Chapter 22

Maybe serial killers are just regular killers on a low carb diet.

-Chinese Fortune

Sway

The moment Hancock’s foot hit home plate, I was on my feet.

“Yes!” I exclaimed. “Go, Hancock! Woo hoo!”

I might, or might not have, been very excited.

So excited, in fact, that I was literally wiggling enthusiastically for Hancock to make his way toward me.

But he was waylaid by his teammates who caught him up around the hips and lifted him straight off his feet.

The moment he was up in the air, someone moved him so he was parallel to the ground, and the entire team was tossing him around like he was a fuckin’ child.

Though, I could see their exhilaration.

The team had lost all of their games over the last two weeks that they’d been back from the All-Star break except for one.

And the minute Hancock shows back up, they not only win, but they knocked five home runs out of the park. One was even a grandslam.

Two of which were hits by Hancock himself.

The team, from what I could tell, didn’t appear to be mad at him.

All except Croft, that was.

Croft was pissed that as soon as he started playing, the team started losing, which he made a point of complaining to me about each time they lost, and he had to come to me for an ice bath—for sore muscles that I damn well knew weren’t all that sore.

I’d passed him off to Sinclair, and I’d seen their heads bobbing back and forth as they spoke softly to each other.

I knew there was something going on between them, just like there was right now. The two of them were huddled together, talking quietly to each other instead of Croft participating in the team celebration that was happening on the field.

Not that I could blame him. I would’ve been upset too if the star player came back and immediately put me out of the job.

So yes, I could sympathize, but I didn’t get the reason for his hostility in the first place.

And having Sinclair in the mix was downright troubling.

“Sway?” Siggy called.

I turned to find him staring at me in confusion.

“What?” I asked.

“Games over. You ready to go?” he asked.

I turned to look, and was surprised to find that no one was on the field anymore except for Hancock, who was talking to reporters.

“Yes,” I nodded my head. “What…”

I stopped when I noticed my brother come up behind the reporter who was interviewing Hancock, a blond male in his forties, and make the thrusting hip gesture as he brought his fingers—in the shape of a V—to his lips and flicked his tongue out.

Hancock’s head tilted, and he tried for all he was worth to continue with the interview, but it didn’t take long before he burst out laughing.

Which Siggy and I did as well.

“That boy can get anyone to laugh,” Siggy chuckled. “You going over there?”

I nodded.

“Yeah,” I confirmed. “I think Mom and Dad are in the stands over on the visitors’ side. I might go talk to them while I wait for the interview that I know is about to happen between my brother and Hancock. Are you going to dinner with us?”

“Negative,” Siggy denied. “I’m tired, and your brother gives me a headache.”

I snorted.

“Teller gives everyone a headache,” I pointed out. “That doesn’t stop us from going out to dinner with him, though.”

“Yeah, well I’ve been battling a headache for two weeks now. I’m hoping it’ll stop tonight,” he grumbled, picking up his bag and heading for the locker room.

I didn’t stop him.

I knew he was on edge.

Everyone was.

Hancock leaving—warranted or not—had thrown everyone.

It’d take some time for everything to go back to the way it was.

Shaking my head clear of thoughts about how it felt to have Hancock gone, I took the steps to the field and crossed it, making my way over to my parents, who were still seated and watching my brother and Hancock, who were just to the right of where they were sitting.

Giving them a wide berth so I wouldn’t interrupt them on national television, I moved to the padded wall that was separating the stands from the field and clasped my dad’s hand.

“Hey, Daddy,” I called. “How are you doing?”

Dad’s eyes filled with love as he stared at me.

“I’m doing good, baby. But I’m not sure whether I should be happy that my team won or sad that your brother lost,” he laughed.

I giggled.

That was true.

I didn’t know what to say or do either.

On one hand, I was sad that my brother lost, but on the other, I was excited that my team won.

It was a lose-lose situation.

“Did you figure out where you wanted to go eat?” Dad asked.

I shook my head. “I was thinking that sushi place, but I’m not sure if everyone likes it like I do.”

“I like sushi!” Hancock called, interrupting his interview to tell us that little tidbit.

“But I don’t like sushi from that one place. So, avoid that please!” Teller followed up.

Shaking my head, I returned my eyes back to my mom.

“We’re gonna have to nix sushi,” I informed them.

