Page 4 of Stetson

“He’ll be fine.” I kissed my partner again. “Now show me how much you missed me.”

3

BARRETT

It couldn’t have been morethan a few hours before my watch buzzed to wake me up. After a full day of traveling, followed by some… strenuous activities with Levi, I was exhausted, but I couldn’t throw myself off my routine. Now that I had an extra breakfast to make, I needed to get started if I wanted to keep my gym time. I rolled over, giving myself exactly two minutes to snuggle up to Levi before my dick started to get any ideas.

The sleepy, “come back,” noise he made when I got up almost served as a bungee cord to pull me right back down. I resisted, but barely. I stowed the bottle of lube away in the nightstand drawer and picked my way around the dark room, collecting our discarded clothes and putting them in the laundry basket on my way to the bathroom.

I wasn’t surprised to see Levi bring a boy home. He needed someone to take care of, and we’d been looking for that for quite some time. What Iwassurprised to see was that it was Georgia’s new golden boy. The name Stetson Holloway was seared into my brain. I was nervous enough to play against the Thrashers but combined with Stetson’s impressive record, not to mention retirement looming over me, I was a mess to say the least.

But I’d give it—him—a shot for Levi.

I set my phone on the counter, soft music filling the room. With the way Levi slept, I kept an ear out for Stetson.

As I lost myself in the food and the music, I tried not to let the severity of the season weigh on me. I’d just celebrated my thirty-second birthday and yes, there were plenty of baseball players who played well past that, but most of them had titles. I’d been playing for a decade and despite having some of the highest stats in the league, I didn’t have a single thing to show for it. I was getting tired. The long days, the back and forth, and constant weeks away from home took a toll.

Before spring training, I decided that this season would be my last. It was my final shot at a World Series win, and Ithoughtthis year would be it. That was, until Stetson came into the picture. The world of college sports was dominated by his name but when the Thrashers drafted him, it was all the sports community could talk about. Especially how he had the potential to catapult the team right to their fifth World Series win. He was a firecracker, both on and off the field. I had my work cut out for me.

But in the kitchen, I moved around with ease. As much time as I spent away, this was always home. It was the place I felt most like myself. I was nowhere near professional, but it kept Levi fed and happy. Now I hoped it would do the same for Stetson. As intimidated as I was to face him on the diamond, I wasn’t going to bring that tension home. Especially after seeing the look in Levi’s eyes last night. I knew he’d felt that pull with Stetson and oddly enough, I’d felt it too.

A quiet chuckle broke me away from my thoughts. Plating up, I smiled. I wasn’t embarrassed anymore by getting caught dancing like no one was watching. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to know that you can’t fight the moonlight.”

Levi kissed the grin off my face. “Coffee?” he asked.

“Already done. Is your boy up yet?”

He grimaced, joining me at the kitchen island. “He’s not my boy.”

“He could be. He’s cute.”

“You think you can handle the whole team rivalry thing?” Levi leaned back against the marble countertop, giving me room to wedge myself between his thighs. At the chance of being able to grab onto me, he abandoned his coffee and tightened his arms around my waist; mine draped over his shoulders.

“You know I never let that stuff get to me off the field.”

“What about him? Do we think he can leave that tension in the dugout?”

A wild curl tickled the corner of Levi’s eye, and I tucked it away from his face. “That’s where you come in, Daddy.” I couldn’t even get the word out without laughing.

Levi scrunched his nose. “You’re right, that feels weird.”

“Please don’t make me do it ever again.” I stole another kiss, feeling him smile against my lips.

Stetson’s plate went in the oven to stay warm, and Levi and I sat down to eat. We fell into easy conversation about training, and what he’d been up to. It was like I’d never left, and I warmed at the feeling.

“Are you still set on this being your last season?”

That question was like a bucket of ice water over my head. I chewed slowly, pushing the rest of my food around the plate with my fork. Iwasset. I’d made my mind up, and I was sick of going over it. My agent knew, my coach knew, the rest of my team knew. After this year, I was done. Finally, I nodded. “Yeah, I’m set.”

“You know you don’t?—”

“Baby, we’ve been over this.” I dropped my fork and took Levi’s hand in mine. “I’m not retiring for you.I’mdone. I’m tired. I want to be here with you more often. This choice is mine and mine alone.”

Levi squeezed my fingers, worrying his bottom lip. I could tell he didn’t entirely believe me. Had I chosen to quit playing for him, I would have done it years ago. Back then, Levi felt like he was responsible for ruining my career, and those feelings hadn’t vanished.

I stood, rounded the table, and pushed Levi’s plate back. Confusion morphed into surprise as I straddled his lap, settling my ass on the table. I twisted my fingers through his hair, guiding his head back in the process. “I promise you’re not forcing my hand in this. I’m doing this because I want to.”

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