Spring Training Read online

  Saying it out loud reminded me how insane the whole thing was to begin with. I still hadn’t figured out how I’d ended up in his sights with all the other women around. I’d never so much as smiled at him and yet, he’d decided he wanted me.

  “You’re right,” Farrah started. “He could have gone anywhere, snapped his fingers, and had any woman he wanted on her knees, suckin’ his rocks off. But just because he took you to dinner and opened the door for you doesn’t mean anything. Maybe that’s just his style.”

  “Or, maybe he wants something more than just a booty call.”

  “Maybe,” Farrah said, albeit begrudgingly. “Just be careful, Gracie. I’d hate for you to get hurt over unrealistic expectations. I think it would be way smarter to enjoy the ride but know that it’s only a temporary thing.”

  Waves of emotion rolled through me at her final declaration. Maybe she was right. At first, I wanted to tell her about his special request but suddenly, I couldn’t wait to hang up.

  ***

  It took me a while to pick out the right dress the next morning. I wanted something long enough that I wouldn’t be worried every time I bent over. I’d already tried on three and had promptly discarded each of them into a pile on my bed. I sighed into the closet and then dug in one more time. I pulled out a peach-colored sundress and tugged it on over my head, surprised to find it actually fell below the knee. The dress was a gift from my mom and to my knowledge I’d never worn it. I wasn’t the dressy type. I liked jeans, cutoff shorts, tank tops and t-shirts. No muss, no fuss. I rarely wore more than a swipe of mascara and lip gloss, and it had been so long since I’d worn earrings that my holes were starting to close up again.

  But if getting a little dolled up would get Justin excited, it was worth it. I wanted to drive him a little crazy and make him sweat—even though I was the one taking on all the risk.

  As I wandered around the house, getting ready for work, I was acutely aware of my commando status. It was strangely freeing and also felt naughty. My heart raced, wondering what lay ahead. The only thing hampering my mind from truly running wild was Farrah’s warning that I was seeing things that weren’t really there. I wasn’t sure what I wanted with Justin. Hell, I hadn’t even really meant to let things get as far as they had. Perhaps that was why my idea of us forming some kind of actual, real-life relationship wasn’t so crazy. In light of everything else that had happened over the past week, it actually made sense.

  I needed to find a way to ask Justin, but I had a hard time knowing what to say around him unless he was asking me direct questions. I’d always been shy and a little unsure of myself, but it intensified when I was in his presence. It worked well that he took charge the night before. Letting him tell me what to do, when and how to do it was actually freeing. It removed my anxiety and shyness from the situation and let me focus on each moment as it came because I had no idea what would come next.

  Had he guessed that about me? Or was he always so in control?

  Either way, it worked and I couldn’t wait to see what he had in mind for our next encounter.

  ***

  Since my car had been left at the stadium overnight, Justin arranged for a car to pick me up. The entire ride, I was convinced that the driver somehow knew I was commando. Then it got worse when I arrived at work and sat down in my normal place. Everyone was watching me and I kept checking and re-checking to make sure my dress hadn’t crept up.

  Finally, Blake provided some insight. “You look nice, Grace. Are you going somewhere special after work?”

  My eyes opened wide as I turned at his question. “What? I mean—thank you. But—uh—why do you ask?”

  Blake gave me a confused look. “The dress? You don’t normally dress up like that. At least, not that I can remember and we’ve done this thing a couple of years now.” He offered a good-natured smile at the end, and I wanted to slap myself in the face.

  “Right! Duh. Um, yeah, I have a dinner thing. It’s boring but figured I should wear something…nice.”

  He nodded and then hurried to turn back to his work.

  Smooth, Grace. Really smooth.

  Did Justin have any idea how on edge I was? Was that his whole intention? See how far the nerd-girl would go?

  No. I shook my head to myself, dismissing the idea.

  As if on cue, my phone chirped. A text message from Justin was waiting on the screen.

  Did you follow my instructions?

  My fingers trembled slightly as I typed back my reply: Yes.

  His reply came in seconds. I can’t wait to see you.

