Page 164 of Bad Run

When I leave my parents, it’s with a promise to be back soon for a visit, and for the first time in years I look forward to it.

I hate it took my father falling off the roof to get us to talk, but I’m glad it happened. I’m able to walk out of the hospital without the weight of anger and regret on my shoulders, and with the hope of truly having all my family in my life.

fifty-one

Gwen

One month later

My hair lazily drifts around me as I float on my back and stare at the moon, waiting for Lance to arrive home.

If my calculations are correct, he should be here any minute. The Evaders played a late game, and while I usually stay until the end of the ninth inning, tonight I left early. I have something special planned for my husband.

Husband.

A ghost of a smile curls my lips.

When I started working for the Evaders, I thought my biggest challenge was going to be my father. I was so wrong. Turns out not falling for the first baseman was the real challenge.

At times, my life feels like a dream. Lance and I are happy and in love. The Evaders are killing it and will be headed to the playoffs. The All-Star weekend events went off without a hitch, and when Maryse went on her maternity leave, I slid into the role with ease. And with my father’s support.

Since Dad apologized, he has been nothing but supportive of my career and of my relationship with Lance. I have a feeling he and Lance came to some sort of agreement, and that’s all I can ask for. As for my brothers, they weren’t bothered by anything and have happily gone along with my father’s decision.

Lance is slowly building a relationship with his dad. Video calls have been helpful in bringing them together, and his mom, Holly, is more than happy to be the buffer between them.

Holly and I have grown close over the last couple of weeks. She texts me often, checking in on me and Lance. I’ve also included her in the group chat with my mom and Juju. The three of them are a riot, and I’ve left all the wedding planning up to them.

The only thing I care about is the dress.

I plan on wearing the dress Lance picked out for me when we got married in Las Vegas. I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. The dress he chose was perfect. Lance doesn’t know about the dress yet, and I can’t wait to surprise him.

The feeling of being watched makes the hairs on my arms stand on end.

Lance.

I smirk at the sky and wait.

The swish of the sliding glass door to our bedroom sends a prickling wave of anticipation over me. My nipples tighten and my skin pimples, my body overheating from the inside out.

“What do you think you’re doing, Mrs. Taylor?” His rough voice cuts through the lapping water in the pool, making my core clench with need.

“Swimming laps?” Still floating, I turn my head to face him.

My mouth waters at the sight of Lance standing at the edge of the pool with his gray dress shirt hanging open over his broad shoulders, showing off every delicious ridge of his abs and the hard V that leads south. He’s barefoot, and his charcoal dress slacks are unbuttoned and unzipped as he looms over me.

“Naked?” he asks, his blue eyes burning like liquid pools of sapphire.

Biting my lip and looking as innocent as can be, I swim toward him and rest my arms at his feet along the stone edging that surrounds the pool.

“I was trying to be hydrodynamic.”

“Clever,” he says with a coy smile as he shrugs off his shirt and lets it fall to the ground.

“I thought so.” Eyes on his, I push off the wall and swim backward. “Are you going to just stand there and watch me all night, or are you going to get in?”

“I can do both.” He rolls his tongue over his bottom lip as his eyes rake over my body, from head to toe, in fiery licks. “Look at you. You’re fucking gorgeous. Perfect. I can’t wait to get my mouth on those sexy, hard nipples.”

Hot and wet, my pussy gushes with arousal under his gaze as I drag my fingers over my tight nipples.