Chasing The BallGirl (FanGirl Series2) Read online

  She waved a hand at me. “It’s just the alcohol talking. We can revisit this some other time.”

  No freaking way.

  ~*~*~

  “Melody, this place is gorgeous. Thank you so much for inviting me down.”

  Melody and I sat on beach chairs, facing the ocean. I buried my feet in the sand and wiggled my toes. There was nothing more relaxing than sitting on the beach and watching the ocean. I really hoped this was something Ryan would be up for when he got here. I only had to wait one more day before I got to see him, and I couldn’t wait.

  “I’m so happy you decided to come down. Carson said that Ryan has been moody, so I think you will be a very welcome surprise.”

  “I hope you’re right. On the plane, I almost had a panic attack, worrying that he wouldn’t be happy to see me. I mean, he’s said he misses me, but it might be different once I’m actually here.”

  Melody laughed hard. “Oh, Sam, you don’t have to worry about that. You’re all I’ve heard him talk about when I’ve been around. Even the new players on the team know about you.”

  “Whatever,” I said before taking a sip of the cocktail she’d made me. “How many more players did we get this year?”

  “A few, but the biggest gain we received was Jace Jackson. We got him from Houston. He’s our new shortstop since Nathan Ross was released last season. I really think he’s going to get jail time with all those animal cruelty charges.”

  “Serves him right. He’s a jerk. But I’m glad we got JJ. I was always a fan of his when he played for Seattle.”

  “I was, too.” She took a sip of her drink and looked out over the ocean. “I’m selling my season tickets.”

  I thought I’d misheard her. “I’m sorry. Did you just say you’re selling your season tickets? The ones you’ve had since you were a little girl?”

  “I did.” She nodded. “I think it’s time to let them go. Adam, Lexi’s boyfriend, is going to buy them. When I invited Adam and Grady to the game last year, they enjoyed it more than I think I have in a very long time. I was holding on to the memory of my parents with those seats, but I don’t need three seats in a baseball stadium to remember my parents.

  “Carson and I have been doing therapy sessions with a psychiatrist since we’ve been down here, and it’s helped me realize the things that are important in my life. Carson had a lot of unresolved issues around his dad, and I did with my parents’ deaths. We also have done some couples sessions, and it’s helped us tremendously.”

  “Wow, I’m really happy for you, Melody. I’m so glad you and Carson have been able to work through things. I love you two together.”

  “Thanks. I am, too. That being said, I’m glad you’re moving in with Lex when I move in with Carson. She needs someone to keep her in check. I worry about that girl sometimes.”

  The thought of Lexi made my waxed spot throb—and not in a good way. “I’m glad I’ll be able to be her roommate, although that girl is on my shit list. She told me she waxes herself all the time, and I believed her.”

  Melody’s mouth dropped practically into the sand. “Oh no. Your vagina?”

  “Oh, yeah. I only let her do one strip before I about throat-punched her. I had to shave the rest this morning. It looked like hell.”

  “Oh, Sam, never let that girl around you with hot wax. Ever.”

  I cringed at the terrible moment of my life. “I will never let that happen again.”

  After Mel stopped laughing, she shook her head. “I really can’t believe Ryan has settled down. He’s very smitten with you. I think he might even be in love.”

  It was my turn to laugh. “I’m not so sure about that. It hasn’t been very long and—”

  “The heart doesn’t abide by timelines, Sam.”

  As I looked over the ocean, I couldn’t think of anything other than how true that statement was.

  Chapter Twenty-One: Ryan

  Carson was so fucking insistent on me coming to Mel’s place on Captiva Island during our two-day break. If it wasn’t for Sammie doing some big research paper, I would have flown home to have forty-eight hours with her.

  “Dude, why in the hell are you moping? We have two days off, and you’re about to enjoy one of America’s best-kept secrets. You shouldn’t look like your dog just died.”

  The truth was, I’d rather spend the two days in my hotel than see Carson and Mel fall all over each other, as fucked up as that was. I just missed Sam, and seeing these two blissfully happy made it even worse.

  “I miss Sam.”

  He looked at me, and I expected a smart-ass remark, but he was quiet for a long moment.

  “You really care about her, don’t you?”

  I shrugged, mainly because I wasn’t in the mood to listen to his shit about me leaving her alone.

  Carson whistled lowly. “Damn, never thought I would see the day that the player would be out for just one girl.”

  “She’s a pretty phenomenal girl.”

  He nodded in agreement. “Girls like Sammie don’t come around often. I’m glad you recognize her worth.”

  “It took a while to convince her that I wanted her and only her.”

  “Can you blame her?” he asked. “Ryan, you have slept with more women than I can count within the last year alone. She probably thinks, once you fuck her, you’ll move on to the next girl. Be honest; when’s the last time you had sex?”

  “With Sam, the day before I left for spring training.”

