Page 65 of Nailed at Home Plate

Two months ago, I was so sure I’d hit rock bottom. Stepping into this ballpark was as if I signed off on my doom. That getting me to do any form of dancing would have been over my dead body.

But look at me now.

I inspired an entire dance number and thenstarredin it.

Was it Broadway-worthy? Absolutely not. Was it my best work in anything I’ve ever done? Debatably. Did I have an amazing time?

It was…

Incredible.

A round of cheers erupted, and I glanced up from unbuttoning my jersey to see the woman of my dreams waltz down the steps in her white sneakers and pink rhinestone Sillys jersey. I’d seen the woman completely naked and yet this was one of her sexiest looks. My fingers itched to grab ahold of her and not let go.

“Alright alright, keep your shirts on.” Cady dismissed the guys and their nonsense with a big ass grin. “Way to kill it out there, guys!” More cheers erupted as the Sillys went back to high fiving each other.

A loss in the majors usually turned the mood of the locker room into one of melancholy. Which, given how many games there are in the regular season, was kind of a moot point. A loss meant it wasgoing to take more games to get to the postseason and the World Series.

But here? It was the complete opposite. The guys were still playful and lighthearted. It was infectious. How could anyone have a bad day here? Now that I had this whole dancing thing figured out, it wasn’t a bad place at all

Maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t mind staying.

“Way to shake it out there, Slugger,” Cady murmured to me with a playful little smile as she walked past to head to her office. My hands shot out in reflex to pull her against me. I wasn’t responsible for anything that happened between us if she walked anywhere near my orbit. She had an irresistible gravitational pull.

Her surprised, but happy, squeal permeated my ears as I pulled her in for a kiss.

“I couldn’t have done it without such a badass coach.” The color in her cheeks was one that I wanted to bottle up and paint my entire condo with. I was obsessed with everything that was Cady. Today just cemented that fact.

“Get a room you two!” Truitt’s voice sliced through the delicious tension between Cady and me. He couldn’t keep a straight face or laughter out of his words. A few cat-calls followed from the team for emphasis.

“Oh, I plan on it.” I grinned, not bothering to look anywhere else but at Cady. The pink in her cheekbones only deepened before she playfully swatted my arm. The guys went fucking nuts. You would have thought we made the playoffs with how much they were cheering us on.

“You are going to get us into so much trouble…” Cady warned in a volume that was just for me.

“Nah. I can behave in public.” Her brow cocked. Okay, fair point. Given our past, especially with this locker room, maybe I couldn’t. “But I don’t have to behindclosed doors.”

Cady sucked in her bottom lip. I was transfixed as her front teeth held it down in a subconscious move. Fuck, I wanted to devour this woman. Right now. I didn’t know how much longer I could hold myself back.

“Your place or mine tonight?” Her voice was breathy, barely above a whisper. I relished the fact that despite us seeing each other almost daily for four weeks, the excitement was still rampant. Hell, maybe it grew even more intense each day.

“How about yours?” I suggested.

“Hey Jamie, you wanna go get a round with us?” Benson purposefully interrupted Cady’s and my private conversation with a cheeky grin. They honest to god were like her protective older brothers. “Our treat.” I could hear the guys cheering in agreement with the suggestion.

“Go on, have a round.” Cady encouraged me with a smile. “The boys inviting you out is a big honor. That’s how you know you’ve been successfully indoctrinated.”

“But–”

Cady leaned in as close as possible, her lips against my ear. “We can dothatwhen you come to my place later.” The whisper sent a delicious shiver down my spine as I remembered her toy drawer.

With a smug little look, Cady slipped from my arms. I blinked at her in utter stupor as I watched herhips sway, hypnotizing me for a long moment until she was out of view. It wasn’t until she was gone that I realized what she meant.

Clearing my throat, I subtly adjusted the sports cup in my pants to deter my erection from getting any bigger. I did my best to adjust my face to something more neutral, instead of one that made it obvious that I was thinking about that jewel sparkling between her chee–

“Well, you heard Coach!” Truitt slapped me on the back as he flashed me one of his trademark grins. “Let's go get some drinks, guys!”

Drinking with the Sillys was just as crazy as I thought it would be. They had their favorite little dive bar just around the corner from the stadium. Some of the fans from the game had migrated over and gave us an uproarious welcome when the guys bounded through the door. They certainly liked all this attention no matter where they went.

Fans recognized me instantly as the star dancer from the game earlier. It was interesting to be noticed for something that wasn’t my baseball talent. I found myself smiling. Smiling more than I usually did during a sudden onslaught of fans. If only Cady had come along. She’d probably be laughing her ass off and grinning the whole time. This was such a wild change from where I was a month ago.

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