Walk Off (Double Play Series Book 5)

by Nicole Rodrigues

  “Yeah, please Lace?” Tucker repeats.

  “Fine,” I say gritting my teeth.

  The boys both high five as we walk towards the parking lot and I grab my mama's arm to pull her back.

  “Really? Why are you doin’ this to me?” I groan.

  “Y’all need to be able to co-parent, consider this practice.”

  “Consider this torture. I’m pissed at you,” I say walking ahead of her.

  “Love you, baby,” my mama laughs.

  I get to my car as Nico walks to his, saying he’ll follow us to the ice cream shop. I strap Harrison into the backseat as Tucker walks around to the front.

  “Where do you think you're goin’ little man? Get on in that back seat.”

  “I’m thirteen now, I'm big enough.” he grumbles.

  “Not in my car you ain’t. If Mama and Daddy let you that’s one thing but not me. Hop in that back seat with your brother.”

  He drops his head and opens the door for the backseat, and I start the car, driving to the ice cream shop on auto pilot.

  “How can I get a girlfriend if I can’t even sit in the front seat?” I hear Tucker mumble from the back.

  “A girlfriend? You...you have a girlfriend?” I stutter.

  “Not yet but soon. Everybody has girlfriends.”

  “Jesus,” I sigh.

  I’m this protective over Tucker, God knows what it’s gonna be like when our baby is 13.

  We pull up to the ice cream shop, Nico waiting by the front door. I take a minute to collect myself then shut the engine and go around to help Harrison out of the backseat.

  “I can do it, sissy. I’m a big boy like Tucker.”

  “Not you too!” I groan. “No girlfriends for you!”

  He laughs and grabs my hand as we walk to the front and Nico smiles. He opens the door, letting us walk in first and we order, grabbing our ice cream and sitting at a table in the corner.

  “God job today, Tuck. That swing is monster,” Nico compliments.

  Tucker’s face lights up and I smile at how excited he gets around Nico. I still remember when I introduced Nico to the boys, Tucker cried into Nico’s chest like he was meeting Superman, or I guess Hulk. They both idolize him, and as shitty as our relationship is at the moment, I’m happy he isn’t letting it affect his relationship with the boys. They are gonna be our baby’s uncles so...weird. That’s so weird.

  “Are you gonna lick it, Blondie?” I hear a rough voice say breaking me out of my thoughts.

  “Wh-what did you just say?” I snap, my thighs clenching together.

  “The ice cream,” Nico grins. “Are you gonna lick it or just let it drip all over your hand?”

  I grit my teeth, knowing exactly what he was trying to do, and I lick my hand clean. Slowly and deliberately keeping my eyes on his, watching them change from smug to starving.

  “Happy now, Hulk?” I smirk.

  He clears his throat after taking one last look at me licking my lips and turns his chair, no doubt trying to relieve the monster boner I know I just gave him. I hide my smile behind my cone, finishing it off as the boys talk more about ball, so aware that even when I hate him, I want him. I want him so fucking badly.

  Chapter 5

  Lacey

  “So have y’all thought a little bit about your past, what y’all want from these sessions, the future?” asks Rose a couple days later at our next therapy appointment.

  We both silently nod, and she smiles.

  “Well Nico, let’s go a little bit into your past since we focused more on Lacey last session. Tell me about your childhood, your past relationships.”

  “I uh...had a pretty normal childhood, I guess. Mom and dad worked two jobs, alternated working nights or my older brother stepped in. Nothing traumatic happened, youngest of three boys, played ball, that’s pretty much it,” Nico says shrugging.

  I know where the next question is headed, and I know how much it is going to hurt him to talk about it. I still remember when he confided in me about it, the morning after I let him take everything from my body, finally letting him in about my mother and her scheme to destroy Nico and his career by blackmailing. I remember those weeks, pushing him away to try and protect him, how it destroyed me.

  “What about your past relationships?” Rose asks.

  “I...just had one before Lacey. Her name was Marie….”

  ---

  Two years ago...January

  “Good morning sunshine,” I say walking into Lacey's bedroom and sitting on the side of her bed holding the tray of breakfast in my hands.

  She rolls over, her eyes slits and she blinks a few times, yawning and rubbing them awake.

  “Nico, what is this?” she asks her voice hoarse from sleep.

  “Breakfast in bed. I called my lawyer and he's on everything. You don't have to worry about anything your mother threatens anymore, okay?” I say pushing her hair out of her face.

  She grabs my hand, kissing my palm and lays back down a blissful smile on her face.

  “I'm so sorry about all this. I panicked and didn't want her to hurt you. Baseball is so important to you,” I exhale.

  “You're important to me, Lace. From now on we handle things as a team, okay?”

  She nods and I put the tray on her nightstand getting under the covers next to her.

  “Let's go on a date today. Like a real couple,” I whisper poking her nose.

