Page 25 of The Umpire Strikes Back

“All right, pizza it is.” I quickly dial up Starlight Pi, and place an order for a large half-pepperoni and pineapple, just in case Juniper wants her favorite combo. Kali keeps me company in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, arms folded, while Juniper runs to her room to change into PJs.

“How’re you feeling after that game?” she asks me, reaching out to poke my bicep. “Any soreness?”

I shake my head. “Nah, I’m good. I’m used to it.” I soften my voice. “Thanks for coming tonight, by the way. It meant a lot, seeing you up there with Hattie and Junebug.”

Her expression warms. “I wouldn’t have missed it.” She dips her gaze, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. “You looked… incredible out there.”

A surge of pride and something else—longing, maybe—flares in my chest.She likes me. She’s really here.The doorbell rings before I can say anything witty, though, and I hurry off to pay the delivery guy.

Soon, the three of us are sprawled in the living room with the pizza box open, sodas and water bottles scattered on the coffee table. We joke about the game, laugh at Juniper’s dramatic reenactment of my final strike, and pick out a family-friendly movie to watch. It’s some animated flick about talking animals, but Juniper is enthralled, and Kali and I exchange amused smiles whenever the plot gets too cheesy.

Halfway through the movie, Juniper’s blinking rapidly, trying to stay awake. Eventually, she loses the battle and dozes off against my shoulder. I gently lift her, careful not to wake her, and carry her to her bedroom. She murmurs something about starfish and batting averages—an odd combination that makes me grin. I tuck her in, smoothing the blanket around her, then close the door quietly behind me.

When I return to the living room, Kali’s curled up on the couch, hugging a throw pillow to her chest. Her eyes flick to me, and the way she looks at me—like she’s been waiting—is a direct hit to my gut. We’re alone now, the movie paused, the house silent except for the faint buzz of the fridge.

“Hey,” she says softly, setting the pillow aside.

“Hey,” I echo, feeling that spark igniting again. I cross the room in a few steps and sink onto the couch next to her, close enough that our thighs brush. “Sorry, that took a minute. She had a lot of stories to share while half-asleep.”

Kali laughs, a sound that makes my skin tingle. “She’s the cutest. I love how excited she gets about everything.”

“Yeah,” I say, voice dropping a bit. “She’s definitely my pride and joy.”

Kali leans in, her hand sliding over mine. “She’s lucky to have you.” Her words hang there, soft and genuine, stirring something deep in my chest.

For a moment, we just look at each other. The tension from last night is back, but this time it’s sweeter, more familiar. It’s like we’ve stepped past some barrier, and now we’re both standing in uncharted territory. I lift a hand to her cheek, brushing my thumb lightly across her skin. She leans into it, eyes fluttering closed.

Then I’m tilting my head, capturing her lips in a slow, deliberate kiss that sends a jolt of warmth down my spine. Kali makes a soft sound, pressing closer, and I slide my free hand around her waist, pulling her against me on the couch. The world shrinks to just us, the taste of pizza and the lingering smell of her shampoo swirling in my senses.

When we finally come up for air, her cheeks are flushed, and my heart is hammering against my ribs. I can’t resist dipping my head to her neck, planting a trail of slow, heated kisses. She arches into me, fingers clutching my shoulders, and a low groan escapes me. The couch feels too small for the surge of want coursing through my body.

“Ripley,” she murmurs, breath uneven, “we should… we need to be careful. Juniper?—”

“I know,” I rasp, kissing the spot right below her ear. “Believe me, I know.” I pull back slightly, looking into her eyes. “I want you to stay tonight. Hell, I want you all the time. But… I don’t want her waking up and getting confused. We haven’t figured all this out yet.”

Her gaze flickers with understanding, though I can see the same longing mirrored in her expression. “I get it,” she whispers, hands still fisted in my shirt. “We need to figure out how to do this, the three of us. Especially for Juniper.”

I nod, heart twisting. “I just… I don’t want you to think I’m pushing you away, or that I regret anything. Because I don’t.” My voice almost shakes with the intensity of how much I want her to understand. “Last night was… everything.”

Her eyes soften. She reaches up to cup my face, running a thumb over my jaw. “I don’t regret it either. Not one bit.” She kisses me softly, then laughs, almost self-consciously. “It’s probably good that you’re the cautious one here, because if it were up to me, I might just stay every night.”

A rush of heat flares through me at the thought, but also a sense of relief that we’re on the same page. I slide my fingers into her hair, pulling her in for another deep, lingering kiss. She melts into me, and for a few blissful moments, the rest of the world fades away. The only sounds are our ragged breaths and the faint ticking of the clock in the hall.

I ease her back against the arm of the couch, letting my hand roam over the curve of her waist, up her ribs—just shy of any territory that might lead to us losing all sense of control. Even so, the contact is electric, our mouths colliding in a desperate need to be closer. Kali slips a hand under my shirt, splaying her palm against my lower back, and my body lights up like a fuse.

Time stretches; I lose track of how long we kiss, how many times we pause to catch our breath before diving back in. Each time we break apart, we laugh softly, the sound tinged with hunger and a trace of disbelief that we’re here, like this, in each other’s arms. Eventually, sense kicks in—Juniper’s asleep in the next room, and I know how light a sleeper she can be.

With reluctance, I rest my forehead against Kali’s, trying to steady my breathing. “We should… we should head to my room,” I murmur.

She exhales a shaky laugh. “Yeah… probably a good idea.” She slides her hand out from under my shirt, smoothing the fabric back down. “I don’t want to traumatize your kid.”

I manage a wry grin, even as my pulse continues to hammer. “Definitely not. I need you, Kali.”

Kali’s lips twist in a small, sultry smile. “Yeah?”

I scoop her into my arms, carrying her with purpose down the long hallway toward my bedroom. I place her on the bed, and lock the door. Kali’s eyes light up with heat as soon as I pull my shirt off. “You’re such a filthy girl, aren’t you?” I ask her as she licks her lips.

“Incredibly filthy.” She takes it upon herself to remove her own shirt, flinging it across the room. She twists her hands behind her back, unclasping her bra in one quick flick and she has that thing off just as quickly. She flings it at me, and I snatch it out of the air.

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