Hard Ball (Stadium Series Book 1)

by S A Clayton

  “Uh, it’s in the bathroom,” she says as she closes the door behind her.

  I look down the hall, knowing the bathroom is in that direction, but stand there like an idiot just so I can stare at her a bit more.

  “If you want to grab it, it’s down the hall and to the left.”

  “Okay,” I don’t know what else to say, so I start to make my way down the hall.

  “Do you want anything to drink?” she asks as I quickly find the first aid kit and head back into the living room. “Apparently I only have beer and water.” She sounds embarrassed but really it makes me like her even more. I ask for a water and she quickly brings my glass and her beer into the room, setting them on the coffee table.

  “Are you thinking about staying for a bit?” I ask, motioning to the fact that she’s still wearing her coat.

  Her eyes widen as she bursts out laughing. She heads toward the front door and when I see what she has on under that coat, my entire body freezes.

  My eyes trail the length of her body and I swear my tongue is hanging out of my mouth. She is fucking beautiful.

  “Shit…” I mutter as I continue to take in the scrap of clothing she’s wearing. Is that even a dress? It fits her like a glove and the way it hugs her hips is making me want to rip it right off her body and lick every inch of her. “You look incredible.” My eyes finally meet hers and the uncertainty in her gaze makes me wonder who put it there.

  Her hands smooth down the front of her dress and then she gently pulls the hem down. I want to scream at her to leave it alone because the sight of her legs is driving me crazy. They look a mile long and all I can picture is how they would look wrapped around me.

  “It’s a bit too short for me,” she jokes, trying to laugh it off but I don’t smile. My eyes continue to take her in, one inch at a time.

  “Are you kidding me? It’s perfect,” I growl, throwing the first aid kit on the couch, forgotten. “You’re perfect.”

  I take two steps and I’m right in front of her, the sweet smell of strawberries hitting me as I close my eyes and suppress a moan. My breath hits her skin and I love the goose bumps that appear as my fingers graze the sides of her arms. I trail one finger along her bottom lip, loving the feel of her. With rapt fascination, I watch as her tongue dips out and flicks against my thumb.

  “Harper…” I groan, my fingers trailing farther south, past her jaw and down the curve of her neck.

  Her breathing is erratic as her eyes dilate.

  She’s just as turned on as I am.

  My fingers travel even farther, following the curve of her dress, past her chest and down the valley between her breasts. Never have I loved a plunging neckline more than this moment. The way her skin feels is intoxicating and as my eyes lock with hers, I can see the lust and I can’t fight this anymore.

  My hands curve around the nape of her neck and a needy moan leaves her lips. Fuck it. Before I think better of it, my lips are on hers and I can’t help the low growl that settles in my chest. It’s a mixture of everything leading up to this point. The heated looks, the sideways glances and the barely-there touches. All of it was leading to the moment her lips touched mine and Jesus, it’s incredible.

  Her arms circle my neck, pulling me closer. My hands travel along her lower back, pulling her even closer than before. Yet it’s not enough. The kiss becomes all-consuming as I walk her backward until she hits the front door. Her soft, pliant body is pinned against mine, making me wonder why I took so long to taste her.

  “Fuck, Sunshine, I can’t get enough of you,” I murmur against her skin, letting my teeth graze her ear, making her arch back into me.

  And just like that, a switch is flipped. My hands grasp her thighs, lifting her as I push my ever-growing erection into her needy pussy. I hold us there, my lips against the curve of her neck, making my way back to those lips I’ve dreamed about for weeks. Her hips rotate, trying to get relief but finding none. She moans into my lips as her tongue meets mine, and she tastes even better than before. If that’s even possible.

  She starts grinding her core against me more and more as I groan into her skin, feeling my cock strain against the fabric of my pants.

  “Couch,” she groans against my lips as I take her in a punishing kiss and push her further into the door.

