Page 44 of Nailed at Home Plate

“Really?” Her voice softened as she took the plate of pizza I offered.

“Yeah.” Normal me would have stopped there. Cady on the other hand gave me the feeling that she was a safe space to talk about my career and she would understand. “It's why I ended up with the Sillys in the first place.” The words tumbled forth and were surprisingly easy, even with the subject matter.

No going back now. I already put it out in the open. Suddenly, it clicked. Me being more relaxed, me having fun at the game, and getting that hit. “The only thing that changed was you. Us. And well…everything that happened last night.”

Cady choked on her pizza. It took her a moment to safely finish chewing and swallowing.

“What…? That…” Her lashes fluttered as she went deep into thought. The pizza hovered halfway to her mouth as she pondered what I said. I still was trying to figure it all out myself. “No…I’m sure you just figured your shit out.” She shook her head as she delicately took another bite. “It always takes time with a new team.”

I finally managed a meager bite of my pizza. She could be right. Perhaps I did finally find my stride. The ache in my knee had waned enough that I didn’t feel it when I was playing anymore. But something deep down inside me told me that it was due to thepretty little, short stuff seated on the couch next to me.

“Well, maybe…”

Or maybe it was a mixture of everything that made up Cadence Andrews in a glorious hurricane of sexiness and chaos.

“Or maybe,” The words felt foreign in the quiet air between us as Cady finished off her slice. She still avoided my gaze but now I was more determined than ever to get this out in the open. Maybe I could finally sleep tonight after denying this for so long. “Maybe Ireallylike you.”

The single noise of strangled laughter that came out of her mouth surprised me. To my dismay, she rose from the couch and began pacing.

“Jamie…” Her wavy hair tickled her cheeks as she shook her head. She paused for a moment. “Look, last night, well…and this morning, it was fun. A hell of a lot of fun to be honest.” She was rambling in her nervousness as her fingers wrung together. “But you don’t have to do this.”

My brows rose as quickly as I stood. “Do what?”

“Whateverthisis.” She stubbornly continued to avoid my gaze. Even when I blocked her anxious pacing with my body. I cocked my pointer finger beneath her chin to draw her attention back to me. “The pretty words, the flirtations–” My knuckle gave her jaw that one final uptick. That was when her eyes finally met mine.

“But…” The oceans in her irises glistened as her lashes furiously blinked. “They’re all true.” My thumb traced along the ridge of her cheekbone. She was so soft under my touch. “Like I said. Ilikeyou, Cadence Andrews. I don’t exactly understand itmyself. But…I want to get to know you better. To take the time to figure all of this out.”

There was an undeniable tremble that went through her body which ended at her bottom lip. Her hands slid up my sides, timid at first before making themselves at home right above my hip bone.

“After one night?” Her voice dropped to a whisper with her incredulousness. “This kind of shit just…doesn’thappen in real life.”

“What?”

“You know…where the female lead’s crush admits feelings for her in return.”

“It doesn’t?”

She shook her head and bit her bottom lip.

“Well,” Leaning in close, I brushed the tip of my nose against the side of hers. “Then consider this a first.” Her breath halted. I felt every hearty beat of my heart. Despite me being seconds from a wild admission, it felt right. More than anything I needed to get it off my chest. “Because I, Jamie Rheems, have a crush on you, Cadence Andrews.”

The moment lingered so long that I could taste it, savor it. I didn’t want to move a muscle to break what we had between us. All I wanted was for her to say this was okay. For her to admit that she wanted it too.

“Really…?” She breathed out, her voice dreamy and sultry all at once. I was trying to be a righteous and respectful man, but fuck was she making it difficult.

“I mean it. Look, I know it's crazy. We barely know each other. But you feel it too.” My voice was raw and breathy as I ruminated over the events of yesterday. “I saw it in your eyes the moment I slipped inside you last night.”

Cady’s nails curled into the fabric of my T-shirt. The silence was almost suffocating. I needed her to say something. To agree with me or even to disagree. Maybe I was the daft one in all of this.

“Forgive me.” My heart immediately sank. “But… it's just…difficult for me to believe.” I opened my mouth to protest but her words continued. “I’ve spent years dreaming about you. Wondering what you were like in real life. And now…you’re here, blowing my mind two different ways to Tuesday.”

I tried to suppress my laughter, but it wasn’t humanly possible. Not with someone like Cady.

“That’s good, right?” I asked, just to be sure.

“Very.” Her eyes demurely lifted to mine. “Do you think you can blow my mind again?”

It was as if her words were the match and my body was the wick. Despite another round of laughter, heat rushed straight from my head down to infiltrate every extremity. A telling little smile drew my eyes to her lips before she leaped into my arms.

---