by Jenn Hype
My heart pounded in my chest. That wasn't at all the answer I was expecting. Sure, I knew she was attracted to me. The sexual tension that surrounded us every time we were near each other was palpable. Still, hearing it from her? It gave me hope. Maybe winning her over wouldn't be as hard as I'd originally thought.
Sensing she didn't want to continue divulging personal secrets, I decided to cut her some slack and take things in a lighter direction.
"The Yanks are playing a home game Saturday and I've got two tickets. A client gifted them to me last week. Malcolm has been begging me to take him, but there's a baseball-loving blonde I'd been wanting to ask first."
She shot up so fast she nearly fell off the couch. "Yes," she answered without hesitation.
She looked so damn eager, practically bouncing up and down, I couldn't help but laugh.
"Great. Then it's a date."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Clara
It's a date.
It's a date.
It's a date...
Those three damn words had been looping through my head non-stop ever since Liam said them.
He didn't mean a date date, right?
The old Clara would have come right out and asked. I'd never been great at playing it cool. My excitement just burst out of me every chance it got, no matter the reason or occasion.
Somehow I'd been granted some sort of miracle, because I managed to spend another hour talking baseball without blurting out the millions of questions burning a hole in my brain.
His actions pointed towards it being a real date. If he were any other guy, I would definitely assume this was the real deal. But this is Liam we're talking about. A guy who, up until a few weeks ago, I couldn't stand. Or at least that's what I kept telling myself. Sure, he annoyed me and drove me up the wall, but I'd never really disliked him. I'd only been trying to convince myself.
Denying it when he said and did everything right? Impossible.
"I'm going to screw this up. Oh my God. I'm going to do or say something so dumb and make everything so bad."
Paige rushed across the room. Pushing on my back, she forced me to bend in half with my hands on my knees.
"Breathe, Clara. You're hyperventilating for heaven's sake."
In and out. In and out. Out then in. In and in. Or was it out and out?
"Oh God. I can't remember how you breathe! Is it out then in or two ins and an out? What's the order!?"
I heard her voice in the background talking to someone about backup.
"In and out, Clara," she instructed calmly in a soothing voice. If I weren't actually freaking out I'd be annoyed by her patronizing tone.
"I'm fine. I'm fine! See? I'm totally fine."
I strutted around the room, waving my hands around like the Queen of freaking England while doing some sort of high-kneed march-slash-step. I knew I was acting crazy and sounded hysterical, but dammit if I could control it.
"It's worse than you said," a familiar voice said from behind me. I spun around and bowed as way of greeting to our new guests, Josi and Blake.
"What are you guys doing here? I'm so excited to see you!" I shouted way too loudly before launching myself at them. Luckily, they were ready for me and I didn't knock us all down to the ground.
"Hey, Clare-bear," Jo cooed. "You doing okay?"
I smiled up at her as she petted my hair. "Of course, sis. Never better."
Blake eyed me skeptically. "Oh, really? So your date with Liam in an hour isn't causing you to have some sort of mental breakdown?"
"Did you hear anything I said to you on the way over here?" Josi hissed at Blake. "I told you we had to tread lightly so we didn't overwhelm her even more."
I scoffed. "Not necessary, but thank you for caring so much. I'm totes fine. Couldn't be better. And it's not a date. Well, it's a friend-date. He did say date. But he didn't mean a real date. I mean, it's Liam. C'mon. Liam. Liam!"
Jo, Blake and Paige all shared a look I did not appreciate. One that said they didn't believe me. I would not be ganged up on, though.
"Seriously, guys. Guys. Guyyys. Guys."
"Stop calling us guys."
"Girls," I said instead, earning three simultaneous eye rolls. "Don't make a big deal out of this. That will just make me nervous and I'm trying to be cool about it."
I could see all three of them warring with whether or not to call me out on that blatant lie, but I walked away before they had the chance.
"I gotta get ready for my non-romantic friend date!"
