Over the Fence: Lyssa Layne's Baseball Romances (62 page)

Earl Floyd is a perfect predator, knowing how to find his prey’s soft spots, the ones that I now only show Laurel, and pouncing when the time is perfect, when they’re at the weakest point and life is so bleak, there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. Earl Floyd is an expert in playing this game…illegally.

“Aside from the players, who else? I want to know exactly how many people know your secret, how many people can slip up and ruin it for us all.”

Earl continues explaining the scheme and my head throbs, absorbing all of this new information, shit I didn’t even know before. By now, he’s pacing back and forth, talking faster and rubbing his hands so hard that I’m expecting to see a spark at any moment. He stops in front of me, his hands on my forearms, which is as high as he can reach on me.

“I’d love to have you back on the team, Jace. You were always a smooth talker and great with the ladies. What do you say?”

I stare down at his hands, a brief vision of my old lifestyle flashes in my mind, but I shrug his hands off me before I let myself get too far down memory lane. “I’ll think about it,” I mutter and turn for the door.

My hand is on the doorknob when Earl calls out to me. “Jacen, you know you’ve always been like a son to me. I want to help you get back on your feet.”

Unable to contain my anger, I swing around to face him. “A son, really? Then that makes you what? Like a father? Well, a real fuckin’ ‘father’ wouldn’t put their ‘son’ in the situations you did. A real ‘father’ wouldn’t let their kid fall flat on their face and wait for them to ask for your help. A real ‘father’ wouldn’t threaten to hurt his child’s true love. A father puts their kids needs before their own.” I sigh, shaking my head and forcing myself to calm down. I didn’t come here to fight him. Clenching and unclenching my hands, I remind myself of what I have waiting for me back in Florida. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m not interested.”

My hands still shaking, I walk out of his office. When I pass by Suzie’s desk, she bats her eyes and I notice her shirt is much lower than when I walked in. “Hey, Jace, how about lunch?” I lift up my middle finger, flipping her off and continue out of this place for the last time. I waste no time hailing a cab, I want to get the fuck out of here as fast as I can. Putting my headphones back in, I unclip my phone from the carrier on my waist. When I hit play, I grin as I hear Earl’s words replaying and I know I’ve caught that son-of-a-bitch.

Laurel

My eyelids are getting very heavy and I can’t fight off the sleep much longer when the song from the throne room scene in
Star Wars
comes on. Opening my eyes as wide as I can, I reach for the remote, turning off the T.V. Unable to stifle my yawn, I open my mouth wide and glance over at Grey, who is now staring at me with his bottom lip sticking out. We’ve come a long way since his toddler days when his favorite movie would end and instead of a pouty lip, he’d let out bloodcurdling screams because he didn’t want it to end.

“Can we watch another one?”

From my seat on the couch, I can see the microwave in the kitchen which tells me it’s almost midnight and Jace’s flight should be landing soon, not to mention, the second my head hits the pillow, I’ll be out cold. “Sorry, bud, time to head to bed.” I stand up to let him know there’s no room for negotiating.

Reluctantly, he stands up and sulks off toward his room. “Why are you always so strict?”

Walking behind him, I squeeze his shoulders and laugh. “Me? The strict one between your father and me? Good one, Grey.”

He glances up at me. “At Dad’s, he doesn’t care what time I go to bed as long as I’m quiet and out of his way.”

The pain in his eyes breaks my heart and I hate that Adam does that shit to him. I wrap my arms around him from behind and hug him. “I’m sorry, buddy.” I’m able to give him a quick peck on the cheek before he shrugs me off and walks into the bathroom. I wait for him in his bedroom, staring at pictures that line his shelves, reminding me of the innocent little boy he once was when he didn’t notice his father’s lack of concern for him. Grey comes into his room, crawling in his bed without saying a word to me.

