The crewman grabbed his phone and sighed. Obviously, there was somewhere he needed to be.
“We’ll lock up if you need to go. I’m sure Garrett or the coach he stayed behind to work with can get the keys to you tomorrow since we’ll be back here early. I want to work with him on his throwing before the team shows up for warm-ups.”
“You sure?”
“Positive. Go on.”
He nodded. “Okay. Thanks. I’ll take care of the stadium lights. You can turn off the ones in here before you go.” He handed her the keys, and she went and locked up the gates behind him.
After the lights had shut down, it was dark and a little bit scary in the dugout. She waited, figuring as soon as the stadium lights went out, Garrett would appear.
He didn’t.
They had come in the same car. Surely, he wouldn’t have left her here alone, would he?
She went into the locker room, but it was empty, so she hightailed it outside to scan the parking lot, just to be certain. The car was still there, but Garrett was nowhere to be found.
She went back inside, through the locker room, and back out to the dugout.
A single light was still on across the field toward the bullpen. She crossed the dugout and picked up the phone the coach used to call for relief pitchers.
The phone rang several times before Garrett picked it up.
“Yeah?”
“I was hoping you were out there considering you drove us here.”
“Sorry. I’m still here.”
“What are you doing out there?”
“Thinking.”
“You’re alone?”
“Yeah.”
Huh. “What are you thinking about?”
“Some stuff.”
She wondered where his mental state was. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I stayed behind to talk to a few of the guys. When they left, I found myself not wanting to go.”
She took a seat on the bench. “Okay. You want to talk?”
She heard his soft laugh. “About?”
“I don’t know. I’ll let you decide. We could talk about your therapy. It is going well, Garrett.”
“I don’t want to talk about therapy. Or my shoulder. Or anything having to do with my recovery or rehab. I’m taking the night off from thinking about it.”
“All right. How about we talk about the game instead.”
“It was a good game. Sorry I bailed on you. I wanted to hang out here with the other guys.”
“You don’t have to stick to me like glue, you know. You were right where you were supposed to be—with the other pitchers.”
“Thanks. It felt good to be back here. Did you enjoy the game?”
“I did. I’m glad the team won. They look good this season.”
“Yeah. They do.”
This conversation was superficial. There was something he wasn’t telling her, something bothering him.
“Garrett—we’ll get you out there. This is still preseason.”
He paused. “I know.”
She had to get his mind off baseball and what he wasn’t able to do right now. “So . . . what are you wearing right now?”
He laughed. “Are you trying to phone sex me from the dugout, Miss Riley?”
“Maybe.”
“Are we alone?”
“Yes. Crew is gone.”
“In that case, I’m naked out here.”
If only that were the case. “Really. Since you’re naked, you should take your cock in your hand and stroke it for me.”
She heard him take in a deep breath. “You know I’ll do that. Out here. If you slide your hands in your pants and touch yourself.”
Now, her breathing quickened. She knew they were alone. It was dark in the dugout. No one would see her. She slid her hand down the front of her pants. Garrett was so close, but he couldn’t see her, either.
“Touch yourself for me, Garrett.”
“I’m hard already. You know I’m going to fuck you here.”
She palmed her sex, already wet and quivering in anticipation of him doing just that. “Then get over here and do it.”
“Hanging up now.”
She hung up, too, and sat on the bench. The light in the bullpen went out, bathing the entire ballpark in darkness. She heard the squeak of the bullpen door, and a short time later she caught sight of Garrett’s tall, lean form making a determined trek across the field toward the dugout.
She didn’t get up, not until he walked down the few steps toward her. Then she stood. He tugged her against him and kissed her.
The passion in his kiss never failed to ignite her, to take her right into the maelstrom of desire and need, where she wanted to be naked and feel him inside her right away. She toed out of her shoes and frantically clawed at her zipper while Garrett turned her around so her back was to him.
He cupped her chin with one hand, tilting her head back while she dropped her pants to the ground.
“I really hate this uniform of yours, Alicia,” he said, licking the side of her neck.
She trembled. “Me, too.”
“You should be in a skirt tonight. Or a dress I could lift up so I could shove my cock in you and fuck you hard.”