Page 31 of Forbidden Love

“Run!” he reminded me as I dropped the bat and took off.

I ran as fast as I could to first base, wondering when the last time I jogged was.

“It’s a shame we can’t play a real game,” he said as he stopped in front of me, tagging me with the glove, probably out of habit since I wasn’t going anywhere.

I squinted up at him. “Kind of hard to do with two people.”

“This was the best game I’ve ever played,” he teased.

I cocked my head to the side. “We can’t run the bases or field or—” Oh. He meant because of our break in the field. “It was interesting.”

“Interesting?”

“We’re friends, remember?” I took off his helmet and handed it to him. “I’d better go. I’m supposed to meet my parents for dinner.”

“With or without your brothers?” Tyler asked as we headed over to the bench and stowed his equipment.

“They always show up. It doesn’t matter if we’ve invited them or not. They’re nosy.” I had fond memories of my brothers checking on me when I was sick and reading me a book, but my older years were taken up with ones where they interfered with guys dating me. I felt like my wings had been clipped. I suppose most teenagers felt like that from time to time, but not as adults. Every time I returned to Telluride, I was right back in that same place.

Tyler threw his bag in the back of his truck and turned to face me. “Good luck with your family, and if you need someone to talk to,”—he rested his hand on his chest—“you can call me.”

“I appreciate that.” There was something about the way he listened when I spoke. He didn’t judge me for what I’d said about my brothers. Over the years, many friends said it was great to have family that looked after you. They didn’t get it, but Tyler always had.

I moved to go to my rental car when Tyler drew me into his chest and wrapped his arms around me. “I don’t regret what happened.”

But he didn’t believe in us enough to pursue anything. He would always be worried about my brothers. I needed to ignore this crush I’d had on him forever and move on with my life. I pulled away first, offering him a small smile before I opened the door and got inside.

The engine roared to life, and with a nod, he softly closed the driver’s side door and stepped back. He waited, his hands in his pockets, while I backed out and drove away.

What was it about Tyler that drew me in and kept me coming back for more? Was it that he was the only one of my brothers’ friends to take me seriously? Or was it more than that? Was there some kind of special connection between us, and if so, why wasn’t he willing to pursue it?

I focused on the drive to my parents’ house, reminding myself I wasn’t in town for long. With every mile I drove, my stomach tightened. They’d have questions for me about what I was doing in town and where I was going next. I didn’t have time to ruminate over a childhood crush that was never meant to be.

CHAPTER 9

TYLER

I wasn’t sure why I’d said we were friends. I was worried about her response to my apology, and it just seemed easier to say we were friends. But what we’d just shared on that field was not friendly.

I got hard just thinking about it. I was so close to coming in my pants—something I hadn’t done since I was a teenager. I wanted to see her orgasm, but then I’d pulled back, the familiar guilt rising to the surface.

I tightened my hands on the steering wheel. I’d meant to tease her by charging the mound, but when I lifted her body over my shoulders, my body shifted gears in a big way. All I could think about was getting her under me.

I could say it was innocent until her legs spread, letting me fall between them. Then my brain shut off, and my dick took over. It was like a heat-seeking missile, determined to find her center and make itself known.

I ran a hand through my hair. I wondered if I’d screwed up with the orgasm, the apology, and then the “friends” comment. I felt like everything was mixed up, and I didn’t know how to sort it out.

I called Mac on the way to the bar near my apartment, asking him to join me. I would have gone to his house, but I didn’t want to talk about this in front of the girls.

I arrived first and sat at the bar, ordering our favorite beers while I watched the baseball game on TV.

“How’s it going?” Mac said as he slid onto the stool next to me.

I just shook my head.

“What did you do?” Mac asked, tipping his bottle against his lips.

“I went to check out the fields with Kylie. I showed her the numbers and the measurements.”

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