Page 38 of Scoring Position

ACE:

You don’t want to find out what’ll happen if you defy me, slut.

“Clyde’s gonna fuckyou up if he sees you on your phone,” Jacks says, both hands clutching onto the gold chain he always wears around his neck. I jump, throwing the device back into my duffle bag and kicking it under the bench.

“What phone?” I reply, sitting back against the wall. It’s the bottom of the eighth, and we’re down by four runs. I’m trying to stay focused, but all I can think about are the plans I have in mind for after this game. Thankfully, I haven’t had any major fuckups, but I’m certainly not playing my best.

“Okay,” he says with a laugh, nodding his head. “Tell Lark I said hey.”

I roll my eyes, watching as our designated hitter, Dusty Brennan, hits his fourth foul ball in a row. There are two outs, and he’s doing everything he can to avoid closing out the inning without at least an RBI, but it’s not looking good. The opposing relief pitcher came in throwing heat from the second he hit the mound, and I’m not sure we’ll be able to dig ourselves out from this big of a deficit. The ball leaves the pitcher’s hand, and Dusty gets a piece of it, sending it up in the air between second and third base. He takes off, but the effort is futile as the shortstop makes the grab, ending the inning. Standing, I pull my mask down and fit my mitt over my hand before exiting the dugout. I try not to glance over at where Lark is sitting behind home plate as I walk, but like a magnet, my gaze is drawn straight to her. This is the third time I’ve seen her in my jersey, and it makes me feel like a fucking caveman knowing that she’s wearing it after I’ve been inside that gorgeous body of hers.

Last night was easily the best night of my entire life. The way she let me control everything, while also making sure I knew what she wanted, was exactly what I needed. I’m grateful that she knows me well enough to make me feel completely comfortable exploring with her, but tonight is going to be a whole new ball game. She wants to tap into her degradation kink, and I’ll have to draw from all the dark romance books I’ve read to give her the things she’s asking for.

When she first suggested this kind of role-play, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to pull it off. But she stepped out of her comfort zone for me with her little act at the bar, and I’m determined to do the same. Lark knows that I’d never say or do the things I’m about to in real life, which I’m guessing is why she asked me to do it. And what my girl wants, my girl fucking gets. I’ll never tell her no.

The rest of the game flies by, unfortunately not ending well for us as we lose to Denver with a score of four to one. We’ll be heading back to Daytona tomorrow, where we’ll play them again at home the following day, so we’ll just have to win the series on our own dirt. That’s how I prefer it, anyway. There’s nothing like the roar of a home crowd to get you hyped up and playing your best.

“Good game, man,” Riggs says, patting my ass as I walk to the locker room. He didn’t pitch tonight, but he’s always there for moral support, which is important after a tough loss—although tonight’s isn’t weighing on me nearly as much, knowing I’m about to give Lark the fuck of her life when I get back to the hotel.

“Thanks,” I reply solemnly. “Would’ve loved a different outcome, but we’ll get them next time.” He’ll be starting two nights from now, so we’ll hit practice hard together tomorrow afternoon.

He clicks his tongue. “Can’t win ’em all. Are we crying into our beers tonight, or are you seeing Lark?”

“Lots of studying to do,” I reply flatly. “Big final coming up.”

“Yeah, sure. You know, I saw her all over you at the bar last night after I got off the phone with Monroe. I also saw you leave with her after a full-on make-out session, which you never do.” I look up, furrowing my brows and causing him to put his hands out in surrender. “I’m not trying to give you shit. I’m just happy for you. That’s all.”

I relax, huffing a laugh. I don’t know why I was trying to keep things from him anyway. It’s not like the guys can’t tell what’s going on, especially after bringing her around them on multiple occasions. Maybe it’s okay to finally let the people I’m close to in on some of my story. God knows I could use the advice, since I honestly have no idea what I’m doing.

