“You don’t owe me anything. You owe it to that baby. Don’t even try to reconcile with me until you’ve done so with your mother and come to grips with your obligations.” She twisted in his grip and pushed him off her.
He hated to release her but knew she needed her space. He took a deep breath. “I know, hon. I’m working on it. I swear. Ava, you’re the kindest woman I’ve ever met. I acted like a total coward that morning, leaving only a brief note that told you nothing. And that was after I spent the previous night fucking you without asking what you wanted to do, just to chase away my demons.” He flinched.
“What?” Her voice was louder. “You did not.” She lifted to sitting next to him.
“I did, hon. I did.”
She shook her head and reached for his face and cupped his jaw. She stroked the stubbly shadow of his day-old beard. “I didn’t think that for a second.”
“You should have.”
“No. I came to your condo and offered myself to you intentionally. I thought it might help you exorcise your demons. I gave myself willingly. You took nothing. If it wasn’t what I wanted, I wouldn’t have begged for it.”
He stared at her, not quite seeing it that way. “I’m stronger.”
She rolled her eyes. “Come on, Xavier. You didn’t force me. You even specifically met my gaze, silently asking consent for something I was freely offering.” She gripped his face firmly and leaned forward. “This line of thinking is over. Let it go.”
She kissed his lips lightly and then continued. “I’m sorry I went to Puerto Rico with your mom without telling you. I was afraid you would try to stop me, so I did what I thought was best. She was in no state to go alone. She needed someone’s support. I was available. I went.”
“I understand why you went. I was totally MIA and behaving like a spoiled jackass. I owe you the world for taking care of my mom. It’s the kindest thing I’ve ever known someone to do. Way above and beyond what I would expect from a woman I’d been dating a few weeks.” He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.
She released his cheek and spun around, crossing her legs between them so that her knees touched his chest. “There’s something you need to understand.”
“What’s that?” He couldn’t imagine what else she had to say.
“My parents died when I was six.”
He set a hand on her thigh and stroked the soft skin. “I know that, hon.”
“I was just a child. I didn’t fully grasp the magnitude of what my sister gave up for me.”
Realization seeped into him. Fuck.
“She could have let me go to another family. She could have put me in foster care. She was only eighteen. I was a kid. A pain in the ass, most likely. She had her whole life ahead of her. She put off college and most of her dreams to raise me. If it weren’t for her, who knows what would’ve happened to me.” Her breath hitched, and her tears fell freely.
Xavier bolted to sitting and hauled her into his lap. He reached behind him to stuff her pillow against the headboard and leaned back, situating her on his lap sideways. She was so small and fragile and hurting. He stroked her hair. “I’m so sorry, Ava. God, I’m such an idiot.”
How had he never looked at this through her eyes?
She shook her head, her tears soaking the front of his shirt.
He eased his hands to her face and lifted it to meet her gaze. “I fucked up. I came here to apologize and beg you to give me another chance. I can’t breathe when you’re not with me. I can’t concentrate. My game is in the shitter. The coach wants to wring my neck. My condo is hallow and empty and too quiet. I need you. Please… Forgive me.”
She choked on a sob and grabbed his shirt at his chest. “Xavier, you once begged me not to run from you and then you turned the table and ran from me. You abandoned me in your own home. You didn’t call for so long you didn’t even know I wasn’t in the country. I need to know you won’t pull a stunt like this again.”
“Never. I swear. Because I never want to feel the kind of pain that settled in my chest when I thought I’d lost you for good.”
She swallowed back her tears and touched his face. “This is your only warning. And I hope you’ve gotten over your stubborn issues. There’s a super cute, sweet little boy who needs his uncle to love him unconditionally and do right by him. You can’t put that all on your mom and Doug.”
“I won’t. I’m here now. I swear.”
“Okay then, put your words to action.”
Relief flooded his system. He held her tight, kissed her forehead, and rocked her against him for such a long time he thought she might have fallen asleep.
Suddenly she spoke, her voice weak and barely audible. “He’s so cute, Xavier.”
He opened his mouth, about to ask who she was talking about, but fortunately stopped himself before becoming an even bigger fool. Instead, he stroked her back lazily up and down her spine. “You think he looks like me?”
“Exactly like you.” He could hear the smile in her voice. “And his little noises…”
“Little? I was only at the house for a few minutes, but he was screaming bloody murder.”
She chuckled. “He does that when he’s hungry.”
“Mmm.” Xavier softened to the idea. Ava was obviously smitten with the little guy. How could he continue to be a jackass to his own flesh and blood while the girlfriend he’d met only recently seemed to take it all in stride?
A flash of his future jumped into his mind like a photograph. And he liked what he saw. He smiled broadly. “I promise I’ll do right by you. And that baby.”
“One day at a time, Xavier. That’s all you can do.”
How did he manage to fall in love with such a smart, amazing woman?
Chapter Eighteen
Ava woke up with a start. She jerked to sitting, confused again about where she was. Miami. Her apartment.