  It takes me a second to register what she wants, and the minute I do, I turn us, her ass in my hands as I squeeze her closer, making a needy sound leave her lips. The moment we hit the couch, I know she made the right choice because her core is directly over my cock, and it’s fucking glorious. Her lips travel down my neck, making my head hit the back of the couch with a groan. My noises must spur her on because she starts grinding against me at a pace that rivals my need for her. My fingers trail light circles against her exposed thigh as I slowly make my way up to the hem of her dress. The minute my fingers brush the lace of her panties, my mind goes numb, and I don’t even register a phone ringing. It’s not until Harper breaks away to take a breath that I realize it’s my phone that’s going off.

  “Fuck,” I growl against her lips. “That’s mine.” I lean my head back, finding her eyes searching mine. I see a slight smirk across her lips and I mirror it.

  “Ignore it,” she pants, coming back down as our lips connect once more, my hands wrapping around her waist.

  There is no way I’m stopping this.

  “Sunshine…” I growl as she takes my face in her hands and crushes her lips to mine.

  If I take away anything from this moment it’s that Harper can fucking kiss. Her lips are heaven against mine as my cock grows impossibly hard, reminding me how much I want to be inside her right now.

  Our lips separate, both of us breathing hard as her fingers trace the ridges of my chest, over my stomach and down toward my belt. My breath hitches as her fingertips find the soft skin just above my jeans and my eyes close, wondering if I can last long enough to make this good for her. At this point, I feel like a teenager trying not to come in my pants as her hips continue to grind. Just as her nails grasp the leather of my belt, my phone goes off again.

  “Shit,” I mutter, hating whoever is on the other end of that call. “I need to get that, it could be urgent.”

  She reluctantly nods, the blush on her cheeks making me want to kiss her all over again. She stands as I jog to get my phone out of my coat pocket.

  “Hello?” I ask in a ticked-off tone, hearing Harper chuckle behind me. I glance back at her, seeing that she pulled down her dress and I wink, trying to listen to whoever is on the other line.

  “Josh,” Bob says on the other end. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end because he never calls me this late. I honestly thought he couldn’t physically stay up this late. “Team meeting first thing tomorrow. I want you here before everyone else, I wanna talk to you. See how you’re doing.”

  My eyes roll because he’s micromanaging and I’m a few seconds away from telling him how much I hate it. Of all the nights he could have called, it had to be this one.

  Fucker.

  “Yeah, yeah. I’ll be there.”

  Harper’s eyes fall, the disappointment plain as day on her beautiful face. All I want to do is stay here and finish what we started but the moment is gone and we both know it. I hang up the phone, put it in my pocket as I make my way over to where she’s standing. I lift her chin so our eyes meet because I need to make sure she knows there isn’t an ounce of doubt about the way I feel about her in this moment.

  “You need to leave?” I give her a slight nod before I place a light kiss on her forehead.

  “I now have a very early morning tomorrow.” I look at my watch and groan. “Or should I say today?”

  She smiles and for a split second, I see that doubt flicker across her eyes. Nope. Not happening, so I take her face in my hands once more and tilt her head back.

  “Trust me, Sunshine, I would much rather be here with you and finish what we started.” I kiss her, restraining myself as I pull her close so she
can feel just how much I want to stay. “This is all you, okay? No one else can do this to me.” Our eyes meet as I lean down and kiss her softly.

  “I get it,” she murmurs, and I take a moment to thank whoever brought us together.

  “Good, because I need more of that,” I say, pointing to the couch as that blush rises over her skin, causing me to chuckle. I bring her in for a hug, her arms wrapping tight around my middle. “Can I see you again?” I ask, hoping for once that the answer is different, and when she nods her head against my chest, I can’t help the shit-eating grin that lights up my face.

  “Hand me your phone,” she demands. When I hand it over, she programs her number and hands it back. “There, it’s all on you now.”

  I roll my eyes playfully because we both know it’s been all on me this entire time. I lean in, pressing my lips to hers because I can’t seem to stay away. I reluctantly pull away before I throw caution to the wind and stay the night.

