“Did I mention that I really like the way you look in my shirt?” I kissed her temple, then worked my way down the side of her face to her neck as I spoke. “So I’m kind of torn. I don’t know if I want to take it off or enjoy the view as is. What do you think?”
Sliding my hands under her arms, I cupped her breasts through the soft cotton and plucked at her tight nipples. She squirmed and rubbed her ass along my aching dick. I moved my right hand down to her hip, pushing her harder against me while I thrust forward.
“Hannah? On or off?”
“I don’t care.”
“Do you care if I leave these on?” I asked, slipping my hand over her panties, rubbing my finger back and forth along the wet lace.
“Jack,” she said on a groan. “I—”
“What honey?”
“I—”
She panted and her hips rocked against me. Without losing rhythm, I slipped my hand inside her panties, trapping her swollen clit between my index and middle fingers and giving it a squeeze before sliding into her slick heat. That’s all it took. Her muscles tightened then spasmed as I stroked her inside, drawing out her pleasure.
Hannah gulped in deep breaths of air and sagged against me. I licked my way up her neck, taking a nip right at its curve before pulling away. I’ve never intentionally left my mark on a woman before, but I can’t help myself with her.
Once her breathing slowed, I leaned her forward and slowly withdrew my fingers. Placing her hands on the counter, I brushed against her back and spoke directly against her ear. “This is gonna be fast, but I promise I’ll make it up to you next time.”
I grabbed the front of her panties and ripped them off then dropped my shorts. After rolling on the condom with shaking hands, I gripped her hips, pulled her back, and thrust forward.
“Hannah. Fuck.”
I pumped in and out, moving faster and faster until my spine tingled. I gritted my teeth, using every bit of control to hold back my release. I pushed against the small of her back, thrusting her ass further in the air and bent my knees, the new position letting me thrust even deeper, making me curve against the happy spot inside her.
“Oh my God! Jack!”
Her scream barely gave me warning as her muscles contracted, squeezing me in tight vise and releasing repeatedly until I couldn’t hold back anymore.
Chapter 17
Hannah
I jumped at the sound of my buzzing phone, slapping at the offending item until the blaring stopped. I’m normally awake before my alarm goes off, but today I’ve hit snooze three times. If I don’t get my ass out of bed now I’m going to be late for my meeting.
Dragging myself to the bathroom, I carefully stepped into the shower, my muscles protesting every movement. I gradually increased the temperature of the water until the bathroom filled with steam, letting the hot spray pound away the worst of my aches. I squeezed shower gel onto my mesh sponge and quickly washed, trying not to think too much about the source of the soreness between my legs.
After turning off the water, I quickly dried and wrapped my hair in the towel before stepping out of the shower and slipping into my robe. I walked to the closet and stared at its contents. According to the forecast, temperatures and humidity are supposed to be back to normal today, so I should be fine in my usual work attire. The Waves have a game at one o’clock so I decided to go with gray crop pants and a blue blouse. A lot of my co-workers wear team polo shirts and khakis on game days, but I’ve never really been comfortable in that, so I at least make sure to wear a team color.
I grabbed a powder blue bra and panty set from the drawer and Jack’s words echoed through my head.
The matching set isn’t surprising though. You’re always so put together.
Will I ever get dressed without thinking about what we were doing when he said that?
I suppose I could purposely not match, but then I’d think about why I’m not matching, so he’d be in my thoughts anyway.
Shaking my head, I slipped into my matching set and untwisted the towel from my head, scrunching my hair with it on the way to the bathroom. I brushed the knots out and studied myself in the mirror. The past couple weeks my makeup routine has been limited to mascara and lip gloss thanks to the summer glow I’ve gotten during my time down here, but today my face is glowing in a whole other way. I guess I have Jack to thank for that.
I put the brush back on the counter and something caught my eye so I turned to check it out. A small bruise stood in contrast to the pale skin on the curve of my neck.
A hickey? A hickey!
When the hell did he do that?
I braced my hands on the counter and leaned forward to get a closer look and couldn’t stop my mouth from curling into a small smile. I stood back and shrugged. I’ve never been a hickey girl. In fact, I’ve never had nor wanted one before, but this one is turning my insides all mushy. And at least it’s in a place my clothes will cover.
After drying and straightening my hair, I got dressed, put on my glasses, and slipped into a pair of strappy sandals. Making sure everything I need is in my laptop case, I grabbed it and my purse and walked out the door.
On the ride to the stadium, I both anticipated and dreaded seeing Jack in equal measures. Yesterday had been a fantasy come to life for me, but I can’t expect that he feels the same. He said all the right things and seemed sincere, but who knows? People say things in the heat of the moment and afterglow all the time.
I pulled into the nearly-empty stadium parking lot and turned into my now-usual spot. Doug pulled into the space across from mine just as I grabbed my bags from the car and closed the door.
“Hey,” he said, emerging from his car.
“Hi.” I shifted my purse and laptop case over my shoulder and walked in his direction. “Why are you here so early?”
