Page 92 of Pitcher Perfect
“You suck less lately,” one of the boys offered cheerfully.
“Hey,” Skylar said. “Pay attention. Who’s next?”
Eight kids shouted, “ME.”
“Do you like sports at all?” Robbie asked.
“Yeah,” Bo responded. “I’d just rather be inside.”
Without looking over, she knew a grin was spreading across Robbie’s face. “Have you considered hockey?”
As if to punctuate the moment, thunder rolled in the distance.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Robbie meant what he’d said earlier—and he meant it even more now. He wished he could go back in time and erase every single thing he’d done with women before Skylar. Every depraved act he’d committed. Every empty hookup. Because this... running home in the sudden downpour and getting soaked, forced to stop so they could laugh and kiss every hundred or so yards, sipping rainwater from her mouth... this was the definition of fulfillment. He’d fucking found it.
Due to the welcome heaviness in his chest and mind and nerve endings, his feet were barely working well enough to keep pace through the trees leading to the house. He just kept thinking,Shedidn’t correct me when I called her my girlfriend.
What did that mean?
Was this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity really knocking?
“I know it’s pouring and this makes no sense, but...” Skylar said, slowing to a stop, turning to him, her hair plastered to her face and neck, dress soaked, skin wet. If there was a chance he could call this woman his, he’d beat the game of life. Nothing compared to her. Nothing and no one could ever come close. “I don’t want to go home yet.”
“It makes perfect sense to me,” Robbie managed, his voice like gravel. “God, you look so beautiful right now.”
Her tits rose and fell. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
It was darker than it should have been this time of the afternoon, but clouds had moved in and left the air heavy, slightly humid. They stood in the electric atmosphere, their clothes absorbing more and more rain, but neither one of them caring or taking notice. And it must have been the strange suspension of time that made Robbie push. Made him reach for an answer, even though he was asking too soon. Even though he hadn’t quite earned the answer he wanted yet. Even though he’d given her barely any time to consider him.
“You going to let me be your boyfriend, Skylar?”
A smile flirted around the corners of her rain-slickened mouth, softening the fact that she didn’t say yes without hesitation. “I need more information. Can you tell me what that relationship will look like?”
“I can tell you what Iwantit to look like.”
She pursed her lips. “That’ll do.”
“Okay.” Robbie crossed his wrists behind his back and circled in a slow pace around the girl of his dreams, trying not to get distracted by the delicate line of her neck, her wet shoulders. Or the fact that he could see her panties through the sodden material of her skirt. That tight curve of her ass. He ignored the long, hot tug between his legs and focused. “Once playoffs are over, I have some time off. I’d like to spend all of it with you.”
She flicked him a wide-eyed look over her shoulder. “All of it?”
“That’s what I said.” Too much?Oh well.He was in a magical forest with a girl who had doubts about him and honesty was the only way to fix that. “I want to go to your games and watch you pitch. I want to take you on millions of dates. I can’t believe I haven’t even been to your apartment yet. I want to see it. And I want my own side of the bed. Actually, fuck that. We’ll both sleep in the middle.” He took a fortifying breath. “I’m probably only going to make it a week before introducing you to myparents. Is it weird I want to show you where I grew up? I don’t know. I need you to know me. I’ve never wanted anyone to know me so fucking bad and like what they see.”
He’d circled back around to the front of Skylar now and found her looking as winded as he felt. Winded but strong, as if that made any sense. “I’m worried I’m making you change for me. I’m worried you’ll resent me after a while.”
“Resentyou?” Surprise hastened Robbie forward, and he took her face in his hands, brushing away raindrops with his thumbs. “Skylar. Look at me. You’re not changing me. You reminded me who I always wanted to be. Did you kick me in the ass? Yeah.Good.The best things in life kick you in the ass. And God, youarethe best thing in this life. The best thing.” Realizing he was shouting, Robbie dropped his forehead to Skylar’s and rolled it side to side, lowering his voice to a rasp. “Forget the other guy and be my girlfriend. Please.”
He groaned out loud when she slid her fingers into his hair. “I had no idea you were so romantic,” she whispered. “That was really, really romantic.”
That encouragement kicked the rest of his walls down and all the corny thoughts in his head came pouring out. “You haven’t seen anything yet. I propose we get those bracelets you touch when you’re thinking about your significant other and theirs lights up, no matter how far away they are. So if I’m in Montreal and you’re in Boston... basically your bracelet is going to stay continuously lit.”
“I’ve already forgotten the other guy,” she blurted.
Robbie’s heart nearly detached itself, it started pounding so furiously. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
