Spring Training (6 page)

Chapter Eight

“
Fuck!” Garrett slammed the end of his bat into the dirt after another ball whizzed by. Anger fueled his system. Anger that had nothing to do with his worthless attempt at batting practice and everything to do with a certain woman who was driving him out of his mind.

He removed his helmet, resisting the urge to hurl it toward the dugout. It was one thing for Jessa to up and leave him last night, but now she was avoiding him, and he’d be damned if he could figure out why.

The message she’d left him this morning said she wouldn’t be riding to the park with him and would meet up with him later. It wasn’t that he had a problem finding his own way. It was about time he rented a car anyway. It would give the guys one less thing to give him shit about. The problem was, he hadn’t realized how much he’d been looking forward to seeing her until she’d ditched him. Strike one.

He went to the locker room and fell into the chair next to his locker. He unfastened his shin guard and shoved it into his bag.

Jessa had been a no-show all afternoon. He knew she was in the park. He could feel her eyes on him in a way that rattled him as much as it pissed him off. She’d not made any effort to seek him out. No ‘hello’. No ‘how’s your day?’ Nothing. Strike two.

“You’ve got to get that girl out of your head, buddy.”

Garrett straightened as Tyler pulled a chair close and straddled it between his legs. “Don’t you have anything better to do than harass me about something that’s none of your business?”

Tyler shrugged. “There are rules here. Unwritten, sure, but that doesn’t make them any less critical to your career.”

“Since when do you give a shit about anything except how many women you can fuck at one time?”

Tyler laughed. “Good point. But who I fuck isn’t up for discussion right now.”

“My sex life isn’t either.” Garrett stripped off his shirt and tossed it into his bag. He pulled out a bottle of water and drank it down, wishing it were something stronger. Much stronger. Maybe then he could ignore the fact that Tyler was right. Garrett should have stayed away from Jessa. He should have played it straight and stayed focused. Too late for all that now.

“Did you fuck her?”

Garrett glanced around to make sure they hadn’t been overheard, and found himself counting to ten. In the past that kind of question wouldn’t have affected him. They were guys. It was a typical guy question to ask. So why did he have the sudden urge to knock all of Tyler’s teeth out?

“Don’t push me on this, Tyler.” Garrett was running low on patience. He needed a shower and a cold beer, and he was damn tired of arguing with his friend.

“Right, because you’ve got it all under control. Tell me something, Garrett. What happens when TJ finds out you fucked his only daughter? What do you think he’ll do when you break that girl’s heart?”

“Who said I’m gonna break her heart?” And why the hell was he still talking about this?

Tyler gave him a skeptical look. “So … what? You think you’ll have some fun? Fuck a few times and that’s it?” His expression turned thoughtful. “Hmm, I never pegged Jessa as a blow and go kind of girl.”

“That’s enough,” Garrett snapped. “You ever talk about Jessa like that again and I’ll make sure you regret it. I’ll admit, I don’t have any idea what I’m doing, but I do know what happens between me and Jessa is just that — between me and Jessa. If you value our friendship, Ty, back the hell off.”

Something akin to understanding flashed in Tyler’s eyes before he stood and clapped a hand on Garrett’s shoulder. “It’s
because
I value our friendship that I’m in your face about this. Your family is counting on you. Your team is counting on you. Do the right thing.”

Tyler walked away and Garrett dropped his head into his hands.

Do the right thing. He wasn’t sure he knew what the right thing was anymore. Jessa had swooped in and turned him inside out in a matter of days. Right or wrong, they weren’t finished. Not by a long shot. He’d tasted heaven last night and, if he had his way, he’d be dining again tonight.

A chime sounded and he reached for his cell. His blood pressure went up a notch as he read the text message from Jessa.

Tough batting practice. Looks like you need some rest.

I’ll see you tomorrow.

Fuck. That.

Strike three, baby.

She wasn’t going to run from him. Not after last night. He knew the impossible situation they were in and right now, he didn’t give a shit. He was pissed off, hard as a fucking brick, and distracted as hell.

A smile tugged at his lips as he thought of his next move.

You’ll see me sooner than that.

He pressed send, knowing he’d have to hurry before she hightailed it out of there. He finished changing as fast as he could, wishing for a shower, but he didn’t want to risk missing her.

There was only one place she could be. Her dad’s skybox gave her the greatest advantage. She could watch his practice and avoid him at the same time.

By the time Garrett got there, his patience had reached its limits. His gaze zeroed in on her the minute he walked through the door. Facing the windows overlooking the field, she was dressed in a T-shirt that hugged her curves, barely meeting the top of her low-rise shorts. Her hair was pulled back, no doubt in an effort to keep cool in this unusual spring heat.

There were two men with her, men he recognized but couldn’t place. But it didn’t matter who they were as long as they were gone.

