Spring Training (7 page)

Sure we can
… Her body was all in favor of the idea.

“Sure we can, if you hurry up,” he persuaded. “You should know better than anyone he takes forever in the shower. C’mon.” He beckoned, backing toward the bathroom. “C’mon, Teri,” he repeated in a low, sexy rumble. His gaze was locked on hers and she had to fight to keep from taking a step toward him.

It wasn’t as though Em was going to search her out anytime soon. In fact, she’d be lucky if she got him out of his room to eat dinner. So really, there was nothing keeping her from indulging. Just two consenting adults…

“Just…wait.” She held up her hand and watched him make an effort try to smooth his features as he battled his disappointment. That show of maturity and restraint more than anything made up her mind for her.

She whipped her own shirt over her head and watched his jaw drop.

“Okay,
now
you can take off your pants.”

Chapter Seven

Aaron’s erection came roaring back to life at the unexpected vision of Teri’s small but perfect, pink-tipped breasts as she stood topless, hands on hips, waiting impatiently for him to strip. He tried to catch up mentally. He’d just been joking when he’d first suggested a shower together, but then her tempted look and lack of immediate refusal had fired his imagination. It had been disappointing, but not wholly unexpected, when she had balked once in his room, so he’d given it one last shot by groveling, not expecting it to work.

Not wanting to waste another minute, he toed off his shoes and stripped his socks off then pushed his pants down, kicking them aside. That left him in his plain, white jock, and he paused, arrested by the blatant admiration in Teri’s eyes.

He knew he was in good shape, but his body’s appearance became more important to him now as she devoured his form with her hungry gaze. Knowing she watched every movement, he palmed his aching cock over the jock, giving it some much needed counter-pressure.

Her pink tongue snuck out and ran over her lips, leaving a shine he wanted to kiss away. Aaron cocked a brow at her. “Okay, pants are off. What now?”

Teri smiled sensuously and toed off her sandals, giving a sexy shimmy as she slid her shorts down her tanned legs, leaving her in only a pair of simple white panties. “Turn around,” she ordered.

Aaron hated to look away, but complied, slowly turning.

“Stop.”

He halted his movement and sensed Teri step up close behind him. A bit of movement, then a pair of panties went sailing past him toward his bed. Before he could turn back around, she grasped him by the hips and slid her fingers under the thick elastic of the jock’s waistband.

Alternating side-to-side, she slowly pushed the elastic down until it was caught on his almost painfully erect cock. He held his breath, bracing for the coming discomfort but not wanting to interrupt the moment. As if realizing his dilemma, she reached around and took his cock in a tantalizingly brief grip, just long enough to clear the waistband, as she pulled the garment down to the tops of his thighs.

Aaron could sense her kneel down behind him and fought a burst of lust at the mental picture of Teri, nude and on her knees. She finished pulling his jock down to his ankles and let him step out. Then, instead of standing back up, she began stroking down his thighs and he felt her give a gentle bite to his ass cheek.

“Ahh.” His head dropped back and his dick gave a heart-stopping jerk as he fought to keep from coming right then and there. She nibbled around to his hip, continuing her light massage of his legs, while turning him around.

Teri zeroed in on his hipbone and he had to fight to keep from pushing her to the floor and pouncing on her. Watching her head move, just inches from his straining erection but purposely avoiding contact, was driving him crazy. He cupped her head with his hand, forcing back the impulse to move her mouth to where he wanted it, and instead loosened her ponytail band, gently removing it to allow her hair to flow down her bare back.

Just then, she glanced up at him from under her lashes, gave him a smile and…stood.

Damn.

He waited for her lead, trembling a bit with the effort of his restraint.

“I thought we were taking a shower,” she reminded him with an evil smile as she turned away to enter the bathroom.

“Oh, you are so gonna get it,” he growled, stalking after her, patience at an end.

He reached around her and flipped the shower on, adjusting it to the perfect temperature setting then urging her inside, stepping in close behind her.

They took turns shampooing and rinsing their hair under the spray, sliding slowly past one another to exchange places, then began the fun process of ‘washing’ one another. Standing so near, Teri seemed so small. Her confidence, maturity and presence tended to make him forget how tiny she was.

