Page 87 of Wild Catch
“Hey, Logan…” I catch myself right in time before asking him how dare he be so freaking hot all the time. After shaking my head and readjusting my brain, I tackle a different topic. “I heard some of the guys talking smack about Miguel?—”
“Miguel?” He looks at me.
“Yeah, you know? Machado.” I wave a hand. “Turns out that not everyone is as thrilled to have him on board as I am.”
“You don’t say,” he mumbles.
“Wait.” I frown. “Don’t tell me you’re also one of the jealous haters?”
The long pause that ensues is unnatural. His voice comes out way too measured when he says, “No, I am not.”
I groan and roll my eyes. “Logan! You’re the unofficial captain of the team. You’re supposed to set a good example for the rest.”
“I said I’m not.”
“And I’m a legitimate princess of a far flung kingdom.” I open my eyes wide.
Logan shrugs one powerful shoulder. “What do I have to be jealous about?”
“Exactly.Nothing.” I slice the air with my hand. “It’s true that you don’t average as many homeruns as Miguel”—Here his eyes narrow—“But you’re the most valuable catcher. Your strategic approach to the game is the envy of every other team. And that big brain of yours has to know that this is a—wait a damn moment.”
“What?” He turns to stone, other than his brow that furrows a little.
I check our surroundings and lean closer to whisper, covering my mouth from onlookers. “Are you annoyed because you’re trading away and now the Wild might be stronger than your new team?”
“No.” Logan turns to drink some more water. With the bottle obscuring his mouth, he mumbles, “I may not move at all now.”
This time I don’t bother to hide the way I gasp.
Logan turns back to me, his eyes roaming all over my face. “Does that make you fangirl?”
“Are you kidding me?” I grab his arm—but that feels like too much contact for two virtual strangers, so I drop it. I wish I could wrap my arms around him instead, though, and all I can do is cover my grin with my hands. “That is the best freaking news ever! Is it confirmed? Are you sure? Or are you just thinking about it? Do you?—”
“Stop,” he commands, suddenly digging his index finger under my chin and forcing my mouth to close. I do, but only because that brief touch shuts my brain down. “Breathe. I’m not sure, I’m just thinking about it in light of these news.”
Oh, please. Stay, I beg with my eyes.Stay so this farce between us can continue, so I can feel what having a good boyfriend is like for a little longer.
I don’t say any of that. Instead, what comes out of my mouth at last is “then we’ll be invincible.”
“Maybe.” Pulling away, Logan twists to return the plastic bottle to the table and picks himself up to leave.
“Wait.” I bite my lips. What I don’t want is for him to leave quite yet, and I scramble to figure out a way. Then I remember my earlier point. “About the guys talking smack, shouldn’t something be done?”
“Like what?” he asks, looking at me over his shoulder.
“I don’t know, like…” My brain is scrambled right now and I just spitball. “Maybe you should do some kind of welcome thing for Miguel? I’m sure the guys will fall in line once they see that you approve of him.” As he keeps staring at my face in silence, I ask, “Do I have something on my face?”
The corner of his lips twitches. “No, I was just thinking that you’re starting to sound like a WAG.”
I open my mouth. Close it again. End up asking, “So you’ll do it, then?”
“If you help me organize it.” With that, he takes off in a light jog, his low pony tail swinging behind him.
My eyes drift lower to his actual tail, the two perfect mounds of muscle working with every step.
“Damn it,” I grouch as I ogle him. “Stop getting ideas about this man, Rosalina. Just because he has a perfect butt and might be staying, it doesn’t mean you can do anything about it.”
But so help me, I’ll act like a WAG until the very last moment. I retreat back to my cubicle to eat my chocolates and think about how to welcome Miguel Machado into the team.