“I’ve…never done that before,” I reply quietly, looking around to make sure nobody is listening to our conversation. “Any of it. I’m sure you’ve noticed, but I never really told you why because I was embarrassed and didn’t want you to stop asking me to come out.

“Some stuff happened to me when I was first drafted, and it made me realize how easily someone with bad intentions could take advantage of my situation. It scared me away from letting anyone get too close, which is why you’ve never seen me go beyond kissing with any of the women who’ve approached us. It took me a long time to find someone I knew wouldn’t hurt me, and even though it wasn’t in my plan to fall for my tutor, I did.”

He nods approvingly. “That’s awesome, bro. She’s good for you. Sometimes, love comes from the place you least expect it, and no matter how much you try to deny it or push it away, it still gets you. And it’s the best fucking thing in the world. I’m glad you guys found each other.”

“Me too,” I say, zipping up my bag and tossing it over my shoulder. “The only good thing about a loss is that the interviewsare short. Nobody wants to talk to the losers.” He laughs, but he knows I’m right. “I’m out. Tell Monroe I said hi.”

“You got it, man,” he replies as I walk away, heading straight for the reporter I was assigned to speak to. Thankfully, it’s quick, and she just asks me where I think we fell short and what we can do to redeem ourselves back in Daytona. We’re trained to answer these types of questions in ways that don’t damage the camaraderie of the team or place blame on anyone—not that I would. We win together, and we lose together. That’s what baseball is all about.

The bus ride back to the hotel is agonizingly long, despite only being about ten miles from the stadium. It’s been over an hour since the game ended, and I hope that gave Lark enough time to get ready for our role-play with the instructions I left her. As soon as she went back to her room this morning, I made a few calls to some local shops, having everything delivered to the suite I reserved for us. I only had about an hour to set up, but I managed to pull it off. Hopefully, tonight will be everything she wants.

As soon as my feet hit the lobby, I make a beeline for the elevator, pressing the button for the forty-fifth floor. My heart pounds a heavy cadence behind my rib cage as I ascend, hyping myself up for what’s to come. I try to push down the nerves that threaten to bubble up to the surface, reminding myself that I’m playing a part here and need to stay in character.

The doors slide open, and I head to one of the only four rooms on the entire floor, inserting my key card into the slot and pushing my way inside when the light blinks green. The entryway is lit, but the rest of the suite is pitch black, save for the city lights bleeding through the curtains that hang from the floor-to-ceiling windows. The envelope I left on the table is open, the note I wrote out for Lark sitting face-up beside it.

Sweets,

I can’t wait to see you tonight. Before we start, please remember that I respect you, and that you can stop this at any time with a single word.

When you’re ready, go down the hall and into the second bedroom on the right. Take your clothes off, underwear included, and get on the bed—face down, ass up. I’ll be back for you as soon as I can, so be a good little whore and wait patiently.

Ace

I listen carefullyfor any signs of movement but hear nothing as I set down my bag, shrug off my jacket, then untie my shoes and set them beside the chair that sits in the corner. Shaking out my hands and taking some deep breaths to center myself, I slowly move down the hallway and enter the dark room. I can feel her presence immediately, even though she hasn’t made a sound, and my cock begins to thicken behind my zipper at what I know I’ll find when I turn on the light. Reaching for the standing lamp to my left, I turn the knob just enough to cast a soft glow across the room, finding Lark on the bed with her ass facing the doorway.

“Fuck,” I whisper so quietly I don’t even think she can hear, which is good because I don’t want her to know how I’m reacting to seeing her like this. She followed my instructions and is completely naked, on her knees with her pussy wide open, begging to be devoured.

I say nothing as I unbutton my dress shirt, peeling it off along with my t-shirt before unfastening my belt. She stiffens when she hears the sound of the metal buckle, and I smirk at theway she inhales sharply as I pull it from the loops of my pants. Removing them slowly, I kick everything to the side, walking toward her in only my black boxer briefs. My dick is already leaking precum, but I do my best to ignore it, focusing on Lark as she waits for me to do something.

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