14. Cameron
fourteen
Cameron
Holy fuck. What is happening right now?
Our foreheads together, I tighten my hold on Talia, breathing in her sweet, peachy scent as my heart hammers through my ribs, trying to break free from its cage. Her body molds to mine like a piece to my puzzle as she straddles my lap.
Admitting that I missed her wasn’t something I had planned on doing, but it slipped out faster than I could bite my tongue. The relief that followed her admission… Fuck, I don’t think I could be happier.
I didn’t comprehend how much I liked this girl until I overheard Romero talking about her in the locker room. With my headphones on low, I feigned disinterest as he chatted with Serrano—the rookie pitcher we signed last summer—while I was on the stationary bike. When he mentioned taking Talia out to dinner, disappointment hit me like a boxer’s punch to my chest at the idea of not seeing her tonight.
Seeing her each night without prying eyes has become a habit I never want to break. I don’t know what it is about her, but I’m hooked.
Leaning back, I watch as her gray eyes flutter open. My palms cup her delicate cheeks. She rolls her teeth over her bottom lip as her gaze falls to my mouth. As much as I want to kiss her, I opt for a chaste peck on her forehead and place my hands on her thighs .
Her lips lift in a shy smile. “What are you thinking about?”
How my brothers infected me with their disease, and I’ve become a simp for you. How I’m utterly hopeless and completely falling for you.
Instead of freaking out at that thought, an eerie calm washes over me as I say, “Nothing, just happy you came out with me. This is my favorite spot. I come here to think when I’m in town.”
“It’s gorgeous. Thank you for sharing your place with me.”
Our place. I’ll never forget the way she straddles my legs like it’s the only place she’s supposed to be.
I point to the right of the river. “That’s the harbor and river walk. There is a great barbeque place down by the water.” I throw a thumb over my shoulder. “Evaders’ training center is behind us. I hoped the lights to the stadium would be on for you to see.” I point to the left. “And over there is the entrance for the river float.”
“What’s a river float?”
Her question is a hit to the heart. I keep forgetting she’s had next to no free time to have fun and live. Her whole life has been about school. Now, she’s going to have a career that is just as demanding. She should still have fun sometimes. I hope to be the one to help her see that.
I scoff and poke at her side. “What’s the river float? Oh, itty bitty, you really don’t get out much.”
She pinches my side, eliciting an uncontrollable yelp from me. “Quiet, you.”
I rub my side. “You’re a vicious little thing.”
She bites her lip and rolls her eyes at me, and my dick twitches. That damn eye roll gets me every time.
“On a hot day, people come and bring inner tubes to sit in and float on the river to cool off. I’ve seen people get creative with floats to hold ice chests and speakers for beer and music. It’s fun. Sit and chill.”
“You’ve been?” Her fingers twirl the ends of my hair at the back of my neck that sticks out from under my hat .
I fight the chills she’s sending down my spine with every tug. “Yep. When we play Arizona during the summer, it’s the best spot to hit up. No one cares that I’m out there floating. I usually have one of my brothers with me. Last year, we took Rhys out. Man, he loved it so much he didn’t want to get out. I loved being there for his first float.”
“That’s sweet. You’re a good uncle.”
“I’m his favorite.”
Talia barks a laugh, arching her back. Her hot heat rubs over my dick, making it hard for me to concentrate. “Oh, I bet you are!”
I tug her braid. “Are you insinuating that I’m not?”
She shakes her head, her eyes shining with mirth. “Oh gosh, no. I just mean… How could you not be his favorite uncle? Your job is to play baseball. You’re funny. And I bet you spoil him rotten.”
“Damn straight, I do. Too much. Even my sister-in-law Rylann says so, but she lets me anyway. Making up for lost time and all that.”
“Lost time?”
Naturally, she picked up on that slip.
I tread carefully. It’s not my story to tell—it’s Jace and Rylann’s—but I give her the cliff-notes version.
I rarely trust people with personal details about my life or my family, but with Talia, I do. I know I can trust her not to say anything. I can’t explain why. There is just something different about her. She doesn’t want information to sell to the paparazzi for fifteen minutes of fame. All she wants is to get to know me because she cares. Just me.
“Wow, that’s crazy.”
I nod. “It is. But they are both ridiculously happy and, according to my nephew, gross.” I tell her the story about the bathroom, and her mouth drops in shock.
“Really? In the public bathroom?”
“Yup.”
“Wow, that’s … that’s sweet, actually. ”
“You heard the story, right? They were fucking in the bathroom, and we all heard.”
She laughs, the tinkling sound stirring up the desire to kiss her that’s zipping through my veins.
“It’s sweet because they can’t keep their hands off each other. I hope that when my person comes along, he feels the same way.”