  It took a few hours for him to get his time on the field. As soon as he stepped onto the grass, every nerve in my body went rigid. He flashed me a wicked grin as he jogged past the stats table to retrieve a pop fly ball and my stomach swooped.

  I could feel Blake and the other stats crew members staring at me, but I kept my eyes on Justin.

  By the time practice was over for the day, every inch of my body was on fire. I stood from my place at the table and prayed there wouldn’t be a wet spot left behind from hours of thinking about the night that lay ahead.

  After practice, he found me as I went on my normal Coke run. “Let me get that for you,” he said, fishing some change from his pocket.

  I smiled at him. “You came prepared?”

  “Baby, I’m always prepared.”

  Thrills shook through me and I watched as he bent to retrieve the Coke from the chute. He opened the lid and pressed the bottle into my hand. “I already punched out.”

  “Good,” Justin said, his voice a thick whisper. He stepped in and gently pushed me back until I was flat against the wall beside the machine. I glanced around, hoping no one was looking our way but Justin turned my chin back so I was looking at him. “You have no idea how distracted I’ve been all afternoon, thinking about you sitting over there with nothing on under this damn dress.”

  I smiled up at him, loving the way he made me feel so safe under his large frame. “Actually, I do. I record your stats, remember?”

  He chuckled but his eyes quickly shifted back to watching my lips. I licked my lips and a gravel-sounding grown came from him. He smelled like grass, sunshine, and sweat. A wisp of his dirty-blonde hair was plastered to his brow, and he swiped it away before lowering his face to steal a kiss. His hand moved over my hip and lifted my dress slightly. When his fingertip gently brushed across my pussy, I gasped into the kiss so hard, I didn’t know if I was breathing my air or his. He lifted his finger to his mouth and sucked it. “Good, you’re already nice and wet.”

  He captured my lips and a soft moan bubbled up from the back of my throat. Every inch of my body was on fire, and I knew he was the only one who could provide relief.

  He pulled away and brushed my hair back. “I’m gonna hit the showers and then I’m getting you out of here…”

  Chapter Nine

  Justin

  “Hey, Calloway, you need a hook-up tonight? We’re going to Playa. Hot pussy left, right, front, and center!”

  “Damn, I love Florida,” Erickson piled on.

  I scowled into the depths of my locker at Bailey’s question. “You’re a slow learner, huh, Bailey? How many times do I have to tell you I’m not interested in being your fucking wing man?”

  Erickson nudged Bailey with his elbow and the two of them exchanged a smirk. “He likes that little mousy stats girl.”

  “Oh, that’s right…” Bailey smirked at Erickson. “Who knew the famed Justin Calloway had a thing for stick-up-their-ass librarian-types.”

  My lip curled back in a snarl as I rounded on Bailey. He was joking around. I knew it. But that didn’t stop a wave of fury from rising in me. I slammed the locker shut and the sound echoed through the mostly vacant room. “What was that, mother fucker?”

  He had one chance to retract his statement. If not… I’d beat the fuck outta him right then and there.

  Bailey and Erickson exchanged a glance. Bailey planted a hand on the wall a
nd grinned at me. “Dude, fuck. Chill out. I’m just fucking around.”

  “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stop.”

  “Fuck, man,” Erickson interjected.

  I rounded on both of them and leveled Bailey with a glare. “You’re just pissed because you know the Warriors are going to kick your ass to the curb and that no one is going to fucking come along and scoop you up. Your career is over, fucker. Dead. On. Arrival. You’ll always live in my shadow and then end up begging for scraps from sub-par teams.”

  Bailey snarled. “Why are you such an angry mother fucker? Roid rage?”

  Erickson snickered.

  I took a calculated step forward and got in his smug face. “This is just me being me, bro. I don’t need juice to get jacked. But I’ll damn sure find a way to make sure you flunk your next screen if you don’t shut your fucking mouth about Grace.”

  “Grace?” Bailey smirked. “Little mouse has a name.”

