Chapter 31 #2
“And do I get a reward if I listen to that request? Or was that a really poor attempt at threatening me?”
Doing my best to keep us from being overheard—because more and more people have started filing down to their seats—I mirror his stance and lean in even more toward him until my mouth is only inches from his ear.
“I’ll fuck you through the weekend starting the second you walk through our door if you do,” I tell him, letting the tips of my fingers brush against his. “And that’s a promise.”
If I thought the look he was giving was filthy before I made that comment, it’s nothing compared to the way lust has completely taken over his face when I pull back. Those brown eyes are dilated, and his tongue swipes over his bottom lip subtly as he stares at my mouth some more.
I wish I could kiss him right now. Lay one on him right here, in front of the world. But it’s not only fear holding me back. It’s timing.
We haven’t so much as had the chance to talk about us or what the future holds once we move back home this weekend, let alone how he wants to handle coming out to people, if at all.
My concerns about how it will impact his career is a huge one, and if I have to give up kissing him in public to make his dreams come true, I will.
“Keep looking at me like that, and I won’t be able to walk back to my seat without giving the entire stadium an eyeful of what I’m working with below the belt,” I warn him, raising a brow.
He blinks a couple times, as if coming out of a trance. “Shit, you’re probably right.”
As if on cue, one of his teammates calls his last name, causing him to peek under his arm into the dugout. His fingers rub against mine while he chats with…I think it’s Reyes? I can’t be sure.
One, because I don’t really pay much attention to the rest of the team. And two, because even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to right now with the way the pads of his fingers trace over my knuckles. It has my entire body lit up like a Christmas tree, and I doubt he even realizes he’s doing it.
Touching each other is just subconscious to us now.
“We’re gonna infield quick,” he tells me when he looks back up. It’s then I notice a bunch of his teammates filing out of the dugout to take the field. “Then we gotta get this show on the road.”
I nod, not really sure what to say at this point. Normally, I’d kiss him and squeeze his ass if we were in our room before he left for the field. I did that before he left today too. Yet my body is craving to do it again. Right now. Where everyone can see.
It’s not the right time.
Keene’s free hand moves up to the maroon helmet sitting backward on his head, fiddling with it the way he does his hats when he’s nervous. My eyes narrow in on the action.
“Why are you fidgeting? You do this all the time.”
He shrugs. “Not with my mom and sister here.”
Of course. I should’ve figured he would be anxious about their presence. He has nothing to prove to them in regards to his ability on the field. Both of them know how hard working and dedicated he is to playing ball. So that only leaves…
“Your family is gonna love what you put together,” I tell him in reassurance, looking down into his eyes.
And as if that’s all he needed to hear, he beams at me. But it’s in the weirdest way. Like he knows something I don’t. “I hope so.”
“They will because they love you. And they’re really proud of you.” I don’t say that I include myself in the they I just spoke of because…shit. Because I need to figure my own crap out before I dare say that to him.
The love part, that is.
You have to be all in.
“Good. I wanna make them proud. Because I love them too.” His eyes soften and he gives me that look again. This time, I really can’t place it, so I just nod.
Two of my fingertips give one of his a subtle squeeze before I pull away, turning to head back to where Lexi and Loraine are sitting, sodas and peanuts in hand. Lex tosses a bag of them at me, and I bat them out of the way, hitting her smack in the face.
She calls me an asshole, but I just smirk. “Karma’s a bitch, Lex.”
And then Loraine scolds me for cursing at Lexi…even though she just called me an asshole. Yeah, tell me how that one makes any sense.
I’m sliding back down into my seat between the two of them when I hear, “Hey, Kohl!” being called in Keene’s deep timber. Glancing up, I find him leaning against the rail of the dugout, still where he and I were just talking.
I raise my brow in response, figuring he’d make some comment to back his sister up. Instead, the fucker opens his damn mouth and shocks the ever-loving hell outta me.
“I dare you to put your money where your mouth is after the game,” he taunts, that cocky smile returning. “Regardless of the outcome.”
Oh, baby, you think I’d have it any other way?
I nod, doing my best to keep my grin from taking over my entire face. “You’re on.”
“What was that about?” Lexi asks a moment later. When I’m able to peel my eyes away from Keene as he saunters out to his position behind the plate for infield practice, I look down at her big, hazel eyes.
“Nothing, really,” I say with a shrug. “I just told Keene I’d kick his ass if he didn’t do well today.”
Yeah. Kick his ass.
Right...