by Lyssa Layne
He mocks me, shadowing my surprise face. I hit him and l sit back on the opposite side of the hot tub. He laughs and grabs my foot, rubbing it as he speaks. “Come on, Nik, give me some credit.”
I furrow my eyebrows, not comprehending what he means. I never saw him get out any condoms. He pulls my foot to his mouth and gives it a soft kiss.
“I’m shooting blanks, baby. I had a vasectomy so you don’t have to worry about having a baby Jace on your hands,” he explains, pleased with himself.
A vasectomy? He’s only twenty-seven. What if he wants kids in the future? I know down the road that I do, but now it wasn’t even a possibility, at least not with Jace. Okay, Colie, you’re getting ahead of yourself. I don’t even realize I’m frowning until Jace mocks me again, displaying a frown of his own.
“What, Nikki? Thought you only wanted to be friends?” he teases me.
Right, friends, it didn’t matter. Except that Lord knows how many women he’s gone through since we parted ways.
“Okay, then how many women have you been with?” I ask with raised eyebrows.
He swims the short distance to me, straddling my legs. His hardness pressing against me and my legs immediately part for him. “Baby, don’t worry about it. I get tested regularly and right now, you’re the only one I want to be with.”
He nibbles on my lower lip but I’m not satisfied with the answer. I stand up quickly forgetting we’re not in sunny Florida. Immediately, my nipples get hard again and goose bumps cover my body.
Jace pulls me back into the water, his mouth on mine as he distracts me and we begin to make out. His hands find my happy spot between my legs and he slips a finger into me. I moan against his mouth. He sucks on my ear as he whispers, “If it’ll make you feel better, we can use a condom until you’re comfortable without one. I want to make you happy, Nicole. I want you to be mine.”
As though his hand wasn’t tempting enough, his words make me want him more. I kiss him passionately as he slips in another finger, his free hand teasing my nipples which are already sore from the evening before. I whimper against him and let him work his magic on me once more.
***
The sun tells me it’s time to wake up but my body doesn’t want to. I haven’t slept more than an airplane ride in the past twenty-four hours. Jace is curled behind me, his morning wood resting against my thigh. I wonder if my body can handle another round and I think I’m about to find out as I feel a hand grope my breast.
Rolling onto my back, I watch Jace slowly waking up. The day-old scruff he normally sports is now two days old, and it’s rubbing my chin raw, not that I’m complaining. My finger traces the barbwire tattoo around his bicep. He begins rubbing himself against my leg as I move my fingers to his long hair. His eyes still closed, he lowers his head and sucks on my nipple. I let out a soft moan as I close my eyes. When I open them, he’s grinning.
“Morning, sweetheart.”
“Hey…”
His fingers tease my nipples more as he asks, “So, what’s on the agenda today? Do you need to stop by your place or can we stay here naked all day?”
I chew on my bottom lip, trying to decide how to answer. Deciding to tell the truth, I answer, “Well, since I technically don’t have a place, I think the naked option will work.”
Jace leans up on his elbow, his face questioning my previous statement. Taking a deep breath, I tell him the story and as I finish, he frowns.
“I thought you said Adamson was your friend?”
I sit up against the headboard and nod defensively. “He is, he was just trying to help.”
“Funny way of helping by leaving you homeless.”
I start to object but Jace kisses me, distracting me once more. “You’ll stay here,” he says as though that’s the obvious answer
“What?” I exclaim. “No, Jace, I don’t think so.”
He laughs and fingers my hair. “Nikki, it’s not like I’m here during the season, so technically we wouldn’t be living together. This is really a friend helping you out, not like Adamson,” he calmly explains to me.
I start to object but Jace puts his fingers to my lips. “I don’t take no for an answer.”
Then he yanks my hips, pulling me down on the bed. His strong hands slide up my arms, pinning mine over my head. With one hand, he holds both of mine down and shows me exactly what he means.
