Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 44850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
“Now we’re talking.”
“You can brag to your friends how you sucked dick all night.”
“Shit,” he laughs. “That’s cold, Ace.”
“I don’t know. You work with some hot guys. Might open that dating pool.”
“You’re going to keep me on my toes, aren’t you?”
“Trust me, I’m not going to do anything with you.”
“You are. You can fight it, but I’m not giving up, Mary.”
“Dude, I gave you a chance, and instead, you named my boobs. Are you familiar with the term crash and burn? Because that would be you.”
“No, because I haven’t even told you why you’re worth the effort.”
I take a sip of my drink and I know I shouldn’t, but I do anyway. “Tell me, then.”
“When we first met, I thought you were just a Bat-Bunny and even knowing that I wanted you.”
“A Bat-Bunny?” I ask, shock hitting me so hard that I’m not sure how to react.
“They’re women that—”
“I know what a damn Bat-Bunny is. I just have no idea how you could think I was one.”
“You’re at every baseball game, alone, looking hot.” He shrugs, “It adds up.”
“I’m at every baseball game because I love the sport, you ass.”
“That’s just another reason we’re perfect for one another, Ace.”
“And I come there to support, Green.”
“Green? Shit, are you fucking around with the coach? His wife is about to drop a kid. You need to move on.”
“Plus, I’m not alone when I come to these things—What did you say?”
“I said you need to move on. Green is off the market and Kage doesn’t deserve that shit. She’s a good woman.”
I blink. I really am in shock. I don’t know how to react. I mean it’s good he’s watching out for Kage and apparently, he doesn’t believe in cheating, but why the hell is he talking to me if he thinks I’m such a bitch? I take my glass and at first, I’m only going to take a drink while I sort through this conversation in my head.
“Listen—”
“I’m not judging you. I’m just saying I can give you what you need and a lot better than Green and there’s no collateral damage to worry about.”
“Collateral damage?”
“Ace, you’re too good of a woman to be a side chick.”
“You think I’m a side chick?” I don’t realize I screech the words out—or that the bar around us has gone quiet.
“Babe—”
“Is there a problem, Mary?” Parker asks. I look around and standing with Parker is his brother, Mike, Finn, and Ryder. They have goofy smiles on their faces and that’s probably because they know their teammate here is a complete idiot.
“There’s not a problem other than your asshole buddy here just accused me of being my brother’s side chick.”
“Oh, shit,” Ryder hisses.
“Wait, hold up. Your brother?”
“Exactly. My brother. You idiot.”
I start to walk off and he grabs my arm. “Babe—”
I take what’s left of my drink and throw it in his face, walking away. I’m not sure why I thought the guy was interesting.
Clearly, I was wrong.
CHAPTER 3
Slater
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath.
This is game three since the blow up with Mary at the bar. Three games in which Mary hasn’t been in the stands. Three games that I haven’t felt her eyes on me, and I miss it. I’ve fucked up and I did it huge. There’s no way that Mary is going to give me the time of day now, and I can’t say that I blame her.
I’ve barely spoken to the guys. I’m pissed. They all think it’s funny. They have no idea how much I want this woman. Hell, I don’t understand it myself. I just know she calls to me in a way that no other woman has.
“She’s not up there.”
“No wonder. You should have told me who she was,” I snap at Parker.
“Dude, you always have the women falling at your feet. You were cocky as hell about it. We thought it would be good for you to crash and burn.”
“Gee thanks.”
“In our defense, you’re usually super smooth and Mary is easygoing. We didn’t expect you to insult her by calling her a side chick,” he laughs, and I pull my elbow back and nail him in the stomach.
“There’s nothing funny here, asshole.”
I’m rewarded only slightly when he bends over holding his stomach with a loud moan of pain. It doesn’t make me feel better, though. I’m not sure anything will if I can’t get Mary to talk to me.
And I can’t manage that if I don’t see her again.
I’d hate to have to go to Coach with my damn tail between my legs and ask for his sister’s phone number. For Mary, I’d do it. Of course, even if I do that, there’s a chance he will tell me to go fuck myself and refuse to give it to me. It’s not like I could blame him. I know my reputation with the women. I know what the guys think about me. I feed that reputation. It’s instinct. I had a hell of a road to get to where I am. I hated the person I was. He was weak. He was beaten down. The man I’ve created—the man I let the world see—is different. The one everyone around me sees is self-assured, cocky, and on top of the world.