Out of My League, Part 2

by Sharon Cummin

“No,” he said. “I was just messing with you. I know you have zero interest in me, my sexy ass, or my cock.”

  “Nobody said your ass is sexy,” I said, as I sat back down.

  “You keep looking at it,” he said. “I think it speaks for itself.”

  He walked around the corner into what had to be his kitchen and came back with paper plates, forks, napkins, and a bag of food.

  “Do you really think as highly of yourself as you make it seem?” I asked.

  “All the ladies think I'm sexy,” he said. “I can't help that.”

  “I don't,” I said.

  “That's a bummer,” he said. “I wouldn't mind if you did, but since you don't, I guess we'll just talk.”

  “Are you always such an ass?” I asked, as I grabbed the plates, forks, and napkins from him.

  “There you go again,” he said. “If you don't like it, then quit talking about it.”

  “Shut up and eat,” I said.

  He pulled out a couple of containers of food and dished some out to each of us. Then he handed me one plate and sat down on the couch with the other in his hand.

  “Were you going to eat all of this yourself?” I asked. “I hadn't called you and you'd already had it.”

  When he shrugged, I set my plate down on the table in front of me.

  “I'm not eating your dinner,” I said.

  “Eat the damn food, princess,” he snapped.

  He grabbed the plate and shoved it back at me.

  “How could you have eaten all of this?” I asked.

  “I'm a growing boy,” he said with a smile.

  “Do you cook?” I asked, curious to get to know something about him.

  “Not at all,” he said. “What about you?”

  I sat and thought for a minute before answering.

  “I don't,” I said, as I looked down at my plate of food. “I guess that's one of the things I need to fix.”

  We ate quietly for a few minutes before he broke the silence. He seemed to always be the one doing that.

  “So, what's going on?” he asked.

  “What exactly do you mean?” I asked in return.

  “What made you tear up? What is it that they don't know? Why were they in Michigan, with your family, for Thanksgiving, while you were here? What mishap happened to your phone? Anything,” he said. “Just give me something.”

  “How were your meetings?” I asked.

  “I'm not exactly sure yet,” he answered with a slight tilt of his head and frown on his face. “Things are out of my hands. Your turn.”

  He took another bite of food, as I set my plate down again.

  “I'm not sure where to begin,” I said.

  “Wherever you want,” he said.

  “Jeff filed for divorce,” I said, instantly feeling a bit of relief from being able to tell someone.

  “Before you came here?” he asked.

  “No,” I said, with a shake of my head. “Just days ago.”

  “Your brother doesn't know?” he asked.

  “No,” I answered, as I shook my head from side to side. “They weren't home when I was served.”

  “Seriously?” he asked. “Your husband was here?”

  “Yes,” I answered. “That wasn't how I got the papers though.”

  “I'm confused,” he said, as he set his own plate down and turned toward me on the couch.

  “It's a long and extremely embarrassing story,” I said. “He did something, had been for over a year.”

  “What?” he snapped. “A year. You have a baby, don't you?”

  “And how do you know that?” I asked.

  “Back to your story, princess,” he said.

  “I do,” I said. “That's where embarrassing comes in. He was doing her before I got pregnant, while I was pregnant, and after I had the baby. She's his assistant.”

  “Oh shit!” he said. “That sucks.”

  “When I found out, I left that second,” I said. “That was when I came here.”

  “So, when was he here?” he asked.

  “The day after Thanksgiving,” I answered. “He was at a hotel and asked me to meet him. I did, but it didn't work out the way he'd hoped it would.”

  “Okay,” he said cautiously.

  “He gave me a deadline. I had two weeks to get home,” I said.

  “You didn't go,” he said, as if he was lining it all up in his head.

  “I didn't,” I said. “Then there was a knock at the door. The guy asked my name and then handed me the papers. He made sure to let me know that I'd been served. Then he was gone.”

  “You said that was a few days ago?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I answered.

  “What did the lawyer say?” he asked.

  “What lawyer?” I asked him.

  “Yours,” he said in an aggravated tone.

  “I don't have one,” I said. “I have no money to get one.”

  “What?” he asked.

  “He reported all of my credit cards stolen,” I said. “I don't have a way to get to any other money either.”

  “I can't believe that. What about James?” he asked.

  “What about him?” I asked. “No way am I asking him. When I found out my cards had been reported, I called James to come and help me at the store. He was pissed.”

  “That's different,” he said. “I would have been pissed too.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “Nothing,” he said. “You need a lawyer.”

  “I need to respond to the papers,” I said, just as sternly as he'd just spoken to me. “That will give me time to figure out the lawyer situation. I want a plan when I go to James with everything. You said that you have kids. You're divorced, aren't you?”

  “I am,” he said. “I got screwed, and I had a good lawyer.”

  He reached over toward the table next to him and grabbed his laptop. Then he opened it and started clicking around.

  “You need to do something before the holiday,” he said. “You're going to fight him, right?”

  “Yes,” I said. “Not on the divorce, but on everything else.”

  He was mumbling something while he read. Then he started asking me questions.

  “How many houses do you have?” he asked.

