One Look Page 30

  “Jake,” she moans, as I plunge two fingers inside of her, stroking her walls where it counts, grabbing her ass with my free hand to pull her closer to me. My tongue continues to stroke her sweet spot, my fingers pulse in and out of her heat, and it doesn’t take long before she’s exploding all over my tongue.

  “Yes!” She shouts, pulling at my hair, pushing me deeper into her pussy until I have coerced every ounce of pleasure out of her.

  “You are addicting, baby,” the gravel of my voice echoes out of my mouth as I climb my way up her body, leaving a trail of kisses on my path, until I sink myself into the heaven between her legs where my head was just at.

  “Jake!” She screams, still recovering from her orgasm, shudders racking through her body that hadn’t recovered from her release, but I couldn’t stand not being inside of her again any longer.

  I slow down the pace, shifting the energy between us from carnal desperation to something more tender, more meaningful, more… everything.

  “Dani… I can’t believe I’ve gone this long without you, baby,” I declare, my forehead resting on hers, as I continue to plunge into her in smooth strokes, the combination of her wet and tight pussy grasping me more exquisite than anything I’ve ever felt before.

  “Me too, Jake,” she whispers back. Pulling my face down so our lips meet, she brushes her lips to mine in a soft and reverent kiss, showing me with her body how she feels.

  I hold off as long as I can until I feel her start to clench around me. Reaching between our bodies where we’re joined, I softly rub her clit, giving her the friction she needs to soar, her release hitting her as mine fires off simultaneously.

  We ride out the waves, the rippling effect of our love-making spreading over our bodies, our shallow breaths and moans filling the room, the feeling so intense I collapse on top of her while we both come down from our high, our breathing hard and heavy.

  I prop myself up on my elbows and find her face, her eyes still closed, but her smile faint in appreciation of our mind-blowing sex.

  “Dani,” I say, gathering her attention as her eyes open up.

  “Jake…. I…” She stutters back, tears welling in her eyes.

  “I love you, Dani,” I breathe out, the weight of finally saying those words to her releasing from my shoulders. I’ve held those words inside since she broke my heart. And now I can finally let them be known.

  Her lips are trembling as she pulls my forehead to hers again, continuing to hold my gaze.

  “I love you too, Jake,” she voices, another wave of relief hitting me as I hear her reciprocate my feelings. “I’ve never stopped loving you.”

  “Me neither, Dani,” I say as I shake my head. “I swear, our time apart has only made me more aware of how much I need you in my life.”

  “I’m so sorry I pushed you away, Jake. I’m so, so, sorry,” she cries, the tears falling as I sit up and pull her into my lap.

  “Shhhhh, it’s okay, baby. I know. I know back then you felt like that’s what you had to do. But I’m never letting you go again, Dani. Never.”

  Her lips brush mine as we seal our commitment with an all-consuming kiss, leaving no doubt, whatsoever, about moving forward together.

  Chapter 48

  Dani

  “Are you sure you don’t want to sit in the box with everyone else?” Jake questions me while I’m standing in his kitchen, wearing nothing but his t-shirt after I spent the night.

  It’s opening day and soon, Jake will have to leave for the stadium and I still have to go back home and pick up Conner before the game.

  “I’m sure, Jake. I know your family and the team representatives will all be up there. But if this is going to be the first game I attend since Gramps passed, then I have to sit in our seats. It’s only right.” I turn to find him enclosing his arms around me before silencing me with a worshipful kiss.

  “I agree. I just want to make sure you’re feeling okay about it. You don’t seem overly emotional yet, which I’m expecting.”

  I swat him playfully on the chest which makes him laugh and then kiss me again.

  “Oh, don’t worry. The tears will come later, but for right now, I have other thoughts on the brain,” I arch my brow at him, letting him know my intentions.

  “Is that so,” he fires back as he lifts me up and carries me back to bed, leaving the breakfast I just made to get cold, but hell if I care.

