Page 52 of Wild Pitch

“My dad called,” she says, making my eyes go wide as I whip my head up to look at her. I told that piece of shit not to contact her again, and now I’m finding out that, not only did he not listen, but he said something to upset her. My nostrils flare and my fingers flex, but I try to repress my anger long enough for her to tell me everything.

“He has a copy of the surveillance video from the night he was here. I don’t know how he got it, but it’s from the camera above the archway. There’s no audio, and thebeginning is cut off, but it looks really bad. He told me that if I come home and show that we’re a strong family unit while he runs for governor, he’ll delete it. I need to go back to California so he doesn’t drag your name through the mud.”

“No,” I say, my whole body tingling with the rage I’m holding in. I won’t let him take her from me, just so he can treat her like garbage and make her life miserable. She deserves better. “We’ll just be honest. We’ll tell the truth. People will have to believe us.”

She huffs an incredulous laugh. “Why would they? You’ve been in trouble twice for attacking what appeared to be innocent people. You already had one foot out the door with the team prior to me coming here. My dad has somehow managed to create a fake persona that people associate with integrity and honesty, even though he’s anything but. You’re the Bad Boy of Baseball, and I’m just his rebellious runaway daughter. It’ll be our word against his, and I promise you, he’ll win. Healwaysdoes. I have to do this, Riggs. You’ll loseeverything.”

Fuck that. Sheiseverything. I don’t give a single shit about playing baseball if it means losing her in the process. I’ll hang up my cleats right now.

“I’ll ask the security manager for the video. We’ll watch the uncut version and see if there’s anything we can do,” I say in an attempt to grasp at straws.

“No,” she replies quickly. “My dad obviously knows somebody here, otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to get it in the first place. We can’t trust anybody. Plus, what good would it do to have the rest? The camera didn’t pick up the audio, so it’ll still look like you were in the wrong. You’ll get kicked off the team. I wouldn’t put it past him topress charges and sue you for millions, either. I was stupid to think I’d ever be out from under his control,” she whispers, her face twisting in pain. “I finally find real happiness and he comes to swipe it away like it’s nothing. I’m a pawn in his game. That’s all he’ll ever see me as.”

“Hey. No,” I say softly, pulling her trembling body into my arms. “I’m not letting him do this to us. Give me one day. Just let me fight for us, Monroe. You took that choice from me after our first night together when you left without saying goodbye. Please let me show you how much I need you.” I’m desperate for her to say yes, but I can’t force her to stay if she doesn’t want to. I just have to hope that she trusts me enough to figure something out.

She looks up at me, swallowing thickly. “One day. That’s all we have.”

I shake my head, smiling softly down at her. “We have the rest of our lives, sweet girl. I promise.”

“I love you, Riggs,” she whispers, pressing her lips to mine. I pour everything I have into the kiss, hoping she understands the lengths I’ll go to keep her here with me. I’ll burn this whole fucking world to the ground if I have to.

Without breaking our connection, I stand, pulling her with me and walking us back to the bed. I carefully lower her to the mattress, dropping down between her parted legs. Cupping her jaw with my hand, I trail wet kisses down her face, stopping to suck on the sensitive skin below her ear. I feel her hips rotate slightly, creating the sweetest friction between us as needy whines fill the air around us. I help by grinding down, kissing her neck as the head of my erection rubs her clit through our clothes. Even with the barrier separating us, stars explode behindmy eyes at the feeling of her warmth seeping through the fabric. This woman owns me in every way. There isn’t a chance in hell I’d ever let her go.

I bring my lips back to hers, claiming them in another kiss that’s filled with all the love I have. I know she feels it. Shehas to. Her body trembles under me, and I’d give anything to ease her mind about the future. I know I need to let my actions speak in this situation with her dad, but for now, I’ll do whatever I can to help her escape.

I reluctantly pull away, sitting back on my feet while I peel her shirt over her head. My mouth waters as her tits peek out from the top of her bra, and I go lightheaded with the need to feel her piercings against my tongue.

“Arch your back,” I command, waiting for her to obey before I reach behind her, unfastening the clasp that separates me from what I want. Pulling the lace material away from her body, I lean down and suck one rose-colored bud into my mouth, using my teeth to graze the metal barbell that decorates it.

