Page 86 of Off Pitch

“Good luck tonight, Knox,” Harlow tells me in that flirty tone she loves to use.

I take my arm off Cole and wrap them both around her waist. “You are my good luck charm, so I should be fine.” I brush my lips against her ear so only she can hear me now. “You’re wearing that jersey again tonight, baby.Justthe jersey.”

“Whatever you want, boss.”

She smiles as I kiss her lips, just like I do before every game.

But this feels a little… different.

Because I want to just pull her closer.

Because I don’t want to stop.

Because I just want to get lost in her.

Thankfully, I have a game to pitch, so I don’t have time to dwell on what any of that means.

Tonight is a good game for me. I pitch six innings, and the only run that comes during that time is based on a rare error on Lane, meaning it doesn’t count against my ERA. Relievers giveup four runs after I’m pulled, so we still get the loss, but it’s a no-decision for me.

I spent some extra time in the shower tonight to try to get the hot water to loosen up my shoulder. Pitching can really take its toll over time, so it’s good to try to keep things loose.

Since I’m the last one in the showers, I expect the clubhouse to be empty when I walk back in. But instead, I find Lane sitting on the sofa, hands behind his head as he leans against the back, waiting for me to walk in.

Goddammit.

“At least let me put on some fucking clothing before you start trying to interrogate me,” I chide, crossing the room to my things. “I don’t really want my dick hanging out while we’re talking.”

“Harlow wouldn’t mind, though, would she?” He smirks.

Asshole.

I throw on a white T-shirt, black athletic shorts, and a black baseball cap before I take a seat next to Lane on the sofa and sigh. “What are you still doing here, Lane?”

“You know exactly why I’m here, man.”

“Can’t keep my sex life private, can I?”

“I’m not going to make you spill all the details. I don’t need to know everything you did to Cole’s sister.” Lane turns to face me now. “But I am curious as to how that happened since you both seemed pretty adamant about not sleeping together at all.”

“What happened is I am a weak man, and Harlow is sinfully hot.”

“No arguments here,” Lane says with a laugh.

I smack him with my hat. “That’s my girlfriend, dick,” I say before quickly correcting myself. “Fakegirlfriend. She’s my fake girlfriend. But I still don’t need you sniffing around since I have to keep up appearances.”

Lane cocks an eyebrow. “And part of keeping up appearances is sleeping together and leaving hickeys all over her goddamn neck?”

“I may be a tad bit possessive in the bedroom,” I admit. “She definitely didn’t mind that, though.”

“So you had fun then?”

I sigh. “To put it mildly. Last night was… really fucking good. I, uh… fucked her against my living room window.”

“Exhibitionism, huh? Kinky.”

“Fuck off. It was after midnight—nobody could see us.”

“So what happens from here?” Lane asks in a more serious tone. “I’ve known you since I came to the team five years ago, and I think I can count on one hand the number of hookups you’ve had in that time.”

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