Chapter 2

Terra

Oakland, California

"Top of the ninth boys and girls. It's a close one. Let's see what Thompson can pull out of his hat." The announcer’s voice rang out over the stadium as I stood with my arms over my chest in the owner’s box. My heart was beating a little too fast, but what else was new?

Paul was standing to the side of third base and all eyes were on him. Where I wasn't in love with the guy, I sure as hell needed him to pull us out of the situation we were in. Everyone was hitting the fucking ball his way.

"Terra. It's going to be alright." The owner of the team, Barry Cantrell stepped up beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "He's a great player. He's going to do what we pay him to do."

Throwing fits and acting like a cock?

"I believe that to be true too, Barry. He's just been a little off lately. Hell, everyone has. I know Paul has to be bone tired thanks to this team lobbing them over to him all damn night." I turned my focus back on my boyfriend as Barry squeezed me once more and dropped his arm.

"He's got something to prove. You know how he is." He chuckled and walked off, leaving me with my thoughts.

There should have been rules against GMs dating players, but it wasn't an issue in the league. All of the GMs were men. All but me.

"Come on, Paul. Do something amazing." I leaned toward the glass and held my breath as the pitcher threw a fast ball and the batter smack it right to Paul. I held my breath as Paul lifted his glove and caught it. Out. "Yes!"

The room behind me exploded. There was no reason for the bottom of the ninth to happen. We'd won the game, if even by only a run. I turned and shook hands with all the old guys in the room, finding myself the only one below thirty and certainly the only woman.

"I told you he would do it." Barry pulled me into a tight hug and patted my back. "Now, go make him a happy man tonight."

I stifled the look I wanted to give the old geezer and nodded before walking out into the crowd. The stadium was packed with crazed fans, which was a regular occurrence since we traded our previous shortstop for Paul.

"Terra! Miss Harmon!" Someone from the media spotted me and all hell broke loose. Why weren't they on the edge of the field, waiting for the guys to come off? "Can you answer a few questions?"

"Not now." I smiled kindly and lifted my hand. "You're missing the showdown on the field."

"Terra, how do you feel about the recent news that you've been labeled the heir to your father's ownership of the team in Seattle? Conflict of interest, right? Will you leave California and take over for him later this year or maybe before the next season starts?"

"My father is going to outlive us all. I’m not leaving Oakland anytime soon. Now, if you'll excuse me." I smiled and walked down to the dugout, wanting to find Paul to congratulate him.

"Wait! One more," another reporter yelled behind me. "Is it true that you're seeing Paul Thompson? Isn't that against league rules?"

I ignored him and walked out onto the field. There was something almost majestic about standing on the crimson-colored dirt. It had everything to do with being raised by a man that lived and breathed baseball. After losing my mother when I was younger, my father stepped in and did the best he could.

"Terra." Jake, our catcher walked up to give me a hug. "We did it again. Your boy pulled us out of a tight spot."

"Speaking of tight spots." Paul turned and smiled down at me. "How about we get out of here and go back to your place?"

Virginity jokes. Always. Paul waited with baited breath for me to let my guard down and offer up the one thing I had left to give on my wedding night. Good thing he wasn't holding his breath.

Jake laughed loudly. "Oh, Fuck. That's funny. Alright. You kids have fun." He patted Paul on the back and walked off as the crowd grew thick around us.

"You did good out there tonight." I let my eyes run over his handsome, rugged face. His dark blue eyes were filled with the same thing they always were - lust.

"Good enough to score some time with you?" He reached out and tucked a stray hair behind my ear. The girls in the crowd let out a girly sigh.

"I'm headed back to my place. Come over and I'll fix you something to eat." I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling a tad bit insecure with a zillion women crowding in to get a moment with my boyfriend. Something told me that each and every one of them would put out.

"And then?" He leaned closer, but I lifted a hand to stop him. I wasn't into public displays of affection. We'd been dating a few weeks at most, and he tried every chance he got to show me off. It was like being a trophy wife to someone that didn’t wear your ring yet. I hated it.

"Steak or chicken?" I asked as I clenched my jaw. The man had no modesty, talking about our intimacy in front of a crowd of people.

"I'll make you dinner! And then you can have me for dessert!" A girl yelled from behind me.

"I'm good, Terra. I think the guys are going to grab a beer. I'll see you later." He turned and moved into the crowd of women, the smile on his face telling me that he hoped like hell I knew how easily he could and would leave me.

I turned and walked off the field, my insides hurting a little. I wanted to be promiscuous, to let my guard down and enjoy the carnality of life, but it seemed wrong to do with some jackass that wanted in my panties for a night. All of them were that way.

All but Danny.

"Right," I mumbled to myself and pulled out my keys. "You offered yourself to Danny a million times, and he denied you." I laughed bitterly, thinking back on my high school days. I'd been so deep in love with my brother's best friend that I couldn't have imagined life without Daniel McAdams in it. He was a good boy back then. "Oh, how things have changed."

