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  When we finally part and compose ourselves, Jake agrees it’s best if he gets home since they have practice early in the morning. The hardwood in his pants probably needs to be handled as well.

  “When are you free for me to take you out?” he asks as he holds my hands on the front porch.

  “Well, I might need to check with the Thompson’s next door to see if they can keep an eye on Conner for me. I know he’s almost fifteen, but I like to know someone’s watching the house just in case. Usually, they’re home on the weekends though, so what about Friday night? I know you guys have a morning game that day…”

  Jake nods. “Yeah, we do. And a later practice on Saturday, so that’s perfect.” He leans in to give me a short but soft kiss on the lips. “I can’t wait.”

  “Me too, Jake. Have a good night,” I whisper as I step up to kiss him again and then release his hands, watching him walk down to his truck and hop inside.

  Once Jake leaves, I run upstairs and grab my vibrator, lock my door, and get myself off in two-point five seconds, especially after the foreplay in the kitchen.

  The rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins comes down after my release, but the anticipation for our date on Friday still keeps me fired up for the next few days.

  Chapter 42

  Dani

  It’s Friday and tonight Jake is supposed to take me out.

  However, that’s not going to happen.

  It took me all of three days to convince myself that going out with Jake is a bad idea. I was so wrapped up in kissing him and feeling him in my arms again, as well as the moving display of concern he had for my brother, that I forgot about one crucial piece of information regarding our situation.

  I work for the team that he now plays on.

  Which means, he’s off limits.

  And if he takes me out in public and we’re spotted together, that could mean big trouble for the both of us.

  I sigh out loud as I plop myself down in my brown leather chair at my desk, spinning around to look out of the window that gives me a clear view of the field where the team is practicing.

  As far as office views go, this one takes the cake. I know some people might want the Manhattan skyline or an ocean view, but give me a baseball stadium any day, and I’m a happy camper.

  “Knock, knock,” Tim Donaldson, the team owner, greets me as he steps into my office, halting my admiration of the scenery in front of me. Dressed in a dark grey suit and maroon tie, he looks high and mighty, but with a rather soft disposition, given he’s the man in charge and all.

  “Hi, Tim. How can I help you?”

  “Well, I wanted to swing by and tell you how impressed we are with the work you’ve been doing around here, Dani. The OC Rays are trending on social media, which is fantastic given that the season is about to start. And I just loved the reading event you did at the library with the players. We’ve been receiving so many emails and phone calls from parents and fans saying it was one of the best events their kids have been to. The little tikes won’t stop talking about it,” he beams, sliding into one of the chairs on the opposite side of my desk.

  “Why, thank you. I truly love this job and am so grateful for the opportunity,” I state full of sincerity.

  “We definitely feel lucky to have stolen you away from Tina. Andrew said his cousin was a little bitter about losing you,” he chides while I smirk at his words.

  “Tina was very good to me at World Fitness, and quite frankly, taught me everything that I know. So she’s the one to thank for my knowledge as it pertains to the job.”

  “Well, she groomed you well. In fact, I’m very curious to see what you’ve thrown together for the team banquet next week. This event before the season begins is always one of my favorites.”

  I sit up tall and slip right into business mode. “I’m hoping what I have planned with thoroughly impress you. We only have a few more tables left for purchase for our sponsors, and several new organizations have opted to donate this year. The silent auction we have set up assures all proceeds will go to the charity of our choice, as well… giving us a nice little tax break and good exposure,” I state confidently.

  “I like where your head is at, Dani. Well, I’ll let you get back to it. And if I don’t see you before then, I’m sure you’ll look ravishing at the banquet.”

  “Black tie affairs are one perk of the job,” I smile, excited to dress up in an elegant gown, since I haven’t had the chance to since my senior prom.

  “It’s going to be a lovely evening, I’m sure. My wife always looks forward to getting dolled up for the occasion as well.”

  Tim stands to leave and buttons his coat, just as another knock resonates in my office and a God-like man walks through the door.

  “Jake?”

  I turn to see Jake Calhoun, dressed in his practice uniform and cleats, standing in my doorway with his sexy smirk smeared across his face. But as soon as he takes in Tim Donaldson standing across from me, his face changes into a softer smile and he shifts his weight around to appear less primal.

  I wonder what his intentions were if Tim hadn’t been standing there? The thought of sex with Jake on my desk enters and exits my mind just as quickly as I conjured it up, refocusing on the fact that the team owner and player that I may or may not be dating are both standing in the same room. Christ on a cracker.

  “Calhoun, good to see you,” Tim turns and glides to Jake, stretching out his hand to shake. Jake accepts and acts as if the world isn’t spinning off its axis right now.

  “Tim. Thanks so much again for having me back. It feels good to be home.” He flashes his confident smile and slips into the role of a professional ballplayer.

  “Believe me, Jake. No one’s happier than we are.” Tim looks back over his shoulder at me, before he does a double take and focuses back on Jake.

  “What are you doing up here? Is practice over already?” Tim questions, the arch in his eyebrow claims he’s suspicious.

