Chapter 9
Tenny
Ifrown at my messages to Alex. It certainly looks like Too much the way my text bubbles stack on the right side of the screen with no response from her.
Before embarrassment can set in, irritation flares across my sore chest muscles.
I’m the one helping her with this. The least Alex can do is respond.
If I was a less generous man, I’d let her dangle in her web of lies.
My fingers nearly crush my phone. I’m considering typing a message to the tune of Best of luck, I’m out when Alex walks into the clubhouse, phone clutched in one hand while the other rubs her lower back.
Our eyes meet over the noisy, crowded room, and my stomach bottoms out. I’m in front of her before I’ve even realized I’ve moved, and it takes every ounce of willpower not to spread my fingers wide over her spine.
“Are you okay?” I murmur.
She drops her hand, self-consciously ducking her chin. “I’m fine.”
“Don’t lie to me.” My gruff voice sounds like broken glass.
Her brown eyes meet mine, and I flinch with the need to touch her.
Why is this, being near her, always so overwhelming?
I shouldn’t even be focused on this, on her.
I should be celebrating a good game, looking forward to light workouts and relaxing in the dugout for the next two days while a few reserve players get a chance on the field.
“I’m just a little stiff. The chairs in the press box are like sitting on stone.”
“What if you brought a seat cushion or maybe—”
“No.” The strength returns to her gaze. “I’m fine.”
I nod, understanding the desire to appear strong even if you’re hurting inside. Every player has had moments in their career when they’ve needed to keep up appearances.
“Okay.” I lick my lips, glancing around the room to see if anyone can hear us. “Did you get my texts?”
When I look at Alex, her unfocused eyes are trained on my mouth.
A bloom of heat races down my back, settling heavy at the base of my spine.
How is it that we were fighting mere hours ago?
I spent the rest of my pre-game warmup incredibly frustrated with Alex, but now I just want to dive my hand into those golden waves and lose myself in her eucalyptus scent.
Will it be as good as the last time?
Will it be better?
I nearly groan as the mature part of my brain reminds me now is not the time to be thinking about kissing Alex. We really need to sort out the issue with her grandmother.
Unable to stop myself, I lean forward until my pinky lightly brushes hers. “Alex?”
A shiver runs through her before she rubs at the goosebumps on her forearm.
“Uh, yeah. I saw them. Is there”—she glances around the boisterous clubhouse—“is there anywhere else we can talk?”
We duck into an unused office, trying not to knock over stacks of half-opened boxes. The space is more cramped than I’m comfortable with, but telling Alex her fake-dating scenario is about to blow up in her face is more important than how I’m feeling right now.
Alex might be the biggest pain in my behind this season, but I don’t want to cause problems between her and her grandmother. Besides, it’s my fault she’s in this scenario in the first place, because I played into the lie at the hotel.
“As my texts said, your grandma mentioned our relationship to Mallory and Kenzie.”
Alex runs her fingers through her hair. “Of course she did.”
“Then Kenzie got excited and said that she liked you a lot more than my last girlfriend.”
I wince at the memory. I’d known Kiera and I weren’t a good fit from the second date, but I stuck it out because no one has ever stuck it out for me.
“But then Mags put two and two together because Kiera and I broke up six weeks ago and—”
Alex covers her gasping mouth with her hand. “My fake relationship with ‘Max’ has been going on for six months.”
I nod. “Mallory then reassured your grandma that my relationship with Kiera had been fake—a publicity stunt to help a friend with the release of her newest makeup line. You knew all about it and gave your blessing because it would divert people’s attention from thinking that we”—I gesture between us—“were dating, especially on the heels of accepting your new assignment to the Waves.”
Alex’s eyes widen, but nothing escapes her parted lips.
“I know. Mallory’s quick on her feet. The only reason I’m telling you any of this is because Mallory called me, realizing we probably weren’t really dating, and asked me for the truth.
After that, she sweet-talked your phone number out of Daphne so I could warn you.
She came up with a ruse about you doing a feature on Kai’s family life or something.
” I blow out a breath. “A word to the wise, never get on Mallory’s bad side. She’s a force to be reckoned with.”
“Noted,” she says, staring at the OSHA regulations poster on the wall beside us for several beats.
“So…” Alex slowly focuses back on me. “We have a fake relationship within our fake relationship?”
“Looks that way.”
Her fingers come to pinch the bridge of her nose. “Maybe I should just tell the truth. This is all getting too complicated.”
“You could.” I shrug, even though I feel very invested in this weird situationship. “How long is Mags staying in Phoenix?”
“Just through the weekend,” Alex tells me, letting her hand flop to her side. “She wanted to surprise me with a quick visit since I’ll be living on the other coast for the foreseeable future.”
My mind is already moving a million miles a minute. “So, three more days.”
“Yeah.”
“I could pretend to be your boyfriend for a few days.” The investment would be minimal because we’d be at work most of the time, and while we’re in the ballpark, we’re supposed to be pretending to not be involved with each other.
“Though, maybe after you’re settled in Virginia Beach, you should break things off with ‘Max.’”
Her posture straightens as her gaze narrows. “Sure. I guess you’d need me to free you up for your next conquest. It’d be weird to have two fake relationships inside our fake relationship.”