  “A real couple, huh? How about we have a real good round of mornin’ sex first,” she whispers back, reaching down for my crotch.

  “Does your pussy ever get tired of the pounding?” I laugh.

  “Oh come on, Hulk, we both know the answer to that one.”

  She leans towards me and presses a long, lingering sexy kiss to my lips. Her finger under my chin.

  “I'm gonna take one of your lines and say, this,” I motion between to the two of us, “was never our problem. Let's go to lunch, talk, relax, communicate. Try and keep our hands off each other for a couple hours.”

  She leans back and huffs out a breath.

  “I let you take whatever you wanted from me last night and you wanna talk today? My approach is clearly lackin’.”

  She reaches across me as I laugh and takes the plate off the nightstand.

  “I uh...I'm sorry about everythin’ I put you through with the bet. I know it was months ago and you were pullin’ away because of your mother but I still feel terrible about it,” I say running a hand down her bare thigh.

  She takes a piece of bacon off the plate and crunches it.

  “I think we've both been pretty shitty to each other lately,” she says through a full mouth.

  “You were shitty to protect me though, I was just an asshole.”

  “For once I'm not gonna argue with you, Hulk,” she smirks grabbing another piece of bacon.

  “I don't really know how to do this, Lace. I uh...in high school I had this girlfriend. Our parents were friends, so we pretty much grew up together. She followed me to Florida when I got drafted.”

  I see her watching me and I grab a piece of bacon, chewing it to prolong my confession. She doesn't speak she just watches me, waiting

  “She got this great opportunity to go travel abroad for school. All expenses paid a whole year and it would put her ahead, she would graduate early and probably be guaranteed a job right out of college. It was a great opportunity.”

  “She went and left you…” Lacey surmises quietly.

  “Not at first,” I say shaking my head. “I had to try and convince her every day. I thought she was the one, we could make it work if we really wanted to. So I told her to go, I would be here when she got back, I love her and then I proposed to her. At the time I guess I did it to reassure her I was serious, but she said yes and left for Spain with my ring on her finger. She made it about a month before she shacked up with some Spanish model and had her mother bring the ring back to me on her visit.”

  Lacey exhales and she puts her hand on my back,
resting her chin on my shoulder then kissing it.

  “I was reckless after. I made Damon and his shit look like the little leagues. Drinking, partying, screwing anything with a pulse, fighting, you name it. I slowed down a little over the years but…”

  “Never a relationship until me.”

  I shake my head and turn to look at her.

  “I saw the look in her eyes when she came back after the year. She came to see me, told me all about their plans to marry, she was finishing her degree at the university there. She was done with me, I saw it. You though, Blondie, every time you told me no, I saw that struggle in your gaze. I would have walked away from you if that's what you really wanted, but you don't. I'm not letting this go, Lacey. What I have with you is so real.”

  I cup her cheek and she closes her eyes, burrowing into my palm.

  “I know, I'm sorry I made you feel like it wasn't. I only pushed you away to protect you, keep you away from this. I promise I'm not goin’ anywhere, okay? Me and you against the world from now on,” she says smiling holding out her fist.

  I bump it with my own and she opens her hand, exploding it with a sound effect.

  “You dork, let's go on our date. Try not to drag me to the bathroom by my dick. Let's attempt to be a boring, sexless couple for the day.”

  “Ha! Might as well just put a blindfold on me then, so I can’t drool over your sexy ass, actually never mind. I might like that,” she says her voice dropping low.

  “Dammit, Blondie. Eat those eggs, I'll be in the living room.”

  She laughs and throws a pillow at me as I walk out of the room.

  ----

  “So you’ve both had struggles into the dating world, huh?” asks Rose.

  We both nod our head, Nico reaching over and putting a hand on my knee. I put my hand over his, knowing he needs my reassurance. We may not be together, but we’ll always be there for each other. We are going to be tied together for life and have shared such a special bond for the past three years.

  “We’ll get back to the mother trying to destroy your career later, but it doesn’t sound like it has been smooth sailing for the two of you before this whole infidelity issue either, has it?”

  We both shake our head silently and she writes some notes down in her book.

  “How did the two of you meet? Let’s start from the beginning.” she says looking up at us.

  “Wanna take this one, Blondie?” Nico asks looking over to me.

  “Sure….”

  ----

  Three years ago...February

  “Holy shit,” I whisper. “He's fuckin’ hot,” I growl as we walk out of the door to our apartment building and towards Damon and his brother Nico.

  As we get closer, my eyes roam over him. The face of Thor and the body of Hulk. Well I'll be, thank you, Jesus.

  “You really didn't know what he looked like? Ain't that your job at Double Play?” Bella asks.

  “He's not a client,” I say distractedly. “Shh, I'm sexually destroyin’ him in my head, give me a minute.”

