Every time he jogged off the field, before dropping into the dugout, he aimed a smile at me. Every time he emerged from the dugout, same story. I wasn’t sure how many more times I could shift in my seat without looking like I had an acute case of hemorrhoids.
And what was I doing thinking about hemorrhoids? I’d clearly been spending too much time around Soren Decker, the one person on the planet who had no boundaries—when it came to anything really. From confessing to his female roommate that he jerked off in the shower, to fanning the air in my direction after he farted, he had no boundaries. I felt like I knew everything there was to like and not like about him.
So why did I find myself still warring with feelings for him? The sensation of being drawn to him, inexplicable as it was?
“Your roommate is off-the-charts hot, Hayden.” Jane grinned at home plate, where Soren was squatting, holding his mitt at the ready. “Please tell me you’ve hit that already.”
“It’s what puts the spring in her cat walk,” Ariel sang as I groaned.
“Come on though. Be real with us.” Jane’s head turned my way. “You’re getting a piece of that action, right?”
My eyes moved to the diamond. “No. He’s my roommate.”
“Is he gay?”
“Yeah, right. Have you seen the way he dresses? The state he keeps the apartment in? No. He’s not gay.” That would make things easier though.
“Are you?” Ariel’s gaze roamed me, her forehead creasing.
“No.” That would also make things easier.
“Does he have a girlfriend?”
“No.”
My instant response had them glancing at each other with raised eyebrows.
“And you don’t have a boyfriend . . .” Jane continued.
Soren was shifting around behind the plate, distracting me and making me do some shifting on my own. “What? So because we’re both straight, single, and sharing a space, we should be getting it on?”
Jane blinked at me a couple of times, her hand turning over. “Exactly. It’s not like you have to make it anything official or hold hands down the sidewalk. You two are young and in your sexual prime. You need to exercise more than just your heart to stay healthy and happy.”
Ariel leaned in like she was going to whisper something. It didn’t come out a whisper though. “That’s her way of saying you need to exercise your vagina more.”
“Yeah, got it.”
I glanced over my shoulder to make sure no small children were close by. Just a couple of older guys with small smiles, pretending to focus on the game.
“No need to start dropping an anatomy lesson on the entire stadium,” I hissed.
“There’s only one possible reason you two aren’t boning then,” Jane said.
“The fact that we’re roommates and that’s complicated enough?”
Her finger waved between Soren on the field and me in the seat beside her. “That you have feelings for each other that go beyond routine boning.”
The guys behind us were smiling wider when I checked this time.
“Yeah, I have feelings for him,” I said under my breath. “Ones that stem from annoyance and disgust.”
Ariel and Jane stared at me, their expressions needing no explanation.
“We’re here to watch a game. Let’s watch the game.” My arms flailed out at the field before I dug into the bag of kettle corn Jane had stuffed between her legs.
“I’m here to admire fine asses. But you feel free to watch the ‘game.’” Jane cleared her throat dramatically. “Or Soren Decker’s package bulging through those teeny-weeny white pants.”
Ariel leaned into Jane, jabbing her finger Soren’s way. “Except that bulge is not teeny-weeny.”
“Not the slightest bit teeny-weeny.” Jane’s eyebrows bounced as she popped a piece of popcorn in her mouth. “That weeny’s a hugey-hugey.”
“That’s it. I refuse to sit beside you two until you tone your hormones down to a public-setting level of appropriate.”
The moment I burst to my feet, Jane grabbed my arm and yanked me back down. “They’re leaving the field. You wouldn’t want Soren the Huge to start asking questions as to why you’re so flushed.” Jane patted my cheek I could feel heating.
“He’s wearing a cup, you know? That’s not his actual”—I leaned in so I didn’t have to say it out loud—“package.”
“Yeah, and the only reason a guy wears a giant cup is because he’s packing a giant cock.” Jane covered her mouth before I had the chance to do it for her. “I mean penis. Sorry. That was too far for a public setting.” She shot an apologetic look at the grinning guys behind us. They didn’t seem to mind.
“Hey, Jumbo!” Ariel hollered as Soren jogged closer.
He turned toward the fence, sliding off his catcher’s mask. “Did you just call me Dumbo?”
Ariel’s head shook. “Jumbo.”
When Soren’s brows came together, I reached behind Jane to smack Ariel. “Don’t ask,” I yelled at him, pointing at the dugout where the rest of his team was heading.
He moved a few steps toward the fence instead. “A few of the guys on the team are having a party tonight at their place. Want to come?”
Soren’s face was streaked with sweat and dust, and his uneven smile was making my throat go dry. I shouldn’t have feelings for my roommate. I couldn’t. But the thing about feelings was that they couldn’t be controlled—nothing that came from the heart could be controlled. The head was a different matter.
“She’d love to come. And so would her friends,” Jane answered for me.
“Are you going?” I asked, finding my voice.
Soren tucked his mitt under his arm. “It depends.”
“Depends on what?”
“Your answer.” He moved closer until he stopped against the fence.
I could smell the sweat clinging to him. It felt like it was drawing me nearer instead of repulsing me as it should.
“Yes,” Jane filled in for me again. “Her answer is yes.”
Soren winked as he shoved away from the fence. “Same here.”
The three of us watched him turn and jog away. It was one of the rare moments there was actual silence when we were all together.
“Since you don’t seem to be in a hurry to stake your claim, I’m staking mine.” Ariel raised her hand like she was bidding at some auction.
“That choice specimen can claim me with his stake whenever he wants,” Jane said.
I settled back onto the bench and tried to chase away the strange new feeling I was experiencing while watching them gawk at Soren. “You two need to get your libidos under control.”
“And you need to let your libido get out of control,” Jane fired back, aiming a piece of kettle corn at my head.
“So partying with a bunch of ball players tonight.” Ariel shimmied as she took her seat again. “I’m not used to athletes. I spend more time around male models and photographers. Got any advice for us?”
Soren reemerged from the dugout, sliding on a batting helmet before taking a few warm-up swings. Another odd feeling rolled over me. Possession.
“Yeah,” I said. “Stay away from my roommate.”