  “Don’t worry, after what we just did, there is no fucking way I’m staying away.”

  She raises a brow as I lean my forehead against hers, loving the fact that her eyes close once we’re touching.

  “I know,” she whispers. “Go before you’re too tired to wake up tomorrow and your coach benches you.”

  “As if he could…” I tease, giving her one last kiss before grabbing my coat and pulling the door open. I pray she doesn’t change her mind before I see her again.

  16

  Harper

  Josh: Be ready at seven

  That’s all the text says. Shivers cascade over my entire body as I continue to read it over and over again. I know he’s coming back from his road trip today, he told me last night while we were talking on the phone, something we’ve been doing a lot since he left my apartment that night we almost threw all caution to the wind. After we got interrupted by his coach, I regretted not asking him to stay every day that’s passed since he left. He’s told me many times that he wants to take me on a date, but when you have a job that takes up eighty-five percent of your time, finding the time can be very hard. Especially when you’re across the country and nowhere near close enough to do all the things I know we both want to do to each other.

  I read the words one more time and blush at the promise those four words invoke. How is it that my body responds more to his texts than it did in the two years I was with Cole? That seems to be the real crime here.

  The clock on my stove tells me it’s five forty-five and I immediately start to panic. I have to get ready, and fast. So I rush into the bathroom, turn on the shower and start to wonder what he has planned for tonight. Once I’m showered, I go and stand in front of my closet and look at everything I own and realize I have nothing to wear. I have nothing date-worthy at all, and so I do the only thing I know to do in a situation like this. I text Mel.

  Me: Date wardrobe 911! I need options ASAP.

  In less than a minute she responds.

  Mel: On my way!

  I spend the next twenty minutes drying and straightening my hair which reminds me why I always seem to throw my hair into a bun at the top of my head. Easier. Before long, the front door bursts open and Mel comes barreling into my room with armfuls of clothes.

  “Did you bring your whole closet with you?” I ask as she spreads out a bunch of options on the bed as I gawk at the amount of clothing she actually brought. “No, seriously, did you leave anything at your house?”

  “Honey, that hole-in-the-wall you call a closet is a disaster and we both know it.”

  I shrug because she’s right as she places everything into piles on top of my bed and I thank the universe that this woman is a friend. Who else would bring their entire closet with them?

  “Okay,” she starts, standing up straight and looking down at the mountains that are currently taking over my mattress. “I have three piles.” She gestures toward the bed. “The first one is for sure bets. These are the clothes I know are the closest to what you usually wear.” She shows me a pair of black skinny jeans, a flowy top and bright red heels. She rolls her eyes at the smile on my face, knowing that I already love that option.

  “Then we have the maybe pile. This option is a little more outside your comfort zone but when you see the way Josh looks when he sees you, I think you’ll change your mind.”

  The blush creeps up as I smile, loving the idea of Josh not being able to take his eyes off me. She holds up a leather miniskirt and a silver sequin top, and she’s paired that with a pair of suede knee-high boots that are too excessively high to be comfortable. She must sense my fear because she puts down the boots and places a hand on her hip.

  “Come on, Harp, this is sexy. Trust me, okay?”

  I nod as she picks up the last outfit.

  I furrow my brow because all I see is a plain black cocktail dress.

  “This is the one that will get you laid the second he sees you.”

  I give her a skeptical look because all I see is a normal black lace dress. Nothing about it would warrant Josh ripping it off my body. I start to wonder why she thought this was sexier when clearly the leather outfit was the more daring, but when I open my mouth to question her, she turns the dress around and I see the back. I gasp.

  The dress has no back.

  At all.

  From the smirk on Mel’s face, I know that was the reaction she wanted and the reaction that Josh will probably have when he sees me in it.

  “That one,” I say without thinking twice.