  “Shit … so it’s not a fuck and move on deal. Before that?”

  I rubbed a hand over my face, embarrassed to admit. “The night we lost in the playoffs.”

  Carson rolled his eyes and looked back to the water. “You’re full of shit.”

  “I’m not lying, and frankly, I don’t give a fuck if you believe me or not, asshole. Ever since the night at the gala, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her, and it’s more than just wanting in her pants.”

  He turned back to me and grinned. “Holy shit.”

  “What?”

  “You’re in love with the ball girl.”

  “Fuck off, Carson.”

  He looked like a giddy schoolgirl. “You are! The player has been taken down!”

  “Again, fuck off. And don’t breathe a word of this to Mel. I don’t want it going through a group text, only to have fucking Lexi busting my balls.”

  He was still giggling like a little bitch when the ferry pulled up to the dock of Captiva. “Man, this is seriously the best place in the entire world. The five months of the off-season here was fantastic,” he said over his shoulder as we stepped off the boat.

  From the looks of the old, weathered welcome shack and visitor center, I wasn’t seeing the appeal Carson had been trying to convey.

  “Hey, guys!” Melody stepped out of the shack, running into Carson’s arms.

  He picked her up and kissed her like he hadn’t just seen her thirty-six hours ago. I rolled my eyes, knowing this was what I’d have to deal with for the next few days. Carson finally put her down and stopped suffocating the poor girl.

  “Hi, Ryan. Welcome to Captiva,” Melody said, half out of breath.

  “Thanks for having me,” I forced myself to say.

  Mel grabbed my hand and pulled me down the dock. “There’s something I want you to see!”

  I followed, not nearly as excited as she was. We rounded the corner of the shack, and Melody stopped quickly, nearly making me run into her.

  “Mel, what the—”

  At the end of the long dock stood what had to be an illusion. The most gorgeous woman with blonde hair blowing in the wind and the biggest smile was staring back at me.

  “I’m hallucinating,” I said simply.

  “You’re not,” Melody squealed.

  I squinted, still not believing my eyes for a moment. “Sam?”

  She crossed her arms and popped her hip to the side. “What took you so long to get here?” she called out.

  I dropped my bag
and ran as fast as I could, Sam running toward me with the biggest smile. She jumped into my arms and wrapped her legs around me, and I held on to her as if she might disappear at any moment.

  I captured her mouth without missing a beat, needing her kiss more than I’d ever needed anything in my entire life. My senses were overwhelmed with her taste, her smell, how she felt against me. I felt like, for the first time since I left Baltimore, I was whole. Like I was home again.

  She pulled back enough to say against my lips, “I missed you.”

  “I haven’t been able to breathe since I last saw you. I’ve missed you so damn much, Sammie.”

  Everything felt right in the world. She was in my arms, and I had no intentions of letting go.

  Ever.

  A throat cleared behind us, and I realized we were in public and had at least an audience of two, maybe more. I set Sam on her feet and broke our lips apart. I turned back to Carson and Melody, who were both smiling like idiots.

  “Did you know about this?” I asked Carson.

  He shrugged and put an arm around Melody. “It was just my job to get you here. And, now, Mel and I are leaving.”

  “Leaving?” I asked.

  “We’re flying back to Baltimore for a few days. I’m packing up the rest of my stuff at the condo and moving in with Carson. Sam’s going to start to move some of her stuff into the condo,” Melody explained.

  I glanced at Sam, who was nodding in agreement.

  “I know you told me about this already, but are you sure that’s something you want to do?” I asked Sam.

  She elbowed me in the stomach. “She’s my friend, Ryan. Besides, I’ll need somewhere to live after I graduate.”

  She was right, but I was thinking more along the lines of her moving in with me. And Lexi, well, she was a whole other level of crazy.

  “You’re right; it will be good for you.” I kissed the top of her head.

  Melody hugged Sam, giving her instructions on the house before turning to me. She leaned up on her tiptoes and hugged me, whispering in my ear, “Don’t hurt her. If you think Lexi is crazy, break her heart and wait until I get ahold of you.”

  Fuck.

  I kissed Mel’s cheek before responding with, “If anyone will be doing the hurting, it will be her.”

  She smiled up at me when she pulled away, satisfied with my answer.

  Carson shook my hand and brought me in for a hug. “Enjoy your girl, man.”

  Mel and Carson got onto the ferry, leaving Sam and me alone.

  “So, do we really get a few days alone?” I put my arms around Sam, holding her close to me.

  She smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Two full days of being alone, and then I’ll be here for one more day before flying back home. I’ll be able to catch a game before I leave.”

  Three days of Sam. It was exactly what I needed.

  “How about I take you on a little tour of the island before heading to Mel’s house?”

  “Sure. Where are you parked?”

  She giggled and nodded behind her at the line of golf carts. “There are no cars allowed on the island. We have a pretty sweet golf cart though.”