“I noticed,” Mom smiled. “There’s that new place, Across the Border.”

“It’s On The Border, dear, and that place just opened. They’ll be busy as hell,” Dad interrupted.

Mom sighed.

“I just don’t understand why you don’t like Mexican food. It’s the best food in the world,” Mom started in with her usual argument, which caused my father to follow up with his usual argument.

“What I really want is a hamburger,” Hancock said, interrupting my parents. “But I can do sushi.”

Hancock’s arm went around my hips where I was leaning against the padded wall, and he pulled me in tight while his eyes went to my parents.

“Nice to meet you,” he offered my father his hand.

Dad took it, considering the man in front of him, while my mother continued her argument about the pros and cons of her favorite cuisine.

“Nice to meet you, too,” Dad replied, dropping his hand.

“Mexican food has queso. And tortilla chips. And beans. Oh, and sizzling fajita meat.”

“We’re not doing sushi,” I said firmly. “You just said you liked sushi on national television. Every fan in Longview will now be patrolling all the sushi places in the area looking for you. We can do hamburgers.”

Hancock frowned. “I didn’t say we were going to a sushi place.”

“No,” I nodded. “But why else would you say you like sushi in the middle of an interview?”

The sweetness in my voice was enough to cause Hancock’s eyes to narrow.

“Wow,” he teased. “That tongue of yours has gotten sharp over the last two weeks.”

My mouth kicked up in a smile.

“I thought you liked my…”

He pressed one large palm over my mouth and glared at me.

“Your parents…whom I’m trying to impress…are right there. Enough of that,” he whispered into my ear.

But he hadn’t said it softly enough.

“Oh, you’ve already impressed us,” my mom smiled. “Those home runs…those were works of art.”

“Hey, what am I, chopped liver?” Teller patted his chest.

I threw myself in Teller’s direction and started peppering his face with kisses.

“What’s wrong, Telly Belly?” I squeezed his neck as hard as I could. “Is somebody a sore loser?”

My brother let this happen for all of five seconds before he slipped away.

“Must you always embarrass me?” he whined, replacing his hat to the correct angle and glaring at me while he did it.

“Yes,” I said. “It’s my job as an older sister,” I informed him. “You know this.”

“Yeah,” he brushed off some invisible lint. “But I’m a professional now. This isn’t me playing little league anymore.”

My eyes gleamed.

“I could always make it worse.”

His eyes widened. “Don’t you dare.”

“Food, children,” my dad groaned. “Can’t we just go get food? It’s already nine o’clock, and I’m literally wasting away over here.”

“You had three hot dogs and two beers during the game,” I pointed out. “I watched you.”

My dad shrugged.

“That doesn’t mean that I’m not still hungry,” he grumbled.

“Do you mind if I bring a couple of friends?” Hancock asked my parents.

“Absolutely not. Bring as many friends as you want,” my mother and father said at the same time. “And call us Jester and Melanie.”

Hancock’s lip twitched. “I can do that. Can y’all give me thirty minutes to get ready?”

“I need that, too. Gotta get my shit packed up, and I can meet y’all in the lot,” Teller confirmed.

“Nobody cares about you,” I told Teller. “And, in fact, nobody invited you.”

Teller shrugged. “Wait for me, Mom!”

I rolled my eyes as I grabbed Hancock’s hand. He was watching us bicker back and forth like we were an amusing reality TV show that he was being sucked into.

“Come on,” I pulled his arm. “Or we’re going to be late.”

“Why would we be late?” he asked as we made our way down the tunnel that led to the offices, as well as the locker room.

The moment we got to my office door, I opened it and dragged Hancock inside.

Hancock’s face was amused as I slammed the door, and closed the blinds. But that look quickly fell away as he watched me strip my pants down my hips.

“I delegated,” I informed him. “Everyone’s taking care of their players. Now it’s time to take care of mine.”

His eyes widened even further.

Then something seemed to snap, and he started to strip his pants down his legs all the while still trying to hold his hat and glove.

Once he realized he wasn’t going to get it undone without dropping it, everything went to the floor.

I kicked my pants off and then started on my shirt.

It was when I was struggling to get to my bra that Hancock lifted me directly underneath my ass and pinned me to the wall.

“Hancock!” I cried out. “Put me down before you break your back.”

He didn’t bother replying as he buried his face against my breasts.

