Page 19 of Winning the Nightcap

Introductions are made as the group confers together, a blending of Dom and Ellie’s closest family and friends. I barely hear any of it. Bec turns to one of her friends and laughs.

I freeze, anxiously waiting for her to realize I’m here, curious to see what her reaction will be. When her eyes finally lock with mine, I’m not disappointed. Her lips part and her entire body freezes, interrupting thefluid movement she always seems to convey, her skirt floating, wrapping around her as her body stills. She pauses for a moment before I see, more than hear, a puff of breath fall from her lips, her shoulders briefly dipping and then she smiles.

My chest constricts. Everything inside me lights up. This woman feels different, and I barely know her—clearly, given the last place I expected to see her was Dom’s wedding rehearsal. Maybe Bec was right and the universe is forcing our paths to cross again. We could have left this all to chance, like she suggested. I’ve never believed in fate or bigger forces at play, but it’s hard to deny this is a twist I didn’t expect.

“Well, hey, stranger. You wedding crashing?” She approaches me but keeps a few feet of polite distance.

Dom looks at me, confused. “Bec, you know Aiden?”

“We met briefly last night at the hotel bar. Nice to see you again.” She effortlessly offers up a safe answer. I’ll try to avoid blurting out that I most definitely gave her that hickey she tried to cover with makeup—unsuccessfully, but still, a nice effort.

“Yeah, you too. Didn’t realize I’d be seeing you again so soon, but it’s a welcome surprise.” I shoot off a smirk in her direction, hoping this unexpected connection doesn’t scare her off. If anything, it makes me more curious to get to know her better. The chances that I’d find someone who already gets along with one of my best friends and makes me feel this way seems too good to be true. “So how do you two know each other?” I gesture to Dom and Bec with my finger, lifting it slightly off the tumbler in my hand.

“Dom is the lucky bastard who stole my best girl’s heart. After careful consideration, I’ve decided to allow him to marry Ellie.” She shoves Dom playfully in the arm, and he answers back with a booming laugh.

“The vetting process in your group is unmatched. I don’t know who made me work harder; Ellie, Dee, Carissa, or you.”

“You rang?” A woman, looking to be about Bec’s age but several inchesshorter, comes up and slaps Bec on the ass.

“Dee, this is Aiden,” Bec says, giving her a pointed look that I don’t quite understand until I see Dee’s mouth drop open. She stares at me with a look in her eyes so wicked it honestly scares me.

“I went to college with Dom, nice to meet you.” I offer my hand to Dee.

Dee takes my hand, slowly sizing me up with her eyes, and I feel my gut shrivel under her shrewd stare. “Oh, it’swonderfulto meet you, too, Aiden.” Bec sharply bumps Dee with her hip and glares at her. Dee completely ignores her, a wild grin on her face. “I’ve seen your handiwork, gotta say, I’m a big fan.”

Yeah, I think it’s safe to say she knows who gave Bec that hickey.

“You a baseball fan, Dee?” Dom asks, oblivious to Dee’s innuendo.

“Not especially, but I enjoy the uniforms. Does that count?”

“I know I’ve mentioned it before. Aiden plays pro baseball. About to start his next season with the Detroit Lightning. Can’t wait for you to play in town sometime so Ellie and I can catch a game.”

Bec looks over at Dom, her jaw dropping slightly before she quickly closes it, confirming what I suspected last night. She has no idea who I am. Well, not until now.

Normally, my job helps me gain attention from women who are curious about the lifestyle of a professional athlete, but I can see Bec withdrawing. Almost like this fact changed something in her perception of me, and not for the better.Shit.

Chapter Thirteen

Aiden

“Where’s your head at, Price? A little light conditioning looks like it might kill you.” My pain-in-the-ass first baseman, Pete Matthews, goads me. This month, our infielders are meeting a few times a week for off-season training, and I’m relieved with the reprieve from our hectic schedule.

“Yeah, you tired, old man? Past your nap time already?” Roman chimes in like the smart-ass he is.

“Not you, too, Rivera. Talking an awful lot of shit for a guy only two years younger than me,” I snap back. Roman Rivera, the best shortstop in the league and one of the first to welcome me when I was traded, scoffs in response as he cycles through his set.

“You may only be two years older, but you’re acting a fuck of a lot older than that. Come out with us tonight. You haven’t made it out since the season ended. Maybe find someone in town to help you relax. I’m sure someone would love to give the new guy a shot.” Roman winks at me.

He means well, and yeah, I might have turned down a few offers to go out to a bar with the guys after our season wrapped. Unfortunately, I have no desire to meet anyone when I can’t stop thinking about Bec.

“Nah, man. I’m not looking to dive into anything new right now.” It’s not like I’m not trying. But every time I think I’ve cleared Bec from my mind, I’ll come across something so small that my brain works in overdrive, making a million tiny thought connections that I don’t even fully register, until her face pops up crystal clear in my mind. The other day, I was eating cereal in my kitchen and before I knew it, I was down the weirdest rabbit hole in my mind and imagining Bec naked and bent over my kitchen counter, gripping the edge, moaning while I…

“Jesus, Price, you don’t have to marry the next girl you sleep with, just get out there,” Pete pipes in, wiping his forehead with a towel. “Get in and get out.”

“Aw, now that’s just sad.” Roman grabs him in a headlock, ruffling his hair. “Who hurt you, Petey?”

I may have joined the team midseason, but Pete and Roman were quick to offer their help to get me up to speed. So, while they both love to give me a hard time, I’m grateful to share the infield with them. They made the transition easier than I expected it to be.

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