Page 2 of Honey Undone
“So who’s number one then?” I asked.
“Jensen.” Kaia’s smile widened as her head turned to the field. The pen slipped between her teeth, and she sighed as her eyes found a player standing with his helmet under his arm chatting with the Hornets' Coach. “That’san ass.”
She wasn’t wrong. His other hand was on his hip as he looked at whatever was on the clipboard. He had insanely strong legs that pushed the boundaries of his ball pants in every way possible, leading up to the conversation piece at hand.
“Okay, yeah. That is a really nice ass,” I said, swallowing tightly as he turned to look out to the field where the Coach pointed.
His dark hair was messy and sticking off the front of his head in damp peaks that moved every time he nodded. The sun bathed across his olive skin and his jaw tightened as he squinted into the bright light with a focused expression on his face. I leaned forward in my seat to admire the way his nose swooped and how his brows pinched together.
He pointed in the same direction and his tattooed-covered arm flexed tightly. I couldn’t help the smile that formed on my lips or the heat that crept up my neck at the sight of his bicep and strong forearm. It wasn’t just his ass that he had going for him.
He waseverything.
“Oh, we’re leaning?” Kaia sat back from me with a smile on her face, “do you think Jensen is cute?” she lowered her voice like he was in ear shot and I laughed at her, pushing her shoulder playful.
“No,” I said, shaking my head yes.
Very much so.
“You shook your head yes and you’ve glossed over like that time we did LSD,” Sunday said, her head tilting sideways.
“Oh she absolutely has the hots for the Catcher,” Kaia said, louder this time and I reached over to pinch her.
“Shut up,” I warned her and she just laughed, turning back in her seat as the game started.
“Jensen is one of the older players,” Cosy said as Kaia became distracted with cheering. “He’s kind of a floater, but Van always has good things to say about him. I guess he’s never had a serious girlfriend. Four years of college. I don’t know if he’s a serial booty call or what.”
“Really?” I asked, watching as he sank low behind the batter's box. He focused on the pitcher, their silent communication was fun to watch as they readied to throw the first pitch. I looked over at Cosy again, “that feels so weird. Aren’t Catchers supposed to be playboys?”
“Yeah. Van is always trying to set him up with girls and he never takes the bait,” Cosy popped a piece of popcorn in her mouth. “He’s so polite though, he came to our house for Easter last year, he did all the dishes after dinner.”
I looked back to the field as the Ump called the strike. Jensen stood to his full height and I heard Kaia sigh as her head cocked to the side to admire his ass.
Cosy’s insight did nothing to quell the butterflies in my chest. It had been a long time since the mere sight of a man had any effect but there was an air about him that acted like a magnet.
Two whole innings went by and still every time he came out it was like something had come over me. When he took off his mask to wave to people in the crowd we were greeted by a smile that could cut glass. Sharp and bright, it was perfectly lopsided and did unspeakable things to my nerves. I stuffed it down and chalked up the lightness in my chest to nausea.
“I’m going to go get something to eat,” I declared as the third inning started.
The Hornets gave up two runs in the second but the kid at the concessions counter promised me that it was a strategy and they’d come back in the third. He handed me the bag of gummy cola bottles and a bottle of water with a huge smile on his brace filled face. When I finally sank back into my seat the Hornets were up to bat in the bottom of the third.
“What happened?” I asked Kaia.
“They went down one,” she said, “but you got back just in time.” She nudged me with her elbow. “Have you ever seen a real life angel?” She asked as I caught sight of who she was talking about.
Jensen was free of his catcher gear.
“Wow,” I huffed quietly, pausing, I held a piece of candy between my teeth as he rolled out his shoulders. We were granted peeks of more tattoos as his jersey stretched and shifted over his chest and biceps with the stretches.
He came up to the box and gave his bat another swing.
“Hey, twelve! Did it hurt?” Kaia stood up in her seat and yelled.
Jensen turned and it felt like everything was moving in slow motion when his eyes landed on mine. His expression shifted from focused to what might have been marvel. “Huh?” he said from his spot in the dirt, dropping his bat but never his gaze.
There was no way he didn’t hear her.
“When you fell from heaven, did it hurt?” Kaia asked him loudly enough for the Ump to shush her. “Oh buzz off,” she stuck her tongue out.