As if she’d sensed him, Jessa straightened, affording him a glimpse of the mouthwatering skin of her back. God, he loved her back. The feminine curve of her spine softened under the sleek muscles that went taut as she turned around. He gritted his teeth as the men next to her noticed the movement as well. Garrett hoped he wouldn’t have to kick their asses, but if they didn’t raise their eyes back to a respectable level, it was a serious possibility.

Garrett maneuvered around tables set with food, sparing a glance toward the sitting area and finding it empty. Great. Once he got rid of Frick and Frack, they’d be alone.

“I need the room,” Garrett demanded without so much as a greeting.

Jessa flushed. “What’s the matter with you? Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“We can do this now, or I can drag your ass out of here and we can do this somewhere else,” he challenged, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Yes, well,” she sliced her hand through the air. “After your performance out there today, I’d agree there are some things we need to talk about.” Her gaze darted between him and the men who were watching with great interest.

Her attempt to cover him was laughable. Anyone who was paying attention could feel the tension. A sexual energy so strong he had to fist his hands at his sides to avoid pulling her against him.

“My performance.” He dragged out the word, rubbing his chin, pretending to consider her words. He let his gaze drop to her breasts and damn if his dick didn’t about jump out of his shorts. “I think a replay is in order.”

She huffed a breath. “Gentlemen, if you would excuse us for a minute, please?”

Self-preservation a thing of the past, Garrett responded, “Oh, we’re gonna need more than a minute, sweetheart.”

Jesus, he’d never been possessive a day in his life, yet here he was … marking his territory.

His.

Jessa glared at him, annoyance plastered all over her face as Frick and Frack said quick goodbyes and shuffled out.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? You may not care about what other people think, but I have to. For both our sakes.” Anger sparked in her eyes as she jabbed a finger at him. “You better hope those guys don’t talk about your little stunt, or we’ll have a shit load of explaining to do.”

“Is that why you’ve been avoiding me?”

She crossed her arms. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“Because you care about what other people think?”

“I haven’t been —”

“Cut the shit, Jess. You’ve been avoiding me and you know it. I want to know why.” And they weren’t leaving this room until he had an answer.

“Oh, I don’t know, Garrett. Maybe it’s because I didn’t want to see more of your disappointment.” She grimaced. “The look that reminds me you made a mistake by having sex with me. The same look you had on your face
last night
.”

The hurt in her eyes settled hard in the pit of his stomach.

“Disappointment? What the hell are you talking about? Is that why you ran out?” He blew out a breath when she didn’t answer.

His voice turned harsh with frustration. “Christ, Jessa. I’m not into playing games. You shouldn’t have taken off like that.” The thought that she’d believed he’d been sorry ripped a hole in his chest. Nothing could’ve been further from the truth.

“It was a mistake. You know it. I know it. It doesn’t matter anymore. Let’s move on.”

“The fuck it doesn’t matter! Is that really what you think?” He couldn’t keep the incredulity from his voice. “Look me in the eye and tell me last night didn’t mean anything, Jessa.”

She raised her chin. “You know what? Fuck you.”

“Oh, sweetheart. We’ll get to that, don’t you worry. But first, we need to get a few things straight.”

Her hand fluttered across her throat. “What do you want from me?”

Garrett held tight to the temper threatening to erupt. “I want you to fucking talk to me! If there’s something bothering you, or something I’ve done to hurt you then you need to fucking tell me about it. Not leave me wondering what the hell is going on. And avoiding me just pisses me off.”

He stormed back to the door and flipped the lock, taking a moment to breathe. He schooled his expression as he turned back to her. “You think I’m sorry about last night? I don’t know what you saw, sweetheart, but I promise you, it wasn’t regret.”

Every muscle in his body screamed in protest as he held himself in check. “Mind-blowing, intense pleasure …” He walked a slow, wide circle around her, herding her away from the windows. “An orgasm so powerful, I swear my balls are still recovering.” He gave her a look to assure her that he’d recovered enough. “These are things I felt last night, sweetheart. Not regret.”

His dick throbbed, fully engorged in his shorts. “I can still feel you, Jessa.” He kept his voice soft, soothing, as if he were coaxing a scared rabbit. “The warmth of your skin, the taste of you on my tongue.” Ignoring her sharp intake of breath, he backed her into the wall.

Not touching her was no longer an option. “Does that feel like regret, baby?” He rubbed his erection against her stomach, groaning as pleasure spiked through his balls. He wanted nothing more than to lay her out and shove his dick so far into her that she’d wear his imprint for hours, days. He wanted to touch and taste every inch of her.

He wanted things he knew were impossible.

For now, he’d settle for making her come until she couldn’t see straight.

