Cleat Catcher (The Cleat Chaser Duet Book 2) (38 page)

“Tell me what happened,” Easton said.

“Well.” She looked out the window. “I was minding my own business, see? Riding along in Stephanie’s car.”

“Who’s Stephanie?”

“I don’t know. Met her last night. Not important.” She waved her good hand in the air. “And, well, there was a red light. But she didn’t see it, I guess, because her eyes were closed.”

Easton shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “Why was that?”

She held up her right hand. “Because these fingers were hard at work inside her gooey bits.”

Easton scrubbed a hand down his face. The hand with my “tasty pussy” smell on it. I tried not to cringe.

He didn’t seem to notice. “Kasey—”

“And I had my left hand around the back of her seat.” She held up the bandaged hand. “So when she ran the light, a car t-boned her, squished my fingers, and knocked me the fuck out on something. Maybe the dashboard. I don’t know. All I really remember is her saying ‘I’m coming. I’m coming. Kasey you are the hottest fucking lezzy I’ve ever let finger bang me in my life.’” She shrugged. “The last line was just in her head, you see. But I know it was there.”

Easton pinched the bridge of his nose. “So let me get this straight.” He tensed, speaking through clenched teeth. “You almost got yourself killed because you thought it was a good idea if you stuck your fingers in some chick while she was driving on a busy street at night?”

“When you say it like that, I sound like an idiot.” She shook her head, the light shining on her dirty blonde locks. She was tall and thin, a dancer’s body overtaken by a hilarious sailor’s mouth. She and Easton favored in their dark blue eyes and dimples.

“That’s because you
are
an idiot, Kasey. Jeez! What the fuck am I going to do with you?”

“Hey! Don’t hate because I finger banged a girl into a coma.”

“She’s in a coma?” Easton stared, aghast.

Kasey started to laugh, but stopped and put her good hand to her temple. “No, I’m fucking with you. She’s fine. Already got released. Side curtain airbag thingy or whatever.”

He uncrossed his arms and moved toward her, irritation rolling off him in waves.

I grabbed his elbow as she gave him a smug stare. “Hey, Easton, let us girls talk for a minute. Maybe you should go out in the hall and cool off?”

He fisted his hands and glared down at me. “I’m cool.”

“No, you’re not. Come on.” I pulled his arm and he stumbled away from his sister’s bed.

“This ain’t over, Kasey,” he grumbled as I led him into the hallway.

“Calm down feisty-pants. Let me talk to her. I think I might have a better chance at getting through to her. When you’re angry, she just makes jokes and plays it off.”

“I thought you were a magazine something-or-other not a shrink.” He smirked.

I leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll be back out in a minute.”

“Fine. But I’ll warn you. She’s handsy as fuck.” He leaned against the wall.

I went back inside Kasey’s room and shut the door behind me before walking to her bed and sitting at the foot.

She raised an eyebrow. “Coming over to the dark side? Impressed with my skills?” She gawked at my breasts again.

“Kasey.” I shook my head. “You scared the shit out of Easton. When he found out you’d been hurt, he couldn’t get to you fast enough. I don’t know you well—”

“At all. You don’t know me at all, you mean.” She turned her head and looked out the window again, avoiding any real interaction.

“You’re right. I don’t. But I know Easton well enough that I can tell he loves you more than anyone. And he doesn’t want to see you hurt.”

“I know.” She sighed and brought her eyes back to mine. “It was dumb of me, okay? I didn’t know she’d get in a wreck or I wouldn’t have done it in the first place.”

I nodded. “Of course. I just think that maybe you need to tell Easton that. He was so scared. If you could have seen his face when the phone call came in…”

“Laying it on a wee bit thick now?” She cocked her head at me.

I smiled. “Maybe a little. But he was terrified. And, though I find you amusing, I don’t think that’s working for him right now. I wanted you to know so you could smooth it over. And don’t do it again.”

“I won’t. Jeez.” She threw up her good hand. “I wanted to fuck you but now you’re acting like my mother, which makes me feel all confused and wrong. Not that I don’t like it. Your tits go a long way toward making me feel better. Flash me?”

I laughed and shook my head. “Glad we had this chat.” I stood, ready to get Easton so the two of them could make up.

“He’s a good guy, you know,” she said softly. “I’m not the only one who doesn’t need to be getting hurt. He has this reputation as a badass pitcher, but he’s still my brother. I can still kick his ass. Don’t hurt him. He’s more heart than he is brain sometimes.”

“I won’t as long as you promise not to finger bang any more women while they’re driving.”

“Fine, fine. Agreed.” She smiled, but when I turned to retrieve Easton from the hall, she said “cockblock” under her breath.

I stifled my laugh. Barely.

K
YRIE

“
S
O, HOW BIG
are we talking?” Nikki perched on the edge of my desk.

“You are ridiculous.” I ignored her piercing stare.

She grinned, her too-red lips making her look like a cheshire cat. “Tiny, huh?”

I stopped typing my email to Tessa and looked at her over my glasses. “No, I’m pretty sure it was the biggest I’ve had, but I didn’t actually have it.” I looked toward the hallway where various coworkers walked by. “And we shouldn’t be discussing this here.”

“Please.” She kicked the door closed with her mary jane stiletto. “These assholes could use some excitement in their lives.”

“More excitement than your tampon article provided? Surely not.” I coughed into my palm.