Alex’s stinging words resonate like spiky barbs as I try to catch my breath.
“Do you really think I’m like that?”
Her assessing gaze makes me feel scrubbed raw.
“I follow the facts, Tenny. Your dating history is well documented.”
I shift a half a step back, crossing my arms to protect my aching heart. “If you know so much about me, then tell me why those relationships ended.”
Alex shrugs, the movement entirely too collected. “You got bored. You found another woman who seemed more interesting. You—”
“How do you know it was me ending the relationship?”
She scoffs, leveling me with a Be serious glare. “Who in their right mind would give you up?”
Forget earlier.
Forget five years ago as we innocently flirted before her ex showed up.
Forget intermittently in my dreams since then.
I have never wanted to kiss Alex more than I do right now.
My hand rubs my beard scruff as I war with myself. If I step forward, if I demolish the space between us, I’ll ruin any chance of this ever being…anything—fake or otherwise. Alex clearly sees me as some sort of loose-moraled playboy. She’d probably slap me if I tried to kiss her.
“How about we try to get through the next three days without killing each other? Do you think you can handle that, Ms. Stevens?”
Alex bristles. Just like she always does when I use her professional name. The culture is so relaxed within baseball that everyone uses first names. From the umpires to the franchise owner, I’ve never used a title when addressing anyone.
When Alex stares me down, I lift my palms. “Or—”
“Fine.”
“Fine?” I let the corner of my mouth tip up. “Maybe you could add a little sugar to that spicy answer. Don’t forget, I’m the one doing you a favor.”
It’s Alex’s turn to cross her arms. “If this is some type of twisted, quid-pro-quo situation, I’m out.”
“I wouldn’t dream of asking you for anything.”
Though, honestly, a part of me wants to ask Alex to consider the true caliber of my character instead of what’s been splashed in the media over the years. Realistically, the only way to change Alex’s mind about me is to show her who I really am.
She eyes me again for a long second. “Okay.”
Before I can say anything else, her phone rings with Mags’s caller ID. Snatching the phone, I open the call to speaker mode.
“Hey, Mags. We were just talking about you.”
When Alex lurches for the phone, I hold her back with one hand, lifting the phone away with the other.
“Oh, good, you’re both together. That nice Mallory said you’d both be busy for a while, but I wasn’t sure if I should head back to the hotel or wait.”
“Head back to the hotel,” Alex says, as I answer, “Wait.”
“What was that?”
Before Alex can protest again, I curl her back into my front and cover her mouth with my palm. I know I’m risking bodily harm by manhandling her like this, but a fully formulated plan just burst into my brain, and I’m determined to see it through.
“I said you should wait. I’ve got a fun idea, but first, what did you think of the game?”
As Mags jumps into a full recount of her front-row experience, I lean my chin toward Alex, releasing my palm from her mouth.
“Are you okay?” I whisper over her temple. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“I should kick you in the shins for that maneuver,” she whisper-hisses.
“Answer the question, please. I need to know you’re okay.”
The air seems to shift as she pauses.
“I’m okay.” Alex softens against me, and the resulting victory swirling in my veins feels sweeter than any win I’ve ever taken from the field.
“At the very least, I should have licked your palm.” Her muttered petulance makes a smile spring to my lips.
“I’m glad you didn’t,” I murmur, closer than I probably should be. “That would’ve been gross.”
I notice how, even though Alex gives me a sassy harrumph, she rests more of her weight against me. Then I get distracted by things I shouldn’t notice, like how easy it would be to brush her hair aside, to press my lips to the crook of her neck.
“Tenny,” Mags says, almost as if she’s already said it once.
I lift my head with a noisy inhale. “Yes, ma’am.”
My motion causes Alex to lean away, and I try not to pout over the loss of contact.
“I asked what your plans were,” she says with a smile in her voice.
“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough. But listen, I’ve got team obligations, but I’ll send one of our staffers to make sure you’re taken care of while you wait for Alex. She should be done before me.”
“No need. Mallory is keeping me company until you’re both free.”
“That’s wonderful,” I tell Mags. “We’ll see you soon.”
I hang up the call, my breath trapped in my chest when Alex doesn’t immediately move away. She seems to waver, almost as if she wants to lean back into me. My chin tilts down expectantly, my halting exhale ruffling her hair.
When Alex peeks at me from over her shoulder, I forget my first name, what I’m even doing in this tiny closet.
All I know is my twitchy fingers want to trace the soft edge of her jaw and smooth down her spine at the same time.
I’m two seconds from flipping her to face me when Alex clears her throat and takes a large step toward the closed door.
“I should get back to…”
“Yeah.” I rub the back of my neck.
She silently slides out of the room, leaving me behind to come to grips with everything.
I’m even more excited about tonight, about the chance to show Alex just how wrong she is about me. There’s just something I need to do first.
I pull my phone out of my back pocket, shaking some dirt off it from my slide into second. My personal assistant, Friedrich, answers on the first ring.
“Yes, Tenny?”
It took me a little while to get used to his clipped German efficiency, but let me tell you, if you want something done, ask Friedrich.
“I need you to do some research on office chairs…”