Page 51 of Stolen Bases

I want him. He’s different from the guys I’ve dated. To be honest, I’ve never felt for them an ounce of the attraction I have for Cam. That swoop and fall in the pit of your stomach, like when you’re on a roller coaster, the racing heart, and the electrifying buzz I get when he holds my hand.

It’s all new.

Cam is the only person in my life who doesn’t want to overshadow, protect, or control me. He expects me to be myself. The confidence that oozes from every molecule of his body is infectious, and I can’t stop myself from soaking up his energy. Feeding off of it. Wielding it as my own.

So, I do.

“Okay.” Lifting onto one knee, I throw the other over his lap and straddle his hips as my hands clamp down his shoulders for balance.

His hands grip my waist and squeeze, holding me tight like I might fly away if he doesn’t hold on. I might if he let go. He has me high, addicted to his intoxicating soul.

“Talia?” His breath fans across my lips, making my mouth water with need.

“Yes?”

His hazel eyes bore into my gray ones. I don’t dare move an inch, suddenly unsure of what he’s about to say.

Was I reading this all wrong? My palms sweat as a wave of panic hits me.

“I missed you today.” Cam’s voice drops like he didn’t expect that to slip and reveal a sliver of vulnerability.

My body relaxes, melting into his hold, and my fingers dig into his thick brown curls, twisting the ends. “I missed you too,” I admit.

A slow, devilish grin that could rival Lucifer’s slides across his sexy face. “Really?”

I roll my eyes at him, and he growls, nipping at my bottom lip with his teeth.

“Before you knocked on my window, I was going to text you.”

“Really?” he asks again, stunned by my answer.

“Yeah, really.” How could I not? Cam is everything. Good. Kind. Sexy. He’s a baseball god with a heart of gold.

He takes a deep breath and presses his forehead to mine. My eyes fall closed as we sit in silence. His powerful arms wrapped around my body, pulling me close.

If there was one thing I could wish for right now, it would be to stay here in Cam’s arms forever. Here, in the safety of his embrace, I’m whole.

I’m his.

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.

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