Nodding, I keep my gaze on her as she looks off into the distance behind me, thinking. The moonlight bathes her in a silver silhouette. She’s so fucking beautiful it hurts. Inside and out. With all her soft curves, long raven hair, sweet laugh, sassy eye rolls, and quiet confidence.
I think I understand Jace’s obsession with Rylann now. Because all I want to do is grab onto Talia, kiss her like my life depends on it, and make her mine. Forever.
Yup, I’m a total simp.
“Thank you for sneaking out with me. I know this puts you in a difficult position, but I had to see you.”
She looks at me with a soft smile. “Me too. I wasn’t sure I would. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about leaving for dinner.”
This girl is worrying about me and my feelings. I don’t even know what to say. I’d never be upset with her for going out with her family or girlfriends. She’s a resilient, intelligent woman capable of doing whatever she wants. I might miss her like crazy, but I’d never hold her back from doing anything she wanted.
“All good. You should go out with your brother. The season is starting soon, and he’ll be gone a lot.”
“So will you.”
She’s not wrong. Even though I’m falling for her, I’m also realistic. Being with a professional athlete isn’t for everyone. Talia has had a taste of this life with her brother, but it’s not the same when it’s a significant other.
“True.”
“I—” Talia’s voice cracks as she lays her head on my shoulders, hiding her face from me. I can hear her brain spinning .
“You can ask,” I tell her. I doubt I have the answers to all her questions, but I’m pretty sure I have the answer to the most important one.
“Will we still see each other after this week ends?” she whispers, lobbing me a softball.
“Without a doubt, itty bitty. You can’t get rid of me so quickly.” If I could, I’d follow her around like a lost puppy.
Her head pops up, her eyes so full of hope. “Really?”
A chuckle slips past my lips. “Really.”
I dig my fingers into her sides, and she giggles. When she looks up and pins me with those steel-gray eyes, I swear she can see me to my bones.
“Even though…” She doesn’t need to finish that question for me to know she’s referring to her brother.
Pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear, I promise, “Even though.”
I should have run away from her the moment I learned who she was. But it was too late. She dug her claws into me. I kissed her, and I don’t plan on stopping.
Pressing my mouth to hers, I kiss her. It’s slow and wet. Fucking perfect. Just like her.
Her hands clutch my shirt as she moans and parts her lips for me to slide my tongue into her mouth. My blood rushes south, and my cock stands at attention as she meets me stroke for stroke, tangling her tongue with mine in a wicked dance.
Fuck, she tastes too good. Too sweet.
“Cam.” Talia groans my name softly into the night, and it’s like waving a red flag at a bull.
My hands grip her ass and pull her hips forward. I almost snap when the heat of her pussy slides along the ridges of my dick. Ripping my mouth away from hers, I break our kiss. I watch her chest heave as she pants, trying to catch her breath.
“You’re being naughty.”
She shakes her head, confused. “What? ”
“You can’t start stealing third when we haven’t even made it to second.”
She throws her head back and laughs. “I thought baseball players were supposed to steal bases.”
Fuck, do I want to steal all the bases with her. I want to shove my cock down her throat until she chokes. Fuck her face raw. Bend her over and make her come on my tongue, my fingers, and my dick until she’s hoarse from screaming my name.
But I won’t. Not yet.
She alluded to being inexperienced. I still haven’t figured out if she means with sex or relationships—not that I have experience with relationships. But sex? I’ve had my fair share. I’m kind of hating myself for that right now. Talia deserves better, which is why I refuse to push her. We go at her pace.
“We are, but—”
“There’s that but again,” she teases, stealing my joke.
I give her butt a playful tap.
Wrong move. A groan vibrates low in her throat—a siren song to my cock. How the hell am I going to make it through this?
“Base runners need a signal from the coach before they steal.” My voice is too gruff, dripping with restrained desire.
Talia hums, her eyes blinking open. “What kind of signal?” I don’t miss the pitch in her voice lowering to a seductive level.
The little tease.
I play with the end of her braid as I word my reasoning carefully so she understands why I’m forcing us to slow down. “A stroke of an arm.” I run both hands down her arms, wishing I could feel her skin under mine. “A hand signal on the thigh.” My hands travel from her arms to her legs, giving them a squeeze. “Anything, really.” I shrug. “Signals stop runners from stealing too soon. From being reckless.”
“Reckless?” Her brows pinch together, and her eyes dip to my mouth .
“It’s reckless to steal a base without a plan. We have rules for a reason.” Now, I’m just spewing pure bullshit, and by the way she narrows her eyes at me, she knows it.
“And what’s the reason for applying rules to this … situation?”
She’s going to kill me with all her questions, challenging me. I like it too much, and so does my dick. That greedy fucker twitches behind my zipper, begging to be freed. “So that when you make it all the way around the bases to home, you’re satisfied.”
“Interesting.” Her finger trails up my chest in a slow path, and her hips shift, driving me crazy with the need to bury myself inside her hot, curvy body. “Can you tell me what the bases are? I’m unfamiliar with the game you are referring to.”