  In a flash of muscle and rage, I reared back and delivered a right hook to Bailey’s face, knocking the damn smirk right off it. My hand stung with the impact, and I shook it off as I backtracked to grab my bag. I threw it over my shoulder and then went to leer where Bailey had fallen back against the wall. Blood poured from his nose and I backed up before I could do more damage.

  Bailey glowered at me and then spat blood on the white floor. “Fuck you, Calloway.”

  I stepped in closer. “Show some respect, boy.”

  He swiped his nose with his sleeve, clearing the blood. “Or what? You gonna hit me again?”

  “Trust me, Bailey. I’m not someone you want as an enemy.”

  ***

  “How’s your brownie?”

  Grace glanced up at my question and smiled. “It’s really good. Thank you.”

  I inclined my head and reached for my glass. After leaving the stadium, I’d wanted to get her as far away as possible. I was sick of it already and there were still five weeks to go. As I considered Grace over the rim of my whiskey glass, I wondered what it would have been like to have met her in the offseason, under completely different circumstances. We could lounge around in bed all day, order room service, fly to some faraway beach and forget the whole fucking world.

  She deserved it. Someone who would treat her that way. Spoil her.

  I didn’t know much about her, but I was certain that she should be showered with gifts and fancy vacations. She’d never see it that way. She seemed content to work for everything she had and took her job incredibly seriously. As to her ambitions for the future, I was impressed and inspired at the same time.

  She was one hell of a woman. The fact that she’d so easily slipped into my training of her was frosting on the cake at this point.

  Of course, who doesn’t like frosting?

  After polishing off the whiskey, I set my glass down and basked in the warmth that landed in my gut and spread down my limbs. Grace pushed her dessert plate away and grinned up at me. “I can’t finish it. You want to try?”

  I speared the corner she’d left and popped it into my mouth. “Mm. It’s good. But I’m in the mood for something different.”

  Grace’s eyes shifted to the left and the right, obviously concerned someone had overheard my proposition. I chucked. “Come on,” I said, reaching for her hand once I stood from the table. The bill had already been settled while Grace finished her dessert. “I have an idea.”

  To her credit, she remembered our agreement and let me take the lead. When I pulled into the parking lot of the stadium, she sat up a little straighter and gave me a puzzled glance. “My car’s on the other side, if that’s what you were trying to find.”

  I grinned at the sound of bitter disappointment in her voice. She wanted me just as badly as I wanted her.

  “I’ve had this fantasy for a while now,” I started, resting my hand on Grace’s thigh. She shivered at the touch and my smile deepened. “I think you’re the perfect woman to make it come true.”

  Without further explanation I pushed open my door and hurried around to let her out of the passenger side. I took her by the hand and led her toward the team entrance at the side of the massive building. A security guard walked past on his rounds and flashed a pinpoint light our direction. “Justin Calloway?” he said.

  “That’s right. Listen, do you think I could get you to let me inside? I got halfway home from practice and realized I left something in my bag.”

  The guard eyed Grace and me for a moment and then relented. He flicked his badge over the secured door and the lock released. He pulled the door open. “You won’t need a badge to get out if you use this same door,” he said as Grace slipped through the darkened doorway.

  “Thank you, sir.” I tapped my brow in a mock salute and then followed Grace.

  The door closed behind us with a loud click and Grace jumped.

  “You’re all right,” I told her.

  “What are we doing here, Justin?”

  I grinned at her. “Taking a shower.”

  “A shower?”

  My hands circled her tiny waist as I propelled her forward. My lips moved to her ear and I whispered my plan. “Like I said, I’ve had a fantasy about fucking a gorgeous woman in the middle of the team locker room. I want to take a shower each day after practice and be able to picture your sweet ass up in the air while I fuck you hard from behind. I want to hear the sound of you coming bouncing off the walls and have that echo in my ears when I’m getting ready after a game.”

  She shuddered as my fingers slipped down her full curvy ass.

  I steered her into the locker room and let the door fall closed behind us. No one else was around besides a few guards like the one who’d let us inside. He’d likely radioed to his co-workers to let them know we were on the premises. No one was going to bother us.