  After Jake and I reconciled the night of the banquet, we’ve been inseparable. We sat down with Conner and told him that we were in love and back together, to which he rolled his eyes and replied, “It’s about damn time.”

  When I called Lochlin and told her, the scream she let out probably could have been heard a hundred miles away. I promised I’d give her all the details, but I’ve been so wrapped up in Jake over the past few days, we haven’t spoken except through a brief text conversation where she asked if my vagina was okay.

  The truth is, she’s more than okay. She’s fantastic. Sated, cared for, and hungrier than ever for Jake. We’ve spent the past few nights at his place or at mine, going at it like bunny rabbits. I guess not touching each other for three years will cause an insatiable need that you can attempt to fill and fail miserably at it. But you won’t hear me complaining, not when the sex is even better than it was before.

  Since Conner is on Spring Break from school this week, we stayed at Jake’s house to enjoy some alone time before the first game of the season. And this opening day means more to me than any other one I’ve ever attended.

  This is the first time I get to sit in the stands, in love with a man on the field, with no doubts about being with him. I’m ready to take on our life together and everything that goes with it. I want my future with him, and I know he feels the same way. We finally feel like the team I always knew we could be, which casts a blanket of peace over my soul. I finally feel whole again.

  A photo of the two of us leaving the banquet together surfaced the day after the dinner, which made Jake and I laugh, knowing what happened after that photo was taken. But it took no time for speculation to swirl, even sportscasters claiming intrigue that upon Jake’s return to the Rays, he also rekindled our romance from three years ago.

  Today, I get to watch the man I love play the game he loves. I get to relish in the fact that I trusted my path and it led me to this moment. And I get to look at him out on the field like I did the first time.

  That one look changed the course of my life.

  After Jake and I go at it for the thousandth time, I rush him out of the door so he won’t be late to meet with the team and warm-up before the first game.

  I freshen up and head for home, greeted by a sleepy Conner as I make my way inside just before noon.

  “Are you just waking up?”

  His messy hair and barely open eyes confirm my suspicions.

  “It’s Spring Break, Dani. Of course, I’m sleeping in.”

  I shake my head at him with laughter. “Ok then, well I’m going to do some laundry and chores before we head for the stadium, okay?”

  “Sounds good. Hey, are you nervous about today?” Conner asks, his stature a little weary.

  “Kind of. I mean, we haven’t been back since Gramps died.”

  “I know. It actually makes me feel kind of guilty. I just knew back then it would have been too hard.” He looks away, attempting to hide his remorse.

  “Hey, don’t feel guilty. I think we did what we needed to do at the time. I’m sure he understands. But today, he and Dad are probably grinning like fools knowing we’re going back on opening day and will be sitting in our seats again,” I say as my tears well up at the thought.

  “Did Mom like baseball, too?” Conner asks as he pours himself a bowl of cereal.

  “Yeah, she’d go to games occasionally. But it was mostly just Gramps and Dad.”

  “That’s cool. Do you mind if I wear Gramps’ hat today? And you can wear Dad’s?”

  I nod at him, fighting to keep my tears from
falling. “Sounds good.”

  Conner and I take care of business before the time comes to make our way to the stadium. Even though I work here now, arriving while knowing that I’m attending a game this time as a fan and not as an employee makes my stomach twist in knots. The same orange and white banners hang from the brick structure, stretching up to the sky as the blue hues above combined with the beams from the sun cast the entire stadium in a haze. Soon, those bright white lights will have the same effect over the stark green grass and white lines of the diamond.

  I look over at my brother as we make our way inside, a few photographers snapping our pictures as we walk by. Surprisingly, the media attention doesn’t bother me as much today, even though I’m sure the cameras will find me more than once. Like I concluded earlier, I know what I want now. And I’ll be damned if a few photographers or reporters will tear Jake and me apart again.