  “Two,” I replied.

  “Two,” he repeated back, as he typed.

  “Yes,” I said. “We have a vacation house on the lake. That kind of bit me in the ass.”

  “Why?” he asked.

  “That's where he kept me while he had her living with him,” I said.

  “Are you fucking serious?” he snapped. “You had no idea?”

  “None,” I answered. “He played the whole protective angle. He cared about us and didn't want us driving alone, so he'd come to us, and when summer was over, he'd bring us home.”

  “So, how did you find out?” he asked.

  “I drove home alone when I got tired of waiting for him,” I said, with a shake of my head. “There she was, in my robe, standing in my house.”

  “I feel for you. Are you wanting to fight for one or both homes?” he asked.

  “I don't know.”

  “They won't take your car. You'll need to have something to drive the kids around in,” he said.

  “That's what I want to fight for,” I said.

  “Your car?” he asked.

  “No,” I said, as I shook my head at him. “The kids. He wants full custody.”

  I reached into my purse, pulled out the papers, and handed them to him. He began reading through them and his eyes went wide.

  “You married a real asshole,” he said.

  “I know that,” I replied with sarcasm in my tone.

  “Why?” he asked.

  “He wasn't the same man when I married him, Parker,” I said.

  “Are you sure about that?” he asked. “Are you sure you weren't just blinded by his money?”

  I felt my eyes widen and anger slowly beginning to fill me the second his words hit
me.

  “Why would you say that?” I snapped.

  “Cassie,” he said roughly.

  “Do not Cassie me,” I snapped again. “Where the fuck did you get that from? Was it James? Did he say something about me? Is that what he said?”

  “He has talked about you,” he answered. “I've known him a long time.”

  “You couldn't have met him that damn long ago. He was a baseball player, so he didn't have time for friends. Then he took over our dad's company. When did you meet him?”

  “A long time ago,” he said. “That's not it though. When you walked in that first day, with your fancy clothes and shoes, you kind of gave away what kind of woman you are.”

  I shot off of his couch like a rocket. I'd never been so mad in all my life. He was damn lucky I didn't smack him across the face for a comment like that. Who the fuck did he think he was?

  “Sit back down,” he said, as if what he'd said seconds before didn't matter.

  “No,” I said loudly.

  “Sit,” he snapped.

  “Fuck you!” I yelled, as I reached for the papers I'd gotten from Jeff. “Fuck all of you!”

  “We're going to finish this,” he said sternly.

  “I'll do it myself,” I said, as I grabbed my keys.

  “If you don't do this, it's going to look like you're not fighting,” he snapped.

  “I don't care what you or anyone else thinks,” I said, as I began walking toward the door to get out of his place.

  “What about the court,” he growled out.

  I heard movement behind me, but I didn't care.

  “You better care what they think, Cassie,” he continued. “They're the ones that can take your kids from you.”

  The second his hand grabbed my arm, I felt a strange feeling shoot up it. I'd just gotten to the door and was reaching for the knob when he spun me around to face him. The look on his face was something I hadn't seen from him yet. It was completely serious.

  “They fucking matter,” he growled out again, as he stepped forward, causing me to step back against the door.

  “Well you don't,” I spat out roughly, as I stood up on my toes and reached forward, pushing my finger into his chest. “I already know what my family thinks of me. That's why I haven't told them. Don't you think I feel bad enough for the shitty choices I've made? Don't you think I feel stupid enough knowing that the man I thought loved me fucked another woman for an entire year without me knowing it? I can't even take care of my own kids without help. Don't you think that makes me feel like a total loser?”

  I took a breath in and released it.

  “You know what, Pete,” I growled, stressing his name and pushing my finger deeper into his chest. “I don't need you or your shitty opinion. So, fuck off!”

  His hand came out of nowhere and gripped tight around my wrist, as he stepped forward so hard that my back slammed into the door behind me. His body pushed against mine, holding me in place. Then his other hand grabbed the back of my hair and yanked down. My eyes flew up to his, and a shiver ran through my body. I'd never felt like someone could see into my soul the way I did in that moment.

  “What the fuck did I tell you would happen if you ever poked this damn finger at my chest again, princess?” the rough tone of his words vibrated through me.

  “Parker,” I whimpered his name, as the words he'd said before ran through my head.

  “Do you remember?” he asked, with that same roughness.

  Just the thought of those words, the memory of my dream and the kiss against the side of the building, and imagining what he'd really feel like inside of me had my thighs clenching. I couldn't take it. His eyes were looking into mine. I'd never before felt so vulnerable. I'd never felt anything like what just him looking at me made me feel. Without warning, a low moan escaped me.

  “Fuck it,” he hissed, as his mouth came down on mine with a force I didn't know was possible.

  My purse and keys dropped to the ground, and my hands moved on their own. I had to touch him. I needed to feel him closer. I buried my hands in his hair and gripped it tight, so damn afraid that I'd wake up and find it was only a dream, once again.

  Chapter 9

  Parker

  I should have let her leave. She needed to walk out that door. Nothing good was going to come from her staying. There was only one problem, I couldn't let her go.