“I have a long to-do list today and I’m hoping to run through most of it in time to catch some of the game,” he said. “How about you?”
“This is actually late for me.”
He swiped his card, opening the door then stepped aside for me to enter.
“A morning person, huh?”
“Not really. It’s just easier to get things done before everyone shows up.”
He pushed the elevator button and turned to face me.
“I had a great time at lunch the other day and was hoping we could do it again. Or maybe dinner?”
Thankfully the elevator doors opened at that moment, giving me a few seconds to formulate a response. We stepped inside and I pushed the button for the third floor and stared straight ahead as the doors closed. I don’t have much time here and definitely don’t want this conversation to carry on past this ride.
I turned to face Doug, straightening my shoulders. My purse slipped down my arm and I looped my thumb around the strap, setting it back into place.
“I had fun at lunch, too,” I said, looking him in the eye. “And I appreciate the invite, but I’m going to have to say no.” There was more on the tip of my tongue, but I decided to leave it at that. No reason to do the whole I’m not looking for anything right now spiel unless he pushes for more.
His eyes widened, then he stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.
“Okay,” he said. The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. Doug placed one hand against the door and gestured for me to go ahead of him with the other. “Maybe I’ll see you at the game later?”
I nodded and walked beside him down the hall toward my office. “I’ll definitely be out there today. It’s supposed to be perfect baseball weather.”
“It’s always perfect weather for baseball, you just need the right gear,” he said as we reached my door.
I chuckled and tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. “I guess so,” I said, turning the knob.
“I’ll see you later.”
He nodded and walked off toward his own office.
“Well that went well,” I said to the empty room as I set my compu
ter in the dock and booted it up.
See, this is why I don’t get involved with people at work. The potential for things to get awkward is way too high for me to handle. And I’d only gone out to lunch with Doug once.
I rested my head against the chair and groaned.
How bad will it be when I have to face Jack?
My meeting notification dinged before I could get too caught up in that thought. Crap, I didn’t realize the time.
I took a few minutes to scroll through my inbox to take care of the high priority emails. The others could wait until later. I should have a couple hours between my meetings and the game, and I can always bring my laptop down to the field and multi-task if necessary.
At eight-twenty, I left my office with my computer and calendar in hand and took the stairs to the fourth floor conference room. I settled into one of the plush leather chairs, booted my computer again, and connected it to the projector. Grabbing the remote control from the center of the table, I pushed the power button and my desktop gradually appeared on the far wall. I’ll wait until Mr. Hanover arrives to connect to the meeting.
I leaned forward and glanced at the picture window overlooking the field. It’s too early for the players to be out there, but I scanned the entire area just in case, but only saw the grounds crew doing their thing.
“Hannah.”
At the sound of Mr. Hanover’s voice, I pulled my attention away from the field. He sat at the end of the table and Kenny settled into the seat across from me.
“Good morning, Mr. Hanover. Kenny.”
“Do you have the call-in number?” Mr. Hanover asked.
He’s all business this morning. Good to know.
“It’s actually a Skype meeting today. No phone needed.”
He shook his head and mumbled, “How do you keep up with all this technology?”
Assuming that was a rhetorical question, I didn’t answer. Instead, I signed into the meeting, being sure to join audio.
“Good morning,” I said. “Mr. Hanover, Ken, and Hannah just joined.”
The rest of the PR team was on the other end along with Mr. Hanover’s assistant, Maria, who shared her screen. The meeting agenda replaced my desktop on the wall. She started on the first item and we were off.
An hour and a half later, we’d discussed everything from opening day to All-Star break. My to-do list had been completed before I came to St. Pete, but as usual, something got added. Since my laptop is presenting, I took meeting minutes on a blank page in my calendar. Maria will email a recap to all attendees, but I always take my own notes. It helps me remember things and stay organized.
Mr. Hanover asked a few questions and soon the meeting was over. Maria disconnected and my desktop background reappeared on the far wall.
“I’ll never understand how that stuff works, but it does make life easier,” Mr. Hanover said, referring to the Skype meeting.
“I think of technology like a car,” I said. “I can use it but have no clue how it works.”
“I’m too old to worry about knowing either,” he grumbled.
He really isn’t in a good mood today. I wonder what’s up. I glanced over at Kenny and raised my brow. Kenny gave me a slight shrug and shook his head. Interesting. He doesn’t know either.
Mr. Hanover sat forward and rested his elbows on the table, his hands clasped together.
I guess we’re going to find out.
“I just got word that woman is making the rounds again,” Mr. Hanover said. “That damn book was almost out of the spotlight, but it will it’ll be right back in again with her hitting the talk shows she missed last go round.”
His red face stood in stark contrast to the white Waves polo he wore. While I understand Cindy Parker is doing whatever she can to extend her fifteen minutes of fame and keep her book on the charts, I don’t know why it bothers Mr. Hanover so much.
It’s true that I haven’t read Jacked, but from what I understand, it’s pretty tame compared to some other tell-all books. She never saw Jack taking steroids and he never snorted cocaine off her ass or abused her. In the grand scheme of things, this really isn’t a big deal. But I can’t tell him that.