Xavier reached for her. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” She sank back down next to him, snuggling against his side and setting her cheek on his chest. She flattened her palm on his pecs and eased it around his skin as if to reaffirm he was real.
He hugged her against him and kissed the top of her head. “I’m right here. Not going anywhere. Not ever again.”
“Except Detroit. And Vegas. And North Carolina. And wherever else you go to play ball.”
He laughed. “I really need to teach you a bit more about baseball.”
“What? I’m just pointing out you won’t be with me every day.”
He laughed harder. She loved the sound and the feel of his chest vibrating under her cheek. “True. But I won’t be traveling to any of those places.”
“Why not?” She was confused.
“Well, Detroit’s in the American League. There’s no team in Vegas. And the entire state of North Carolina lacks a pro ball team.”
“Whatever. Semantics.”
He squeezed her shoulder. “I have to leave in a few hours. If we keep chasing each other between Miami and Jupiter, we’re both going to run out of steam soon.”
She nodded, not willing to part with him yet. She just got him back last night. She hadn’t even seen his face in the light of day yet. And already he was leaving.
“Come with me.” He lifted her chin to meet her gaze. “I meant what I said last night. I love you. And I intend to spend the rest of my life proving it. Starting now. I want you to come with me. I know I’m asking a lot. But please give us a chance.”
She pushed off his chest to stare at him, his words all running together after the first ones. “Wait. Stop. Repeat the first part?”
He narrowed his eyes in confusion, and then a slow smile formed, and he hauled her lips to meet his. After a quick kiss, he spoke again. “I love you.”
“One more time?”
His smile broadened. “I love you.”
She closed her eyes, letting those words sink in. They sounded like music. “Okay, I wanted to hear you say it a few times. Anything you said afterward got l
ost, but I can’t go with you. I’ve been gone for days. I have to find a job. ASAP. I’ve been ignoring that problem for too long.”
He swallowed and stroked her cheek. “The season starts full on next week. I play almost every day. It’s a rough schedule. Half the games are here. Half are away.”
She nodded. She had spent so little time considering what the actual season had looked like. Their entire relationship had taken place during spring training. Half of his games had been at the ballpark in Jupiter. His real life was in full force now. “Then we take it day by day.”
He swallowed, his eyes widening.
“Xavier, I have to do this. I have to stay here. You have to travel. It’s not the end of the world. We’ll see each other when you’re in town.”
He searched her face, his lips pursed.
“You can’t think I would drop everything and bop around the country with you, right?”
He sighed, his face softening. “Does it make me a total douche?”
“Yes.”
One corner of his mouth lifted. “Then, no. Of course not. I support you one hundred percent.”
She narrowed her gaze. “Look, we both have a pile of stuff to work through. I’m twenty-two. I’ve never been self-sufficient.”
“You do realize I make quite a bit of money, right?”
“Don’t even go there. And I suggest you not start arguing with me this morning. It won’t go well for you.”
He slid his hand down her arm and threaded his fingers with hers. “Tell me what you want. Paint this picture for me. I’ll make it happen.”
“I want you to give me the space to find a job and make my way on my own. I want you to get to know your nephew and figure out how to help your mom. I know it’s not going to be easy, but it’s non-negotiable. If we can survive this, we’ll have proven we can survive anything.”
“Is this a test?” He lifted a brow.
“If you want to look at it that way. It’s not as though I’m trying to torture you, Xavier. These are things I need. We’ll see each other when you’re in town. Date like normal people. Give us the test of time.”
“All right, hon.” He hauled her closer for a kiss. “We’ll try your plan. As long as you aren’t suggesting we stop sleeping together. That’s more than I can tolerate.”
“Deal, as long as you aren’t suggesting you intend to tether me to your bed every time your plane touches down. Fifty-fifty. You give your family half your time and me the other half.”
“Can I mix the two?” He smiled.
“Maybe. We’ll see how it goes.”
Chapter Nineteen
Two months later…
“Are you seeing Xavier tonight?” Lily asked through the phone.
Ava tucked her cell phone against her shoulder as she raced from her bedroom to the kitchen. “Nope. Tomorrow.” She grabbed her travel mug filled with hot tea and her purse and headed for the door.
“I don’t know how you do it.”
“Do what?”
“Put him off for a day after he returns from nearly a week on the road. I’m already pacing waiting for Dominic to get here.”
“I have to work late tonight for one thing. Deadline. And he’s going to his parents. He’s taking Elias for the night so his mom and Doug can go out.”
“Oh, wow. Is this his first overnight?”
“Yep.” Ava giggled on her way to her car. “I wish I could be a fly on the wall, but he needs to do this on his own.”
“Dominic says he’s so head over heels for both you and that baby he’d do anything. I have to say, I had my doubts after the way he acted when you were in Puerto Rico. But he’s coming around. He might not be such a dick after all.”
Ava climbed into her car and switched the phone to blue tooth. “That’s the plan. Make him work for it.”
“You’re a stronger woman than me. I’ve got Stephan running my gallery half the time because I can’t stand to spend so many nights without Dominic, and you’re working fifty hours a week while juggling a man who isn’t in town most of the time. Either you aren’t that interested in him, or you’re a genius.”
