Fair Catch (Love and Sports Series) (38 page)

             
She placed a hand on Darren’s arm. “’I’m so sorry. I hate that it’s your senior year and you’re having such a bad season.” He just shrugged. “At least you have, uh what’s her name, Darla?”

             
“Debra.” Darren corrected her. He took a sip from his cup which smelled like toxic chemicals. Lexi wondered what the hell he was drinking that smelled so terrible. “Debra is alright.”

             
“Just alright? She’s so pretty.”

             
He shrugged, passing off her comment. “She’s not you.”

             
Lexi froze in her place. She knew that Darren was always touchy feely and close to her but she didn’t really think it was because he had feelings. He came toward her and cornered her in the kitchen. Lexi felt her body start to get incredibly uncomfortable. She liked Darren, he was her friend but she didn’t want to see him get himself in trouble. Especially if Jake saw what Darren was doing at the current moment.

             
“Darren, what are you doing?”

             
“I don’t know.” He swayed again and took another sip of his drink before setting it on the counter behind her and pinning her between his arms. His face was mere inches from hers. She tried to shove him away but just like every other male in the athletic department, they were all stronger than she was.

             
“Darren, I think you should back off. You’re drunk and you don’t know what you’re doing.”

             
He leaned in closer instead of listening to her advice. She could smell the toxic fumes on his breath. If she continued to stay this close to him she was bound to get drunk just from the fumes blazing from his mouth.

“I know exactly what I’
m doing. I’m taking what should have been mine at the beginning of the year, when Jake dropped you for some other girl at the Alumni party.”

             
Darren leaned forward some more and Lexi closed her eyes turning her head. She didn’t want Darren to kiss her. She didn’t want him near her. All of sudden there was a burst of wind and a loud crack. She looked up and saw Jake standing over Darren who was now on the ground with a bloody face. She looked at Jake and he was shaking out his hand.

             
Lexi gasped and lunged at Jake when he went to throw some more punches at Darren. She wrapped her entire body around Jake, straddling his hips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked him in the eyes. The fury that was in his eyes disappeared when he looked at her. She wriggled on him and kissed his mouth with all her might. When she pulled away he grinned at her, that boyish grin that stole her heart every time she saw his dimples appear.

             
“What are you doing, baby?”

             
“Let’s go home.” She said while smiling back at him.

             
“I’m not finished here.”

             
Lexi looked down at Darren who grabbed a paper towel from one of the girls at the party. He was applying pressure to the cut on his face. “I think you’re done.” He ran his hands up her side and nodded.

             
When they got back to his apartment, he decided he wanted to go to his place for more privacy, he started to take off his shirt. She stared in awe at the perfect male specimen in front of her. He was so incredibly good looking it took her breath away. His muscles were more defined than when she first met him due to his intense workout regimen and every last bit of his body was chiseled. Muscles rippled when he took off his pants and pulled her closer to him. When she grabbed his hand she noticed it had swelled up from where he punched Darren.

             
“Jake.” She gasped. She went to go get ice but he stopped her. “I need to get you ice.”

             
“I’m fine.” He said with a growl.

             
“Jake, you can’t afford to mess up your hand, especially over some drunken idiot. Let me get you some ice.”

             
“I don’t care if I broke my hand on that fucker’s face.”

             
“Jake he was drunk, he was harmless.”

             
He pulled her in tightly, so close she felt his bare skin on her exposed skin. It made her nipples go hard which she knew Jake could feel through her shirt.

             
“No one,” He said in a territorial voice. “I mean, no one gets that close to my girl. You’re mine Lexi. When I walked in and saw him pinning you against the counter I lost it. No one gets to be that close to you besides me. You hear me?”

             
Lexi should have been insulted by his blatant display of machismo but she was instead turned on. What was wrong with her?

             
She pulled his head close to hers and kissed him, letting him know she understood. She threaded her hands through his hair as his hands made their way up her stomach just below her breasts. His touch made her tremble in her boots and all she wanted to do was get naked with him. She pulled away from him and shimmied out of her skirt, leaving her boots on. Then she grabbed the front tie of her shirt and undid it. She watched Jake’s eyes widen from the display of the itty bitty red lace bra and panties she was wearing. She watched his chest heave and could see the almost animal instincts running through his eyes.

             
She gave him a little twirl and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “What do you think?”

             
Jake swallowed, hard. “I think I’m the luckiest son of a bitch this side of the Mississippi.” Jake said with a twang. Lexi giggled and ran into his room, throwing herself on his bed. She started to take off her boots but he stopped her. “Leave them on.”

             
Lexi grinned and slowly sank into his warm inviting bed. She was the luckiest little lady this side of the Mississippi, she thought as Jake slid his boxers down, revealing how turned on he was. Yes, she was extremely lucky indeed.