I'd made sure all my Yankees gear was clean. Since I planned to pull my hair up and wear a ball cap, I didn't have to spend an hour taming my mane. All I really needed to do was get dressed and finish my makeup, which would be minimal since it was supposed to be hot out.
Jo joined me in my bedroom just as I started buttoning up my standard pinstriped jersey that I always wore to games.
"You're not going to dress up?"
I looked over my shoulder to glare at her. "Don't you dare blaspheme to me. You know I don't dress up for baseball games. You wear a jersey, a hat and eat hot dogs and pretzels. Over my dead body will I ever wear heels and sit in an air-conditioned suite to enjoy a game."
She chuckled and sat on my bed.
"Of course. My bad."
"I can't treat this any differently or try to be someone I'm not just because Liam dates model-worthy women."
"But this isn't a date," Jo argued with a sly grin.
Admitting defeat, I fell back onto my bed with a huff.
"I don't know what it is and it's making me crazy. I can't imagine it's a real date. It would make literally no sense."
Jo flicked my forehead, something we did to each other when we were annoyed.
"You put Liam up on some sort of pedestal. I get it - he's hot. That doesn't mean he's better than anyone else and he definitely doesn't act that way. You've built him up in your head for some reason but I think he's good for you. Don't let your obsessive brain get in your own way."
Unable to have such a serious conversation laying down, I sat up against my headboard and patted the spot next to me. Josi crawled from up the bed and sat next to me, letting me use her shoulder as a pillow.
"I'm not afraid of Liam. I'm just... Afraid."
The admission sucked but my amazing, understanding sister just waited for me to continue without trying to jump in with her own opinions.
"I've got issues only a practiced professional could tackle, but James definitely made it worse. On top of my insecurities about inadequacy, now I've got trust issues. All I ever wanted was a relationship, and I'm starting to wonder if I'm even capable."
Again, she flicked my forehead.
"Stop that, you're going to make me bruise," I growled, rubbing the now sore spot.
"Don't blame yourself for everyone else's shortcomings. When you find the right person it'll be different."
"How do you know?" I asked, leaning back to look her in the eye. To my knowledge, Josi had never been in a serious relationship.
Instead of giving anything away, she just shrugged. "Call it a hunch, but I just know." She squeezed my hand. "Give Liam a chance, okay? You're stronger than you realize. I've always envied the way you'd leap without knowing the outcome. One of these days, someone is going to catch you. It'll be worth it."
My eyes burned but I refused to let any tears fall. Not a chance would I be all splotchy with bloodshot eyes when Liam showed up.
"Is your pow-wow done?" Paige called from the doorway, her head peeking inside. "We're feeling useless out here."
I laughed. After a lifetime of struggling to form bonds, I'd lucked out and wound up with three of the best girlfriends a girl could ever ask for.
"Seriously." Paige rolled her eyes when I stood up. "Please tell me that isn't what you're wearing."
"Not a real date," I said for the millionth time. "And this is my game gear. It's good luck."
"I think you look great," Blake said brightly. "You could wear
a potato sack and look like sex on a stick. Can't go anywhere with you without having men tripping all over themselves to get your attention."
I shook my head, not bothering to argue with her. I had to finish getting ready.
For my non-date.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Liam
"Maybe we'll get lucky and the Kiss Cam will land on us again," I teased, loving the way Clara blushed beneath her baseball cap.
She looked freaking adorable. It had taken a level of restraint I didn't even know I possessed not to kiss her the second she opened up her door. Not that she gave me a chance to do anything. She ducked her head and brushed past me, avoiding eye contact while locking up and heading towards the elevators.
"I wouldn't mind that," she responded, shocking the shit out of me. "The guy next to me is a major hottie."
She giggled when I growled. Without thinking, I took her hand in mine and pulled her closer to me.
"I don't share."
