Matt take a few more swings. “Watch your shoulder. You’re dropping it again.” He walked away from Shayne , motioning for Matt to get out of the box. He put his big hand on Matt’s shoulder, bending to look him in the eye. “It’s okay to regroup. When things don’t feel right, pull back, examine what’s wrong then retackle it when you’re back in control.”
Matt nodded, craned his head on his neck, lifted his shoulders, put the bat behind his back and stretched. “Okay. I think I’m ready.”
“Go for it, my man.” Ricky pointed toward the top of the tent that kept the balls from liberation. “Take it on a ride.”
Matt grinned and straightened his batting helmet. He grimaced when the ball hit the backstop.
Ricky came back over to where Shayne stood. “As soon as he’s finished, it’s your turn.”
“I’m fine.”
He purposely dropped his gaze from her face, letting it roam uninhibited down to her toes and back up. He clucked his tongue. “You are definitely fine, and it’s your turn.”
Heat bloomed in her cheeks as well as her stomach. “Is it hot in here? ” she asked even as she shivered under his scrutiny.
Again, his eyes w en t roaming. And again, his smile turned her belly into lava. “Yes, it’s definitely hot in here.”
Did that absurd giggle just come from her? Oh hell , she did not just slap at his chest . When had she turned into a sixteen-year-old girl ?
He strutted over to the side and grabbed a bat, bringing it back. He held it out. “Try this one out.”
She had no idea what she was supposed to do with a baseball bat. Of course she’d seen other people use them. They had been at the batting cages for over an hour. But as she tried to get into position, she knew she looked like an idiot. His snicker confirmed it.
“Here, lemme help you.”
She felt the heat from his body wash over her as he got up close and personal behind her . He wrapped his hands around hers on the bat and hefted it up on her shoulder. “Don’t rest it on your shoulder. It needs to swing free. Wiggle the tip.”
She giggled—and cringed.
“What?”
“I thought it was my job to tell you that.”
He groaned. “Are you serious right now? ‘Cause your l ittle innuendoes are killin’ me .”
She bit her lip to keep from grinning . “Sorry.”
“No, you’re not.” He bumped her hips with his groin. “Now, let’s be serious. We’ve got an audience.”
He released hold of her hands on the bat and gripped her hips. S he purred. She couldn’t help it. His hands were huge and warm and wicked thoughts of having them all over her naked skin raced through her mind. She shivered, refusing to think of the one and only time she’d…
“It’s a good thing Matt’s clear over there.” Ricky’s lips brushed her ear. “And it’s a damn good thing he’s here at all, because you makin’ little noises, teasin’ me like you are, he’s the only thing keepin’ me from pushin’ up against the backstop and kissin’ the holy hell out of you.”
Instead of a warning, his words sent a shot of disappointment through her. She dropped her arm, the bat coming to rest next to her leg.
“You know, you make me want to do very bad things.” She shook her head. “I’m not sure how I feel about that .”
His lips pursed, his brows creased. “Yeah, well, I guess we’d better stick to your pathetic batting stance then.”
She sobered, feeling like a fool. “Yeah, I ah, we shouldn’t… My batting stance, right.”
Instead of helping her, h e stalked away . His hands flexed, tightened into fists, then slammed into his thighs. His enormous back stretched and contracted with a breath. He turned on his Nikes and took his time getting back to her side. The look on his face was all about the pissed off.
Panic flooded her bloodstream and her fingers clutched tight to the only weapon she had.
6
Ricky didn’t know if he was comin’ or goin’. He now knew what it felt like to be a
Matt nodded, craned his head on his neck, lifted his shoulders, put the bat behind his back and stretched. “Okay. I think I’m ready.”
“Go for it, my man.” Ricky pointed toward the top of the tent that kept the balls from liberation. “Take it on a ride.”
Matt grinned and straightened his batting helmet. He grimaced when the ball hit the backstop.
Ricky came back over to where Shayne stood. “As soon as he’s finished, it’s your turn.”
“I’m fine.”
He purposely dropped his gaze from her face, letting it roam uninhibited down to her toes and back up. He clucked his tongue. “You are definitely fine, and it’s your turn.”
Heat bloomed in her cheeks as well as her stomach. “Is it hot in here? ” she asked even as she shivered under his scrutiny.
Again, his eyes w en t roaming. And again, his smile turned her belly into lava. “Yes, it’s definitely hot in here.”
Did that absurd giggle just come from her? Oh hell , she did not just slap at his chest . When had she turned into a sixteen-year-old girl ?
He strutted over to the side and grabbed a bat, bringing it back. He held it out. “Try this one out.”
She had no idea what she was supposed to do with a baseball bat. Of course she’d seen other people use them. They had been at the batting cages for over an hour. But as she tried to get into position, she knew she looked like an idiot. His snicker confirmed it.
“Here, lemme help you.”
She felt the heat from his body wash over her as he got up close and personal behind her . He wrapped his hands around hers on the bat and hefted it up on her shoulder. “Don’t rest it on your shoulder. It needs to swing free. Wiggle the tip.”
She giggled—and cringed.
“What?”
“I thought it was my job to tell you that.”
He groaned. “Are you serious right now? ‘Cause your l ittle innuendoes are killin’ me .”
She bit her lip to keep from grinning . “Sorry.”
“No, you’re not.” He bumped her hips with his groin. “Now, let’s be serious. We’ve got an audience.”
He released hold of her hands on the bat and gripped her hips. S he purred. She couldn’t help it. His hands were huge and warm and wicked thoughts of having them all over her naked skin raced through her mind. She shivered, refusing to think of the one and only time she’d…
“It’s a good thing Matt’s clear over there.” Ricky’s lips brushed her ear. “And it’s a damn good thing he’s here at all, because you makin’ little noises, teasin’ me like you are, he’s the only thing keepin’ me from pushin’ up against the backstop and kissin’ the holy hell out of you.”
Instead of a warning, his words sent a shot of disappointment through her. She dropped her arm, the bat coming to rest next to her leg.
“You know, you make me want to do very bad things.” She shook her head. “I’m not sure how I feel about that .”
His lips pursed, his brows creased. “Yeah, well, I guess we’d better stick to your pathetic batting stance then.”
She sobered, feeling like a fool. “Yeah, I ah, we shouldn’t… My batting stance, right.”
Instead of helping her, h e stalked away . His hands flexed, tightened into fists, then slammed into his thighs. His enormous back stretched and contracted with a breath. He turned on his Nikes and took his time getting back to her side. The look on his face was all about the pissed off.
Panic flooded her bloodstream and her fingers clutched tight to the only weapon she had.
6
Ricky didn’t know if he was comin’ or goin’. He now knew what it felt like to be a
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