  “Really? No cars on the island? This sounds like—”

  “Paradise,” she interrupted. “It’s pure paradise. You’ll see soon enough. And the only way off the island is by plane or ferry, so there isn’t any running from me, Mr. Cruz. You’re stuck with me for a few days.”

  “Gladly.”

  Now, that sounded like fucking paradise.

  By the time we finally arrived to Melody’s beach house, it was already close to lunchtime. We’d spent the morning exploring the island, stopping off the side of the sandy pathways to kiss, most of which turned heated quickly. I couldn’t stop touching her, even as we sat on the deck, eating sandwiches. I pulled her chair flush against mine, keeping my hand on her thigh the entire time we ate.

  Melody’s beach house was right on the ocean, and it was breathtaking. I was enjoying the quiet atmosphere of the island, thankful that there wasn’t a beach full of sunbathers and college kids as far as the eye could see. It was just Sam and me, and it was fucking perfect.

  “I see the appeal of this place now,” I told Sam.

  She smiled and looked over the ocean. “This morning, I woke up really early, and it was so dark that I saw more stars than I had ever seen in my entire life. There were a few shooting stars. I think I was able to make three wishes.”

  “What did you wish for?”

  She shook her head. “They won’t come true if I tell you.”

  “Well, if they’re about me, I could make them come true.”

  “A little conceited, aren’t we?” She laughed.

  “I just want to do anything I can to make you happy.”

  She rubbed her hand over my cheek. “You’re doing a good job of it so far.”

  I lifted her from her chair and put her in my lap. “I promise I’ll keep it that way. I never want to see you without that smile.” I softly kissed her before grinning against her lips. “That is, unless it’s because I have you moaning and begging. That’s the only exception.”

  Her eyes turned darker. “What would I be begging for?”

  “Me.”

  Her fingers played with the hair at the base of my neck. “What part of you?”

  I ran my fingertips under her shirt. “My fingers.” I grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her deep and hard. “My lips,” I whispered.

  She involuntarily shivered against me, and then I ran my tongue from her neck to her ear.

  “My tongue.” I breathed heavily in her ear.

  She gasped and clenched on to me harder. I held her hips and pressed my hardened cock right against her core.

  “My cock.”

  She ground against me, and a sexy little moan left those lips.

  “You’ll be begging for it all, sweetheart.”

  “Now.” She fused her mouth to mine.

  Over the next few hours, Sam and I made up for six weeks of lost time.

  Chapter Twenty-Two: Sammie

  Lying in the sun with the ocean breeze blowing was pure heaven. I could see why Melody came here during the off-seasons, and part of me was wondering how I could convince her that she needed a permanent house sitter for when she wasn’t here. Screw being a pharmacist. This was the life.

  Apparently, Ryan agreed. “Can every day be just like this? Sand, sun, and my half-naked girlfriend beside me?”

  He was spread out on the lounge chair beside me, one hand on my bare thigh, the other in the sand.

  “Girlfriend?” I teased.

  He peeked one eye open. “Well … isn’t that what you are? My girlfriend?”

  “I don’t ever recall you asking me to be your girlfriend or us agreeing on such. I do remember you saying we’d be exclusive, but that isn’t a title or anything. I thought you were just my friend who I really liked a lot and occasionally had sex with.”

  “Oh, is that right?” He moved from his chair and slid on top of me. “So, you think we’re just friends who like each other a lot and occasionally have sex?”

  “Something like that.” I grinned.

  “If we hadn’t been separated for the last six weeks, we would have had more than occasional sex. And, for the record, in the last twenty-four hours, we’ve done a pretty damn good job of rectifying that.”

  I kissed him. “I think you might be right.”

  “Here, I have an idea.” He stood and smoothed a large area of sand before writing something with his finger. “Okay, come here.”

  I walked in front of him and laughed at the words in the sand. “Will you be my girlfriend? Check yes or no.”

  I leaned down to the Yes box and drew a large check mark.

  Ryan came from behind and grabbed my waist. “You’re my first girlfriend.”

  I turned around and put my arms around his neck. “I’m glad I don’t have a lot to measure up to,” I joked.

&nb
sp; “You’re going to be the only one, so no one else has to compare. I’d be screwed otherwise.”

  During our kiss, a crack of thunder sounded in the distance. A large storm cloud was headed toward the island.

  “We might want to head inside. That doesn’t look good,” I told him.

  After we went inside and secured the storm doors like Mel had instructed in case a bad storm rolled through, we curled up on the couch and watched a movie. Ryan fell asleep shortly after it started, and I was antsy with the storm outside, so I decided to read. I went downstairs to grab my Kindle and checked my phone on the charger. Surprisingly, I had a few bars of service; Mel had said most people couldn’t get service at all. I had a voice mail waiting from a phone number I didn’t recognize, so I checked it.