Her teasing smile slipped away. I watched her throat move as she gulped. She'd worn her hair pulled back, exposing the delicate, porcelain slope of her neck. My mouth watered, wanting so badly to taste her skin. No doubt she tasted amazing.
"I'm not a toy. Sharing isn't up to you," she teased softly, her snark hidden behind the huskiness of her voice.
My free hand cupped her cheek. Her eyes closed as she relaxed into my touch. Those baby blues popped back open when I ran my nose along the side of hers.
"You're wrong," I whispered, my lips pressed against her ear. "You're mine."
She sucked in a harsh breath. I almost missed it when the announcer came over the speakers, signaling to the crowd that the game was about to begin.
Unable to resist, I placed a chaste kiss just below her ear before pulling all the way back. Reluctantly I released her hand so she could eat the nachos I'd bought her before we found our seats. I loved that she wasn't afraid to eat. She hadn't even gotten a diet soda. I also loved the way her hands trembled. Being a gentleman, I looked away and gave her a minute without my scrutiny so she could compose herself.
The rest of the game was fairly uneventful romance-wise. Knowing how unsteady and out of sorts she became when I got too close, I kept my distance. I fucking hated it, but I wanted her to enjoy herself. If that meant keeping my hands to myself, then so be it.
We laughed, shouted at the players when they screwed up and booed the other team when they scored. It was, hands down, the best night I'd had in a long time. Maybe ever. Being with Clara was so damn easy. She smiled at everyone, always said please and thank you and held doors for people. None of her politeness was returned, but it didn't deter her.
The women I'd dated in the past were so vapid and self-absorbed. It's what I wanted. Easy, simple, completely uncomplicated. The exact opposite of Clara. But that was only because none of them had been worth it. Clara, undoubtedly, was the exception.
After taking a cab to get ice cream a few blocks from her apartment, we walked hand in hand down the mostly empty sidewalk. Several times I had to discreetly adjust myself. Every damn time she licked her ice cream cone my dick got harder. No matter how many times I internally scolded him to chill the fuck out, he didn't listen.
Out of nowhere we were hit with a torrential downpour.
"Was it supposed to rain?" Clara shouted while trying to keep up as I jogged to find an awning to stand under. By the time we found shelter we were already soaked.
I expected her to be pissed. Clara didn't act high maintenance, but she always looked amazing. Even in her jersey and cut-off jean shorts and sneakers, she turned heads and dropped jaws.
But surprisingly, yet completely unsurprising at all, she had a smile that stretched from ear to ear. If she minded that her hair was now matted to the side of her face and her eyes had mascara smudges underneath them, she didn't show it. She simply pulled her hat off, squeezed the water out of her hair and put it right back on.
"If I had any idea it would rain I wouldn't have suggested we walk," I told her apologetically.
She smiled sweetly, looking completely relaxed and even a little excited.
"I love the rain. I probably would have wanted to walk either way."
I laughed, which made her smile grow. Unable to keep from touching her, I pushed an imaginary piece of hair away from her face. I wanted so damn badly to kiss her. All night long, every five minutes I'd had to talk myself out of just saying 'fuck it' and going for it. I kept waiting until I knew for sure it was the right time, but I worried I'd waited so long that now I'd never be able to tell until I just took a chance.
Ready to give up on my plan to hold out, I started to lean forward. Except Clara's attention had been pulled to the sidewalk where a group of teenagers ran through the rain, laughing.
"Come on," was all the warning I gave her before I tugged her back out into the rain.
Clara's laughter rang out over the sounds of the city. The harder it rained, the bigger she smiled.
This woman.
So sweet and innocent.
We neared her building just as the rain slowed to a drizzle. Wanting to delay our time together for as long as possible, I pulled us to a stop in a nearby alley.
Under the dim glow of the street lamps, her eyes sparkled and danced.
It hit me, then. It hit me hard.