“You know that shit was epic.” She tapped her red nails on her chin. “You think Tessa’s going to notice that I referred to them as ‘menses mops’ in a few places?”

I covered my face with my hands. “Oh my god. You didn’t.”

“I did. I surely did. I can’t think of a single phrase with more
sparkle
, except maybe poon plug?”

“Out. Get out.” I pointed to the door.

“Wait, wait.” She held up her hands. “I’m sorry. Let me stay. I promise I’ll be good. No more puns. Period.”

I laughed, her last joke finally breaking me until I was a giggling, teary-eyed mess. It was the sort of laughter that would only multiply if I didn’t go ahead and let it out. She just grinned, pleased that she’d finally broken me.

“Okay, new topic, you crazy whore.” I wiped beneath my eyes before my mascara ran.

“I want the same one you avoided—Easton.”

“You are like a bitch with a bone.” I repositioned my glasses on my nose.

“No, that was me and Braden last night.” She pointed to her crotch. “Still sore as hell. Let me tell you.”

“Please don’t.”

“So you didn’t get any dick last night?”

“No. Almost. Well, sort of. He …” I glanced to the closed door and lowered my voice. “He went down on me. And, oh my god, it was the best thing I’ve ever felt in my life.”

She smiled and leaned over, her necklace swinging over her super-pushed-up boobs in her sea green top. “That good, huh?”

“Mind blowing. I can’t even describe it.” I blushed at the memory. “He was sort of frustrated, and then a little rough, and he’s got such a dirty mouth on him.”

She scooted her blonde locks to one side of her neck and fanned the other with her hand. “Did I pick the wrong player?”

“I don’t know where he learned his, um, technique, but a girl could get used to it.” I dropped my gaze as embarrassment heated my skin.

“So why no dick?”

“His sister was in a car wreck. We went to the hospital to visit her.”

“Oh, shit.” She sat back up. “She okay?”

“Yeah. But he was worried. It was cute. You can tell they have a really tight bond.”

“Well, as long as everything turned out all right. Except for you not getting dick. That shit’s never all right. When are you seeing him again?”

“I don’t know. I figure they have games soon, so maybe he won’t have a lot of time for me.” I didn’t know if I hoped my statement was or wasn’t true. Thinking about him, craving him—I already did these things far too much. I couldn’t let myself fall for a player again. Could I?

“Pull up their schedule.” She pointed at my monitor.

“Good idea, though not the best use of company resources.” I tapped away on the keys, searching for the Ravens.

A list of websites popped up, but across the top was an images tab. Easton’s handsome face caught my eye. I clicked on it. He wasn’t alone in the photo. A hot blonde was under his arm. I scrolled down. Photo after photo of Easton with different women. So many.

Nikki started nibbling on her fingernail. “Kyrie, don’t—”

“Don’t what? Don’t see what sort of man Easton is?” My eyes began to water again, but not from mirth. “This one was taken just a month ago.” I pointed to a photo of Easton, a redhead under each arm and lipstick kisses on his cheeks.

My heart grew cold and my ears heated. My fingers fell numb as I scrolled down, more pictures of Easton kissing strange women, groping them, letting them sit on his lap.

Nikki came up behind me and put her hands on my shoulders. “They’re professional athletes. Women are always going to be throwing themselves at them. Stop looking.”

I took my glasses off and tossed them down on my desk. “They might throw themselves, but that doesn’t mean that Easton had to catch every last one of them.”

I brushed her hands off me, and she returned to the desk, her smile gone.

“Jesus. I can’t believe I almost let him fuck me. God, I’m so stupid.” So many dark thoughts and memories flitted through my head that I had to close my eyes against the onslaught. “He’s the same as the rest of them. The same as…” I didn’t say his name. I wouldn’t.

“You’re being too hard on him. He didn’t know you then. Give him a ch—”

“Just go. Please.” I tried not to blame her for getting my hopes up. But I wouldn’t have met Easton if it weren’t for her.

“Kyrie.” Her voice gentled, all sarcasm gone. “Don’t be so hard on him. He’s not the same as—”

“Don’t say his name.” My voice rose, anger tingeing the words and making them ugly. “Leave.”

“Okay. If that’s what you want. But I’m here if you want to talk.” Nikki left, closing the door behind her.

I crumpled in my chair, letting the tears plop onto my navy skirt. At least I’d learned what Easton was truly like before I’d given him any more of me. Baseball players were just that—players. And I was a fool for thinking Easton could ever be anything more.

E
ASTON

A
SLIVER OF
light shot through the blinds in my room and pounded my face. One of my eyes opened and quickly closed before I managed the courage to open both and squint. Still, the first thing on my mind was her name. Kyrie.

I hadn’t heard from her all day yesterday, despite my constant texting and calls that went straight to voicemail.
What the fuck?

I had thought things were going well. She’d gone with me to the hospital when Kasey acted like an idiot and got herself in an accident. Now, nothing.

Sliding out of bed in my boxers, I headed down the hallway into the living room. The television was loud and laughter echoed off the walls. When I rounded the corner, Kasey was on the couch eating ice cream at eight in the morning in her pajamas, most of the ice cream smeared on her face.

“Fucked up on pain pills?” I walked past and headed toward the fridge.

“You know I am.” Kasey spooned out a boulder-sized glob of mint chocolate chip and completely missed her mouth with it. It slid off onto the cushion and she just went for another spoonful, completely oblivious.