I walk over to his bed, sitting beside him and running my hand over his hair. “I know there’s a lot of change about to take place in our lives but we both have to be strong and stand by each other. Got my back?” I hold out my pinkie, waiting for Grey to do the same.

“Are you getting married too?” Grey sits up, hope filling his voice.

I scrunch my nose, confused. “What? No, why would you think that? I was talking about Sam maybe moving in permanently and your father’s upcoming move and marriage.”

“Oh.” His shoulders drop. “I just think since dad’s getting married, you should, too. Then maybe I’d have, like a real family. You know…a mom and dad that care about me.”

“Oh, babe, you are my world. You know that, right? I’d do anything for you and no one would ever be able to stop me.” I pull him into my arms and hug him tightly. “Greyson, I love you more than life itself,” I whisper, tears choking me up as I say those words.

Grey nods his head against my shoulder and pulls away, wiping his eyes before I can see any tears. Once he’s composed himself, he leans back on his pillow. “I know you really like Jace and so do I. He’s super cool and always hangs out with me and Sam, sometimes he even accidentally cusses in front of us.” I lift my eyebrows at this news and Grey shakes his hands. “Don’t hold it against him, Mom! I mean, we’re going to learn it somewhere, right? Better than on T.V.”

I laugh, listening to him repeat my exact words. “Yeah, okay…”

His lips slip into a grin and the worry of him dating one day with that killer smile of his hits me hard.

“Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that if you and Jace want to get married, I’m cool with that. I mean, aside from Pop, he’s like what a dad should be and I’d way rather spend time with him than Dad.”

Shocked. Stunned. Floored. Speechless. Yes, speechless, my ten-year-old just made me speechless. Grey leans forward, wrapping his arms around my neck and kissing my cheek. “Close your mouth, Mom. I’m just saying it would be fan-freaking-tastic if you did marry him…someday.”

Snapping out of it, I stand up. “Language, boy. You better not let your grandfather hear you say that and I’ll be having a little talk with Jace about
his
language as well.”

Grey groans but I lean over and tickle him to lighten the moment. He giggles and kicks his sheets until I stop, knowing there’s still the very real possibility that I could tickle him until he pees his pants. After another hug, I turn off his light and head into the living room, busying myself with cleaning up our popcorn mess so I don’t focus on my son’s suggestion of marrying Jace Richards.

Walking into the kitchen, I’m still on autopilot as I put away our dishes. A light tap on the door startles me and I almost touch the ceiling as I jump. I set the bowls on the counter and look around the curtain to see who it is. Jace is fidgeting on the other side and I’m both relieved and anxious to see him.

Turning the lock, I open the door but before he’s even got one foot in the door, Jace’s hands move to either side of my face, pressing his lips to mine and kissing me with a sense of urgency. My body instantly awakens and I slip one hand behind his neck, pulling him closer. I know we have to be careful with Grey home, but I can’t take my mouth off him.

I take a step backwards so Jace will move into the house on the off chance that Ashley might be awake. I don’t want to hear her comments about us making out for the entire neighborhood to see. As I open my mouth to deepen the kiss, Jace leans back, his hands still on my face. His baby blue eyes look crystal clear as he stares into mine. Then out of left field, Jace Richards shakes up my entire world.

“I love you.”

Three words. The three most meaningful words in the English language and what do I do? I cry. Big fat, unflattering tears roll down my cheeks and I nod.

“I love you, too.”

CHAPTER 22

Jace

“I love your kissable lips,” Laurel says, straddling my thighs and kissing me. I lean against my headboard, my arms folded behind my head as she works her way down my body.

“I love your savory, manly scent.” She giggles and nuzzles her nose against my neck.

“I love your sensitive nipples.” A grin spreads across her face before she bows her head and takes my nipple ring in her mouth, tugging gently and evoking a deep moan from me.

