Winning Streak (The Beasts of Baseball #4)

Dammit, I really hope I didn’t offend her.

Nah, she was into it. I was certain. That look in her eyes, the way her breathing became slow and heavy, yeah, she wanted me. I’d wait it out. Be patient. See where it would go and have a little fun in the process.

I leaned back in my seat, closed my eyes, and sent my mind to baseball. My dick ached from being stuffed so tightly against the denim. My balls were drawn upward, tight, and in need of release. Baseball, Todd. Think about all the hard work you have to do once you arrive in Daytona Beach. Calvin Malone wasn’t going to be easy to crack, and I needed him to succeed on this team. I was a Beast now, like it or not.

“Excuse me.” Katrina’s soft voice brought my dick back to attention. I stood, barely able to straighten my body to let her pass and take her seat next to me. The seatbelt sign lit up, and the flight attendant announced we’d arrived at our destination on time. I was relieved. I pushed my head back against my seat, fastened my seatbelt, and thought about the game. Baseball, baseball, baseball.

Katrina busied herself with her tablet, clicking wildly with her perfectly manicured nails. Keep it together, Todd. We’ve almost landed, and then I can get some distance from this adorably nervous woman. If I could squat behind the plate for hours, I had the discipline to control myself around her, but it wasn’t easy.

The tires met the pavement with force, bouncing me in my seat. Katrina’s eyes were clamped tightly shut, her knuckles white on the armrests. She was scared. I reached over, placed my hand on hers. “It’s okay. We’ve landed.”

Her smile was obviously forced, still sweet even with the fear and anxiousness so readily displayed behind it. I gave her hand a tight squeeze before letting it go, and then helped her pack up her briefcase.

We didn’t speak about what happened outside that bathroom door again. I gathered her overhead bag, smiled graciously at her, and let her exit the plane in front of me. Her small waist, full rear, and swagger in those high heels were enough to work my blood back down to my dick. The guys were all riotously excited, slapping each other on the ass, chattering about the game, the city, and the partying they planned to do. I was still the odd man out, not exactly thought of as a team member just yet. I didn’t really know any of these guys, at least not outside of the field. I had always been the enemy, the player on the other New York team. Trying to find a way to not only fit in but prove I belonged wasn’t going to be easy.

The shuttle turned right on Ocean Boulevard, driving north of all the action. I watched out the window as the streets grew emptier and emptier. Katrina was busy snapping photos of the team, posting updates, and working her PR magic. “Why are we all the way out here?” Luke asked.

Katrina smiled, smirked really. “You have to ask?”

Calvin chuckled, slapping Luke on the shoulder.

The shuttle stopped in front of a tall white condominium building. The driver hit the button, releasing the door open. This was it.

I stepped out, moved aside while Calvin, Luke, and the others piled out. Katrina gathered her things, I reached my hand out to help her step off the bus, but she smiled politely and ignored my assistance. “You have something to do with us being out here in the middle of nowhere?” I asked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she smirked. Yeah, she knew.

I could see Lana doing something like this. She was a real ballbuster, but Katrina appeared so sweet. Maybe that image was like her Snapchat. Only a fa?ade.

“Need some help?” I asked, trying to reach for her suitcase. She snapped the handle up, kicked the large suitcase outward, and smiled as she began rolling it away. Okay, so she doesn’t need my help.

I knew I looked like a lost puppy dog chasing her around, but she had me reeling. “Let me,” I said quickly, pushing the elevator button. The other guys already had their keys and were on their way up to their rooms, leaving Katrina and me behind. I didn’t mind. I could use some more time alone with her. Maybe I’d get a glimpse at her room location.

I hit the seven button. “Which floor?”

“Three.”

I pressed the three reluctantly. Disappointment fell over me as I realized how far our rooms were apart. “They’re remodeling the lower floors. That’s the lowest I could get,” she said, that sweet flush of embarrassment moving into her cheeks.

“You don’t like heights that badly?” I teased.

Her head shook while her lips pursed together. It was obvious the elevator was even a discomfort to her. I smiled, and a soft chuckle escaped my lips as I stared at her. There was always something about a strong woman showing vulnerability that turned me on.

“See ya at practice,” she said quickly, scampering from the elevator like a field mouse.

I settled into my room. It was nice with a view of the pool. I pulled out my notebook, started studying the players on my team, and worked on a strategy to share with Calvin at morning practice.

I woke up with notes scattered all over my bed. I wasn’t even sure when I’d fallen asleep. Shit, I overslept.

I didn’t have time to shower, shave, or even think before grabbing my gear and heading out the door. The elevator was taking forever, stopping on what appeared to be every floor. C’mon!

Finally, the doors opened, and I slipped inside. The ride down was swift, passing all the floors until it stopped and opened on the third. Katrina looked up, her mouth falling open in surprise, possibly something else, longing? She quickly slipped into the elevator next to me. I wasn’t sure what impact I had on her, but it was obvious the impact she had on me. The Earth’s atmosphere seemed to change when she smiled, or even neared. Oh, the things I could do to her right now. That stop button taunted me, begging me to push it and steal a kiss before the doors opened. “How’d you sleep?” I asked, hoping she’d thought about me while alone in her room.

“I didn’t.”

My lips were curling into a smile that I couldn’t stop. Her makeup was perfect, her hair in place, and her skirt and jacket looked as though they were just picked up at the cleaners. She didn’t look like someone who hadn’t slept. Damn, she was gorgeous.

“I didn’t realize you had to be at practice,” I said as the door opened.

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