***
My heart skips a beat when I see the number on my phone. I should’ve called earlier, but I’ve been stuck in bed with the heartthrob of Major League baseball. Besides, our every move has been plastered all over the tabloids, television, social media outlets. You name it and our picture is there. Jace insists that we get out for fresh air and go out to eat. I’d much rather stay in, but as long as he’s around me, I don’t mind.
Walking on to the terrace, I answer briskly, “Hello?”
“Colie, is everything okay?”
I’m confused when Grant asks that. Why would he think things weren’t? “Huh? Yes, everything’s fine. Why?”
“Maddox…” he trails off before continuing, “Someone’s moving your stuff out of your apartment. I wanted to make sure you had a safe place to stay.”
“Maddox? Why were you talking to him? I thought you hated each other.”
I hear him sigh and can picture him running his hands through his hair. “I wanted to make sure you were safe,” he says softly.
As much as I want to be angry with him for spying on me, I’m not. In fact, hearing his voice relaxes me and I can’t hide the faint smile on my lips. “I’m fine, Grant.” I rush on before he asks where I’m staying, “How’s the shoulder?”
“I’ve been resting it so I guess we’ll see tomorrow.” He pauses then asks, “You’ll be at the game, right?”
It’s opening day. It’s my job. Of course I’ll be there. Crap! What will the guys say about Jace? Not only is it Jace Richards, but he’s their rival. I assure Grant I’ll be there and after a long moment of silence, we say goodbye.
I’m staring at my phone when I hear the door open behind me. Jace wraps his arms around me, kissing my neck. “I’m leaving for the airport in a couple hours. Let’s go make the most of our time before you send me off,” he whispers in my ear.
Knowing it’ll be weeks before our schedules allow us to see each other again, I follow him inside. However, my mind can’t stop thinking about seeing Grant tomorrow.
***
The car service pulls up in front of the airport. Jace grins as he sees the slew of reporters. I’d never given much thought to them before, since I was always just background but after the last few days, I now understand why Grant despises them so much.
I mindlessly drag my fingers up and down his forearm. Jace lifts my chin, making me look at him. Tears threaten to fall as our eyes meet. He frowns. “Nikki, I’ll see you in a couple of weeks. I’ll have my assistant book your flight to L.A. where we’ll spend the first weekend we both have off.”
I nod and kiss his cheek, but that isn’t what’s bothering me. “Jace, there’s no way I can afford the rent on your loft. I’m only going to stay until my place is okay again.” I cringe as I say it and I know I sound totally pathetic.
He shakes his head and kisses me tenderly. “Don’t worry about the rent. Let me take care of you, babe. There’s no way in hell you’re going back to your old place. It’s safer at the loft and I want to know where you are.”
I smile as I think about how much he’s taken care of me the few days we’ve been together. He lifts his eyebrow at my smile and I lean forward and kiss him. “Just thinking about the kitchen table last night…”
He grins and pushes me back on the seat, sliding on top of me. His hand gives a tight squeeze on my breast and he says, “We could recreate that right now.”
I push him off as I sit up and shake my head. “I don’t think so, not with all those cameras,” I respond, gesturing to the reporters getting antsy on the sidewalk.
His eyes look a little wil
d when he comments, “Think of the thrill of it, Nik. One day, I’m sure I’ll convince you to do it.”
My heart palpitates as his words hit me, but I shake them off. Grabbing my hand, he pulls me out of car. Immediately the flashes start firing and I turn into him, instinctively expecting him to hide me from the hounding reporters. It’s what Grant would always do as he pushed our way through the crowds. However, Jace is the opposite of Grant in all possible ways.
He stops in the middle of the crowd and grabs my waist. Leaning down, he kisses me as hard as he can. Normally I would appreciate his tongue rolling over mine, but I can’t focus on it right now as our picture is being taken over and over.
Jace holds my hand as we finish the kiss. He jokes and teases with a few reporters, giving them more details on our relationship than I’m okay with. Finally we get inside the airport. After he gets checked in, we walk over to the security line. I know we’ll part soon and I’ll have to face the reporters alone.
“What’s wrong, Nikki?”