“Riggs,” she gasps, and I swear I feel like I could come right here as she sings my name. I know I’d never let anyone take her from me, but in the back of my mind, I can’t help but hope this isn’t the last time I make love to her. I need it to be perfect, so that if we end up apart, even for a little while, she’s unable to forget the way I’ll worship her until my last breath.

“I’m here, baby,” I whisper, fusing my lips back to hers as I peel her leggings down past her knees, yanking them off and throwing them to the floor. Her panties meet the same fate, and by the time I ghost my fingertip along her sensitive clit, we’re both ready to lose ourselves in one another. I rub gentle circles around it, savoringevery one of the sweet little cries that escapes her swollen lips.

I shuck my thin sleep pants and boxers, working them down my legs and kicking them onto the heap of her clothing that lies at the foot of the bed. Bringing my focus back to my girl, I leave room between us so I can continue moving my hand along her flesh.

Monroe clings to me as I coax her orgasm to the surface, sliding down and just barely entering her with one finger as she clenches her inner walls in search of more. I want to make her forget everything that isn’t the feeling of being mine. Even if it takes hours, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than right here, showing her that I’ll always be here to fight the monsters that come for us. I’ll never let her down.

I finally take mercy on her, sinking two thick fingers into her impossibly wet cunt. I slowly work them inside until my palm is cupping her hot skin, curling them forward as her hips lift off the mattress.

“There she is,” I say softly, knowing I’m grazing the part of her that makes her insides turn to mush. My heart rate speeds at the thought of making her come undone, over and over, until she feels nothing but pleasure. As much as this is for her, I need to lose myself just as badly.

I continue massaging her g-spot until she’s gripping me so tightly, that I’m not sure I could pull out even if I wanted to. “Good girl,” I praise. “Come for me.” Keeping my fingers bent as I thrust in and out, I do my best to make sure she has everything she needs to explode. She moans loudly and her legs begin to shake as a small gush of wetness runs out of her and into my hand. I can’t tear my eyes away from her face as the orgasm washes overher. Her mouth is parted and her eyes are squeezed shut, yet she looks as though she doesn’t have a single worry in the world. My beautiful girl deserves this every hour of every day, and all I want is to be the lucky man who gets to give it to her.

The pleasure begins to ebb, and her muscles relax as she returns to earth, sinking back down into the mattress. I press gentle kisses along her shoulder and neck, listening to the soft, rapid breaths that come from her sated body. I continue coasting my mouth over her skin, and it doesn’t take long for her arousal to build again. She wraps her small hands around my biceps and pulls me between her open, trembling legs.

“You’re my fucking world, baby,” I whisper, capturing her lips with mine while I line up at her entrance and slide home. She’s so warm and tight, there isn’t a question in my mind that she was made just for me. We’re two halves of the same whole, and no matter what goes down after this, we’ll always be connected. We’re incomplete when we’re apart, and we’re unstoppable when we’re together.

I push all the way inside, gritting my teeth as we both get used to the stretch. My heart pounds in my ears as I move slowly, making sure that I’m not going to blow before I can get her over the edge again. Pulling back so I’m using my hands on either side of her head for support, I focus on her face as I begin thrusting harder. A beautiful flush covers her damp skin, and her mouth hangs open as she pants and moans my name. She grinds down, meeting my hips with hers, urging me to give her even more.

“There you go, sweet thing,” I coax. “Make that beautiful pussy feel good on my cock. You’re doing such a good job.” The praise hits its mark, making her shatterunder me for a second time. Her body convulses and her cunt contracts so tightly, I don’t even get a chance to let her finish before I’m pulled under right alongside her. My release hits me like an explosion, launching me into pure ecstasy as I empty everything I have inside her. It feels like it goes on forever, wave after wave of electricity shooting through us both until we have nothing left to give.

I collapse, doing my best to support my weight with my shaking forearms so I don’t crush her. We’re covered in sweat, gasping for breath, trying to grasp onto the final moments of bliss before reality settles back in.

“You’re mine,” I whisper against her cheek, feeling a lone tear slide across her skin and onto mine. “Nobody’s going to take you from me. I promise.”

She sighs, snuggling into me as I lie there inside her, praying that she trusts me to fix everything.

I don’t care what it takes to make it right. The only thing I’m unwilling to give up is Monroe.

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