  “Uh, I actually needed to follow up with Dani regarding a fan from the reading event,” Jake declares, quick on his feet. I’m impressed because I’m pretty sure my mind and feet are frozen right now.

  This is exactly the situation I was hoping to avoid.

  Tim eyes Jake suspiciously and then one side of his lips tip up in a smile.

  “Sure. Well, I guess I’ll leave you to it then,” he answers. “Looking forward to the banquet, Dani,” he tosses back at me before skirting around Jake and exiting my office.

  Jake turns to shut my door quietly and then focuses back on me.

  “Holy hell,” I exhale, letting out the breath I was holding while Tim was in here.

  “What’s wrong, Dani?” Jake questions as he makes his way over to where I’m standing. I put my hand up to stop him from getting any closer.

  “Jake, I know I said that you could take me out tonight, but I just don’t think that’s a good idea anymore,” I say with uncertainty as I back away from him.

  “What? Why?” There’s a hint of anger in his voice, but mostly just disappointment.

  “Because of that, right there!” I declare louder than necessary, pointing at the door that the team owner just walked through.

  “Tim?”

  “Yes, Tim! The team owner! My boss’s boss! The guy who decides whether or not I have a job, which he just came in to congratulate me on how well I’ve been doing….,” I shake my head to match the trembling going on in my body. “I can’t… I can’t jeopardize my job, Jake.”

  I see the reality of our situation hit Jake hard.

  Here he is, back in Irvine after three years.

  Here I am, finally open to letting him back in.

  And here is reality, here to slap us both in the face.

  Both of our jobs are on the line if we take this any further.

  “Dani, I can’t lose you again…” He chokes through the deep rumble of his voice, which heats up my insides while defeating the hope I had a few days ago.

 
I close my eyes and exhale loudly. “I don’t know what else to do, Jake. I’m sorry,” I say as I open my eyes and see the despair in his staring back at me.

  “Me too,” he mutters before turning and grabbing the door handle, preparing to leave.

  He gives me one more depressing glance over his shoulder before pulling the door open and stepping through, letting it close behind him.

  I slump back down in my chair and fight the tears threatening to fall.

  We were so close, yet, time still wasn’t on our side.

  Chapter 43

  Jake

  I throw my batting helmet against my locker as I arrive back in the clubhouse, my anger radiating off of me in waves, as my teammates turn to find the source of explosiveness in the room.

  “Fuck, Calhoun! Calm the fuck down!” Brandon yells over at me from his locker.

  “Mind your own fucking business, Cash!” I spit back.

  Brandon just shakes his head at me before grabbing his bag, slamming his locker shut and storming out of the door.

  “Jake, what the fuck, man? What’s going on?” Rocky comes up beside me, watching me intently.

  “Dani canceled our date. I was this close,” I say, holding my fingers up to display a millimeter of space between them.

  “Seriously? When?”

  “Just right now. I went up to her office just now to see her because I couldn’t wait two more fucking hours, and Tim Donaldson was there. It freaked her out and she said she couldn’t do this. Not when both of our jobs are on the line.”

  Rocky stares down at me and then pops his head up.

  “What if they weren’t?”

  I tilt my head up to venture a guess at where he’s heading.

  “What do you mean?”

  He takes a seat next to me on the bench, placing his bag on the floor and leans forward, bracing his forearms on his thighs.

  “I mean, what if you were upfront with Donaldson from the get-go? What if you told him how you felt about her, your history and all that, and see what he says? Like, get his blessing or some shit,” he casually declares, which makes the lightbulb click on in my brain.

  “Fuck, Rocky. You’re a goddamn genius! If he knows we’re together, or at least the fact that I’m interested and says it’s okay, then Dani can’t find another excuse to avoid me,” I beam like a kid that just discovered a big secret.

  “I do have my moments,” he jokes while brushing off his shoulder.

  “You really think that could work though? I mean, what if he says no?” My enthusiasm instantly diminishes at the thought that he could still deny me from seeing her.

  “You’ll never know unless you ask,” Rocky shrugs.

  And I know he’s right.

  I stand up, grab my bag, not bothering to change, and then run for the door, with one destination on my mind---Tim Donaldson’s office.

  “Thanks, Rock!” I call out to him without looking back and jog back up to the corporate offices, in search of the man who potentially holds the key to my happiness.

  I locate the double doors that lead to Tim’s headquarters, only to be greeted by his secretary as I shuffle inside.

  “Can I help you?” The gray-haired woman who serves as his assistant asks quietly when I approach her desk.

  “Yes. My name is Jake Calhoun and I need to speak with Tim Donaldson, please.” I feel my jumpiness kick in as I stand there and wait for a piece of information that could turn my afternoon around.

  “I know who you are, Mr. Calhoun. But Mr. Donaldson is on a conference call at the moment and it just started. I’m not sure how long it will last, but you are free to wait until he’s through if you’d like.”

  Well, I was supposed to be taking Danielle out tonight, but now that those plans went to shit, I have nothing better to do than wait.

  “I will, thank you,” I smile at her, which makes her cheeks pink up, before I turn and take a seat in one of the chairs outside the doors to his office.

