29. Ari
twenty-nine
Ari
Every year, I’m shocked by how quickly Spring Training sneaks up on me.
I was a bit more distracted this year, though.
Okay, a lot more distracted.
Lucia and I have hardly left her bedroom over the past couple of weeks. I’m fucking ravenous for her.
We haven’t even really bothered to check anything else off our lists. Aside from spanking, which it turns out Lucia is not actually a fan of.
I have tied her up a few more times, though. I get to tease her without her being able to do anything about it. It annoys the absolute hell out of her, which just goads me more.
I think we were getting our fill because we’re going to be really busy now. We’re in Bradenton for a month and a half for Spring Training. Right after that, we start our next one hundred and sixty-two-game season, not including the postseason.
I know we’ll still find time to have some fun; it just won’t be as easy for a while.
I plop down on the seat next to Cole on the team plane.
“It’s too early,” I groan, draping my arm over my eyes.
Cole chuckles. “Then get some damn sleep, man. I don’t know how you function at all.”
“How do you feel about being away from Rory again?”
He lets out a breath. “Fucking hate it, if I’m being honest. I know Lane, Knox, and Josh are all right there with me. Sucks to be away from your wife for that long.”
I move my arm and look at him. “Lane isn’t married.”
“He might as well be,” he laughs. “Man is so wrapped around Liv’s finger. And he had her adopt Sage, for fuck’s sake.”
The mood sombers a bit at the mention of kids. “Has Josh said anything lately?”
“I think they’re taking a break from trying, honestly,” Cole says. “It was really starting to fuck with Ella’s head.”
“It sucks that they’re still struggling. They’d be great parents.” I decide to steer us in a different direction now. “When are you giving some nieces and nephews, Pierce?”
He tries to hide it, but he can’t disguise that bright smile on his face. “We’ve been talking about that.”
“Really?” I ask, unable to hide my own smile at my best friend’s happiness.
“Yeah. Rory wants to start trying closer to the end of the season.”
I playfully push his shoulder. “That’s great, man. You’re going to be a hell of a dad one day.”
“What about you?” Cole cocks his eyebrow questioningly. “Am I going to get any nieces or nephews from you?”
“Nah,” I breathe. “You know how I feel about kids.”
“You don’t have to keep fighting off hope for the future, Ari. You’re not going to be your dad.”
“It’s not worth the risk,” I say lowly before pulling my hood over my head and settling back against the seat.
Cole takes the hint and senses that I don’t want to talk about it, so he mimics my movements and falls asleep before the plane even takes off.
Me? Wide awake, no matter how tired I am.
Why?
Because I caught a glimpse of sleek black hair at the front of the plane.
I wait for the seatbelt sign to turn off before I pull out my phone and connect to the WiFi. Once I see that Lucia has her phone on her lap, I shoot her an iMessage.
Ari
Go into the bathroom
She turns around before she spots me near the back, a small smile on her face.
Lucia
Why would I do that?
Ari
Because I promise to make it worth your while
She doesn’t respond this time. She just stands up quickly and walks to the back of the plane on a mission. She catches my eye briefly before smirking and heading into the bathroom.
I wait a few moments and make sure none of my teammates or any of the staff are watching before I slink my way back to join her.
I knock once on the bathroom door before she swings it open and drags me inside by the collar of my hoodie.
Lucia locks the door behind me, and I grab onto her hips, pulling her against me.
“What are we doing in here, Ari?” she rasps, and God , it’s so fucking sexy. The sound travels straight to my dick, just like usual.
“I’m here to take care of you, sweetheart,” I murmur over her lips before capturing them.
I slip my hand under her shirt and tease it over the waistband of her leggings, taking a moment to get her worked up.
“You gonna give me your fingers, baby?” Lucia asks, draping her hands behind my neck.
“As many of them as you can take,” I assert, dipping my hand under her leggings. I settle it between her legs, slowly dragging my fingers across her dripping cunt. “So wet for me already, Spitfire.”
“I’m so horny,” she breathes as I slip a finger inside. “Ari…”
“I’m gonna need you to keep it down, Luc. How can I keep you quiet?”
“Kiss me.”
Lucia palms the back of my head, bringing my mouth back to hers. She teases her tongue over my lips, so I part for her, swallowing the light moan she lets out when I slide another finger inside her.
