Page 81 of The Scout

“You saw that?”

“Yeah. I just hoped you weren’t hiding from me.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine. Okay, back to our son.”

Cash started the movie again. The camera zoomed in on Jimmy as he stuck his tongue out, swung, and hit the ball about four feet in front of him. He took off, and I couldn’t help but laugh, watching his little legs in his baggy baseball pants run to first base.

“Even then, my boy had a great swing and knew how to hustle.”

I nodded. “He’s always loved baseball.”

There were more videos of Jimmy during a spelling bee, losing on the wordboilbecause he thought the teacher saidbowl.

“That’s a technicality. Totally sounded likebowl. They should have given it to him.”

“That was the fourth grade. He got over it.”

Cash shrugged. “Still bullshit.”

I laughed again. “Keep watching.”

And we did, for two hours. When we got to the end, Cash set the laptop on the coffee table. He turned and reached forward, grabbing my hand in his and pulling me on top of him. Now straddling his legs, I sat back and looked at him.

“Did you like it?”

“Next to Jimmy, that had to be the best gift you could have given me. Truly, Hannah, you don’t know how much that meant to me.”

“No, I do know. I can see it in your eyes. You love him.”

“More than I thought I could love anyone. It’s funny how your heart expands to allow more love in.”

“Are you getting philosophical on me?”

He laughed and slid his hand under the skirt of my dress until it reached my thighs. “No, it’s just hard to explain.”

“You don’t need to. I feel it too.”

He effortlessly stood, sliding his warm hands under my ass, and carried me upstairs. “Ms. Hall, what do you have on under this dress?”

“Another gift.”

We entered his room. “Can I open it now?”

“How about I do it for you?”

Being brazen had never been one of my strong suits, except when it came to Cash. Maybe because I knew that he loved me and that even if I did something that would normally embarrass me, he’d still be standing in front of me.

Setting me down, he backed up, leaned against his bedroom wall, and crossed his arms. “Be my guest.”

As slowly and sexy as I could, I reached for the hem of my knit dress and pulled it up, teasing him with flashes of the lace beneath it until he groaned. I could see his excitement growing in his shorts. Knowing what I wanted to do and also knowing I had never attempted a striptease, I took my dress off all the way and let it drop behind me.

After stepping forward, I stood in front of him. Our eyes met, and I placed my hands on his smooth pecs before I kissed the spot between them. Continuing down, I pecked his skin, lowering myself as I went.

“Hannah.” My name sounded more like a plea because, at that moment, I lowered his shorts and took him into my mouth. “Jesus.”

I worked him with my lips and tongue, and I caressed the bottom of his shaft with my right hand. Inhaling his manly scent spurred me on. His fingers gripping my hair didn’t hurt my cause either. My knees protested the hardwood beneath them, but I didn’t care. I had one goal, and that was to bring Cash to a high that only I could.

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