by Cora Brent
Branson Peter, best long reliever in the National League, nudged me. “Who you lookin’ out for?” He spat a stream of brown tobacco on the ground.
“A friend,” I said vaguely.
“Yeah? I got friends in Phoenix too. A few of them happen to belong to an ASU sorority.”
“That should keep you busy for a few hours.”
“Lucky for you I’m a generous guy. You interested?”
I shook my head. “Nah. I’ve got something lined up.”
Branson jerked his head to the seat I’d been staring at. “That her?”
Fuck yeah.
She’d let her hair grow again. It spilled over her shoulders in long brown waves that I wanted to grab with both hands as a way to move her face wherever I wanted it to go. Claudia always knew how to dress simple yet sexy. She wore a white sleeveless shirt and a short denim skirt that I planned to push up over those soft thighs later.
A twinge of guilt ran through me as she stopped and excitedly waved. I’d meant it when I said I wasn’t just calling her to hit some skin but now that she was in my line of sight that was all I could think about.
I walked casually over to the stands even though I wanted to make a mad dash in her direction. As soon as I got past security a half dozen baseballs were shoved in my face, a few of them by cute girls who looked old enough for action.
“Unruly! Sign my ball!!”
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Claudia find her seat and stare as I took my time about autographing each one. For some reason it made me feel good that she saw me being grabbed at by a bunch of hands.
By the time I disentangled myself from my admirers, Claudia was seated and watching me with a smirk.
“Quite the fan club you’ve got there,” was the first thing out of her mouth.
I opened my arms. “Come here.”
Claudia was usually the type to make a guy work for it but this time she smiled and jumped to her feet. Nothing had ever felt so good as holding her. She wrapped her arms tightly around my neck and pressed herself against me so hard I’d be limping back to the fucking bullpen in a minute unless I started distracting myself with thoughts of something completely unsexy, like politics. Or tooth decay.
“MALONE! Get your ass down here.”
Benji Carter was parked beside the visitors’ dugout and hollering like a bloated cow. The stands were filling up quick and the lineups were about to be announced. I really didn’t want to go down there and spend the next four hours listening to men fart and chew gum while trying to quiet my dick and pretend like I gave two shits about those nine innings.
Claudia was already pulling away though. She touched the side of my face and gave me a quick, friendly kiss on the lips. “After the game?” she asked.
NO! Right fucking now!!
I snaked one arm around her waist, pushed the other underneath her thick hair and dragged her back to me. She let out a small note of surprise as I found her mouth and plunged in there with my tongue, tasting peppermint and heat and everything that made me unable to be with another girl without comparing her to this one.
“MALONE!”
There was really no way to avoid going down there without making a scene so I reluctantly let her go. “After the game,” I agreed and jogged back down.
The game ended up being a pitcher’s duel between Cam Dorsey and the Arizona ace, Carlton Diaz. Usually nothing on earth could keep my attention like a close ballgame but usually Claudia wasn’t sitting a few yards away, crossing and uncrossing her long legs repeatedly.
When the bottom of the ninth rolled around and the score was still tied at one I kept thinking that if this ended up being one of those extra inning monsters that lasted until midnight then I wouldn’t be able to take it; my pants would explode all over the fucking southwestern United States.
Then, with two outs and Arizona’s star hitter on the mound, a line drive to left field brought in the runner from second base and it was over. My teammates all grumbled as the Arizona players poured onto the field to celebrate their walk off victory. Normally I would be as butt sore as anyone else on the team, and really feeling for the poor guy who’d taken to the mound for nine innings of brilliance and still wound up with the loss in the end.
Tonight was different though. I just wanted to grab Claudia and get out of here.
Cam Dorsey was stalking off the field. Something about my face must have betrayed my emotions because he fixed me with a long, evil glare and bumped my shoulder as he passed. He probably thought I was all jazzed about his rough night but other than the fact that the loss set us back one game in the standings I could care less.
I hustled in and out of the locker room before hurrying out to meet Claudia. She stood there biting her lip and absently watching the crowd file out of the stadium.
My arm went automatically around her waist like it was put on this earth to hang out there. Claudia looked up at me and blinked.
“You know, I forgot how tall you are.”
“I didn’t forget how gorgeous you are.”
She lowered her head with a smile. “You still know how to do that.”
I didn’t want to be mobbed right now so I led her down a corridor toward the players’ exit. “I still know how to do what?”
“Throw out those one-liners that mess me up.”
Everything she said turned my gears a little faster. “Just how messed up are you right now?”
She sighed and squeezed my waist. “Just enough, Easton.”
We’d made it outside. A few of the guys were hanging around for one reason or another. I saw some interested glances go in Claudia’s direction and it irritated me. This wasn’t some sports groupie skank they could expect to get a piece of. She belonged to me.
I had handsomely paid the driver for a local town car service to transport Claudia to the game and then wait around afterwards. The driver noticed my arrival and shoved his phone in his pocket before politely opening the car door.
Claudia pushed her hair out of her face and glanced up at me. “So what now?”
“I’m staying at a hell of a nice place in Scottsdale. They’ve got a five star restaurant.”