  “Oh my God, you're insane, you know that?” Bella laughs.

  “God, I'm so wet,” I say as we walk down the stairs.

  “Stop it!” Bella whisper yells.

  “You stop it! It's been months, Bella June. I'm a lioness among gazelles. I'm hungry and salivating at this ripe meal. Let me eat and enjoy, dammit.”

  “You. Are. Nuts.”

  “Ladies, you look gorgeous,” Damon says smoothly.

  Funny when I bumped into him doing the walk of shame, he was trying to escape like a bat outta hell. Now he's all romantics and compliments, interesting.

  “Hey, I'm uh…”

  “Nicholas Johnson, I know. Let's go Hulk,” I say grabbing his hand and pulling him away from Damon and Bella.

  I'm not trying to be a cock block tonight. My cousin has been in jail the past four years with a man who shouldn't have even been allowed to kiss her feet let alone share her bed. She deserves some fun.

  We walk over to Damon's truck and I hop in the backseat with Nico.

  We make small talk as Damon drives us to the pub and I look over at Nico poking his bicep.

  “What about you Hulk, what's your deal? Do you speak?”

  God he has a hard bicep. Yum, yum, yum.

  “I...yes of course I speak,” he says quickly.

  Hmm big, bad, baller my ass. This better not be a disappointment, I'm horny as hell. What a waste all this hotness would be if he's a timid little lamb.

  We pull up to the bar and get out and I walk briskly to the bar.

  Nico comes up behind me, close. His huge body pressing against my tiny frame. I breathe in and his scent is arousing, sandalwood mixed with leather. He doesn't move, doesn't speak and I'm starting to get annoyed. I usually take the reins with men, but this is ridiculous.

  “So, is this your first time talkin’ to a beautiful woman or somethin’? I'll be gentle, don't worry,” I smirk motioning to the bartender.

  He laughs, his chuckle low and the rumble vibrates against my back.

  “Sorry. I've been busy picturing you naked and panting underneath me,” he growls.

  My mouth drops at his words. Shit, his voice is hot, that was hot. It has been way too long. I can't go through a dry spell like this again, it's making me nuts, Bella’s right.

  “Ohhh there we go. I was wonderin’ if your big biceps were the only big thing you had goin’ for you,” I smile glancing down at his crotch quick before turning around getting my composure back.

  We're so close, our bodies are pressed against each other and I take a sip from my drink, trying to remain unaffected. What is happening right now?

  “And here I was doing the same thing. Wondering if your big mouth was big enough to suck down my big balls.”

  I choke on my drink and lift an eyebrow looking over my shoulder at him. Jesus Christ, my nipples are hard.

  “Well, well, well. I'm gonna have some fun with you, Hulk.”

  “Back at you, Blondie.”

  “I don't like bein’ called Blondie,” I say putting a hand on my hip.

  “And I'm not too sure how I feel about being called Hulk.”

  “Fine, Hulk, what are you still doin’ in Louisiana? Don't you live in Miami?”

  “You looked me up?” he smirks.

  “Bella told me. Truthfully, I couldn't give a crap what you looked like. You're a ball player, you couldn't be that ugly and it's been months and I'm as horny as a bull in a cow pen.”

  “So any old dick would do, huh?”

  “Ain't that how you operate, Hulk?”

  He smirks and shakes his head.

  “I don't like thinking about you just falling’ into bed with any old ball player except me.”

  “Well then don't think about it,” I smirk.

  “I heard through the grapevine that you don't even do athletes,” he questions stepping even closer to me.

  “I don't. Like I said I'm in need of someone to give me my release and you happen to be the guy. Lucky you,” I say smiling pulling his shirt down to press my lips on his thick neck.

  He stalks forward, pressing my back into the wall, taking my drink out of my hand and placing it on the bar. He grabs my cheeks in his big paws, pushing me harder against the wall and my hands instinctively wrap around his waist.

  “You have one second to say yes or say no. After that I am taking you, anyway I want you and you'll fucking love it.”

  I open my mouth to speak but then shut it. No man has ever talked to me like that in my life and the pulsing in my panties is blocking any type of speech from leaving my mouth. I'm always the one taking charge, what the fuck do I do with this? I nod my head because it's the only thing I can physically do.

  “Say it, Blondie. Yes or no,” he growls, his lips barely touching mine.

  I close my eyes and gulp, trying to find my voice, trying to find that strength I pride myself on. I don't take shit from anyone, I don't back down from anything and that i
ncludes Nico Johnson.

  My eyes snap open, my brain putting my libido back in her cage for the moment, not willingly, but she's trying.

  “I also don't like bein’ told what to do,” I say through gritted teeth.

  “No? So when I have you on your knees tonight, with my cock in your mouth, your fingers in your pussy and I tell you to make yourself come. You're not gonna listen?”