Free Spring Training by Parker Kincade

subtle tremor in her voice. “That’s a long time.”
    He pulled on a pair of shorts and followed her to the living room. She shimmied into her dress and he watched as she reached up to fasten the hook behind her head. Her nipples hardened under his gaze, poking through the delicate fabric. “What about you?”
    She laughed. “Longer than that.”
    “So, we’re both safe then.” He watched her with a wary eye. He didn’t know what was in her mind, but he figured he wasn’t going to like it.
    She took a deep breath and faced him. “It doesn’t matter. We can’t do this again.”
    Anger tore through him at her words. “Bullshit.”
    She gave him an irritated look. “Be reasonable about this. We shared an incredible experience, but that’s all. You have to focus on your game. Spring training, remember? We have jobs to do, and we can’t afford to be distracted. Plus, my dad would freak if he found out. You don’t need that kind of hassle.”
    “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. You can’t throw that shit at me now.”
    Her back stiffened. “Please, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.”
    Garrett gripped the back of his neck, confused as hell. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but you don’t have to go. We can figure this out, Jessa … stay.”
    Sadness flickered in her expression before her features went blank. “I can’t. You know I can’t. We had an itch, and we scratched it. Let’s not make a big deal about it.” She pressed a quick kiss to his lips before she hurried toward the door. “Good night, Garrett.”
    He watched as the door closed behind her.
    An itch? A fucking itch?
    Frozen in place, he replayed the last few minutes. She’d been right there with him the whole time. The pleasure between them a living, breathing entity in the room. And now she was running off? Minutes after they’d both come?
    What the hell?
    Maybe she was right. They both knew the limitations, yet they’d broken the rules because the pull between them was too strong.
    He wandered through his suite, avoiding the bedroom. If he had to see the rumpled sheets, smell the sweet scent of their arousal, he’d end up going after her. Dragging her back and fucking her until she was too tired to walk away from him again.
    Shit. She was in him now. Her taste in his mouth, her scent on his skin. He was nowhere near done with her.
    Not even close.

Chapter Eight
    “Fuck!” Garrett slammed the end of his bat into the dirt after another ball whizzed by. Anger fueled his system. Anger that had nothing to do with his worthless attempt at batting practice and everything to do with a certain woman who was driving him out of his mind.
    He removed his helmet, resisting the urge to hurl it toward the dugout. It was one thing for Jessa to up and leave him last night, but now she was avoiding him, and he’d be damned if he could figure out why.
    The message she’d left him this morning said she wouldn’t be riding to the park with him and would meet up with him later. It wasn’t that he had a problem finding his own way. It was about time he rented a car anyway. It would give the guys one less thing to give him shit about. The problem was, he hadn’t realized how much he’d been looking forward to seeing her until she’d ditched him. Strike one.
    He went to the locker room and fell into the chair next to his locker. He unfastened his shin guard and shoved it into his bag.
    Jessa had been a no-show all afternoon. He knew she was in the park. He could feel her eyes on him in a way that rattled him as much as it pissed him off. She’d not made any effort to seek him out. No ‘hello’. No ‘how’s your day?’ Nothing. Strike two.
    “You’ve got to get that girl out of your head, buddy.”
    Garrett straightened as Tyler pulled a chair close and straddled it between his legs. “Don’t you have anything better to do than harass me about something that’s none of your business?”
    Tyler shrugged.