“I’ve missed you,” he whispered fervently.

“Me or my breasts?” I gasped as he sucked one peaked nipple into his mouth.

“Your breasts.”

He didn’t even bother to lie.

That was the type of man Hancock was.

“But what about me?” I gasped as his hard cock pressed up against my pussy. “Did you miss anything more than my breasts?”

He ground his cock into my clit, and I closed my eyes in reaction.

“I missed a lot of things,” he said around my nipple. “For instance,” he let one hand drop until it was at his cock, which he aimed at my pussy. “I’ve missed this tight, hot thing right here.”

He pushed inside of me, allowing the arm wrapped around my waist to loosen so gravity could do the work.

And it did. Well.

I sank slowly on his cock and gasped when he bottomed out inside of me.

“I’ve missed holding you in my arms.” He kissed my lips. “I’ve missed listening to you talk in your sleep.”

“I don’t talk in my sleep!” I cried out.

“I missed the way you talked to Ruby—which proves that you think she’s as smart as I do.”

I didn’t bother to refute that one. I’d been doing nothing but talking to her for the last two weeks. I talked to her like she was my roommate instead of my boyfriend’s dog.

“I missed the way you enjoy your food, and the way you moan when you taste something sweet.” He thrust forward, making my body jolt. “And I missed the way you brush your teeth. The way you let the toothpaste run down your chin, making you look like you’re foaming at the mouth.”

I started to giggle.

“But mostly…mostly, I missed you. Your face. Your breath on my shoulder as we watched a movie. The way you felt in my arms. The way you smelled. Everything that’s you, I missed.”

I freakin’ melted.

If he hadn’t already had me up against the wall, I would’ve collapsed to the floor in a puddle of lovesick goo.

Leaning forward so our lips were only a hairsbreadth away, I whispered to him. Told him exactly what I felt, too.

“I slept with your dog, and we kept each other company. We were both miserable without you,” I informed him. “We didn’t wash the sheets yet, either. I’m scared to see what Ruby’s side of the bed looks like.”

He threw his head back and laughed.

And his laughter caused his dick to jump inside of me, making me moan in response.

“I’m glad,” he teased. “Now give me your mouth while I fuck you.”

I gave him my mouth.

I also gave him a hickey and scratched his back and chest up in my excitement.

Between one breath and the next, all of our banter was gone, and what was left was quiet breathing and soft sighs.

“Please,” I whispered as he pulled his cock out of me completely. “Why are you stopping?”

I was trying to be quiet.

We were in my office, yes, but we weren’t alone in the building.

In fact, I knew for certain there were still people in the training room because I could hear them talking.

Which was why I wasn’t screaming at Hancock to ‘fuck me’ or ‘take me harder’ like I really wanted to.

Without waiting for me to come to my senses, he pulled me away from the wall, turned me around, and shoved me over the folding chair that was at the end of my desk. The one that was cold and metal. The one that screeched in protest when I put my feet on it after a long, hard day.

The one that everyone would hear if it collapsed under my weight.

But before I could sound the alarm, Hancock filled me once again.

To the brim.

There wasn’t a single millimeter of space inside of me that he wasn’t currently filling with his cock.

And I found myself without air as I tried to make sense of what was going on.

But just as quickly as he filled me, he pulled back out.

There was no wasting time anymore, though.

He continuously pulled out only to shove home, causing not only the chair to squeak across the tiled floor of my office, but also my breasts to bounce against the metal back of the chair.

The slap-slap-screech was probably heard in all corners of the entire freakin’ floor, but I couldn’t find it in me to care.

Not when I was on the brink of orgasm.

Slap-slap-screech.

“Shhhiiiit.”

I closed my eyes and immediately dropped my hand between my legs, finishing before he could slow to a stop.

Because I knew what that word meant.

He’d lost control.

And if I wanted to come with him, or at all, I would be doing it on my own.

Not because he wasn’t the type of man that would take care of me, but because I wanted to come with him instead of afterwards.

I wanted to feel his heat inside of me, filling me, as my orgasm took me over.

And that’s exactly what happened.

The moment my pussy started to ripple around him, he grunted and his come started to pulse into me.

His cock jerked each time my pussy clamped down, and both of us groaned as our releases took us over.

