Rookie Mistake: A Sports Romance Novel (The Beasts of Baseball Book 1) (78 page)

“Where is he? Is he joining us for dinner?” I glanced around as Zek shook his head.

“No, and don’t tell Lizzy that he can cook. He said it would wreck his needy image and the whole world might stop then.” Zek laughed and brushed his hands over my lower back as his eyes moved along me. “You look incredible. I have no idea how you do it, but I’ve completely stopped thinking about dinner and moved to wanting another night wrapped in your arms. We can heat this up later?”

I finished making my salad and turned to press my hand to his strong chest as I moved up to kiss him. There was nothing like the feel of him under my hands. He was perfect, and I wasn’t nearly deserving of his attention, not that I would deem any woman to be though. “No, mister. Let’s eat and then we’ll spend time together. Besides, I want every night in your arms, and I usually get what I want.”

“Yes, you do. That’s the plan.” He squeezed my rear softly before moving back. “Get your food and let’s eat together. You can tell me what you did today, and then we’ll go lounge out back.”

I nodded and turned back to continue to fix my plate. I wanted to question why making dinner for me would be considered a surprise, but I let it go. He’d obviously worked hard to make the night special, and moving through the motions would be my response. Anticipation bubbled up inside of me, but I shoved it back down and took a seat at the table he had set up for us.

A bottle of wine sat beside a large vase of roses, and the place settings were beautiful. He had invested in making every detail perfect. Nervousness raced through my center as I glanced over at him.

“What’s the matter, baby?” He reached out and touched my hand. “You look like something is wrong.”

“No, I’m just waiting for the surprise part. It’s driving me nuts thinking that something or a group of someones are hiding around the corner.” I tried to laugh, but the sound fell flat. “But… I love surprises, so let’s talk about something else, and I’ll hush.”

“What if the dinner is the surprise?” He lifted his eyebrow sharply.

“Then I’m good. I love it.” I glanced down at my plate as my stomach growled loudly. “And I’m thinking I need it.”

*

Dinner was delicious, but by the time he took my hand and led me to the backyard, I was a hot mess. The thought of him proposing had brushed by my thoughts a hundred times over the course of the afternoon and evening. I wanted to be his bride so damn bad, and yet I wasn’t the type of girl to open up the conversation more than once or twice. I figured it was ultimately his job to make the decision that it was time. No way was I dragging him to the altar.

The twinkling of the lights on the porch surprised me a little as I approached them, and the soft music playing stilled my heart.

“Oh, Zek. This is beautiful.” I walked out onto the deck and took in just how much effort he’d put into making the night perfect.

“Good. I wanted you to have a night with me that really spoke to us.” He wrapped his arms around me from behind and rested his chin on top of my head. “I thought something simple like this would bring us back to our younger years. I know we’re wealthy and have been relatively successful, but that’s all part of what we do, not who we are. This right here… this is who I am. This is what you fell in love with.”

Tears burned my eyes as I turned in his arms. “I love you because of this part of you right here. This is who I am too.”

“I know it is, baby. I love you more than words can express.” He moved back from me and changed the song on the radio to one of my favorites from when we were back in high school. “You remember this?”

I laughed and pressed my hands to my face. “How could I forget? You taught me to dance my ninth grade year in my bedroom. Remember that night my dad almost caught us in there together? You couldn’t stop hyperventilating in my closet. I honestly thought you were going to pass out.”

“Fuck. How could I forget? I didn’t think I was going to live to tell about that one.” He offered me his hand. “Dance with me again tonight like we did back then.”

“As long as you promise that this night will end differently than that one did.” I gave him a cheeky grin and moved into the warmth of his strong hold.

“You let me touch your tits that night. Why would I want tonight to end any different?” He laughed deep in his chest as I swatted at him playfully.

“You’re honestly not right. Not in the slightest.” I moved closer and wrapped my arms around his neck. “But I love you all the same. Did you know that?”

“That you love me?” He brushed his nose up my jawline to my ear, kissing me softly and sending tendrils of pleasure through my center.

“Yes. More than any woman should love a man.” I brushed my lips with his. “Too much?”