I break our kiss momentarily. “Think you can take three fingers?” She nods frantically, and I dive right back in, kissing her desperately as I fill her up with a third finger.
I thrust them deeper inside her, rubbing them along her front wall. She lets out a contented hum as I do, and what I wouldn’t give to feel her gush around my fingers right now.
Or in my mouth.
That’s unfortunately not a cleanup we need in an airplane bathroom.
I stop teasing Lucia like that, instead just thrusting my fingers in and out of her. She bucks her hips when I press my thumb against her clit.
I feel her pussy pulsing around me as she starts grinding on my hand, taking everything she wants from me.
Hot as hell.
Lucia has herself so worked up that she only needs a bit of help to tip over the edge.
I hook my fingers inside of her at the same time I press down on her clit again, and she goes off like a fucking firework, moaning into my mouth and grinding against my hand until she falls limp against me, completely sated.
I slowly remove my fingers, and she watches as I bring them right up to my mouth, licking them clean.
She licks her lips. “Can I taste?”
I smirk before I kiss her, swiping my tongue against hers so she can taste just how fucking sweet she is.
We kiss until the taste has all but vanished, and I have to stop myself from dipping my hand between her legs again and going for more.
Lucia lets her arms fall from their place around my neck and brings a hand between us, cupping me over my sweats.
“Shit,” I hiss.
“Quid pro quo,” she teases. “Let me return the favor.”
I stop her before she dips under my waistband.
“It’s not a favor to get you off, Spitfire.
I fucking love making you come. As for me, I’ll take a rain check.
I’m not sitting for the rest of the plane ride with cum in my pants, and it’s too small in this bathroom to have you get on your knees to swallow it. ”
“But you’re hard.”
I unlock the door behind me and urge her in front of me. Before I swing it open, though, I whisper against her ear. “I’m always fucking hard around you, Lucia. This isn’t anything new.” She gasps at my candor, and I lean in for another kiss. “Get back to your seat. I’ll leave in a few minutes.”
She nods once before quietly exiting the bathroom, presumably going back to sit down.
I take a few minutes to collect myself.
I think of anything I can to make my dick go down, but that’s difficult when every fucking thought is about Lucia Torres.
She’s on my mind more than she used to be, and that’s saying something because my brain has run on a constant loop of Lucia since she moved in.
I don’t know why I’m always thinking about her.
It’s normal to think about your friends, though, and I’d say we’re almost there.
It’s not normal to think about fucking your friends, my brain reminds me.
But I ignore it.
I don’t really want to unpack that.
I take a deep breath and finally make my way out of the bathroom, coming back to sit down in my seat beside Cole.
He looks like he’s still sleeping, so I think I’m safe.
Just when I sigh in relief, Cole slowly opens his eyes, grinning at me knowingly.
“How’s Lucia?”
“Shut up,” I chide, rolling my eyes, to which he laughs hysterically.
“On the plane, Ari? Really?”
I shove his shoulder. “Be quiet, will you?” I lower my voice now and lean in closer. “We didn’t have sex, Cole.”
“But you did meet up with her, didn’t you?” he prods, painstakingly pulling all the details out of me.
I groan. “Yes. I told her to meet me in the bathroom.”
“But you didn’t have sex?” Cole looks at me like I have two fucking heads.
“I just… took care of her,” I shrug. “That’s all.”
“And you?”
“Nothing for me.”
Cole’s face morphs from confusion to absolute astonishment. “You told her to meet you in the bathroom just so you could take care of her?”
“Yeah. So what?”
“So what?! Ari, I’ve known you for almost a decade, and you have never done that.”
“It’s not a big deal,” I reply, nerves creeping up my spine.
“Whatever you say, man,” he chuckles. “Whatever you say.”
I sink back against my seat, willing my heart to slow down.
This isn’t a big deal.
I love making my partner come, and I don’t think it’s crazy that I wanted to do that just now.
Granted, those partners were all just one-offs, but that doesn’t matter.
I’m not looking at Lucia as anything more than a roommate, possible friend.
A really hot friend that I enjoy having sex with.
Totally normal.
I push the thoughts from my head, desperate to try to get some sleep now before we land.
The last thing I hear before I finally do is the laugh of my roommate, and I fall asleep with a smile on my face.