“Yo!” Someone knocked on our door. “Y’all better not be fucking in there while I’m waiting to eat. It’s been eight goddamned hours. You know I don’t eat before the game, Sway Bar!”

“What the hell?” Hancock stood up. “Why is he calling you Sway Bar?”

“Because he’s stupid,” I mumbled, pushing up so the metal chair wasn’t digging uncomfortably into the middle of my chest.

“I think your brother just caught us having sex. Dammit, I wanted him to like me,” Hancock muttered darkly.

I snorted and pushed myself all the way up, then did the waddle-sex-walk back to my desk where I kept my wipes when I had food mishaps.

They were the scented kind that smelled like flowers since I couldn’t stand the regular baby powder smell—meaning my coochie would smell like it too.

But it wasn’t something I could control. So, I would have a flowery vagina—which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing—but the scent was so strong that I would be smelling it for the rest of the night.

“This is terrible,” Hancock muttered to himself some more. “Do you think he’ll tell your parents?”

I ignored him and cleaned myself up, then walked over to my panties and grimaced.

They were wet. Both from sweat due to sitting in a hot dugout for three hours, and from my need for Hancock.

But they’d have to do, because I sure as hell wasn’t going to be wearing nothing underneath the most uncomfortable pants in the world that the Lumberjack staff forced me to wear while at home games.

They were these tight—non-stretch—pants that had absolutely no give to them. They dug uncomfortably into my sides, giving me the appearance of more love handles than I actually had.

“I think it’ll be okay,” Hancock continued. “I feel like I’m going to have a heart attack.”

I rolled my eyes and let him continue his freak out, then did the shimmy shake into my khaki pants.

“You might want to get dressed,” I mentioned. “Or you’ll be late—which will give them cause to be upset.”

He shut up almost instantly, slid on his pants and nothing else, and then left the room without another word.

Giggling, I was just picking up my shirt when a knock sounded at the door.

But instead of whomever it was waiting to get permission, they just walked right in.

“Listen, Sway,” Sinclair was saying before he’d even looked up. “Croft is having some lower groin issues that I think you should take a look…”

He stopped as I hastily yanked my shirt down over my breasts. My unbound breasts.

“Get out!” I screamed. “And it’s customary to freakin’ wait for a knock to be answered before you just come busting in!”

“Well, Hancock just came out— so I assumed you were done checking his groin for injuries,” he sneered. “It’s only fair that you check Croft, too.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“Get out,” I snapped. “And it’s your job as my assistant to take care of the non-starters. Always has been, always will be. Now get out.”

Normally, I would’ve looked at it.

I did not care who started and who didn’t. I treated them all equally. Croft, however, gave me the creeps. He also tried to come on to me more than once while Hancock was away. Normally, that would be fine, I could handle it. I had handled it from other players and staff before.

However, this time, Croft had seriously squigged me out.

So much so that I was glad I was staying at Hancock’s place that had security in the form of an alarm and a big, bad half-breed Husky to protect me.

Sinclair’s eyes went to my unbound breasts behind my t-shirt, and I was just about to tell him to get out again when a hand flashed into the room, gripped Sinclair around the neck, and yanked him back out of the room.

The smile that lit my face was likely a mean one, but there was nothing for it.

Hancock was a freakin’ dream come true. He was everything and anything I could’ve ever asked for.

He protected me even when I didn’t realize I needed protecting.

“Thank you!” I called out. “I’ll be out in just a few minutes so we can leave!”

“You’re welcome,” came Hancock’s gruff reply.

***

“I think your parents like me,” Hancock mumbled as he curled into me. “Do you think they liked me?”

I sighed.

“They loved you, Hancock. Or they would’ve never invited you to their place,” I informed him for the fifth time. “Promise. Now go to sleep.”

He rolled so he was on top of me.

“What if I didn’t want to go to sleep?” he asked, wiggling his big body until he fell between my thighs.

I lifted my hips to grind my unclothed nether regions into his thickening cock and raised my brows. “What did you have in mind?”

His mouth lifted at the corner, and then he took my hands and pinned them above my head.

“I guess I’ll have to show you.”

And he showed me. Multiple times throughout the night.

Sleep was overrated anyway.

***

“Tell me what happened.”

He shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it right now. Right now, I just want to hold you.”

“But you’ll tell me?”

He nodded. “When I can.”

And I gave him that, because that’s what happened when the man you loved asked for more time.