Scoring With Him

by Lauren Blakely

  Scoring With Him

  Book One in The Men of Summer Series

  Lauren Blakely

  Lauren Blakely Books

  Contents

  Also by Lauren Blakely

  About

  Scoring With Him

  Prologue

  Prologue

  1. Declan

  2. Grant

  3. Grant

  4. Grant

  5. Declan

  6. Grant

  7. Declan

  8. Declan

  9. Declan

  10. Grant

  11. Grant

  12. Declan

  13. Grant

  14. Declan

  15. Grant

  16. Declan

  17. Grant

  18. Declan

  19. Grant

  20. Declan

  21. Declan

  22. Grant

  23. Grant

  24. Declan

  25. Declan

  26. Grant

  27. Declan

  28. Grant

  29. Declan

  30. Declan

  31. Grant

  32. Declan

  33. Grant

  34. Declan

  35. Declan

  36. Grant

  37. Declan

  38. Declan

  39. Declan

  40. Grant

  Also by Lauren Blakely

  Contact

  Copyright © 2021 by Lauren Blakely

  Cover Design by Helen Williams.

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. This contemporary romance is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. This book is licensed for your personal use only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with, especially if you enjoy sexy romance novels with alpha males. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

  Also by Lauren Blakely

  Big Rock Series

  Big Rock

  Mister O

  Well Hung

  Full Package

  Joy Ride

  Hard Wood

  * * *

  Rules of Love Series

  The Rules of Friends with Benefits (A Prequel Novella)

  The Virgin Rule Book

  The Virgin Game Plan

  The Virgin Replay

  The Virgin Scorecard

  * * *

  Men of Summer Series

  Scoring With Him

  Winning With Him

  * * *

  The Guys Who Got Away Series

  Dear Sexy Ex-Boyfriend

  The What If Guy

  Thanks for Last Night

  The Dream Guy Next Door

  * * *

  The Gift Series

  The Engagement Gift

  The Virgin Gift

  The Decadent Gift

  * * *

  The Extravagant Series

  One Night Only

  One Exquisite Touch

  My One-Week Husband

  * * *

  MM Standalone Novels

  A Guy Walks Into My Bar

  One Time Only

  * * *

  The Heartbreakers Series

  Once Upon a Real Good Time

  Once Upon a Sure Thing

  Once Upon a Wild Fling

  * * *

  Boyfriend Material

  Asking For a Friend

  Sex and Other Shiny Objects

  One Night Stand-In

  * * *

  Lucky In Love Series

  Best Laid Plans

  The Feel Good Factor

  Nobody Does It Better

  Unzipped

  * * *

  Always Satisfied Series

  Satisfaction Guaranteed

  Instant Gratification

  Overnight Service

  Never Have I Ever

  PS It’s Always Been You

  Special Delivery

  * * *

  The Sexy Suit Series

  Lucky Suit

  Birthday Suit

  * * *

  From Paris With Love

  Wanderlust

  Part-Time Lover

  * * *

  One Love Series

  The Sexy One

  The Only One

  The Hot One

  The Knocked Up Plan

  Come As You Are

  * * *

  Sports Romance

  Most Valuable Playboy

  Most Likely to Score

  * * *

  Standalones

  Stud Finder

  The V Card

  The Real Deal

  Unbreak My Heart

  The Break-Up Album

  * * *

  The Caught Up in Love Series

  The Pretending Plot (previously called Pretending He’s Mine)

  The Dating Proposal

  The Second Chance Plan (previously called Caught Up In Us)

  The Private Rehearsal (previously called Playing With Her Heart)

  * * *

  Seductive Nights Series

  Night After Night

  After This Night

  One More Night

  A Wildly Seductive Night

  About

  Falling for the rookie wasn’t part of the plan.

  * * *

  As a pro athlete, I have one unbreakable rule when it comes to men — Don’t date another baseball player.

  * * *

  Good thing I haven’t been tempted once in four years in the majors.

  * * *

  Until the day a rising star walks into my locker room. Outgoing, affable, and sexy-as-sin, Grant has confidence and talent for miles. He seems to get me too, maybe because we each have our fair share of secrets and scars — ones we’ll both fight to protect.

  * * *

  But, I’ve got far too much trouble in my past to want to bring any into my present.

  * * *

  All the more reason to resist the kind of dirty deeds his lips and eyes promise.

  * * *

  Even after I plant a scorching, hot kiss on the rookie one night after a game.

  * * *

  Even after he sends me the world’s sexiest selfie.

  * * *

  But when Grant reveals his biggest secret, I’m so damn ready to rip up the rulebook.

  * * *

  Turns out he’s a virgin and he wants me to help him get around all the bases.

  * * *

  The only rule? Don’t fall in love with him as we go.

  Scoring With Him

  By Lauren Blakely

  * * *

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  Dedication

  This story is dedicated to both the women who helped shape the story—Helen, Jen, and Kim, and most of all to Kayti, who attained Goddess
status in our plotting. And to the men who helped make sure it was authentic—Jay, Trent, and most of all, Jon. Thank you for helping build the foundation of this love story with me. I am endlessly grateful for all your support and insight. Also, thank you to Dan Levy, creator of Schitt's Creek, for the way he crafted his TV show. He has said that his show would not include any storylines about homophobia, but rather love and tolerance. Likewise, The Men of Summer series exists in a world of pro sports that has been imagined as largely free of homophobia - a world where queer and straight athletes exist and play the sport with the same opportunities for success, sponsorship, acceptance, and of course, love, as anyone else. While this fictional world is not a utopia, the sports universe in this series and in the locker rooms was deliberately constructed with acceptance and equality. I hope you enjoy their world. Love is love.