“Last night threw me, Jess.” He trailed his lips across her jaw. “You took my breath away, and I won’t apologize for being a little dazed afterward any more than I’ll apologize for this.” He pushed her shirt up, groaning as he exposed the sexiest red lace bra he’d ever seen. He tugged the edges down, and sucked a nipple into his mouth.

Sweet heaven.

Every cell in his body screamed to take her, but he couldn’t. Not yet. He wanted her hot and desperate, with him every step of the way.

Her soft moan was music to his ears. He went from one nipple to the other, lingering, tasting, teasing the tormented buds until they were peaked and rosy.

“I love your nipples, Jess. So pretty.” He rolled one between his fingers. “Pink and glistening from my mouth. Like your pussy is going to be.”

“Garrett.” She dug her nails into his shoulders and his dick thickened even more.

“I’m not going to fuck you, princess. Not here. Not now.”

She whimpered in protest and he pulled at the button on her shorts.

“I should walk away and leave you as fucking needy as I’ve been all day. Make you wait. Make you crazy.” His heart pounded in his throat as the sound of her zipper filled the space between them. Even as he said the words, he knew he’d never be able to do it. He was dying to feel her, if not around his dick then clenching his fingers.

“Why are you doing this to me?” She arched into his hand.

“What am I doing, baby? Am I making you wet?” His breath was coming in short spurts now, the game he’d started backfiring as blood continued to fill his aching cock.

She tested his restraint like no other woman and he prayed he’d be able to keep his promise of not fucking her. For now. He had bigger plans for when he took her again. Plans that didn’t include the possibility of interruption at any moment.

He teased his finger along the edge of her panties. “What will I find when I touch you, Jess?” He smiled against her neck as she tilted to give him better access. “That’s my girl.” He nipped the sensitive tissue at the base of her neck.

“You’ll find me ready.” Her voice was thick with need. “God, Garrett. Touch me, damn it.”

* * *

Crazy. That’s what he made her. Bat-shit, ready for the loony bin, crazy.

Jessa had never met a man who’d
willingly admit to being celibate for a year, but then to admit sex with her had rattled him? She’d never left a man breathless before. She didn’t know what to do with that. Garrett was straight-forward. Honest in a way that surprised the hell out of her. He didn’t play around.

God, unless it was with her nipples.

She held his head as he passed from one breast to the other, leaving a wet trail of kisses between. Her skin tingled, tightened across muscles gone rigid with pleasure. Holy shit, the man knew what to do with his mouth.

Jessa had known she’d never get away with it. Secretly hoped she wouldn’t. After last night, she didn’t know how she’d ever manage to get Garrett Donovan out of her system. She’d been stupid to think she could avoid him.

He was her job, after all.

She was supposed to watch, not touch. No sweet, sweet touching.

His hands teased the edge of her panties until she was rolling her hips forward, silently begging him to move lower. Forget the idea of no touching. It was far too late for that. Far too late.

She threaded her fingers through his hair, lacing them together behind his head as he feasted on her breasts. Thank God he’d lifted her and wrapped her limbs around his hips because she was sure her legs had quit working. Her head and shoulders rode the wall as she savored the sensations coursing through her body. Sizzling sparks of fire that raced from her nipples to her womb as he nipped and sucked at her.

Releasing her breast, he moved upward, trailing his tongue over her collarbone and up her neck. Shivers racked her body as velvet lips caressed her cheek, drawing a path to her ear. Warm breath tickled her senses as his tongue traced the outer shell. “Have dinner with me. In my room.”

One hand held her neck while the other skimmed to her waistline. He shifted his hips and opened her to his roaming hand. His fingers breached her panties, easing over her pussy, aching and wet with desire.

“Yes, Garrett. God, yes. I’ll have dinner with you.”

He traced her slit, light and teasing, before cradling her with his hand. “Not only tonight, Jessa.”

“What? What are you … mmm.” The needs of her body overrode basic brain function. She fought to track his words instead of the path of his finger, now circling her entrance. She met his gaze and knew instantly he’d get whatever he wanted from her. His heavy lids, the sensual curve of his mouth. Every part of him set her on fire, but it was the heat in his eyes that did it for her. Without a doubt, he wanted her. It was intoxicating, made her desperate to throw caution to the wind.

His thumb caressed her cheek as his other hand played havoc in her panties. “We still have over a week before you go back to New York. Spend it with me. The nights, I mean.”

She dug her heels into his ass and rocked against his fingers, trying to force them inside her. “You know that’s not a good idea. We can’t get too involved. Too risky.” She moaned the last part as he finally gave her what she wanted — his finger inside her, teasing the sensitive tissue deep within.

The irony of not getting involved was lost in the heat of the moment.

“We’ll be careful.”

He added another finger, then another, stretching her in that glorious way that made her nerve endings sing. “And what happens at the end of the week, Garrett?” she breathed. “We just walk away from each other?”

His response was buried against her lips as he overtook her mouth, squelching further conversation.