“You’re such a cute little thing,” he teased as they soaped up, loving her reaction as he got the arched brow. “How do you do that with just one eyebrow?”

“It’s a gift. And I’m
not
a ‘cute little thing’. Hardly,” she scoffed, tossing her head. “You’re just big.” She grabbed his erection in a soapy hand, and he almost broke a sweat. “Mmm, and wide too.”

“Ah, Teri, the things you say.” He loved her playful sexiness. Hell, he loved everything about her. How lucky was he to have her come knocking on his door at such a crappy time in his life?

He pulled her against him, feeling their slick bodies come together, and dipped his head to take her mouth in a lush kiss she returned in full measure.

“God, I just want to pick you up and nail you right against the wall,” he muttered as he spread his legs to fit them together even tighter.

“Why don’t you?” she invited huskily, and for a brief, wonderful moment, he couldn’t think of a single reason why not.

The water pressure suddenly strengthened, and reason came flooding back with it. They looked at each other regretfully, but when Aaron would have turned off the water to get out, she stopped him. “Wait.”

Once again, he was treated to the sight of Teri on her knees, but this time the teasing playfulness was gone, replaced by a woman on a mission. He tried to protest, pull her back to her feet, but she refused to budge. She cupped his ball sac in one gentle hand as the other fisted the base of his cock and gave a pump as she wrapped her lips around the head, taking him into that heavenly wet heat.

Aaron dropped back against the wall with a thud and spread his legs even more. Teri flicked her tongue repeatedly just under the head then ran it around the ridge in each direction before slipping her lips down his shaft to where they met her hand. The visual was proving too much, and he could feel the tension building at the base of his spine.

She looked up at him, her eyes smiling as she repeatedly took his cock as far down as her encircling hand, then provided exquisite suction on the way back up, bringing him to the edge of control. He teetered there for a few moments before her finger slipped back and firmly stroked his perineum. That new sensation overwhelmed his efforts to hold back, and he crossed his arms to keep from grabbing her head to hold her in place.

“I’m there, babe,” he warned hoarsely, but she didn’t pull away, giving one more of those breathtaking strokes behind his balls then he was coming and there was no place to escape from her attention. The very thought that she hadn’t pulled back, that she had taken what he had to give, sent an extra, hard pulse through his cock. She gently milked him until the sensation was too much, then finally let him pull her to her feet and up against him.

“I’m sorry.”

He got the eyebrow from her again. “I’m not. C’mon. Let’s go have dinner.”

“What? What about you?” Aaron protested, feeling guilty for having been on the receiving end without giving her pleasure as well.

Teri just laughed. “Don’t worry. I wanted to do that. I enjoyed it too. And you can make it up to me later tonight.” She got out of the shower and dried off before wrapping up in a bath sheet for the trip to Emery’s room.

“Tonight—definitely,” Aaron promised, already anticipating the next time in her arms. He couldn’t wait to spend the night holding her…

He stopped short as he realized the unexpected direction his thoughts were taking. She wasn’t even from here, only visiting for a couple of days, not to mention he wouldn’t be around for much longer before he rejoined his team. So even if they did hit it off, where could it go?

Problem was, his brain knew that, but his body already felt the tug of separation as she slipped out of his room to sneak down the hall.

What the hell was he going to do when she went home?

Chapter Eight

Dinner with the Sanduskys had been fun…and not. Teri had laid the foundation for a quick but wholesome meal, and Aaron enjoyed eating well without having to put the time into food prep after a full day of practice. The only thing he’d had to do was grill the steaks, and that was always more of a pleasure than a chore.

He and Teri had found a lot to chat about, mostly about the prospects in spring training camp so far. She was an incredibly knowledgeable fan and Aaron couldn’t remember the last time he’d had such an enjoyable, in-depth conversation about his sport with anyone, much less a woman he was interested in.

But sulking off to the side like a dark cloud, all through the prep, meal and cleanup, was her broody son. Aaron rolled his eyes mentally as Emery shrugged off yet another question. Was this what it was like being a parent? Emery wasn’t talking, and Teri let him be—for the most part. But Aaron knew there was a talking-to coming and tried to escape, only to be caught as he excused himself for a walk.

