“Slater, I have plans—”
“That’s good, because I do, too.”
“Yeah, but there not the same. You’re on a baseball team. I want to travel and see the world.”
“Our paths are a little different, but we can figure it out. When something is worthwhile, that’s what you do.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be in Oklahoma or somewhere with your team?”
“I rented a car and came home early,” he says with a shrug.
“My brother will have your head. You can’t just decide to leave when you want to, Slater.”
“If he cuts me from the team, that’s just one less argument you have to push me away. It was just a scrimmage and I needed to see you.”
It might be my imagination, but I think her eyes go bright as if my words make her want to cry. I’m not sure that’s a good reaction—especially since she’s clearly panicked. I tug on her, and she tumbles down over me.
“Slater!”
“Hush, baby. I don’t want to fight with you. I missed the fuck out of you.”
I burrow my hand under her hair and hold her face so that she can’t turn away from me. Her beautiful blue eyes are glittering with unshed tears, but it’s the color of them that practically hypnotizes me. They’re so deep and full of need—a need that doesn’t read as sexual. There are questions in them, and I want to be the man to give her the answers.
“You can’t stay here. You don’t know my mother. If she finds you in this bed, she’ll feed you her homemade Viagra to the point she will chain you to the bed and force it down.”
“Say what?” I ask, wondering if I should laugh or be scared. I’ve heard stories of Ida Sue Lucas. I thought people were lying, but and after spending time with her, I’ve started to wonder.
“I’m serious. She’s sneaky and conniving. Hell, she down right terrifying at times.”
“It doesn’t sound as if you like your mother much, Ace.” I lean up and place small, gentle kisses along the inside of her neck.
“I love her,” she says, her voice faltering. “I just know if she thinks you’re the one for me, she’ll do everything she can to make sure you knock me up.”
“Knock you up?”
Okay, now I sound panicked. I want Marigold. I plan on keeping her. Still, when we have kids, it should be after we’ve both accomplished what we want in our careers. We need to have a plan in place.
“Exactly. You have no idea what you’re about to unleash on both of us. You need to get out of here.”
“I can’t.
“You have to,” she argues, but the words end with a moan as I run my tongue against her neck. I suck on her tender skin, loving the taste of her on my lips.
I move a hand down to slide under her shirt, not stopping until I cup her breast in my hand. I squeeze the fleshy globe in my hand as I bite her neck, scoring the soft skin.
“Honey,” she whimpers.
Fuck, I love when she calls me that.
“I’m going to fuck you hard, Ace and then I’m going to fuck you slow. If you have enough energy left when I’m done, we’ll discuss me leaving.”
“You’ll have to be quick. Neither one of us want my mother to find you in my bed.”
“I can be quick,” I tell her as she helps me take her shirt off.
I don’t tell her that I have no intention whatsoever to make love to her quickly. I’m a lot of things, but I’m not stupid. I have Marigold in my arms and I’m going to savor every damn minute.
CHAPTER20