Page 33 of (Un)Rivaled

“Hey, stranger.”

“Hey yourself,” I chuckled, ripping off the helmet and exiting the cage. Before Devyn could say anything else, I pulled her into my chest, letting her loop her arms around my neck. As she held me close, I buried my face in her hair, smelling the familiar scent of her shampoo. This was what I needed, the only thing that could keep me calm when my world unraveled.

I pulled back and searched her expression. “Thought you weren’t coming until next week?”

“Finished finals early.” She shrugged. “Decided to take the train up and surprise you.”

“You took the train?” I said, shaking my head. “You should have called me. I would have picked you up.”

Devyn smacked my shoulder. “I can handle myself, Grayson. Besides, I was excited to see you and didn’t want to wait any longer.” She smiled up at me. “What’s it been? Five months?”

“Five months, one week, and three days.” I winked at her. “Sorry, Ace. Lost track of the hours.”

She rolled her eyes. “Can’t believe you remember that.”

“I remember everything when it comes to you, Devy.”

Ducking her head, she tried to hide her blush, but I could still see it on her cheeks. She walked over to the door of the cage, twirling my bat in her hands. “So, your mom says you’ve been coming down here most nights. Are you trying to blow out your shoulder?”

“Not gonna happen,” I chuckled, taking the bat from her. I swallowed, trying to ignore how much I wanted to touch Devyn, wanted to keep holding her tight. I gripped the bat, hoping it would keep me from doing something stupid. “Helps me clear my head before I go to sleep.”

“I need to find something like that.”

I smirked down at her. “You wannatry?”

Devyn shook her head. “No way. I am sports-adverse. I had to play volleyball in PE and almost broke a girl’s nose.”

I grabbed her hand, tugging her into the cage with me. As she looked around the space with wide eyes, I reached down and grabbed my helmet. Turning toward her, I placed it on her head, bopping the rim. “C’mon, Ace. I thought you weren’t afraid of anything?”

“Whoever told you that is a bold-faced liar,” Devyn chuckled. “And yes, I am terrified of balls flying at my face at sixty miles per hour.”

“Careful saying that out loud. Some guys might take it as a challenge.”

“Ha-ha,” Devyn deadpanned. She glanced at me. “Don’t you need a helmet?”

“I’m fine, Ace. Better to protect that big brain of yours.”

Devyn stared at me for a moment then shook her head, but she stopped arguing and let me lead her behind the batting line. As soon as she stepped up to the mark, all her bravado faded away. Her eyes widened as she looked over her shoulder at me. “Tell me what to do.”

“First, you’re going to need this.” I held out the bat, guiding her hands to the correct position. “Okay, now, bend your knees a little.”

“Like this?”

I nudged the back of her knee with mine, letting my front rest against her. It was the closest we’d ever been outside of our usual hug, and something about it felt way too natural. I cleared my throat. “Is this okay?”

Devyn nodded, not saying anything as I moved even closer, bringing her against my chest. My hands wrapped around hers, mimicking the swing of the bat. “When you swing, make sure you follow through with your hips.”

She swiveled against me, her ass grazing my dick.Fuck. Now that was all I was thinking about. What would she do if I slid my hands down further and pressed them along the top of her jeans? Would she stop me, or would she let me touch her like I wanted? My hands tightened, just a fraction, but before I could make another move, Devyn looked at me over her shoulder.

She inhaled a shaky breath. “Okay, then what?”

“Make sure you hit the ball.”

“What?” Devyn snapped right as the first ball came flying past us. She muttered a curse as she tried to get back into position, nestling against me like I was meant to mold into her. A second ball snapped right past us, Devyn not swinging until it was already long past the base.

“Son of a—” she sighed. “I told you I couldn’t do this.”

“Just breathe, Ace. Ignore everything else around you.” My hands tightened against her, and she relaxed into my touch. I dropped my head, bringing my mouth close to her ear. “Now, keep your eye on the ball. You’re going to have to gauge the speed to determine when you should start swinging.”

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