  Almost forty-five minutes later, Tim appears from behind his doors, his briefcase in hand. I stand so quickly, I almost face plant on the ground, but catch my balance just in time.

  “Jake?” he questions as he takes me in.

  “Mr. Donaldson, I know it’s late and you’re probably headed home to your family. But if I could just get a moment of your time, please, I would appreciate it. It’s… it’s really important,” I emphasize and almost beg, hoping the man has a heart.

  He eyes me questionably before casting me a slight grin and flicks his head back to his office.

  “Come on in,” he says as I practically run up behind him and slide through the doors before they close.

  Tim circles his desk and resumes his position in his chair as I take up residence in the seat opposite him.

  “What can I do for you, Jake?” he asks, his hands steepled in front of his face as he waits for me to speak.

  I clear my throat and lay it all out there.

  “Well, Mr. Donaldson, I lied to you before when I was in Danielle’s office earlier,” I start, mustering up the courage to continue. “I wasn’t there to follow up with her about the reading event last week. I was there because I’m in love with her and we used to date, and I’m trying like hell to win her back. I can’t live without her, sir. But she’s convinced that we can’t be together because of our jobs, because we both work for the team now. And I’m here to ask for your permission so that I can make her mine again. I need you to say that it’s okay for me to make her mine again, because if you don’t, I think I might die.”

  I choke it all out, barely pausing to take a breath, but once the words have left my mouth, I sit there on pins and needles, waiting for Tim to react.

  He stares at me, his eyes narrowing as he absorbs my declaration, his hands still in front of his mouth, so I’m having a hard time reading him.

  Finally he drops his hands and grins devilishly up at me behind a small chuckle.

  “I know you were lying to me before, Jake.”

  I swallow hard. Shit, maybe I’ll be the one to lose my job instead of Danielle.

  “I’m sorry, sir.”

  “No need to apologize. In fact, I’m impressed that you took the initiative to reach out to me tonight in the first place.”

  “Seriously?”

  He nods. “Yes, because you approaching me about this before you two resume your relationship shows your dedication to this team, even though I didn’t question it before.”

  “I am dedicated, sir. I love being a Ray. But I love that woman more than baseball, and if it came down to it, I would choose her every time.”

  He sits back and laughs at me.

  “Damn, you’ve got it bad, son.”

  I nod repeatedly in agreement. “Yes, sir. I do.”

  “Frankly, I’m surprised it’s taken this long for you to approach me about this. I figured it was only a matter of time before you were together again. I recall the two of you dating years ago. You could have lit the sky on fire with how passionate you were for each other. Just being in the same room with you rises the temperature twenty degrees. And if you’re sure that she’s worth it, then you have my blessing. I just need you to remain professional in public settings, of course. But go get your girl, Jake.”

  I’ve never wanted to hug a grown man more than I do to Tim right now.

  “Thank you, sir,” I exhale loudly as I stand and reach to shake his hand. He meets me halfway and then stands as well.

  “Does she know you came to talk to me?”

  I shake my head. “No sir. After you left her office, she cancelled our plans for tonight and I was crushed. It was Rocky Perez that actually suggested I come and talk to you.”

  “Smart man. So what are you going to do now?”

  “I’m going to make her mine, sir.”

  Tim tilts his head with a look of mischief in his eyes. “You could make her sweat a little, you know?”

  I eye him suspiciously. “What do you mean?”

 
“Well, she’s so convinced that you two being together is wrong… what if you let her believe that for a while? Makes the build-up all that more intense,” he wiggles his eyebrows at me.

  “Sir?”

  He comes around his desk and places a hand on my shoulder. “Believe me, Jake. Women love the chase. My wife was hard-pressed to let me in too. But once she did, it was explosive,” he winks at me.

  I think my boss is giving me relationship advice now. What the hell just happened in the last few hours of my life?

  “I hear you, sir. Thanks,” I say, still not sure how to process this conversation.

  “I’ll be rooting for you two. Now if you’ll excuse me, the family is waiting for me at home.”

  “Yes, sir. Sorry for keeping you,” I apologize as I follow him out of his office that is now empty, his secretary obviously already left for the day.

  “I may love baseball, Jake, but I’ll always root for love first. Good luck to you,” he offers with a wave and I watch him leave, standing there as a huge smile washes over my face.

  Maybe Tim is right. Maybe I keep my little secret to myself for a while and show Danielle how much we belong together until she can’t tell me no, any longer.

  I feel my dick ache at the thought of waiting to claim her again, but you know what they say… good things come to those who wait.

  I’ve waited three years for her, what’s a few more days?

  Chapter 44

  Dani

  “Are you about ready?”

  I turn to the door as my assistant, Tiffany, walks through holding the copies I asked her to make.

  Andrew approved my request for an assistant a few weeks ago, given the numerous tasks I’ve taken on. This week I finally found someone worth hiring, and Tiffany has been a God-send. There are far too many details for one person to manage regarding the beginning of the season banquet in five days, plus Conner’s birthday is two days from now, giving me even more things to plan.

  “Yes, just set those over there please,” I point to the table right by the door so the players and coaches can grab them on their way into the room.