“You’re going to have to up your game with Jack’s PR,” he said.
“I just updated the event spreadsheet,” I said. “Give me a minute and I’ll pull it up.”
Pulling my laptop closer, I brushed my finger over the touchpad, moved the cursor to the file, and double clicked. The spreadsheet appeared on the far wall.
I summarized the events he’d already known about then explained the others I’d just set up in greater detail.
“I also have some people we met at the local event coming to games here in the next couple weeks. He’ll meet with them either before or after the game, depending on if he’s playing. We can have some of the other guys join in too so it doesn’t look like we’re just focusing on Jack.”
“Good thinking,” he said. “Do you plan on adding anything else?”
“I don’t think so. Between these and the usual meet and greets at the stadium, the schedule is pretty full.”
“Are you sure it’s enough?”
“Dad, you know how crazy the season is for those guys,” Kenny said before I could answer. “You can’t expect Jack to be running all over the place just to make the media happy.”
“That’s not what I expect,” Mr. Hanover said.
“It seems like it is,” Kenny said. “I don’t even know why you’re so hopped up about this book. It’s not even that bad,” he added, echoing my earlier thoughts.
“And exactly where does it cross over into that bad?” Mr. Hanover practically shouted the last two words and stood, pushing his chair back. It bumped against the wall with a dull thud as he crossed the room, opened the door, and slammed it behind him.
Kenny and I looked at each other in stunned silence.
He dragged a hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck.
“I have no idea why he’s making such a big deal about this book,” he said.
I closed my laptop and unplugged it from the projector.
“You know how he is about team image.”
“I know, but Jacked is probably the tamest tell-all book out there. And it’s not like Jack is some screw up we just recruited.” He rubbed his brow. “Don’t plan anything else just yet. I’ll talk to him.”
I took the stairs down one floor and walked into my office. Setting my computer and calendar down, I looked around. My chair is tucked neatly into the desk instead of backed away like I’d left it. I opened the bottom drawer and found my purse and cell phone still there, and it didn’t look like anything else was missing or moved. The garbage can is still full, so it wasn’t the cleaning crew.
I mentally shrugged. Whoever it was didn’t take anything, so I guess it’s not a big deal. Just strange.
I docked my computer and pushed the power button. My monitors came to life, and I pulled out my chair, ready to get back to work. Just before I sat, I spotted something on the seat. I reached down and picked up a gray shirt, it’s familiar softness leaving no doubt in my mind to its origin, but I unfolded it anyway. Jack’s name and number appeared and I hugged the material to my chest and closed my eyes, remembering it sliding over my still-tingling nipples the day before. Raising the shirt to my nose, I inhaled the scent of laundry detergent and him.
I dropped into my chair, my face still buried in the shirt. My head got buzzy and I had to stop. Is it possible to get intoxicated from a man’s amazing scent? I chuckled out loud, the sound echoing in the empty room. I’m probably just making myself hyperventilate.
The notification light on my cell caught my attention and I picked up the phone and swiped, bringing it to life. My heart pounded when I spotted the text from Jack.
That shirt looked better on you than it ever did on me. See you after the game.
I have no idea how we got here or where here is exactly. One thing I do know is that if this continues,
Jack will own me heart, body, and soul.
Jack
“Looking for someone?”
I tore my attention from the stands and looked over at Dan’s smug face.
“Nope, just doing some final stretches.”
He nodded and stood next to me and grabbed his right elbow with his left hand then pulled to stretch his shoulder. He repeated the process on the other side while I raised one knee into my chest, then the other. Setting my feet shoulder-width apart, I lunged from side to side, going deeper at every pass, stopping when I felt a twinge in my right hip. No idea what’s going on there. Maybe I’ll talk to Sabrina about it when she gets here next week. If I mention it to Max, he’ll have to document it and then it’ll be a whole thing, and that’s the last thing I need.
Dan twisted from side to side, looking at me like he was trying to figure something out.
“What?” The word came out louder than I’d expected, drawing attention from some of our teammates. I glared at them until they went back to playing catch.
“Something you want to tell me?”
“Nothing I can think of.”
He glanced at the stands then looked back at me. “There’s not a certain PR person you want to talk about?”
How the fuck does he know?
Dan chuckled and leaned his arm on my shoulder. “I saw her leaving the complex last night looking a little...disheveled.”
I rubbed my hand down my face and groaned.
“Does she know you saw her?” He looked surprised by my question and shook his head. “Don’t tell her, okay?”
His surprise turned into a big smile. “I won’t say a thing.”
“Don’t be a smug fucker,” I mumbled and walked away. His laugh followed me all the way to the dugout.
I stepped into the on-deck circle. Thanks to two walks and a line drive double to the right field corner by Oskar Marquez, we took a one-run lead over Philadelphia here in the fifth inning. I slipped the doughnut onto my bat and, holding it in my right hand, swung my arm in big circles loosening my shoulder then repeated the process with the left.
Waste of Handsome (Carolina Waves #2) Page 14