The whole time we’ve been at the airport, his hands haven’t left my body. He holds me in a possessive, yet flaunting manner. I love having him so close, yet at the same time, I’m definitely not comfortable with being displayed as arm candy.
Nodding to the reporters, I say, “Jace, I don’t want our whole relationship on the front page every day. I need some privacy.”
Jace squeezes my hips and leans in to kiss my nose. “Nik, if we give them what they want they won’t make up what we don’t.”
He doesn’t give me time to respond. He plants a thick kiss on my lips and says, “I’ll call you later tonight.” Then, in a low voice, he adds, “Wear something sexy to bed when we talk.” With a swift wink, he heads through the security check.
I watch him walk through the metal detector, afraid to turn around and face the crowd of people calling my name. Jace doesn’t turn and wave, but I still stand there watching, not ready for the chaos behind me. I take a deep breath and start to face the inevitable walk back outside when I feel a calloused hand take mine.
“Come on, let’s get you out of here.”
I try to hide my smile as his protective arm drapes around me and holds me tightly. I’ve missed this familiar place between Grant’s taut torso and strong arm. Of course, the paparazzi is going nuts, screaming at both of us, but Grant ignores them. He guides me to his Escalade, which is parked outside, and helps me in. He slams his door shut and puts the car in drive.
“What are you doing here?”
He shifts his eyes over at me then back to the road. “I just flew back from Florida and saw all the commotion. Some lady told me it was Richards and his new girlfriend.”
My cheeks turn bright red and I start to apologize but Grant stops me. “It’s fine, Colie.”
Neither of us speak. I start to fidget with my charm bracelet. The gray in his hair is highlighted by the sun, making him look even sexier than normal.
Softly, I whisper, “Thank you for the charm.”
Grant looks at my bracelet and nods as the SUV comes to a stop. I glance out the window and realize he’s pulling into the parking lot at the stadium. Parking the car, he turns to me and I see the same sadness in his eyes that I feel.
“Can we just have things the way they were before?” I ask.
Grant hesitates before he nods. “I’d like that.”
I lean across the car and wrap my arms around him while he does the same to me. We hang onto the embrace just a second longer than we should. Startled by someone pounding on the hood, we both jump. Benny grins at us and it’s time to get to work.
CHAPTER 13
“It seems as though Aces trainer, Nicole Adger, has finally tamed the Diplomats’ playboy pitcher Jace Richards. The couple has been seen throughout the country, spending every free moment they have together. Washington Diplomats’ manager, Tommy Decklin says he’s seen an improvement in Richards’ pitching now that he’s in a committed relationship and not out partying every night. Aces pitcher, and Adger’s ex, Grant Adamson, has yet to comment on the relationship.”
Yawning, I lay on my couch as Meg reads the latest gossip column over the phone.
“So what does Grant say about all this?”
I play with the fringe on the throw pillow. There are twenty-eight throw pillows between Jace’s living room and two bedrooms. I never had a single one at my old apartment. “Not much, Meg. He isn’t my ex either.”
She lets out a snort and I can picture her nose turning up. “Look, little sister, I know you’ve had feelings for Jace since college and it’s great that you two have finally crossed paths again, but…”
The big but again. Meg is notorious for her buts. That dress looks good but…I really liked the chicken but…So here we go again. Of course she can’t just be happy for me. It’s beyond frustrating.
“…I really think Grant was good for you. Jace has you flying all over the country on your days off, staying out late, and he’s got you holed up in that fancy loft of his where I can barely even get through security.”
I know she can’t see me, but I still roll my eyes at my overdramatic sister. “Meg, Grant and I were always just friends. We kissed a few times and that was it so get that through your mind. Jace and I have a lot of making up to do for lost time. I don’t have any commitments other than my job, so if I want to spend every day I have off flying to D.C., L.A., or St. Louis then I will. And you know you’re more than welcome over here. I gave your name and Mark’s to the doorman, so stop being dramatic.”