Chapter 16

             
Lexi sat in the home dugout before the game retying her cleats. Excitement bubbled through her body. She received one of the best phone calls from Jake last night. He was drafted by the San Diego Thunder. She couldn’t believe it when she heard the news. She wasn’t able to watch the draft on TV because she was playing a double header against their ever present rival. Luckily, they won both games making the day that more glorious. Jake was trying to catch a flight home so they could celebrate but he wasn’t sure exactly when he would get back.

             
Lexi had the hardest time going to sleep last night. She thought about where they could live, how she would be close to Margo and not have to leave the hometown she loved so much, plus she got to stay close to the beach which was always a major plus for her. She talked to Jake for hours on the phone, discussing parts of town they wanted to live in and how they were going to go furniture shopping. He told her anything she wanted she could have. She felt at ease. She didn’t have to worry about life, she was taken care of by Jake.

             
Even though she knew her life was set now, a little voice in the back of her head kept nagging her. Ever since she talked to her mom, she got the feeling that her mom was right. Lexi wondered constantly if she was doing the right thing, if being by Jake’s side was what she needed in life. When she talked to Jake about the new chapter coming up in their lives he kept saying how she could stay at home and relax, make him dinner, be the little housewife he always wanted. Even though that sounded like heaven. It made her feel a little restless, like if she settled for that life, she would always feel like something was missing.

             
She pushed the negative thoughts to the back of her head and instead surveyed the field. The grass had never looked greener. If they won this game today they would be one step closer to a spot in the championship tournament, something her and her teammates worked so incredibly hard for. She watched the grounds crew put their final touches of chalk around the pitching circle and wheel their chalk cart off the field, making sure to avoid any pristine lines they already made.

             
“You ready for this?” Her coach asked while standing next to her.

             
“Always, coach.”

             
“Good, I wanted to make sure your head was in the game.”

             
“Why wouldn’t it be?”

             
“Well after such news about your boyfriend last night I for sure thought your head would be out of it.”

             
Lexi frowned at the suggestion. Except for the beginning of the year, her head had always been in the game, especially when it mattered. She prided herself in being able to close off the rest of the world when she was on the field.

             
“No worries coach. I’m here to play.”

             
“Good.” Her coach paused for a second and then let out a long breath. “I’m assuming you’re still going to stick to your original plan and stay with him?” Her coach had an annoyed tone to her voice. Lexi just nodded not being able to look at the disappointment in her coach’s eyes. “Well, I hope everything works out for you. It’s a shame though.” With that her coach walked away, making the nagging voice come back in full force.

             
To avoid punching the cinderblock wall of the dugout out of frustration, Lexi grabbed her bat and went to hit a couple more balls off the tee before the game started.

             
It was the third inning and Lexi had already hit a double in the first that spiked a little hitting sequence in her team, giving them a two run lead. She was feeling really good today, even though there was an emotional war going on in her head. The opposing pitcher was warming up while Lexi was waiting on deck, loosening her back with her over dramatic swing. Warm up music was playing but was instantly faded out and replaced with chanting. What the hell was that?

             
She looked around and spotted ten incredibly ripped men wearing jeans with their shirts off walking in a line over to the field. There were hoots and hollers from the crowd and the line of men took up residence amongst the fence. They all had a letter painted on their chests. They scrambled and stood in formation. Across their chests spelled out “Let’s Go Lexi.” They were cheering her name and making a huge production, so much that the opposing team stopped warming up and just stared. Lexi shook her head and knew Jake was behind this. He couldn’t be there to support her in person, so he sent his guys in his place.

             
Margo leaned over in her ear and said, “Uh, how am I supposed to concentrate now?”

             
Lexi laughed. “I have no clue. Let me know if you find out.”

             
The number nine batter, Mary, got on base with a surprise bunt. She was a lefty slapper just like Lexi and coach was hoping she would be the lead off next year. Lexi had been working with her all season and Mary showed a lot of improvement.

             
Lexi stood up at the plate and the football players let out a huge whoop, causing a scene once again. Lexi blocked them out and went through her routine before she got in the batter’s box. She watched her coach as she ran through a bunch of different hand signals, giving Lexi the sign to execute a hit and run, one of Lexi’s favorite things to do. Lexi patted the top of her helmet, then the middle of her bat and stepped in the back of the batter’s box, giving herself plenty of room to slap the ball.

             
As the pitcher started her motion Lexi started to move her feet and instantly made contact with the ball sending it flying over the right fielders head. Lexi was off sprinting around the bases, she watched as Mary rounded third giving Lexi the open base. She made eye contact with her coach as she waved Lexi to get down and slide. Lexi hit the dirt, reveling in the feeling of sliding in the dirt as her hands gripped the white base in front of her. After she touched the base she felt the third baseman touch her back with her glove but she was too late, Lexi was already safe.

             
Her coach called time out as Lexi stood up and shook the dirt off of her. Her coach patted her on the head showing her satisfaction in Lexi’s execution.