  I'd heard things about her and her husband over the years. James didn't go out of his way to talk about her. He just didn't hold back when he was really upset. He wasn't happy that she'd cut them all off so she could be with a man with money, a man none of them liked. I'd even heard some things since she'd come to Pennsylvania. He was pissed about the shopping experience. That one I'd heard loud and clear. I hadn't heard that it was caused when she found out her husband had cut off her cards. That part really sucked. What kind of man could cut off every source of income from his own children? Not one I'd ever respect, that was for sure. I didn't do well with people that used their children to get what they wanted.

  When she'd first walked into my apartment, I thought for sure she was going to say something about it being small, but she didn't, and that shocked me. I watched as she looked around the room. She didn't even mention my load of baseball stuff. It was everywhere. I was so damn proud of all of it. The game was what I was passionate about, and it was pretty great that I could do it for a living. The woman shocked me yet again. That seemed to be her thing. Not one woman had come to my place and not gone straight to my memorabilia. Cassie was different. She didn't care about any of it. It was almost as if she didn't care who I was, and that was the total opposite of what I'd expected. She'd been around the game for most of her life, so she had seen it all. That had to have been why she wasn't reacting the way I'd expected.

  Things were going okay at first. She was actually talking to me. That was what I'd wanted, wasn't it? I felt so damn bad seeing her upset and was happy to see a bit of relief as she opened up and began telling me her story. I'd even gotten my laptop out and found the spot she needed to be first. She needed to respond to the papers. She needed to show that she was going to fight.

  It all went south when I began asking her questions and she pulled out the papers he'd served her. I should have held my tongue, but I didn't, and I said shit I shouldn't have. I couldn't help it. That was who I was. After what I'd been through, I kept my guard up. There was nothing wrong with that, but that didn't change that I shouldn't have said what I did. I was wrong. That part I could admit. What pissed me off was the way she responded. When I told her to sit her ass back down, she said no. That was bullshit and something I was not at all used to. Women didn't tell me no. Who the fuck did she think she was talking to me that way, I wondered? Her cocky mouth was getting away from her, and she needed to control that shit. Then she did it, the words fuck you came out of that smart mouth of hers. I was pissed. She only made it worse when she walked away. There was no fucking way she was walking away from me without finishing that damn paperwork. She kept saying shit, and it was only getting worse. She was acting like she didn't care. Not caring what I thought was one thing, but the court was a different story. I knew first hand just how much control the damn court had over a situation.

  She reached for the knob on my door, the one that would lead her away from me, and I grabbed her arm to turn her to me. She needed to knock her shit off and think for just a second.

  “They fucking matter,” I snapped out.

  “Well you don't,” she snapped back.

  That shit hurt. It shouldn't have, but it did. I was trying to help her, but she didn't care. I was just about to let her go, but she began talking. She was letting it out. Cassie felt that everyone was against her. Not just her husband, but her own family. How could I let that go? It wasn't true. They weren't against her.

  When her finger pushed hard against my chest and the words fuck off came from those lips, I was hanging on by a thread. I stepped forward. Her ass wasn't going anywhere. S
he'd been warned. If I let her get away without any words, she'd walk all over me. I had the biggest feeling she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, and I wasn't about to let her have control. I'd learned enough about her to know that I had to put my foot down. I was going to fuck with her a bit. I had to let her know who was boss. Then I'd send her on her way. I should have known it wasn't going to work out the way I planned, nothing seemed to when it came to her.

  I grabbed her wrist, slammed her against the door, and pulled her head back so she could see my lips when I spoke.

  “What the fuck did I tell you would happen if you ever poked this damn finger at my chest again, princess?” I asked her as roughly as I could.

  She needed to know I meant what I'd said.

  “Parker,” she whimpered.

  Definitely not what I'd expected, not even close. She was supposed to come back at me. She was supposed to challenge me, but she didn't. Instead, she said my name in a way that sent all of my blood straight to my dick. It took all I had to continue instead of taking her that instant.

  “Do you remember?” I spat out in the same tone as before, even though I was barely hanging on.

  She just stood there, looking up at me. Then it happened, a moan came from deep inside of her, and I was done.

  “Fuck it,” I hissed through clenched teeth.

  My mouth came down on hers so damn hard. Every bit of feeling I had was leaving me and moving into her through that kiss. I was so damn pissed that she hadn't come back at me, but at the same time, I wanted her more than I'd ever wanted anyone before. It was her move. She had two choices. She could push me away and get the fuck out of there. If she did, we were done. I'd stay away. There would be no more trying to help. She was too close to home for me. Or, she could stay, but if she did, I was going to fuck her. There was no doubt about that. I was going to show her that I was better than any dream she'd had about me.

  I wanted her to leave. She needed to go. It was a very bad idea for her to stay.

  When the sound of her purse and keys hitting the ground reached my ears, I knew I was in trouble. Push her away, I thought to myself. This is the biggest fucking mistake, Parker. Do not do this. I knew in my mind what needed to happen. Then her hands dove into my hair, and her fingers gripped it so fucking tight. It was like she was afraid to let me go, and I wasn't about to let her.