“Nope. You’re doing this too.”

“Why me?” Aaron was honestly puzzled by her desire for his participation. Unless, maybe she needed support?

“I don’t see why Aaron needs to enjoy one of your wonderful lectures.” Emery finally spoke and his sarcasm immediately got Aaron’s back up. “It’s not like he’s my dad or anything.”

And they’re off.

Aaron watched Teri take a deep breath, expecting her to cut her son down to size. She was sitting next to Em on the couch, and the young man’s body language was definitely hostile. He braced himself for a cold scolding like the kind his own mother would have dished out, his chest tightening in anticipation.

“Can you tell me how your practice went today?”

Aaron let out a breath he hadn’t been aware he’d been holding. While Teri’s eyes were focused intently on Emery, her expression was far from irritated and her voice was calm.

He wasn’t the only one caught off guard by her tactic. The calm tone and non-confrontational interest in his day seemed to surprise Emery and finally earned Teri a look in the eyes from her son. She looked steadily back at him, her love and pride shining through, plain to see. Aaron wasn’t even on the receiving end of that look and he was almost choked up. Aaron watched as Emery swallowed convulsively, throat working as he tried to maintain his poise.

“Ma…” Emery’s voice broke. “Ah shit, Ma, I’m so sorry.” He made as if to reach for her, but she—deliberately it seemed—maintained her distance, not encouraging contact even as she waited for an answer to her question. Aaron could almost see the need in Emery to get a hug and reassurance from his mom.

Emery gathered himself and continued. “Um, practice. It was good. I mean, I had a good day.” He shrugged.

Aaron softened a little bit toward him. Cocky was one thing Emery wasn’t, and he had every right to be. “He had a great workout today,” Aaron interjected to clarify, both to give Teri more information and to boost Emery a bit. “He more than holds his own—he really stands out.”

Teri smiled her thanks at him and Emery colored a bit. Aaron nodded to the other player, giving him the floor back.

“Coach called me into his office after practice, and he, uh, said I was looking really good, but I was on the verge of fucking it all up.” Em’s jaw clenched as he played with the remote. He looked up at his mom. “I swear, I am done screwing around. I mean it. I’m so stupid. I don’t want to mess this up. God, this is what I’ve always wanted to do, and here it is, sooner than I thought.”

Teri pressed her lips together, her eyes shiny.

“Ma”—he knelt down in front of her and grabbed her hands—“you’ve done so much for me. I won’t let you down again. I promise.”

Tears were rolling down Teri’s cheeks, but she was still smiling at Emery. “I love you, Em. You’ve never let me down, honey. I’m so proud of you.” She reeled him in for the much-awaited hug, stroking her hand over his head, their similar hair blending together as they reconciled.

Aaron’s chest was tight and his throat thickened just watching them. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore and headed to the kitchen, thinking about his own parents.

He couldn’t ever remember either of them telling him they were proud of him, or even that they loved him. His mom was quiet and reserved, and very religious. She thought that sports led to sinful behavior and refused to come to his games.

His dad took a more pragmatic approach to his career. He had pushed Aaron to be the best from an early age, but nothing Aaron ever did was good enough to please him or earn his praise. It was because of his dad’s fears of Aaron missing playing time that he’d put off getting corrective surgery when he was younger, and now look at him.

His dad hadn’t called him once since the accident, and until now, Aaron hadn’t cared. But confronted with the supportive and involved parenting Teri gave to Emery, Aaron found himself aching for what he’d never had. For that unconditional love. He accepted that he’d never get it from his parents, but now that he’d had a taste of it from Teri, he wanted more…

“Hey there. We’re done.” Teri poked her head around the corner and looked at him closely. “Are you okay?” She walked in and rested a hand on his lower back, just a gentle touch, but it was so like her to always have that hands-on connection.

“It’s nothing. I’ll be fine.” He pulled her into a hug, marveling at how natural, how
right
she felt in his arms. He gave her a peck on top of her head. “How about you?”