“And then what?”
I grinned. “And then I’ll show you all the amenities my suite has to offer.”
The answer appeared to bother her. Claudia looked away, in the direction where Branson Peter was getting mauled by a pair of blondes.
“Hey,” I said softly. I tipped her chin my way so that she had to look at me. “I should have called you a long time ago, the first time I came to town. I thought about it and I won’t bother tossing any obnoxious excuses out because I know you’re too smart for that. But Claudia, there’s no one else I want to be with right now. And if you decide you want to just shake my hand and walk away at the end of the night I’ll be okay with that.”
She was trying not to smile. “So you don’t want to show me your ah ‘amenities’ after all?”
“Fucking hell yes I do. Are you really asking? ‘Cause we can go, honey. We can go right now.” I stepped over to the open car and prepared to dive in.
Claudia laughed. “You can’t have me that cheap this time, Malone.”
“I’ll take you any way I can get you.”
She looked down at herself. “I’m not exactly dressed for a five star restaurant.”
“Takeout’s classier anyway.”
As the driver piloted the long car through the dark streets of Phoenix I called the resort and directed that everything on the menu to be delivered to my room. When I finished the call Claudia was watching me again.
“Is it sick that I’m turned on when you bark out orders?” she teased.
I’d kept my hand on her leg the whole time and now I inched closer to indecent territory. “Tell me what else turns you on.”
She flushed and glanced at the back of the driver’s head. “Not now.”
I pressed the button for the partition and then moved my hand boldly between her legs
. “Yes, now.” There was more than enough room back there for me to kneel on the floor and get between her legs.
“Easton.” She was breathing hard, pushing her palms against my shoulders and slowly grinding herself against the rhythm of my hand.
“Just a preview, sweetheart.”
“Dammit, I mean, I don’t see or hear from you in years and within five minutes of being alone together we’re…SHIT! God, I don’t care! Don’t stop.”
She was so slippery I could have slid right in there at my hardest with barely a push. But that wasn’t going to happen in some crummy backseat. Hell no. I was going to take my time and make this so fucking epic she’ll be clinging to my bed sheets and begging to stay for the next six decades. We could sort out all the feelings behind it later.
Claudia wobbled a little when we got out of the car. The resort was within sight of Camelback Mountain and the place was a little spread out but the driver was able to leave us off within a few yards of my suite. I tipped him half of the very considerable contents of my wallet and then swept Claudia off her feet, carrying her to the door. She was startled at first but gave in and buried her face in my neck.
Room service had indeed been delivered but I didn’t care. I didn’t even care about taking my time anymore. I wanted mouth. I wanted skin. I wanted in.
“Get this shit off,” I growled, fumbling with the buttons of her stupid shirt. Mine was already in a heap somewhere.
“Just rip it,” she begged and I tore the fabric ruthlessly, relishing her shocked gasp.
“You like it like that, huh?”
She was yanking on my pants. “Shut up.”
“Then suck it, honey. Suck it good.”
She dropped to her knees and took me in her mouth while I got my hands all wound up in her hair so I could push and pull as I liked. She was doing her best to get me to come but I wasn’t about to let it be so one-sided right off the bat. Last night I’d been all jacked up with ideas about how tender it was going to be with her, how sweet, like it had been one Christmas night. That was going to have to wait for another time though. Right now I was going to rule the shit out of that pussy and she was going to let me.
I pulled myself free of her mouth and scrambled around in my fallen pants for a condom, knowing if I didn’t find one right fucking now I’d be at the point where I didn’t give half a damn about going at it bare.
Claudia licked and sucked my chest while I got my junk covered and her bra unhooked. She trembled when I got her all laid out on the bed. I allowed myself the luxury of a good look at her insanely hot body. I was going to do a hundred filthy things to it within the next twenty minutes.
“Easton,” she moaned, sounding like she was in pain as she reached for me. I knew how to relieve that kind of pain. I pushed her legs further apart, held her hips in my hands and plunged into the tight, slippery place that begged for me. I went at her hard because I knew she could take it, that she got off when it was a little rough. She screamed when she came and somewhere in the middle of that ruthless climax I heard the words, “damn you’re good”. I was getting close, really close, but then I decided she was getting flipped over whether she liked it or not. But oh yeah, she liked it. She came a second time while I rode her hard as a buffalo bull. When she arched her body and pushed back on me I kind of died and went somewhere between heaven and hell as every nerve ending in my body exploded through my dick.
“Holy shit.” She was still on all fours in the middle of the mattress. She was shaking.
I was dazed. I couldn’t go to her, couldn’t even toss the rubber right away. This girl made every other one on the planet seem like nothing but a sloppy imitation.
When I could breathe again I pulled her naked body flush against mine. I ran my fingertips over her sweaty skin. Claudia propped herself up on one elbow and gently traced my lips.
“Every time,” she said with wonder. “Every single time, Easton.”