  The idea of what Josh will do to me when he sees me in that dress is enough for me to stop questioning the fact that I can’t wear a bra or the fact that I won’t be able to bend over because it’s so short. I’m desperate to see his face.

  “I thought so,” Mel says while gathering all the rest of the clothes and putting them away. We spend the next hour getting me ready, Mel telling me she is determined to fix my hair and do my makeup since the way I decided to do it makes me seem “boring.”

  Josh: Be there in five minutes.

  My breath catches as I peer over at Mel, panic clearly written all over my face.

  “Trust me, Harper. He will fall to his knees when he sees you, I promise.” She winks, picking up her purse and the mounds of clothes that are left on my bed and making her way to the front door. “I’m gonna jet, call me later!” She lets herself out and I walk to my full-length mirror that hangs behind my closet door. I turn one last time, eyeing the back of the dress and smirk. I love this dress.

  I grab my small clutch from the back of my closet, carefully placing my phone, cash, and keys into it before heading into the living room. Just as I place the bag on my couch, there’s a quiet knock at my front door that sends fire shooting over every inch of my skin. My hands start to shake as I think of the man on the other side of the door.

  “Open the door, Sunshine,” he says as I open the door and take him in.

  He looks delicious. He’s wearing a tailored dark blue suit jacket that brings out his eyes. His crisp white shirt has the two top buttons undone which gives him this disheveled look that I’m loving, and his blond hair is combed back away from his face, so I peer into those blue eyes unobstructed. The second our eyes meet; I sense his hunger. That desperate hunger that is falling off him as he takes me in, and my knees weaken.

  “Hi,” I say weakly, not trusting my voice not to betray just how turned on I am at the sight of him.

  A small grunt comes from Josh but other than that he’s silent. His eyes travel up and down my body, making me weaker with every passing glance.

  “Do I look okay?” I ask, turning around, and as my back is turned, I hear him curse and I’m pushed into my apartment as the door is slammed behind us.

  “Don’t you dare think about changing,” he growls as he spins and pins me up against the closed door. “You look fucking incredible. How the hell am I supposed to get through tonight with you looking like that?” His lips are against my neck before I can utter a word as he places soft kisses alon
g my neck until he reaches my ear. “I missed you,” he says while biting the sensitive skin along my neck, and I gasp, leaning my head back against the door.

  “Fuck…” I whine, but the closer his body gets to mine, the more I want something.

  His erection is clear and present against my thigh as he grinds it against me, causing a moan to leave my throat.

  “Fuck it.” He curses as he takes my mouth in a punishing kiss that makes me lose my breath. I forgot what his lips felt like on my skin. I revel in the softness of them.

  I reach for his hair, grasping it with all my strength as I pull him closer. His tongue demands entrance, and I gladly let him in. The heat of his hands travels from my hips up to my back as they grab the exposed flesh, as if he can’t get enough.

  “Josh… I need you, please…” I moan. “I need you so bad.” My voice is raspy as his fingers trace patterns on my skin. I’m aching for him.

  “I know,” he murmurs between kisses. “I know exactly what you need.”

  I groan as my hands grasp at the door for support. His hands leave my back and travel over my ass and up under my dress.

  “Fuck, sweetheart, you’re not wearing any panties,” he growls, his hands grabbing my ass and slowly traveling exactly where I need them most. “Are you wet for me?” he whispers into my ear, and all I can do is nod as my brain loses all sense of control. His hands retreat as a whimper leaves my mouth, hating the loss of his touch. “Don’t worry, Sunshine, I’m not going anywhere.” And before I know it, he’s down on his knees, pushing up the fabric of my dress, revealing just how much I want him.

  “Josh, seriously, I’m going to go insane if you don’t touch me.”

  The way his fingers trace over my skin is driving me crazy with want, but my body knows it wants more than his touch.

  “What do you want, Harper?” he demands, looking up at me from his knees.

  I don’t know what it is about this demanding side of him that I love so much, but I want more.