helmet on the bench. Above him, another ball collided with the fence so hard that it made Chris instinctively duck in spite of the horizontal chain link over his head.
As he pulled on his batting gloves, he watched her. How many times they’d come to this place as platonic friends, he couldn’t count, but it was surreal to look at her here, now, knowing what he did about her.
The way her loose T-shirt hinted at her breasts. The way her hips twisted with each swing. The hint of sweat and the flush of exertion that sent his mind to places that had nothing to do with baseball.
When the machine had emptied, she came to the box and dropped her bat on the bench. "All yours," she said, panting slightly. He glanced up just as she took her helmet off, her stringy, disheveled hair tumbling onto her shoulders.
Clearing his throat, he quickly looked away. "So what happened today? Just the usual bullshit?"
"Par for the course in this job."
He nodded, smirking as he reached for his bat and helmet. "I know the feeling. Though I’m surprised you didn’t want to go the range if it was that bad."
Unscrewing the cap on her water bottle, she said, "I did, but they have that concealed carry class tonight." She
took a swig of water. "Too fucking crowded."
"Good point." He loaded the machine and headed out into the cage with his bat over his shoulder. It was probably just as well that she’d chosen to come to the cages instead of the range; he’d always thought a woman with a high-powered weapon was sexy, especially Kat. And now that he knew what she was—
"Ready?" she called to him.
He blinked a few times to erase the images that were keeping him from focusing on the present. Adjusting his grip on his bat, he nodded to her, and she flipped the switch on the machine.
He hit the first two and sent them soaring across the cage. Just before the machine released the third, Kat leaned over to get something out of her purse, and Chris completely forgot where he was.
Until, that is, a baseball whistled past him, slamming into the backstop and reminding him to keep his eye on the ball.
After an hour or so, taking turns at the plate, they both paused for a drink. The knots and tension in his neck and shoulders had faded, replaced by the satisfying ache of post-workout fatigue.
Capping his water bottle, he said, "Up for some more?"
She glanced at the clock on the wall and scowled. "I should go. I have to feed my brother’s critters."
Chris eyed her. "Dare I ask where he is?"
"Guess."
He rolled his eyes. "Jesus. I didn’t think you could snowboard in a cast."
"You can’t. He just got it off last week."
"That idiot," Chris muttered. "I’m half-tempted to break his leg myself to keep him off the slopes."
"Tell me about it." She sighed, putting her bat into its bag and pulling off her gloves. "If he’d just learn to be more careful…" She shook her head.
"He’ll grow out of it," Chris said with a shrug.
"I hope so." She zipped her bag. "I’d better go."
They both paused, looking at each other, an unusually awkward silence hanging between them.
He smirked, trying to mask his uncertainty. "So, where does stuff like this fall into our ‘deal’?"
She cleared her throat. "Well, I assume they would frown on us fucking in one of the batting cages."
"Damn, there goes that idea." He laughed, then said, "I mean, since this is more of a platonic friends setting for us…" He paused. "Am I supposed to just hug you goodbye like a friend, or do I get to kiss you and grab your ass like a friend with benefits?"
"Hmm, I hadn’t
As he pulled on his batting gloves, he watched her. How many times they’d come to this place as platonic friends, he couldn’t count, but it was surreal to look at her here, now, knowing what he did about her.
The way her loose T-shirt hinted at her breasts. The way her hips twisted with each swing. The hint of sweat and the flush of exertion that sent his mind to places that had nothing to do with baseball.
When the machine had emptied, she came to the box and dropped her bat on the bench. "All yours," she said, panting slightly. He glanced up just as she took her helmet off, her stringy, disheveled hair tumbling onto her shoulders.
Clearing his throat, he quickly looked away. "So what happened today? Just the usual bullshit?"
"Par for the course in this job."
He nodded, smirking as he reached for his bat and helmet. "I know the feeling. Though I’m surprised you didn’t want to go the range if it was that bad."
Unscrewing the cap on her water bottle, she said, "I did, but they have that concealed carry class tonight." She
took a swig of water. "Too fucking crowded."
"Good point." He loaded the machine and headed out into the cage with his bat over his shoulder. It was probably just as well that she’d chosen to come to the cages instead of the range; he’d always thought a woman with a high-powered weapon was sexy, especially Kat. And now that he knew what she was—
"Ready?" she called to him.
He blinked a few times to erase the images that were keeping him from focusing on the present. Adjusting his grip on his bat, he nodded to her, and she flipped the switch on the machine.
He hit the first two and sent them soaring across the cage. Just before the machine released the third, Kat leaned over to get something out of her purse, and Chris completely forgot where he was.
Until, that is, a baseball whistled past him, slamming into the backstop and reminding him to keep his eye on the ball.
After an hour or so, taking turns at the plate, they both paused for a drink. The knots and tension in his neck and shoulders had faded, replaced by the satisfying ache of post-workout fatigue.
Capping his water bottle, he said, "Up for some more?"
She glanced at the clock on the wall and scowled. "I should go. I have to feed my brother’s critters."
Chris eyed her. "Dare I ask where he is?"
"Guess."
He rolled his eyes. "Jesus. I didn’t think you could snowboard in a cast."
"You can’t. He just got it off last week."
"That idiot," Chris muttered. "I’m half-tempted to break his leg myself to keep him off the slopes."
"Tell me about it." She sighed, putting her bat into its bag and pulling off her gloves. "If he’d just learn to be more careful…" She shook her head.
"He’ll grow out of it," Chris said with a shrug.
"I hope so." She zipped her bag. "I’d better go."
They both paused, looking at each other, an unusually awkward silence hanging between them.
He smirked, trying to mask his uncertainty. "So, where does stuff like this fall into our ‘deal’?"
She cleared her throat. "Well, I assume they would frown on us fucking in one of the batting cages."
"Damn, there goes that idea." He laughed, then said, "I mean, since this is more of a platonic friends setting for us…" He paused. "Am I supposed to just hug you goodbye like a friend, or do I get to kiss you and grab your ass like a friend with benefits?"
"Hmm, I hadn’t
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