  Ambling down the concrete steps one at a time, an overwhelming feeling of déjà vu hits when Conner and I arrive at the row where our season ticket seats are waiting for us. I take a deep breath as we slide forward, popcorn and nachos in hand, and take our seats simultaneously.

  “Man, it’s weird being here without Gramps,” Conner breaks the silence, a hint of remorse in his tone.

  “I agree. But gosh, what a perfect afternoon for a game,” I breathe out, soaking in the feeling of being back in the stadium as a fan and the weather that you couldn’t have handpicked to be more perfect for a baseball game. The light breeze keeps the air cool, but the warmth from the sun hints at the promise that summer will be here soon.

  “It’s gonna be our year!” Conner fakes Gramps’ voice with his famous declaration he boasted each year, which makes me chuckle through my tears.

  “Let’s hope he’s right,” I say looking over at Conner, who just smiles with a wink and begins to shove popcorn in his mouth.

  When the announcer’s voice echoes in the stadium, introducing the team, my heart lodges in my throat and my whole body trembles from my pounding heart as I stand and clap, watching the team strut across the field.

  And then I see him. My number twenty-three. My heart and soul and perfect match.

  As I sit down, I never take my eyes off of him, his strong body decked out in his orange and white uniform, waiting for him to look up and find me.

  And then he does, and the brightest smile stretches across his face, mirroring mine at the same time.

  The jumbotron finds us immediately as I give him the small wave of my fingers, and he blows a kiss to me. The crowd goes wild at the sight, which makes me blush and slightly hide beneath my hat.

  Jake shrugs, then tosses me a wink before the game begins, and Eddie Salazar throws the first pitch.

  Watching Jake play again does things to my libido, not that I needed any help with that. The way he hunches over on his knees, the way he stands when he’s up to bat, the way he finds my eyes every time he gets a hit on base or when he knocked his first home run out of the park at the top of the fourth.

  Each moment brings me a sense of impeccable happiness, with just a tinge of remorse knowing I pushed him away and fought so hard to convince myself we couldn’t be happy back then.

  Thank God I finally pulled my head out of my ass.

  After a stellar win, the Rays make their way to the locker room, so Conner and I stand and walk to wait outside the tunnel for Jake.

  Once Jake appears, I can’t hide the smile on my face watching him tread towards me and sweep me up in his arms, planting a kiss to claim me in front of everyone. Cameras flash and the questions fly while we continue to love one another.

  Once we part, Jake pulls me in and asks for quiet so he can address the media.

  “Yes, Danielle and I are back together. No one is happier than I am about that development,” Jake teases while light chuckles fill the air. “I love this woman with all my heart and she supports me no matter what. Baseball will always be my first love, but Dani here is my true love.”

  When are you getting married?

  Doesn’t she work for the team now?

  Did you guys keep in contact while you were with Seattle?

  Questions bombard us from left to right as I tuck myself tighter underneath Jake’s arm. Conner just smiles and shakes his head as he stands off to the side and watches the chaos.

  “Yes, Dani works for the team now, and they know of our relationship and support it wholeheartedly. We appreciate your support as well, but all other details of our reconnection will remain private. More importantly, though, I am beyond happy to be back home on the Rays and look forward to a stellar season. Thanks.”

  Jake pulls us back down the tunnel, closer to the locker room entrance, and then kisses me once more.

  “So you just put it all out there, huh?” I tease, knowing that was what we discussed.

  “Yup, but that’s all they get. That should be enough to make them happy and maybe since we were forthcoming, they’ll leave us alone a bit more than they did last time.”

  “I don’t know… you two were all over that jumbotron tonight,” Conner chimes in as Jake’s parents and siblings come up behind us.

  “Jake! You did so well tonight, son!” Jake’s mom shouts as she pushes her way forward and slams into her boy.

  Jake kisses her on the temple as he hugs her back. “Thanks, Mom. Dad. Did you enjoy the box seats this time?”

  “The food and booze were insane,” Jake’s older brother interjects.

