck. Laurel calls out, “Wait, I…he…” She glances in my direction nervously.

Taking the two gloves out of her hand, I smile and move my hand to her back, guiding us toward her car. “Don’t worry, Hot Shot, I don’t bite…hard.”

She shakes her head and as we get to the car, she turns, leaning against it. My eyes travel over her facial features, taking in the freckles that pepper her skin and those damn sweet, kissable lips. Even though I know she doesn’t realize it, she clamps down on her bottom lip in a way that the old Jace would’ve taken as an invitation to bend her over the hood and have my way with her.

“You don’t have to ride with me if you don’t want to. I just know that Evan can be—”

“An overbearing asshole?” I cut her off, my hands safely on the ball gloves and keeping me from running them over her body.

“I was going to say overprotective.” Her eyebrows are drawn down in a disapproving way.

Reaching around her, I open the car door for her. “Yeah, that’s what I meant.”

Laurel may not know me well but she cocks her eyebrow as I wait for her to get in. “Bullshit.”

I grin and close the door behind her. This should be interesting. Aside from Camila, I’ve never met a woman who has called me out before but I can already tell I’m going to like it. Laurel Darbis keeps getting more and more attractive.

Laurel

The radio plays a familiar Aerosmith tune and I glance over at Jace, who picked out the music. His profile is prominent from this view and I take note of his long face with his narrow chin. I always hated Adam’s neatly trimmed beard and mustache, it gave me razor burn when we’d make out, but somehow Jace’s facial hair looks incredibly sexy. He drums his fingers on his legs to the beat of the music and my eyes slip past his thighs, leaving me to wonder what’s under that denim. Jace looks over at me and I quickly glance back to the road, hoping he didn’t notice me checking him out.

“So how do you know Evan?”

“He played football for my dad. After his brother left for college, their mom started drinking, basically leaving Evan on his own. Our families kind of merged and he’s like a big brother, hence the overprotective asshole thing.” I raise my eyebrows in an accusatory way at Jace.

He laughs, holding up his hands. “Okay, fine, he’s not an asshole. He just hasn’t welcomed me with open arms. I think he kinda feels the same way about me that you did.”

“Why is that?”

“He thinks I’m a douchebag for throwing away my career and even though he offered it, I don’t think he’s thrilled with the idea of me staying at his mom’s house.”

My jaw drops. “You’re staying at Ms. Ann’s place?”

How the hell did I miss that?
No wonder Evan doesn’t like him. As much as Evan hated that his mom wouldn’t change the place because she thought their father might come back one day, he’s doing the exact same thing by refusing to fix up the place.

Jace scoffs. “That’s not what I figured you’d focus on but yeah, that’s where I’m staying.”

I pull into the grocery store lot and turn off the engine. “Oh trust me, I’ll grill you about your career when we get to that point.”

Jace shakes his head. “What point is that?”

I smirk and lean toward him. “The point where we’re comfortable enough with each other to share our darkest secrets.”

Without waiting for him to respond, I get out of the car with my heart thumping against my chest. I have no idea where those words came from but for some reason, I want to get to that point with Jace Richards. I want to confide in him all my fears and I want to heal the wounds he’s carrying.

CHAPTER 10

Jace

My fingers almost frozen, I dig around in the cooler of ice, looking for a chilled beer. A pair of legs appears beside the container and I follow them up to see Camila with her hands on her hips with a look of disapproval on her face.

“I thought I told you to stay away from alcohol.”

Standing up, I twist open the cap and take a long drink. “It’s a fuckin’ beer, Camila. It’s hot out and it’s the first one I’ve had since I’ve been in Florida. I know better than to drink away my misery like I was doing before so lay off.”

Camila looks around to see if anyone is listening and lowers her voice when she speaks. “Jace, this is my ass on the line. If you fuck up, we’re both in trouble.”

“What do you want me to do? Submit to piss tests? I’m getting my shit together, this is actually working out really well.”

She sighs and grabs a beer for herself. “Fine, but just watch yourself, okay?”

I clink my beer bottle against hers. “Yes, ma’am. I’m glad you’re here, I wanted to talk to you about something.” She nods and I go on. “I know you won’t believe me when I say that the whole gambling thing wasn’t entirely my fault. There’s a scout, Earl Floyd, that looks for promising athletes and manipulates them into working this scheme for him to make money.”

Camila narrows her eyes. “That sounds sketchy, Jace, even for you.”

“I know! That’s why I never said anything before. But I talked to Chuck Landers—”

“The announcer for the Diplomats?”

“Yeah. He told me—”

“Where did you see him?” Camila asks, her voice menacing and her face letting me know she’s not going to buy my bullshit.

“He was, uh…in town and—”

Camila steps closely to me. “Don’t lie to me, Jacen Richards. I told you to stay away from spring training and anything associated with MLB. Do you understand?”

“Fuck, Camila, you’re not my mom,” I mutter and take a long swig.

She scoffs and takes my chin in her fingers. “One more thing. Stay away from Laurel Darbis.”

Her eyes dart over to Evan and I know it’s his request, not necessarily hers. I jerk my head back, pushing her hand out of my face. “I’m not the same guy I was before, Camila. Shit, you’re just like everyone else. You preach that you’re trying to help me be better when in reality, you refuse to see any of the changes I’m making. I’m not the sack of shit that stomped all over Colie Adamson any more. There’s no way in hell that I’d ever treat Laurel Darbis that way so if we want to hang out, then we fuckin’ will.”

Fuck Evan Purser and the white horse he rode in on. I don’t need anyone telling me who I can and can’t be around. My head’s finally above water enough that I can handle this on my own. Besides, there’s nothing anyone could say that would keep me away from Laurel. She doesn’t know it, but she’s as much a part of my recovery as her son’s baseball team.

Laurel

Jealousy. She’s a cruel bitch and I hate her. Without any warning, she creeps in and makes me turn into the ugliest person I can imagine. Luckily, I caught her making her entrance which is why I’m standing at my parents’ kitchen counter watching Jace and the Brazilian bombshell chat instead of letting jealousy rear her ugly claws. Camila moves her hand to his face and that bitch jealousy makes my stomach clench. I keep telling myself to look away, that none of this is my business. I have no claim on Jace Richards, he’s just my son’s baseball coach… or so I keep telling myself.

“Please tell me you aren’t really interested in him?”

I jump back, startled at Evan’s voice and reel around to face him. “Please don’t tell me that you care who I date?”