  The locker room was dark except for the soft moonlight coming in through the frosted windows along the very top of the wall above the shower stalls. During the afternoon, the sun would flood the room with natural light, making the space feel open and bright. At night, it was a completely different atmosphere. Even though it was just as large, it somehow felt close and intimate.

  Thrums of anticipation swept through me as we moved deeper into the room. I kept my hands on Grace’s hips, guiding her every step. When we reached the showers, I released her long enough to slip her sundress up her thighs. I moved slowly. Revealing each delicious inch of skin at a time. The dress passed over her hips, revealing her perfectly rounded ass, and then up her flared curves.

  “Lift up your arms,” I instructed when I had the dress nearly over her head.

  She obeyed and I stripped off the rest. I hung it on a hook by the lockers. Grace trembled as I dragged my hands over her body, leaving nothing unexplored. Her breasts, her stomach, the smattering of soft hair over her pubic bone. I hadn’t asked her to wax or shave it. I wasn’t sure I wanted her to. She was damn near perfect just the way she was. Maybe I’d set her up on the bathroom counter in my hotel room and make her spread her legs and watch while I shaved it bare and then tongue-fucked her until she screamed my name.

  “You’re so damn beautiful, Grace.”

  Her eyes darted up to mine and then dropped lower as I stripped off my own clothes. I smiled when her eyes went wide at the sight of my cock. I was used to women being impressed by my size and girth, but with Grace there was something more to her excitement. An innocence that drove me fucking wild.

  “We’re going to try something different,” I told her, going across to my actual locker. I dug around in my bag and came up with a roll of kinesiology tape that I used to stabilize my shoulder muscles when the joint was acting up. Then I led Grace with me to the shower stalls and turned on one of the showerheads to a warm steady flow.

  “Give me your hands.” Grace didn’t even hesitate and stuck both of her hands out to me. I moved her behind the flow of water and slid one hand up and placed it on the showerhead, then the other. “Comfortable?”

 
She smiled a little. “Yes, but—”

  “—no buts. Do you trust me?”

  “I trust you.”

  “Good.”

  I went to work, binding her wrists to the shower head. Her tits were perky on their own, but with her arms stretched over her head they were fucking irresistible. I palmed both of her breasts, feeling the hard nipples against my palms and rolled them between my fingers, giving a slight pinch. Grace gasped and pleaded for me to fuck her.

  “Oh, baby, I’m just getting started…”

  With her hands bound to the shower head, the warm water flowing down my back, I started my delicate exploration of her body. Every sweet curve belonged to me. Every hair, every freckle, every drop of juice that slid down her thighs.

  She shivered as my calloused hand passed over her ass. I flipped her around quickly and had both ass cheeks in my hands. She wiggled her hips, desperate to brush against my cock. I grinned and landed a smack on her right butt cheek. Gracie gasped and I moved in closer, running my left hand across her shoulder and down to her nipple. “I love your ass…” I whispered as I landed another sharp slap to her butt cheek.

  “God, Justin, that feels so fucking amazing. Do it again.”

  “Hold on, baby girl. I say when and I say how.”

  “I know, but I want to touch you. I want you to fuck me. God this is so sexy.” She slid herself against me and I watched her in the shadows cast around the room.

  She moaned out as she managed to get the tip of my pulsing cock inside her. “Justin, please—”

  “My speed. I’ll make sure to get you where you want to go.”

  She nodded but a whimper slipped from her lips all the same.

  “Spread your legs,” I told her. I slipped a hand around her body when she did as I asked and started stroking her clit. She arched and bucked back against me as I teased her. Her pleasure built quickly. Too quickly. I slowed my pace and ignored her pleas to let her go. I pumped my cock inside her a few times, grinding my teeth against the waves of pleasure that threatened to suck me under.

  “Fuck, you’re so tight,” I growled into her ear as I moved inside her, inch by inch. Just knowing my cock was the only one that had ever been inside her sweet hole thrilled me even more as she stretched around me. She was molded for me and only me. When I was fully inside her, I went still, soaking up the way her walls gripped and clung to me.