Page 91 of The Strike Zone

“I’m teasing, it’s a big morning for you. Are you feeling okay?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Sure?”

I glanced back to the window just as a cyclist sped past, cutting through the traffic and causing several cars to slam their brakes, and drivers to hit the horns.

“I’m a little nervous, I guess. It’s a big role. I wish I’d had one more day to prepare.”

“You don’t need one more day, you’ll crush it,” Parker added without hesitation, and I couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm, or his constant and unwavering belief in me.

Always wanting me to do my best.

It was why I was currently sitting in his very comfortable Mercedes SUV, instead of my usual smelly subway car on my way to work.

Parker had insisted he’d drive me. I’m sure it also had something to do with him sleeping over last night because my roommate was out of town, and neither of us was ready to burst the bubble we’d been living in during the away series.

Boy oh boy, what a bubble it had been. I’d left for California just regular ol’ Scout Davison, but after spending six nights in Parker King’s bed having the most fun she’d had in ages, someone else returned.

Someone different, newer, with a sparkle in her eye and a fresh bounce to her hair.

I’d been thinking about it this morning, standing under the shower, but then Parker had joined me and naturally after that my entire focus became him.

But the biggest difference wasn’t quite so obvious to the naked eye.

In the space of a week my heart had softened. Become happier, almost. Skipping a joyful beat. I felt more confident while—ironically—at the exact same time much more anxious.

Truthfully though, I couldn’t put it solely down to the last week. It was the whole season. Two months ago, I’d been adamant about starting the year fresh, enjoying my single life, and living it to the max.

Two months ago, Parker King and I had barely spoken.

Now I’d spent six mornings in a row waking up next to him.

Now I’d spent six nights with Parker twisting my body like a pretzel, drawing out orgasm after orgasm, until I’d been convinced I’d never walk again.

The man certainly knew his way around a body. After almost a week on the road, I wasn’t certain he didn’t know my body better than I did. He’d made it react in ways it hadn’t before. Made it feel things it hadn’t before.

Every expectation I’d ever had about Parker King had been blown out of the water.

Everything I already liked about him was only intensified by his insanely hot body and his ability to whisper sweet nothings, while somehow being so incredibly dirty as he described exactly what he wanted to do to me that it made my head spin.

I don’t know how he’d managed his days playing ball after our nights in bed, but if he was anything like me, he’d have woken up invigorated with the energy of a two gallon bottle of Red Bull—without the dangers of a looming heart attack, obvs.

It was addictive.

I was living in a world where Parker and I were having sex, and the scariest thing about it being that I honestly wasn’t sure if I wanted to ever go back to one where we weren’t.

A week ago we’d beenjustfriends, and now I had something much bigger to lose.

And that right there was the crux of why my anxiety kept trying to shoot through the retractable roof of the stadium.

It was unsettling to say the least. Unsettling and unfamiliar. I’d never had this gut-churning, heart-pounding, chest-on-the-verge-of-exploding sensation when I’d dated Mark, and I wasn’t entirely sure what to do about it.

“Scout? Have you got your presentation?” Parker reached over and squeezed my knee, only the slight change in his tone told me he’d already asked that question.

“Sorry, I’m sorry. I’m listening, I promise.” I smiled, vowing to myself not to drift off into another spiral of anxiety-inducing thoughts. “Um…no, HR will have set it up. I just have one printed with my notes on it.”

“Sounds good. And speaking of HR…” Parker started, accelerating through a yellow light before it turned red. “I’ll come and meet you after, so we can go there.”

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