  Prologue

  Five Years Ago

  At the Start of Rookie Year

  * * *

  Grant

  If I were the kind of guy who made five-year plans, mine would include winning a World Series, playing in an All-Star game, and having my pick when it comes to endorsement deals.

  Just putting that out there, universe. I’ll check back in when I’m twenty-seven and see what comes true. K, thanks.

  And to do that, I need a killer first season.

  I have to go into spring training and play hard every day.

  Baseball is my one and only dream. This sport saw me through the toughest years. Hard times are in the rearview mirror at long last, and good riddance to those days I’d like to forget.

  Hell, if I play my cards right, the opportunities for my career are endless.

  That’s not cocky.

  That’s just true.

  Fine, maybe it’s a little bit cocky, but facts are facts, and these are mine. I’m twenty-two. I earned a degree in history from a good college, I racked up one bonkers season in minor league baseball, and thanks to going in the first round of the draft, I’m making bank as I get ready to head to Arizona for spring training. My goal there? Lock up the starting catcher slot. Lock it up so damn tight that the coach can’t picture anyone else but me behind the plate for the team.

  Pretty sure I don’t have time for extracurricular activities. And that’s okay. I don’t need to be a hookup maestro. Besides, I bet the quest to be a player after hours is a recipe for disaster on the diamond.

  So yeah, I suppose that’s my five-year plan. Don’t look back. Move the hell forward. Leave it all on the field.

  Which means—don’t be distracted by men.

  That shouldn’t be a problem for me.

  I’ve learned to live, breathe, and eat the sport, and romance has taken a back seat. There will be time for men later in my twenties.

  Not at my first spring training.

  Not during my rookie year.

  And definitely not with a man on my team anytime soon.

  No matter how charming, sexy, smart, or easygoing a certain guy is. No matter how hot the attraction burns between us. And no matter how close I want to get to him.

  And this turns out to be the biggest problem in my brand-new career. Not hitting a wicked fastball. Not scrambling for a wild pitch.

  Nope, the problem is my shortstop.

  Declan Steele.

  From his easy confidence, to his deadpan wit, to the way he guides me through the complicated world of pro ball, I’m hooked on the man from the second I meet him.

  Add in his movie star face and a carved body that makes me want to throw him against the wall and kiss the breath out of him—or hell, let him shove me against the door. I don’t care—and I’m not sure I stand a chance at my five-year plan.

  Let alone a one-month plan.

  Already I’m behind in the count, and if I’m not careful, I’m going to strike out on my first chance to make it in the pros.

  But with Declan, I’m not sure I can be careful.

  Or if I want to. Because he just might be everything I didn’t know I needed.

  Prologue

  The Same Time

  * * *

  Declan

  * * *

  A good thing about being a Major League baseball player is that dates aren’t hard to come by.

  The pickings are plentiful, and I’ve enjoyed the offerings that have come my way over the last few years.

  The off-season is me time, and I’ve used the winters to turn up the heat, to wine and dine to my heart’s—and dick’s—content.

  Both organs have been quite happy, thank you very much.

  My stomach too. There was that fling with the chef at a three-starred Michelin restaurant in Napa. Let me tell you, seared scallops are even better when a man makes them just for you in his fantastic wine-country home overlooking a vineyard. I then showed him how much I appreciated his skills in the kitchen by showing off mine in the bedroom.

  Pretty sure I earned more than three stars with the things I did.

  The year after, I played globe-trotter alongside a rich-as-sin internet executive with a private jet, and we hardly ever wanted that Gulfstream to land.

  Then there was that TV star. You know, the guy in the Wall Street show who wears the fuck out of tailored suits.

  I date here and there on my own time and dime. There’s no hiding, and I’m definitely not in the closet, so I’m sure pics of me out with guys surface now and then in gossip rags or where-the-fuck-ever.

  Don’t know, since I don’t read them or follow them.

  But I do make it my mission to keep my romantic escapades off my social media. They don’t belong there.

  No matter who I date, I’m not going to post selfies of us the morning after at some too-cool-for-school sidewalk café eating avocado toast and sipping soy chai lattes.

  First, I don’t drink soy chai lattes.

  Second, I’m a private guy.

  Finally.

  I’ve wanted that more than almost anything—beautiful, blissful, calm. For the longest time, I craved privacy more than breath.

  No one gets to know me, what makes me tick, or what twists my heart unless I choose to share that information.

  Too many people knew too many things about my family when I was growing up. My life is different now, and I live it on my terms.

  This approach has served me well for the last four years in the Major Leagues.

  Well, for the most part.

  My penchant for serial monogamy doesn’t always end well.

  But it always ends, and that’s a damn good thing because, come February, when the calendar flips to the most glorious time of the year—the return of baseball—my focus narrows to one thing and one thing only.

  The unconditional love of my life.

  The sport that got me through my worst years.

  Come baseball season, I put dating, men, and romance behind me, and no matter what, I always followed one ironclad rule.

  Don’t date a baseball player.

  At all. And it goes without saying, don’t screw one on your own team.

  There aren’t that many options on pro sports rosters anyway.

  So, I figure it’ll be easy this year to renew my vows for solo love after a hellacious winter when everything went south with that certain TV star.

  I’ll be so goddamn single-minded with baseball I’ll be a racehorse with blinders. One-Track Steele will be my new nickname because I’m all about the game and only the game.

  That strategy works until one hotshot rookie walks into my locker room.

  The rising star.

  The man you want behind the plate.

  The guy with a smile for days, a laugh that wins over anyone, and blue eyes that see everything.

  Including me.

  Well, doesn’t that just make a hard situation even harder?

  I’m iron.

  I won’t bend.

  I won’t give in.

  I will resist.

  Until the night he tells me his greatest secret . . .

 
1

  Declan

  Shortly before spring training

  * * *