Page 77 of The Strike Zone

“I’ll call them. But…” I paused, momentarily questioning my sanity. “You can sleep here tonight.”

Scout stared at me, I could see every single thought running through her brain, which wasalmostexactly the same thoughts I was having. Except she probably wasn’t worrying about how she’d keep her hands to herself while she slept next to me.

Because that’s all I could think about. Maybe I could fashion a straitjacket out of my sweater.

But whatever decision she was battling, tiredness won. “Are you sure? I’ll sleep right here. I won’t be any bother.” She patted a spot on the couch next to her.

I shook my head. “Uh-uh. No. You’ll take the bed, my momma would never allow me to sleep on the bed while a girl took the couch. Do you want to go and get ready or whatever you need to do? I’m going to run back down to the front desk.”

“Parker, you have a game tomorrow. You need rest,” she argued.

“I’m good. I’ll be back in fifteen,” I blurted, running back out so quickly I forgot to grab the key. But there was no way I was sticking around while she got changed into pajamas or whatever.

And that’s when it occurred to me. What did Scout wear to bed? What if it was panties and a tank, or worse…nothing?

Oh fuuuck.

Maybe I should go and sleep with Tanner. His snoring had to be a thousand times better than the torture of sleeping next to Scout in panties.

And then I remembered thatIusually slept naked and I couldn’t exactly do that now. Nor could I even remember if I’d packed anything appropriate for sleeping.

What the fuck had I set myself up for?

I panicked about it all the way down to the lobby. All through the conversation with the front desk about what a shit show Scout’s room had been while they apologized profusely and promised to fix it immediately. Then I panicked all the way back up to the room, where I trudged slowly out of the elevator and down the corridor, trying to prolong the freedom I had before my suffering began for real.

Sleeping next to Scout. Something I’d dreamed about for nearly a year, but not like this. Not with the torture of not being able to touch her.

My bedtime routine included a jerk-off in the shower, but I wouldn’t even be able to do that. Not with Scout less than ten feet away.

Stopping outside the room, I gave it another minute to both summon the courage to knock and give her longer to get dressed, or undressed. Whatever.

Fuck my life.

I rapped hard on the door. Scout opened it so quickly I had a feeling she’d been waiting for me.

Immediately I was assaulted with the scent of lavender and fresh cotton, warm and heady, with a hint of toothpaste lingering in the air. It should have been enough to make me fall asleep there and then, except it had the opposite effect.

My body pinged awake as I stepped inside and took her in. Her hair was tied up with one of those bow things girls wore, her face so clean and shiny it almost sparkled. She wasn’t in bra and panties, it was worse. I don’t know how or why, but it was much,muchworse.

A full pajama set covered in baseballs.

Baseballs, baseball gloves, baseball bats.

A wet dream come to life.

A freight train couldn’t have stopped my mouth falling open.

“I know, it’s dumb,” she tugged on the hem of her shirt, completely misreading my expression, “but they’re my lucky pajamas. I bring them on every away series I come to, and so far they have an eighty-seven percent success rate.”

“Are you telling me that eighty-seven percent of the time you’ve worn those, we’ve won?”

She nodded. “Yeah, on away series.”

“Well…they’re definitely not dumb. And maybe you should travel with us more often. In fact, you tell Penn Shepherd that and he’ll have us all wearing them.” Scout meant to laugh, I’m sure of it, but instead she snorted loudly. Her hands flew up to her mouth as my eyes widened. “Maybe I should go and sleep with Tanner, he might snore, but he definitely doesn’t snort.”

This time her face fell into her hands. “Oh no, I’m so sorry. I’m really putting you out.”

“Davison, enough. You aren’t at all. It’s only one night, it’s no big deal.”

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