Then she kissed me. We kissed for a long time and next time I was inside her I made it gentle, sweet. We came together and then slept together. In between we talked about a thousand things that weren’t important but felt good to share. I told her about life on the road, sparing her some of the sordid details. I mentioned how the Pacific Ocean was prettier than the northern Atlantic but that no matter what I would always love the Atlantic more. She talked about the tedium of her job and how at least once a week when she was on the Interstate heading into downtown Phoenix she had the urge to just keep driving until she reached the end of the road. When the conversation drifted to the people we knew and loved back home she sounded sad. I got the feeling she was lonely. I wanted to fix that for her.
“Rocco’s back with Sheryl,” Claudia said suddenly. “Did you know that?”
I was sitting up in bed, her back against my chest as I idly ran my hands all over her. “No, I didn’t know that. Good for him.”
“Yeah. And Getty’s singing with a band I guess. They play weddings and bar mitzvahs, stuff like that.”
I laughed at the thought of crazy Getty Giordano running around Long Island with a microphone and belting out Journey songs.
Once, deep in the night, closer to morning, Claudia asked if Anya’s arthritis was getting better. I couldn’t talk about that so I shrugged and said I hadn’t heard either way. I knew my sister had started stumbling. She couldn’t hide it anymore. Sometimes when she spoke her words would slur together. This past Christmas the sight of her bravely trying to keep me from noticing anything was wrong sank my heart into the core of the earth. So I pretended because she pretended.
“Easton?” Claudia asked. She was regarding me with sleepy concern.
I kissed her forehead and tucked a blanket around her as the air conditioner clicked on. “Go to sleep, baby. I’ll still be here when you wake up.”
“You’d better be,” she mumbled and snuggled closer.
I watched the sun come up while she slept in my arms. I started remembering it even while it was happening.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
JACK
He was arguing with her again. Jack despised even the smallest of fights between them but this was too important.
“It’s experimental,” she said, scowling when the dinner plate she was holding nearly fell from her hands. “You were in the room when Dr. Cortland was explaining. It’s worked a little for people with rheumatism and dementia. Not this. It’s never worked for this.”
He was desperate. More desperate every day, even the days where she was strong and barely showing any signs. He put his arm around her delicate shoulders.
“We have to try it, Anya.”
Her head dropped. “At best it would help only a little and very briefly. Besides, insurance won’t cover it.”
“You think I fucking care? I’ll mortgage the house. I’ll sell the goddamn shop.”
“There are side effects, Jack. Bad ones. I don’t want Allie to see me like that, not yet.”
“Baby.”
“No.” She kissed him to soften the word. “No.”
Jack retreated to the living room, sinking to the couch with his head in his hands. He thought about calling Easton. Anya would be furious. She was afraid that if Easton knew that she was going downhill he would come running back here, or that the emotional burden would at least screw up his pitching career. Easton had only visited once in the last nine months and Anya had managed to put on a brave face for him. And then she did the same for Claudia. Claudia had worriedly asked about Anya’s limp, but they told her it was nothing. Arthritis. Something irritating and painful but not lethal. Once the holidays were over though Anya had been barely able to get out of bed for a week. Easton ought to know that. Claudia ought to know that too. His brothers, Rocco and Getty, were close enough to see what was going on but he’d begged them not to say anything to Easton or to Claudia.
Jack knew he wouldn’t be able to bring himself to call either of them, not yet. Once they knew, there would be no hiding from it, no pretend
ing that things were somehow going to be okay.
“Daddy?”
His little girl was standing there in her bare feet, staring at him curiously. Sometimes she looked just like Anya. Other times she reminded him of Claudia. Today she was a cross between the two of them.
“Hey, sweetheart. How’s the tea party going?”
Allie climbed on the couch next to him and dangled her legs off the side. “There’s no more tea.”
“Should I get you some more?”
She screwed up her face and gave him a stern look. “You can’t get it. You have to grow it!”
He smiled. Allie had her own personal order to the universe already. “You’re right.”
“Why are you crying?”
His smile vanished. “I’m not crying.”
“You are, just a little bit. I see you.”
She was too smart, too precocious. She was just like her sister in that way. Jack pulled her into his lap. “I just wish someone would invite me to a party, that’s all.”
“Oh.” Her eyes were wide and she nodded. “I’ll invite you, Daddy.”
“Will you?” He grinned with delight.
She smiled. “Yup.” She jumped off his lap and he allowed her to drag him to her bedroom, the scene of fairy dances and teddy bear tea parties and all the beautiful things that populated his daughter’s mind.
Jack sat down on the floor and looked around at his pink surroundings. He’d repainted the walls a few months ago at Allie’s insistence. He tried to remember what the room had looked like when it belonged to Claudia. Green. It had been a pale green. Claudia had never been the princess type. She was always trying to keep up with Rocco and Getty in their world of sports of cars. But how many times had Jack hung out in here and listened to Claudia’s bright, childish chatter the way he did with Allie? Once? Twice?
Ever???
“Daddy,” Allie scolded, “you’re squishing Peas!”
He relaxed his grip on the stuffed dog she’d shoved into his arms when he sat down. For the millionth time he wished he’d been older when Claudia was born. He wished he’d been different. He wished he’d been capable of being the kind of father to her that he was now to her little sister.