Ava laughed as she pulled out of the parking spot. “It’s not easy. I miss him like hell most nights. I can’t stand to go to bed alone. But it makes the times when we are together so much sweeter.” Visions of last weekend popped into her head to make her clench her thighs together and lick her lips.
“How’s work going?”
“It’s going.” Ava tried to sound upbeat. Her job sucked. It was so boring she had to stand and stretch every fifteen minutes just to stay awake. And she was barely making enough money to pay her bills.
“You’re so stubborn. I wish you would come work for me instead of doing something you hate. At least the gallery is an interesting place most days. Stephan could always use the help.”
Ava groaned. “We’ve been through this. I need to do this. For me. Can’t you understand?”
Lily sighed. “I get it. I do. I just don’t like to watch you go through the process. It seems unnecessary. And I know Xavier has to be frustrated. You two never see each other.”
“Yeah. That part sucks. But I can’t go from living off you to living off my trust fund to living off a rich ballplayer without taking some time to live in the real world.”
“Well, you could.” Lily giggled. “No one would fault you.”
“I would.”
“Okay, I’ll stop badgering you. But be careful. I don’t want to see your relationship in the shitter over some self-imposed moral obligation you have to scrape pennies.”
“I know. But things are good with Xavier. He understands.”
“All right. I’ll let you get to work. Call me later.”
“Sounds good.” Ava ended the call and focused her attention on the road. She bit back the thought that she was about to spend the next ten hours bored out of her skull.
This job paid the rent. It paid the bills. It proved she could make it on her own. But proofreading and copy editing layouts all day was taxing. Her heart wasn’t in it. And between the long hours and trying to fit Xavier into her schedule, she hadn’t written more than a few thousand words in two months.
She was exhausted and drained. But no way in hell would she admit that out loud to anyone.
Her phone rang as she pulled into the parking lot. The caller ID indicated it was Xavier. Her heart rate picked up seeing his name. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.” His voice was deep, sexy. “You make it to work?”
“Just pulled in.” She turned off the engine and picked up the cell to talk into it directly. “How was your flight?”
“Long. I’ve only been home a few hours, but I wanted to hear your voice before you get too busy.”
She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. “Glad you called.”
“What time do you get off tonight?”
“I have to work late. Not sure yet.”
“You’re burning yourself out, hon.”
“I’m fine.” She tried to make her voice sound livelier than she felt.
“Yeah. I know you. Listen, tomorrow, yeah? You’ll come over in the morning? It’s Saturday. We’ll have a few hours to ourselves before I have to get to the field.”
“Sounds amazing.” It did. They hadn’t had an entire morning together in weeks. Dating a ballplayer meant meeting up at weird hours. She’d learned that many wives and girlfriends altered their schedules to stay up late after games and sleep in the next morning. But she didn’t have that luxury.
“See you then, Ava. Love you.”
“Love you too.” She ended the call and hauled herself from the car on leaden feet.
* * *
The next morning she pulled up to Xavier’s Miami home at the same time he pulled into the driveway. She parked behind him and nearly jumped from the car.
He exited his just as quickly and met her halfway to haul her into his embrace. Before she could say a word, his lips were on hers and his hand
s threaded in her hair.
Her body jumped to attention, her sex clenching as his tongue explored her mouth. After a lengthy kiss, he finally pulled back. “Missed you.”
“Me too. How’d it go with Elias?”
“Not too bad. Just dropped him off. He slept about five hours in a row.”
She smiled. “Tired?”
“No. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to go back to bed.”
Her pulse increased at the suggestion. “I like that plan.”
He threaded his fingers with hers and pulled her along behind him into his amazing home. She loved this house. When they’d started dating, he’d been living in the condo in Jupiter. It hadn’t occurred to her what sort of home he had in Miami.
This one was exactly what she would expect, though. It suited him.
He led her through the garage and into the enormous kitchen. She had cooked in that kitchen a few times so far, and it was a dream. Black marble, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances. Sleek. Modern. Gorgeous.
She didn’t get to see it well this morning, however, because Xavier kept walking straight through to the front of the house and up the staircase to the second floor. He still didn’t say anything while he hauled her into the master bedroom and kicked the door shut. Who would come in anyway?
She wanted him so badly she didn’t care a bit that they were about to skip pleasantries and foreplay. They hadn’t had sex in a week.
He spun around to face her in the middle of the room, his hands sliding over her shoulders and around to her back. “Cute dress,” he said, although she seriously doubted he’d seen it.
The sound of the zipper lowering filled the silence of the room. And then the fitted navy dress she’d worn with the intention of it still being on her at the game that night fell to the floor. If it got wrinkled, too bad.
The cool air in the room hit her naked body.
“Ava…” Xavier leaned back enough to put a few inches between them. His gaze roamed down her body. “It makes me so hard when you do that.”
“Do what?” she teased, fully aware of how much he enjoyed knowing she was naked under her dress at his games.
Catching Ava (Spring Training Book 3) Page 19