  “Yes, quite the spread. But the game was great, son. So proud of you,” Jake’s dad adds while bringing his son in close for a hug.

  “So am I only the one who wants to finally meet Danielle, or what?” Jake’s sister breaks the moment with sarcasm, turning to find me grinning like a fool.

  “I’m Taylor,” she extends her hand to me, which I meet willingly.

  “Danielle, but you can call me Dani,” I reply, noticing the uncanny resemblance between Jake and his siblings.

  “Yeah, everyone… this is Dani. Dani, this is my mom Lindy, my dad Tom, my brother Dillon, and my sister, Taylor.”

  “It’s so nice to meet you all. I’ve heard so much about you,” I offer while I feel the sweat drip down my back. I knew I was meeting his family today, but my nerves are still firing at full speed.

  “Dani, you are just gorgeous! Tom, isn’t she gorgeous?” Lindy turns to her husband who just winks over at me.

  I stifle my laugh as I thank her for her kind words.

  “Oh! And this is my brother, Conner, everyone.”

  Conner offers a polite wave, but words are never his strength when meeting new people.

  “Okay, well let me grab my bag and then we can head for the restaurant for drinks. You guys never got a chance to go to Sully’s the last time you were here, and that’s where the team always hangs out after our home games,” Jake breaks the awkwardness.

  “You mean, we’re going to get to drink with the entire team?” Taylor shrieks, which makes me laugh as I remember Lochlin and my reaction to the same idea all those years ago.

  “Yeah, if you can remain cool,” Jake teases her, then kisses me on the temple before departing. “Be right back,” he whispers as he jogs back into the locker room.

  Once he returns, we all make our way to the bar and settle in at a large table in the back of the restaurant, since Conner can’t go back to the VIP area. However, several members of the team make their way out to greet Jake’s family and Taylor is just over the moon, perusing all the man-candy.

  Jake’s family is so welcoming the entire time we converse. His mom is the epitome of the doting mother, so proud of each of her children. Jake’s dad is the strong, silent type, but is clearly head-over-heels for Jake’s mom. Dillon, his older brother, is a professional through and through until you get him talking about his daughters, and then he melts into a pile of blissful goo. It’s clear he loves being a dad. And Jake’s sister is such a free spirit, clearly the creative one of the bunch and constantly moving to music,
part of her life as a dancer I’m sure.

  When I can barely keep my eyes open any longer, Jake declares it’s time to get home.

  “Thank you so much for coming down here, you guys,” Jake addresses his family, even though I know they wanted to be here no matter what.

  “We wouldn’t have missed it, Jake. And Dani,” Lindy says as she turns to me. “It was such a pleasure to meet you. You have clearly made an impression on our son and I hope he treats you well.”

  I think about just how well he treats me, but probably not in the way she’s referring to.

  “Yes, Lindy. He’s very good to me. It’s clear you’ve taught him well,” I wink at her as she pulls me into her for a hug.

  “I can’t wait for you to be my daughter-in-law,” she whispers in my ear while holding me to her. The thought of having these people as my in-laws, and more importantly, my family in the future, makes me instantly start to tear up.

  “Me too,” I whisper back, closing my eyes and silently thanking the universe for sending me a family I never realized I craved so much. Not only by being with Jake do I get him, but the thought of inheriting his family as well reduces me to an emotional mess, one I try to hide on the outside.

  “Alright, let’s get going,” Jake declares as we all say our last goodbyes and then head back to my house.

  Conner trudges up the stairs once we get inside, leaving Jake and me alone on the couch.

  “I am beat,” Jake yawns as he holds me in his arms, the feel of his strong chest beneath my cheek enough to make me melt into him.

  “Me too. But gosh, it felt so amazing being back in the stands,” I whisper to him while my fingers stroke his chest, not wanting to disturb the peaceful quiet around us.

  “I bet. And Dani, having you back in the stands made everything feel right, finally,” he says, making me push myself up to stare into his eyes.

  “I felt that too, Jake.”