Free Unbearable (the TORQUED trilogy Book 2) by Shey Stahl Page B

know what’s wrong with him.”
    She squints at me to try and convince me that she means business, I guess. “I know what’s wrong with him, but what I don’t know is why you did what you did.”
    There’s no way I’m going to tell her what Daniel said so I shrug. Again.
    Thankfully, she lets it go.
    Raven leans over and grabs my bat, gripping the handle as she pushes around the dirt. Looking over, I can’t help but stare at her hands.
    Raven has really pretty hands. I know that sounds stupid but she does. Her hands are perfect. Her fingers are slim and her nails are just the right length for scratching my back and when I’m lucky, my chest.
    Watching her now, holding that bat, all I can think about is how much I would love to have those nails clawing at me as she moans beneath me.
    I lean into her again until our shoulders are touching. “I like the way you grip that handle,” I whisper in her ear.
    She shivers, then quickly stands up sidestepping and reaching up to rub the ear I just whispered in. I can see it; her entire neck is covered in goose bumps. I’m glad I still have that kind of effect on her.
    Rolling her eyes, she drops the bat on the ground in the process and then bends over to pick it up. “While you’re down there.”
    Standing suddenly, she slaps at my chest. “Knock it off.”
    My hand grips her waist as I lean forward toward her ear from behind. “Want me to adjust your stance?”
    “No,” she snaps, trying to push me away. “Don’t touch me.” When I don’t move, and instead push my body into hers, she fights me off but it’s not serious. She’s slapping at my arms playfully. “Stop it, Tyler. You’re making me mad.”
    “What’s up your ass tonight?”
    “ Not you.”
    I grab her ass with my left hand. “Well, now I’m thinking about that.”
    “Don’t.” She slaps my hand away. “You’re not getting any.”
    “I bet I could convince you.”
    “Nope.” And then she walks away and the reality is, she’s right; she controls whether we’re together or not later. And that fucking sucks for me.

After the game, which we won 13-7, we decide to all go out for pizza, which is both a good thing and bad because one, Berkley follows us there, and two, I sit across from Raven. That part’s okay, but the fact that she’s not giving me any indication of where we stand now, that’s frustrating.
    Nothing’s said between us until after orders are made and there’s a few pitchers of beer on the table.
    “So, how do you feel?” Lenny asks Red, rubbing his back as he reaches for two pills in his pocket, more than likely pain medication.
    With clay covering his chest where he dove for a line drive, he plays it off but I know Red and he’s in pain. “I’m good.”
    Lenny shakes her head. “Bullshit.”
    He had his chest cracked open in July and I know bones don’t heal that fast that he wouldn’t be in a little bit of pain come September.
    He eyes me as if to say, go along with it. I do. The last thing I’d do is call him out on it.
    “Where’s the old man with the pizza?” Rawley asks, growing impatient when our waiter hasn’t returned. He probably forgot we were even here.
    “Should that guy even still be working?” Lenny watches him as he pours water in glasses, his hands shaking as he does so.
    Nova looks up for a split second and then takes her crayons one by one out of the cup. “He’s so old his armpits stink.”
    We all look at Nova and she shrugs, like that made perfect sense to her.
    As we’re waiting for the old man to get to the table, Berkley walks by. “Good game, guys.”
    Rawley talks to her, as does Mia and Eldon. I don’t say a word to her, neither does Raven, but I don’t miss the way she glances over at her.
    Berkley leans over and ruffles Nova’s hair. “How you liking kindergarten, kiddo?”
    Nova scowls at Berkley and turns away from her to face the back of the booth we’re in. “Don’t talk to me. I hate when you do that. You broke