“No. Never too much.” He licked at my lips before kissing me softly and then harder.

I leaned into the kiss, not thinking that we’d be dancing for much longer. I needed to feel him against me far too badly.

“I love you more, baby.” He nipped at my lips playfully before moving back. “Tomorrow I want to go visit your parents, okay? Breakfast here and then let’s head out there. Get Clark and Cathy to come too. I haven’t met Clark’s kids yet, but I need to. I want to.”

“Oh. Wanting to get involved with the family? This sounds serious.” I teased him as he kissed me once more and moved back.

“It is serious. I’ve been standing next to the woman who was meant for me most of my life and thinking I could never measure up. You sticking it out with me this last few years taught me something important, Alisa.” He touched the side of my face as my eyes filled with tears. I’d never seen him so raw, so open, so vulnerable.

“What’s that, baby?” I pressed my hand over his, loving the way he watched me, like I might be nothing more than a dream.

“That it’s not about deserving each other, but accepting our faults, and learning to grow to be whoever we’re supposed to be because of the love we’ve found within the other.” He sank down to one knee and pulled a black box from his pocket as my heart almost stopped in my chest.

“Zek.” I touched his arm as he lifted the box toward me and popped it open.

“Baby, I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember. I’m not the man you deserve by any means, but I’d be thrilled if you would help me to work toward becoming him for both of us. Marry me?”

I pressed my hand to my chest as I nodded. “Yes. God, yes.”

He stood up and pulled me into a hug as we kissed at each other in a semi-frantic state. Dizziness swam over me as my heart raced with the truth of his request. I would be his forever, and he would be mine. There was nothing I wanted more in the world than the man before me.

“Good. I was sweating bullets that you might surprise us all and say no.” He put the ring on my finger and cupped my face, kissing me several times before moving back. “We gotta call your folks and tell them.”

“Did they know you were asking?” I lifted the ring toward my face and studied it. The diamond was small, but it fit my personality beautifully. I’d not have wanted anything gaudy and overdone on my hand. It was simple and classy.

“Yeah. I spoke to them earlier today and told them that you would call. I expected your dad to give me some shit, but they were both good to me. Way too good to me.” He kissed me again before moving back to grab the bottle of wine and two glasses.

“They love you, Zek. Clark does, they do, and I do too.” I took my glass from him and hid it behind my back. “I want some wine, but not out here.”

“No?” He looked around. “Then where?”

“In the tub, with me snuggled up to the front of you.” I licked my lips and took a few steps back toward the house. “You wanna join me?”

“Um, yes. If I knew giving you a ring was going to get me access to a hot bubble bath with you, I’d have done it when we were teenagers.”

I rolled my eyes and walked into the house. I was soon to become Mrs. Zek Kellington. Nothing could have taken away from the moment. Not even Zek’s corny-ass jokes.

CHAPTER 9

e

Zek

I
woke the next morning with her in my arms, and everything seemed right. The ring on her finger looked perfect, like it belonged to her, just like I did. She yawned and pressed her naked ass against me, waking up my need to mark her once more before we got our day going. Her parents had been thrilled the night before, and I couldn’t wait to go see them. She’d spoken with them already, but I didn’t get a chance to yet. I didn’t doubt that Alisa’s dad was still going to give me a little bit of hell. It was his right to do so.

I’d been ignoring just how badly I missed having a family like Clark’s to hang around all these years. It was almost easier not to think about it than to claim the loneliness I felt over it.

“You awake?” Her voice was filled with thickness from just waking up.

I ran my hand up her side and cupped her breasts tightly as I pressed my cock against her softness. “Yeah. Very much so.”

She groaned and pressed back on me, taking me into her tight body. “I love waking up with you.”

“Me more, but I’m not sure we’re going to get much done.” I moved my hand down to clasp onto her hip as I thrust forward until I was as far as I could get inside of her. Pleasure raced across my nerve endings, and I growled against the side of her neck as I started to work her. “You know I haven’t been using a condom. You okay with that?”

“Yeah. I’m good. I’m on the pill.” She rocked against me as her cries started to lift up around us. I used the sound of them to drive into her the way she liked it. I wanted more of them, more of her.