“Behave, itty bitty,” I warn. She’s purposefully trying to get a rise out of me.
She giggles. “Humor me. I didn’t get to experience this in high school. I spent all my time with my nose in a book.”
“Experience what?”
“Having a crush on the popular guy. Sneaking out of the house to spend time with him. Letting him get to first base. Or second. Or third. What’s it called when you go around all the bases? A home run?” she asks, toying with me. She knows damn well it’s called a home run.
Biting her lip, she looks up at me from under her thick black lashes, a picture of pure innocence.
Fuck. She’s going to kill me.
I mentally crack my knuckles. If she’s going to torture me with this game and give me the worst case of blue balls, she can suffer a little too.
I take her soft lips with mine and kiss her—slow and in control, tasting every addicting inch of her mouth. Her palms grip my shoulders, and her nails dig into my skin, marking me, as I pepper kisses along her neck and jaw.
“That’s first.” Searching for skin, I encircle her waist with the palms of my hands and slide them up under her sweatshirt.
If the night wasn’t chilly, I’d rip the fucking thing off and burn it. I hate seeing her in another man’s clothes. Even her brother’s.
Pushing that thought away, I grip her ribs, right below her tits, and rub my thumbs over her puckered nipples. Talia arches into my touch and releases an approving hum as I swallow it down, tasting a fraction of her pleasure.
She glides her pussy over my cock. Her heat burns through the fabric between us, sparking a raging inferno inside me. My dick punches through my jeans, begging to be released. I cup her breasts, kneading the soft flesh and testing her balance of pain and pleasure as I pluck her nipples between my fingers.
The harder I pinch, the more her hips buck.
Her lips find my jaw as she drags her pussy over my erection. So, I pinch her nipple even harder. She moans into the night. Even with the fabric covering her pussy, I can feel her get hotter and wetter. Her hips shift faster, searching for friction.
“That’s it, baby. Ride me. Make yourself come. Let me see you fall apart.”
“Yes.” Her breaths are choppy as I urge her to move her hips faster.
One hand on her ass, and the other pinching her nipple, I encourage her to take what she wants from me. It takes every ounce of restraint I have to let her chase her own pleasure.
Gritting my teeth, I barely hold it together as her legs quake and she shatters in my lap with my name on her lips. “Cam.”
Watching Talia fall apart has got to be the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. “You’re so fucking beautiful when you come.”
She hums and drops her head to my shoulder. Wrapping my arms around her small body to hold her steady, I bite her earlobe and whisper, “That’s second.”
“I like second. A lot.” She presses a soft kiss to my neck.
“Wait until we get to third. I’m going to make you see stars.”
Talia laughs into the crook of my neck. “So cocky.”
“Not cocky. Confident. ”
She adjusts her weight, and I wince, moving her off my lap. I attempt to hide how painfully hard my cock is by crossing my legs, but she doesn’t miss a thing. Her eyes bounce to my dick.
I growl, “Stop staring at him.”
“Sorry. Do you, uh … need help?” She rolls her lips between her teeth, biting back a smile.
“No,” I grunt.
She stares at my dick again.
“Seriously, stop it, Talia.”
“I’m sorry. You just look uncomfortable. I want to help. It’s not fair that I’m satisfied and you’re not. You look like you’re in pain.”
I am in pain. I want to bury my cock so deep inside her she feels me for days. But I’m a grown-ass man. I can go home, hop in the cold shower, and jerk off to memories of her rubbing her pussy on my cock while moaning my name as she comes.
Gripping the back of her neck, I tug her face to mine and kiss the hell out of her. She melts into my hold.
I nip at her bottom lip. “Tonight was all about you.”
“Cam—”
I cut her off, placing my finger on her lips.
“No.” There is no way I’m going to let her touch me. We’ll never leave this spot, and I sure as hell don’t need people stumbling across us as I fuck her into the hard desert floor beneath us. “It’s getting late, and I better get you back to your room before you turn into a pumpkin.”
“Whatever you say.”
“Fuck. Don’t say that shit to me right now.”
Talia giggles and then mimes zipping her lips.
“Smart-ass,” I grumble.
She just winks at me.
In one swift move, I scoop her up into my arms and stand. Her arms drape over my shoulders as I carry her to the car. Without a word, she holds on while I open the door and place her on the passenger seat of my wagon. Unable to stop myself, I give her a peck on the lips and slam the door shut. I gather the blankets, throw them in the back of my trunk, slide into the driver’s seat, and guide us back home.
When I place her back inside her room safely, I kiss her again, wishing like hell I didn’t have to leave her to sleep alone. And when she tells me goodnight and grins up at me with that light in her eyes, I know I’m done for.
Talia fucking Romero has officially knocked me on my ass.