I'd already started falling for her, and she had no idea how I felt. Taking things slow, holding back, trying to earn my way into her life before telling her my intentions was stupid and unfair. Even if my confessions spooked her, it wasn't like I would be giving up. Yeah, it might make things a little harder, but she deserved the truth.
"Clara, I-"
Before I could get the words out, two dark figures approached from my right. Not wanting to give away the fact that I'd seen them, I studied them in my periphery. Both tall, maybe six-foot-one. One beefy, the other gangly. It was too dark to take in their faces, but they were gaining on us and Clara's head jerked in their direction before I could figure out how to get her out of there.
"Stop right there!" One of them shouted when I started to tug Clara onto the sidewalk where the street was better lit.
Under normal circumstances I wouldn't hesitate to take them down myself, but I had Clara to consider. With the skinny one pointing a gun in our direction, I couldn't take any chances. If something happened to her, I'd never forgive myself.
Shoving Clara behind me and using my body as a shield, I backed us up until she was pressed against the brick building.
The men grew cocky, you could see it in their swagger. They thought we were frozen and too afraid to run. They were half right. We couldn't outrun bullets and I couldn't protect Clara if I got myself shot, so for the moment, we were backed into a corner. Metaphorically.
"Give us your wallets and maybe we won't hurt your pretty little girlfriend," the big guy ordered arrogantly. He smiled, showing off his rotted teeth. These guys were definitely on something. Likely meth. They both looked days away from death, their eyes completely dilated, their bodies twitching uncontrollably.
"We don't want any trouble," I said calmly, raising my palms in a gesture of surrender. The little guy spat at my feet. I had to clamp down on the inside of my cheek to keep from showing a reaction. I was no threat to them if they assumed I was scared. The second I showed any signs of defiance or aggravation they'd become more aggressive.
"Neither do we. Now hand 'em over," the bigger guy barked, sounding more agitated. I needed to make a decision.
With Clara's body shaking violently from behind me, the rage became harder to contain. How dare these fuckers scare her like this.
When I didn't respond or move to hand over our money, the one holding the gun stepped closer. Unfortunately for him, that one move sealed his fate. The street lamp illuminated his shaking hand. The one holding the gun. The gun that still had its safety on.
Dumbasses.
Before he could even see it coming, I grabbed his wrist and pointed his arm to
the ground. Even with the safety on, I wasn't taking any chance that the gun might still fire. My knee connected with his ribs at the same time that I twisted his wrist, yanking the gun from his hand. His bones were brittle and something snapped when my elbow slammed down onto his back.
I had the safety flipped off and the gun pointed at his cohort before his body hit the ground. The big guy had his hands lifted in surrender.
"Run, Clara," I ordered her, never taking my eyes off both men. The little one had started trying to stand back up, so I kicked him in his side to keep him down.
"Run to safety and call the police," I told her again. And again, she didn't move.
"Dammit, Clara," I yelled, stupidly turning to look at her. Fear flashed in her eyes and I knew the big guy was on the move.
Swiftly I spun around, striking him in the temple with the butt end of the gun with precision. He cried out but didn't go down. Instead of cowering away, he tried to wrap his arms around my middle.
I could have shot him, but I didn't want Clara to have to witness that. This whole altercation would be traumatizing enough for her, and unless I absolutely had to, I didn't want her to be subjected to bloodshed.
So instead of taking him out for good, I brought my elbow down onto his back as hard as I could. With him putting his whole body into trying to knock me over, I didn't have much momentum with the hit, but it hurt him enough to make him falter.
One swipe with my leg and I knocked his feet out from under him. He hit the blacktop face first. With the toe of my shoe I rolled him onto his back. Dropping on top of him, I took sick satisfaction when I felt the crunch of his nose under my fist.
By the third punch to his face, I could hear the sirens nearing. My hands and shirt were covered in blood. Fuck. So much for no bloodshed.
Police cars screeched to a halt next to us, officers leaping from their cars and running over with guns in hand.
