Page 5 of Sacrifice Bunt

Before walking in on a naked Zara spread eagle on his couch, he’d had no clue who she was. It was pretty normal to walk in on his roommate Aiden with a girl, but never had he walked in on one alone with her legs spread in invitation.

It wasn’t until two years later when he’d seen her at a game, talking to his teammate Heath Bailey, that he put two and two together that she was the woman he’d walked in on and carried to safety.

The same woman he still thought about at night; remembering her naked body and how fucking perfect it was.

She’d avoided him at every turn. Going so far as to run out of rooms when he walked into them, but that didn't stop him from wondering about her, wanting to know more about her, and thinking about her. Then, a few months ago, he’d gotten the silly idea that he'd ask her to be his agent. Only when he’d shown up at her office, she turned him down flat, leaving him standing in the middle of her office looking absurd. Hannah found him and took pity on him, not only at that moment, but taking him on as a new client.

Which was all well and good, except, Hannah was standing him up and leaving him in, what he presumed, were Zara's very capable hands.

He wasn't upset.

“How in the hell did Hannah snag Power Punch for you?” Zara asked, her voice full of irritation.

He shrugged nonchalantly, acting like he didn't care. “I don't know. I guess I'm just that good and they just wanted me that badly.” He was goading her, and he knew it. But something inside him got a kick out of her agitation.

She scoffed. “I seriously doubt that’s the case.”

“I guess we'll find out tonight,” he paused, lifting his sunglasses and letting her see the look in his eyes, “on our date.”

“It's not a date.”

“I'll pick you up at seven.” He sauntered away, wondering why he continued to poke the bear.

Probably because poking the bear was so fucking fun. At least until it attacked you.

Back on the field, he ran out towards Heath, who shook his head and wagged his finger. “Why do you always antagonize her?”

“It's fun.” That wasn’t entirely true. He wanted her to like him. He really wanted her to feel the same way about him that he felt about her. He knew that was never going to happen, but a guy had to try, otherwise, what was the use?

“You really have to stop. A mad Zara is not someone that anyone wants to deal with.”

“She's not my agent.” Noah shrugged. “I don't give a damn if she's mad or not.”

“Oh, so you just piss her off and leave her for the rest of us to deal with? Thanks a lot. You’re a real asshole.”

He chuckled as he kept walking to the outfield. It wasn't like he wanted to piss her off. He'd prefer it if she was happy and friendly like she was with everyone else, but, since that was never going to happen, he used what he had.

After another twenty minutes of warm-ups, the team headed for the locker room. When the team took the field for the game, Noah searched the stands for Zara, knowing that she was somewhere up there watching. Sure enough, he found her several rows up, right behind the first base dugout, pretending she wasn't watching him.

He knew better.

She might claim to hate him, but he’d caught her watching him more than once through the years.

Not that he was much better. If she was in the room or, in this case, the stadium, he was watching her.

It turned out, he put on a show for her and for anybody else watching. Several balls were hit hard and almost over the fence, but he was able to catch them, helping his team to a three-to-one victory. It was a good day, and he hoped it was about to get better after he met with Power Punch. The dinner was just a formality, from what Hannah said. Just one last meeting with the people in charge before signing on the dotted line.

He rode back to the hotel with the team, where he showered and got ready for his seven o’clock meeting. He knew Zara was in the same hotel because she always stayed in the same hotel as the team. He wasn’t a stalker or anything. He just paid attention. A text from Hannah had him knowing exactly which room she was in because, god forbid, he had her number to call and ask.

He wasn’t sure that was all he’d use her number for if he had it. There might be a few innocent texts here and there, just to get a rise out of her.

Reaching her room, he knocked lightly on the door, his hands fidgeting in his pockets as he wondered how this night was going to go, both with Power Punch and with Zara. He wasn't sure which he was more nervous about.

Actually, that was wrong. He was definitely more nervous about being in Zara's presence for more than a few minutes. It would be a first, and something he was really looking forward to, despite the nerves.

Power Punch he could handle. They were actively courting him, and as long as he didn't do anything stupid, the sponsorship belonged to him.

The door flung open and he had to restrain himself to keep his expression neutral. She was fucking gorgeous. She wasn't wearing anything overtly sexy, just a black pants suit with a pink camisole underneath it, but it was tight and hugged her curves perfectly, and it showed off her gorgeous brown skin. Honestly, Zara could be sexy in a garbage bag.

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