I got in the car and closed the door before letting out a long sigh. I needed to tell Paul to fuck off. I wasn't going to be in a committed relationship if he wasn't. The guys on the Oakland team didn't just go out for beer and laughs. They went out and got shit-faced drunk and ended up in bed with someone. All of them that weren't wearing a ring, and some that were. Paul would be no different.

It was a wonder that anyone on the team respected me anymore. I needed to fix things, clean up my image. Or maybe I didn't. Maybe I just needed to let go of the hope that my first time would be with Danny and give in to Paul. He was hot as sin, and the times I'd hit my knees for him left me wanting to know how good it would feel to let him deep inside my body.

I let out a soft groan of frustration as I started the car. I was going to lose my mind if I sunk any farther down the dark hole of depravity I was headed toward. Grabbing my phone, I called my best friend, Niki to get my mind off things.

"Hey," she answered on the second ring, her voice filled with sleep.

"Oh, shit." I glanced at the clock. Ten in Cali, but it was one in the morning in New York. "I shouldn't have called this late."

"Ter. You can call at any time. You know that." The sound of her stretching loudly filled up my ear.

I winced. "You sound like a Big Foot when you do that."

"Come capture me and turn me in for a prize. Hopefully, someone big and strong will prod and poke at me."

We shared a giggle. Where I wasn't willing to sleep with anyone, she was the polar opposite. It was important to "take him for a test drive" before going any further. Even as far as a second date. I yearned to be a little more like Niki, but it just wasn't going to happen. Something about wanting Danny to own that first time left me crippled.

"How is Benji? Is he sleeping?"

"Yeah. Here in the bed with me. He'll be eight next month. He's getting too old for this." Her voice softened when she talked about her little man.

"Let him stay there until you finally decide to date someone worth giving a key too." I reached up and turned on the heater, a little chilled. How it was still in the fifties in the month of May was beyond me. Not that my hometown of Seattle was much better.

"Speaking of finding someone who's worthy of my snuggles," she paused, "what's going on with you and that hot pitcher you're dating? You letting him spend the night yet?"

Sex. Men. Money. We always ended up at one of those three things, almost like little old men talked about the weather and little old women talked about little old me.

"No." I reached up and ran my fingers through my hair. "I don't think he's the right guy for me, Niki. He's an asshole, and you know he's getting laid every time he goes to the bar with the guys."

"You're assuming that."

"Am I? Have you seen him?"

"Yeah, and I'm going to keep my thoughts to myself. We're best friends. No need to drool over your guy." She laughed. "When am I going to see you again?"

"I don't know." I pulled onto the freeway, suddenly wishing I hadn't called her. The sound of her voice took me back to a million good memories growing up. We'd all been a bunch of wild-asses back then, but life was free - fun.

"Alright, well, I'm going back to sleep. You're boring as shit right now."

I laughed. "I'll talk to you later. Give Benji a kiss for me?"

"I'll do it now. Night, Ter."

"Night." I dropped the call and tossed the phone into the seat next to me. My thoughts moved back to where they always did. High school. I hated how quickly I raced back there every chance I got. Eight years had passed, and yet somewhere in my mind, the what if's raged hard and heavy.

My breasts ached and nipples were tight, sensitive buds by the time I pulled up to my house on the bay. I'd gone over the night Danny and I'd been in his car, making out like two horny teenagers. It was right after his graduation events.

All I wanted was to fuck him there in that car, to feel him press his thick cock into my sloppy wetness and own me. I wanted to be his that night, and I hadn't shaken the thought since. Too bad we weren't even talking anymore.

"Fuck," I whimpered as I reached up and pressed the button to have the garage door close behind me. I knew better than to start thinking about him, but now that I had... all bets were off.

I reclined my seat a little and slipped my hand into my black slacks. A moan left me as I arched my hips up and pressed my fingers down my slick folds into my body. Everything disappeared and all that was left was him, hovering over the top of me.

"You want me to fuck you good and hard, don't you, baby?" He whispered against my lips as he gripped his cock in his hand, teasing me with the thick head of it.

"Please?" I reached out and grabbed his strong shoulders, pulling him toward me. I prayed he would mark me somehow as his own. I wanted his scent all over me, all over my bed. I wanted something to remember him by when he left again.

"You've always wanted it to be me, Terra." He leaned down and consumed me with a kiss that stole my breath.

"I need you so bad, Danny." I lifted my hips, trying to take control of our passion.

"Then you'll have me." He pressed his hips forward, forcing the thick head of his dick into my tight entrance and lighting me on fire.

I cried out in the silence of the car and bucked against my hand as lust raged through me. I'd never be turned on for Paul or anyone else. Every time I closed my eyes, it was him. Always him.

And it always had been.