Her lips move down my torso, kissing the Welsh writing along both sides of my ribcage. “I love your tattoos because they’ve made you the man that I know and—”

My hands move fast, grabbing her ass and flipping her on her back. Her giggles tease me and I finish our new morning ritual. My hands run along her arms, pinning them against the mattress at her wrists. Her smile lights up the room and we lock our eyes. Lowering my head, I kiss her softly and whisper, “I love you.”

Laurel sighs contentedly and I let go of her wrists. Her arms slide down my back and she wiggles her hips, sliding my morning wood between her legs. It’s been a week since I went to California and sent Camila the recording. All I can do is wait but if the commissioner never gets back to us, I don’t mind, because I told Laurel how I felt.

Laurel never hesitates to tell me she loves me back or what she loves about me. It just kind of gushes out of her without her realizing it. It’s like her nervous rambling habit has now turned into a nervous love fest and, well, I love it. She explained that she was out of practice with telling man that she loved him so she was making up for lost time.

We only get a few nights alone when Grey is with his dad, the other evenings we have both Grey and Sam with us. I can’t ever remember hanging out with my parents playing Monopoly or ladder golf but every time the boys are with us, Laurel gives her undivided attention to them and while a few years ago, I would’ve never been caught playing board games or fuck, hanging out with kids, I have the best time when the four of us are together.

I move my head down her chest, taking my turn to play with her secret piercing. I’m used to hearing her seductive moans and the twitch of her body as we both get warmed up with the foreplay. When I don’t hear her normal excitement, I look up, the ring still between my teeth and I raise my eyebrows. She gives me a half smile, running her fingers through my hair and I drop the jewelry, knowing something’s on her mind.

“What is it?”

Laurel shrugs. “Do you think we’re moving too fast?” Her fingers massage the nape of my neck as she asks the question. True, we’ve said we love each other and we have sex like rabbits, but other than that, we haven’t crossed any other boundaries. When the boys are home, I don’t stay overnight. We never kiss in front of them, or anyone really, and while I help her with Grey and Sam as much as I can, I respect that I’m not either of their dads and don’t pretend to be either.

“We’ve known each other for four and a half months and I’ve loved you for the past three. Sometimes love is a slow burn, other times, it slaps you in the face. I don’t question it, I just go where my heart leads me.”

“Only three months? What about the other time?” She sticks out her bottom lip to pout and I quickly pounce, sucking on it gently and finally hearing that moan of hers that I love.

I lean back, my fingers now playing with her breasts as I lie beside her, my head propped up in one of my hands. “Well, you have to admit, you were kind of a bitch when we first met.”

She rolls her eyes. “So I tried to bean you with a baseball and said some really rude shit, I was only trying to protect my heart.”

My fingers stop and I look at her confused. “Why were you doing that?”

She taps her finger on the end of my nose. “Because, you, sir, may have only loved me for three months, but I knew from the first time I heard you were coming to town that I was in danger of falling head over heels for you.”

A shiteating grin creeps over my face and I crawl back on top of her, parting her legs with one hand. I’m rock hard and ready to enter her. I slip a finger between her lips and can tell she shares the same sentiment. With the head of cock about to enter her, she pushes on my chest, interrupting my movement.

“Condom,” she mumbles, her lips walking across my collarbone.

Acid crawls up the back of my neck and I nod, reaching over for the box in the drawer. I still haven’t told her about my vasectomy, I’m too afraid to lose her. My hand searches but comes up empty. I get out of bed to look for myself and sure enough, no box of condoms. Fuck, I could’ve sworn we still had a few left.
The kitchen!
Last night after dinner, we had our “dessert” on the kitchen table, maybe the box is there. Leaning down, I kiss Laurel quickly and hold up one finger.

“Be right back.” Tearing down the stairs, I make my way through the first story of the house and there’s the box of Trojans sitting on the counter. When I pick it up, it feels too light and one look inside confirms there’s no fuckin’ rubbers in this house. I climb the stairs, more pissed off at the fact that I only need them to cover my lie, not about my dick that’s begging for more Laurel.