Page 39 of Caught Looking

And as much as I appreciated her wanting to keep me alive, this was something I needed to do. “It’s important for me to talk to him man to man.” Annalise made a face which made me laugh as I brushed back her hair. “Let me clarify. I need to talk to him man-who-cares-about-you to man-who-cares-about-you.” Fuck she was beautiful. I couldn’t stop touching her and I sure as fuck hoped she was okay with my gentlemanlyness only lasting twenty-four hours. “We work together. If he wants to hit me or scream at me, I’d rather that happen away from you.”

Her eyes went all soft. I wanted to make them do that over and over again. “You’re sweet.”

I laughed. “Pretty sure no one’s ever said that about me before.”

She pulled me down for another long kiss. “Maybe no one’s ever really known you before.”

I froze, using whatever strength I had left to hold back. Was I sweet? Maybe. But I was definitely selfish. I wasn’t sure you could be both sweet and selfish. But that wasn’t really what had me frozen.Maybe no one’s ever really known you before.

The truth of that hit me like a sledgehammer. Aside from my parents, did anyone actually know me? Maybe Ev and Willa. Maybe. But never a lover.

Never.

Not until Annalise. And I’d been letting her straight into my life from the moment she ran circles around me. I’d been more open and honest, more vulnerable with her than anyone.

I was frozen because I realized she was too. Annalise had let me in. Not at first, but there was a moment when she decided to swing that door open, offering herself to me.

Did that mean there was a small chance this could last? Even if it was only a glimmer?Yes.

And if that was the case, I didn’t want to fuck it up. Didn’t want to rush. “We’ll be back late on Sunday. And then we’ll have five days off.” My piss poor performance this season had luckily also meant I was passed over for all of the All-Star Break festivities.

I’d never been happier to be mediocre.

“I know,” she said slowly, pulling back and narrowing her eyes.

“So we have plenty of time. We can spend the whole break figuring out what we are to each other.” I was giving her every out I could. I would not be Seth Butler: the guy who always rushes straight to sex.

But she didn’t take it.

Instead she stood, forcing me to straighten, but not step back. She looped her arms around my neck and settled that gorgeous gaze on me. “Seth Butler, did you get where you are by being cautious?”

Were cautious and careful the same thing? Fuck, maybe they were. Cautious didn’t help me at the plate. Instinct did. Taking chances did. Cautious usually ended with me walking back to the bench. Cautious players didn’t make the big plays. They didn’t last. “No.” And neither did she. Neither of us were cautious in our careers and it had led us to greatness.

If I wanted greatness with Annalise, for that glimmer to become a spark, then I had to get out of my own damn way.

I lifted her, setting her on the counter. This brought her level with me and also brought our hips together as she wrapped her legs around my waist. I would be careful with Annalise, treat her with the care she oh, so fucking deserved, but I would grant her request and put caution on the damned bench.

She twisted her fingers into the hair at the nape of my neck. “I like your sweet side, but I don’t want you to change who you are.”

Fuck, this woman. “Maybe I’m not sure who I am anymore.”

Her fingers ran through my hair as she studied me. “Hmmm. Okay. Well then let’s agree to not try and be anything then.”

“I’m not sure what that means.” But damn did her ass feel good in my hands.

“If you feel sweet, be sweet. If you want to be a cocky son of bitch…be that.” Her eyes sparkled.

She was playing with fire.Myfire. “Annalise.”

“I’m serious. We’ve both been hiding. I’m not going to hold you to anything and I don’t want you to either. Let’s…explore. Figure out who we want to be.”

That fucker was going to pay for making her hide herself away. If he crossed me, even a little bit, I wouldn’t hesitate. “Figure it out? Together?”

She gave me a half-shrug. The way her gaze darted away was the only indication I had that she was a little bit nervous.Vulnerable.“Well yeah. I’ve been doing this on my own too much.”

And so had I. It had gotten us both lonely and not much else. Except maybe not hurt again. “You trust me.”

“I do.”

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