me, but I disregard it, giving her a nod with my head.
“Cranky,” she says.
If I believed in hitting girls, she’d be in a fetal position on the ground.
“That’s what happens when people take my picture that I didn’t consent to.” I start walking down the tunnel toward my truck.
Me: Hey, where did you go?
My phone burns my palm as I wait for a reply. A reply I never receive. I turn around to Spencer again, and Brooke walks right into my chest. My hands land on her hips to stop her from falling.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
She smiles up to me. “You can knock me down anytime. Preferably onto my back.”
Her flirtatious comment spurs a nauseous rumbling in my stomach.
I hold my phone up in the air to Ariel. “Call her,” I demand.
Ariel instantly pulls her phone out of her back pocket.
“I’m not going to let her do this again. To push me away,” I rant, my anger getting the better of me.
I search out my truck. If anything, I figure I’ll drive over to her and kiss her until her breathing heaves. Then, I notice a swarm of women. Actually, all the guys are standing next to their cars with the women circled around them.
“Seriously?” I ask.
Oliver winks over to me. “That’s why you should definitely try the single life.” He slaps a girl’s ass, and she only moves closer to him.
“She’s not answering,” Ariel says. She and Spencer come alongside me.
“Get in. I’m going over there. Do you need a ride?”
“Nah, you go.” Spencer waves me on. “We’ll walk.”
“I’m not walking,” Brooke sneers. She wedges herself through the throng of girls strewed around the players’ cars. “I’ll take a ride.”
I turn around, glaring at Ariel, until she steps forward, following Brooke and removing her hand from my door handle.
“You can walk with us,” she tells Brooke.
The girl circles out of Ariel’s hold and right into our second baseman’s arms.
“Hey, you a freshman?” he asks.
When she nods, his hand slides around her waist.
“I’ll catch you guys later,” she says, inching closer to him.
“I’m sorry, Crosby. I wasn’t meaning her. I meant—” Spencer says.
I place my hand on his shoulder. I know exactly what he meant, and Ella should, too. She’s just scared.
“It’s fine. I know.” I climb into my truck, start it to life, and pull away from the circus outside the stadium.
My truck almost tips when I take the corner too fast to reach Ella.
By the time I pull up to her apartment, I’m ready to put all these doubts behind us. This whole white-knighting thing is getting old, and I’m putting an ax in it now.
I slam my truck door and jog up her steps. Without knocking, I take my chance at her door, and I’m both elated and upset when I step through the doorway without any force.
“What are—” Ella stands there in a pajama tank top and shorts.
I can’t pay attention to her mad face. All I want are those long legs wrapped around me. After the game and with the memories of Noah flooding back, I need to be buried inside her.
Without a word, I steadily walk toward her. Placing my hands on her cheeks, I bring her lips to mine. At first, she fights it, swatting at my stomach, but once I part her lips and my tongue slides in, she relents, gripping my T-shirt and bringing me to her.
My hands scoop her up by her ass, and I place her on the couch, lying on top of her. She doesn’t hold back, swinging her leg over my hip. Her fingers are fisted in my hair as my lips cascade over her chin, her jaw, and lastly, her earlobe.
“I crave you every minute,” I say to her.
A small whimper leaves her mouth.
“Tell me you need me,” I say.
“Crosby,” she sighs.
There’s still a small fight burning inside her.
“Say it, El,” I urge, my hand skating up her bare thigh to her ass.
“I need you,” she finally relents.
And my lips claim hers again.
Our mouths collide, like we contain the life source for each other. Teeth knocking, tongues exploring. Lips swelling, saliva swapping.
Her leg puts more pressure on my hip, giving her the force to grind against my length. My track pants are thin enough for her to feel how hard she’s made me. I thrust against her swollen clit, and she moans, keeping up the movements.
My hands graze up her sides until her soft tits are in my hands. My thumbs rub along her pebbled nipples,