I hear Meg take a deep breath and I know she’s about to give me the full opinion she’s been holding back ever since spring training. Honestly, I’m too exhausted to even listen to her. My phone beeps that I have another call coming through. I look down and see it’s Jace then glance at the clock.
Noon, his game starts in an hour and he’s calling me for some sexual relief. It’s pretty pathetic that I’m dating one of the hottest pitchers in Major League Baseball and we have more phone sex than actual sex. My vibrator has seen more action in the past two months than when I was single. I ignore the call, letting Meg vent on.
“And, Colie, who knows how many women he’s sleeping with? You’d better be using protection. I don’t want you to get anything from him, or even worse, ending up pregnant!”
I haven’t told my sister there’s no way I could get pregnant. I’m still trying to come to terms about not having kids before I drop that on her. Besides, that’s if we ever talk marriage, which we’re not. My phone beeps to show me Jace is still trying to get ahold of me. I finally cut her off. “Meg, this is my life. Like the article said, Jace isn’t a playboy any more. It’s just him and me, okay? Give him a chance. I’ll call you later.”
She’s still protesting when I hang up. The phone immediately rings. I answer but before I can say hello, I hear Jace. “Dammit, Nikki, why didn’t you answer your phone sooner? I need you.”
I’ve come to realize Jace is more than a little impatient. When he wants something, he wants it right away. “Sorry, babe. You know our game went into extra innings last night. I didn’t get home until three and I slept in. I’m going to catch a later flight to D.C. today.”
“Nikki, you know I need…relief before games. That’s why I like you here. Fuck, Colie…”
I hear a bang in the background and I can tell he’s not happy. He never is when he calls me Colie. As romantic as Jace can be, I sometimes feel like I’m a sex toy to him too. I rub my forehead. There’s no point arguing with him right now when he’s in this frame of mind. I grab my vibrator and turn it on holding it close to the phone. “Hear that, baby? I’m about to…”
If the training thing doesn’t work out, I could have a career as a sex operator.
***
It’s almost midnight by the time I get to D.C. and am walking into Jace’s loft. I can hear music bumping before I even get to the door. I’m not surprised. He pulled off a major win today and the Diplomats took the lead in the division wi
th the Aces only a half-game behind.
When I open the door, his place is filled with people. I set my bag by the door and squeeze through the crowd, trying to find him. I texted him a few times after I landed, but he didn’t respond. Walking into the living room, my stomach drops and my heart races.
Jace and some redhead are dancing, no grinding against each other. His hands roam over her body as she sucks on his neck. I quickly turn, wanting to get out of there before he sees me. I’m almost to the front door when I feel a thick hand around my arm. Spinning around, I see a huge brute. His name is Tosh and he’s part of Jace’s security detail. He’s over twice my size and his bald head is more than intimidating.
“Good evening, Miss Adger.”
I nod, trying to shrug him off, but his grip only gets tighter.
“Come with me. I’ll let Mr. Richards know you’ve arrived.”
He drags me through the crowd, carrying my bag in one hand and increasing his grip on my arm with the other. We get to Jace’s bedroom and he closes the door. Sighing, I stare out the window at the lighted Washington Monument. Thoughts rush through my head, but before I can collect them, smooth, manicured man hands encircle my waist and pull me against their owner. Jace nibbles on my neck and I can still smell the jasmine from the redhead’s perfume lingering on him.
“Hey, baby. Glad you finally made it.”
I close my eyes, turned on yet wanting out of his touch at the same time. Meg’s question runs through my mind. Abruptly, I turn around and put my hands on his chest, pushing him back a few inches. I narrow my eyes and ask, “Who else are you sleeping with?”
Anger briefly flashes across his face, but he doesn’t say anything as his hands slip under my tank top, lifting it over my chest. He pulls my strapless bra down and fondles my breasts. I open my mouth to ask again when he squeezes my nipples both painfully and at the same time erotically.
Leaning forward, his mouth finds mine. Our tongues slip and slide together. He sucks on my bottom lip and despite the image I just saw, I kiss him back.