Listening for the low hitch in her breath was my cue to drive in harder. Faster. The sound of her coming was something I coveted and desired to experience more than anything else.

“You’re so sexy, baby. Tight little body stretching around mine.” I licked at her throat as she cried out. Her muscles locked, and she gasped for a breath as I plunged in deeper, letting the need to remind her just how aggressive I was rush over me.

“Fuck,” she groaned and pressed her hand to the headboard above me, pushing back and working my cock in a way that left my head spinning. I lost myself alongside her and dropped down as I worked to catch my breath. I was humming with pleasure, every part of me awake, alive, on fire.

She rolled over as I moved to lay on my back, snuggling up to my side as she rubbed my chest and watched me closely. “You’re so damn hot. You’re not going to slow down as we get older, right? I’m signing up for the every night fuck.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, you are. I’ll never grow tired of this. Not ever.”

“Good answer. Alright, mister. Get up and I’ll make us something to eat. Then we can go over to visit with my mom and dad.” She kissed me before rolling off the bed. “I get the shower first.”

“Let’s take one together.” I got up and moved toward the bathroom as she slammed the door and locked it, laughing.

“We’ll never get out of here if we take a shower together.”

I reached up and grabbed the skeleton key from on top of the door frame, popping the lock and walking in. “So what? They’ll wait. All of them will.”

*

Nervousness rolled around in my stomach as we pulled up to the Beeler’s old country-style house just outside of the city. I’d spent a good chunk of my youth growing up there, and the memories just wouldn’t stop rolling in as we walked up their pebbled walkway. The porch swing moved back and forth due to the wind, and a smile lifted my lips.

“I love this place so much.” I moved up beside Alisa and wrapped my arm around her as she snuggled against my side. “Such good times here.”

“Me too.” She kissed my cheek as the door opened.

“I take it that the old girl said yes?” Mr. Beeler extended his hand to me and pulled Alisa in for a hug with the other one.

“Yes, sir, she did. I got her toasted on a bottle of wine, and she thought she was getting a new house and a Lexus to boot. She agreed right away.” I shrugged as Alisa snorted and walked into the house. Her father pulled me into a side hug as we walked in.

“Clark is in the back working on my old tractor for me. The damn thing keeps getting the hiccups.” He patted my back as two little boys who couldn’t have been three started running around our legs.

“Give it back! It’s mine. Give it back! Pap-paw. Make him give it back!” One of them screamed loudly as I moved toward the kitchen and gave Alisa’s mom a hug.

“Hi, Mrs. Beeler.” I smiled down at her as she beamed up at me.

“Don’t you look like a sight for sore eyes?” She released me and rolled her eyes as Clark called from the back of the house.

“Zek? You here too, man?”

“Yeah. You need me?” I turned back to Alisa’s mom. “She said yes last night.”

“So I heard. I’ve already seen the ring too. Good job. I was almost scared that you were going to get one of those huge rocks for my baby. I know you’ve done well for yourself, but that’s not Alisa at all. I’m glad you already knew that.” She patted my cheek. “Go help Clark, and try not to get hurt. You boys aren’t mechanics, but it would seem no one around here is.”

I laughed as Mr. Beeler started teasing her about something. I could hear Alisa talking with someone I assumed was Clark’s wife, Cathy. I walked down the back of the hall to give them some time to chat.

Clark was underneath the tractor when I walked out of the house and moved toward the barn. “What the hell are you doing?”

He stuck his head out of the side and smile. “Pretending to work on my dad’s tractor. He thinks I know how to do this shit because I helped him with it last time.”

“You should call someone who does. He could get hurt out there.” I pressed my hand to the large wheel and glared down at my best friend.

“Shut up and get over here. You finally propose to my sister and now you’re all grown up?” He laughed. “Sell that shit to someone else who might be buying it.”

“This is true.” I moved over there and squatted beside him, trying to help figure out what the hell we were looking at. I was way out of my league, but that hadn’t stopped me before. I pulled out my phone and googled our issues, and within an hour, we had it fixed.