The Perfect Game

“Kitten, come on, we’re gonna be late!” I shouted toward Cassie’s bathroom in between paces.

“I’m coming, hold on!” I heard the sound of clanking against the countertop and feet shuffling.

“Okay, I’m ready,” she announced as she entered the living room.

My jaw dropped at the sight of her tanned legs in that little white sundress. I scanned every inch of her body, my eyes loving each curve. I shook my head and smiled. She seriously looked like a fucking angel. And I wanted to be her devil.

“Kitten, you’re gonna give Gramps a heart attack looking like that.”

Melissa’s laughter echoed from her bedroom. “Please don’t kill Jack’s grandpa, Cass. Not a good first impression.”

Cassie giggled in response. “I’ll do my best.” Her bright green eyes focused on mine. “See you later.”

I stuffed my cell phone into my pocket before reaching for Cassie’s hand. She locked her fingers in mine as I led her toward the door. “See you later, Melissa,” I shouted toward her bedroom.

“Bye, you guys. Have fun!”

I ushered Cassie outside with a light slap to her ass and when she turned to smack me, she stopped and simply smiled instead. God, I loved this girl.

“You look beautiful,” I said, running my fingers through the soft golden waves in her hair.

“Thank you.” She smiled and hesitated at the side of my car before I helped her up and inside.

I glanced over at the girl to my right and noticed her fidgeting with her hair. Shit. She’d actually curled it and I was going to fuck mess it all up on the drive. I should have borrowed Gran’s Honda.

“Here.” I tossed my baseball cap into her lap.

“What’s this for?”

“Just put it on. It’ll help keep your hair in place.” I shot her a half smile. “It’s better than no hat, right?”

She shrugged her shoulders, saying, “I guess we’ll find out,” and placed the hat on top of her head. She laughed as it fell all the way down, covering her eyes. “You have a huge head!”

I leaned toward her, grabbing the bill of the hat between my fingers and pulled her close. “No. You have a small head.” I ducked under the hat and planted my lips firmly against hers as she giggled. God, she smelled good.

The engine screamed to life as I turned the key in the ignition. “Ready for this?”

“I’m ready,” she answered with a nod and I took off, the wind whipping through my hair.

“So, have you ever brought a girl home before?” Her voice cut through the sound of the air and the roar of the engine.

I glanced at her before laughing. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No.” She shrugged.

“Cassie.” I eyed her before shaking my head. “I’ve never even slept with the same girl twice.”

“So? That doesn’t mean you haven’t brought some random girl home before.” She sighed.

I placed my right hand on her knee and caressed her bare skin with my fingers. “You’re the first. And the last,” I informed her, my expression serious.

She smiled and her whole face lit up. Or maybe it was mine. All I know for certain is that smile lit up even my darkest days.

We drove for ten minutes before I pulled the car directly in front of my grandparents’ blue and white one-story house. Gran’s yard was meticulous, with manicured bushes lining the front of the house.

“It’s so cute,” she said, removing my hat and fussing with the tangled strands of her hair.

I smirked in her direction. “Your hair looks perfect, Kitten. Come on.” I grabbed the hat she discarded and pulled it on my head, tucking my hair underneath.

I opened the car door and helped her down, my hands resting on her hips and ass. “I think you’re trying to kill me in that dress.”

“I’m glad you like it,” she teased, her eyebrows raised.

“I’ll like you better out of it,” I whispered against her neck.

“Jack! Stop it.” She smacked my arm and I laughed.

We interlocked our fingers and I led her toward the blue double front doors. One of them shot open and Dean appeared, grinning from ear to ear. “It’s about time,” he chastised before pulling Cassie against him in a tight bear hug.

“I will hurt you. Get off her.” I playfully shoved him away from her.

Cassie laughed at our horseplay, then lifted her chin, sniffing at the air. “It smells incredible in here.”

“It’s Gran’s homemade sauce,” Dean said with a smile.

“Welcome home.” I beamed, watching as she looked around at all our things.

“Look at all these old pics of you two. You were so cute,” she said, pointing at an elementary school photo framed on the wall.

“We’re still cute.” I led her across the aging beige carpet toward the entryway to the kitchen.

We walked through and I immediately spotted Gran leaning over the stove, her graying brown hair pinned tightly back in a bun. Gramps sat at the round dinner table, reading the newspaper. He looked up when he heard our footsteps, his glasses resting on the tip of his nose like always.

“Oh, Ma, they’re here!” Gramps sounded excited. He rose from his chair and walked straight toward Cassie with open arms.

“You must be Cassie. It’s so nice to finally meet you.” He squeezed her hard against his chest.

I laughed as I headed over to Gran. “Gran, this is my girl, Cassie.”

Gran wiped her hands on her apron as Cassie grinned and pulled herself from Gramps’ hug. “It’s so nice to meet you, Cassie. We’ve heard so much about you.” Her eyes crinkled in the corners as she grinned, a hint of dimples like mine appearing on her creased cheeks.

“It’s so nice to meet you both. Thanks for having me,” Cassie replied with a warm smile. “Can I help?” She directed the question toward Gran.

“Oh heavens no, dear. I’m almost finished. Go sit down and make yourself comfortable. Jack, you get her whatever she needs, you hear me?” Gran’s voice took on the tone she only used with Dean and me.

“Yes, Gran, of course.” I leaned toward her and planted a kiss on her cheek.

“Do you need anything, Kitten?”

“I’m fine, thanks.”

Gramps pulled out the empty chair next to him and patted it. “Come sit down next to me, Cassie. Or do I get to call you Kitten too?” he asked with a wink.

Dean laughed out loud. “I think we should all start calling her Kitten.”

I shot Dean a murderous look, not at all amused. “Only I get to call her Kitten. You’d be wise to remember that.”

“Jack, stop threatening your brother,” Gran remarked while waving the steam away from her face.

“Yes, Gran.” I gave Dean a hard kick under the table.

Gramps leaned on his elbow and tilted his head. “So, Cassie, Jack tells us that you’re a photographer.”

She glanced at me, grinning before looking back at Gramps. “Well, that’s what I’m studying right now. I’d like to start my own business as soon as I graduate.”

Gramps slapped his hand against the table. “Well, that’s just great! Isn’t that great, dear?”

“That is great. What kind of photography?” Gran asked.

“Ideally, I’d like to work for a magazine that focuses on travel and human interest stories. I’d get to travel around the country and meet all sorts of incredible people with amazing stories.” Cassie started to explain slowly and loud enough for everyone to hear. It didn’t escape me the way her green eyes lit up when she talked about her craft.

“Ooooh, that sounds exciting.” Gran squeezed her shoulders up to her ears.

“Now, what would you do for them? What kind of pictures would you take?” Gramps asked as he reached for his glass of water.

“I think I’d either get assigned with the journalist writing the piece, or I’d go by myself to shoot whatever the focus of the article was about. It could be anything from a new hotel opening and its impact on a struggling city, to a town’s comeback after almost being destroyed in a natural disaster. But the overall theme is positive and uplifting.”

She paused before looking at me, her eyes wide. “There’s an internship that I’m going to apply for this summer. Apparently one of the New York-based magazines has an LA office and my professor mentioned it to me today. He said he’d write me a letter of recommendation, so you never know.”

I gave her a big smile. “Can’t win if you don’t play, Kitten. They’d be idiots not to hire you.”

“Thanks, baby.”

“You should see her stuff, Gramps. She’s really good,” I added, pride shooting through my body.

“She is,” Dean agreed. “But I have a question. The stuff you take pictures of is so creative. I mean, your angles and what you put in your shots… Gramps, she has this one picture of Jack on the mound. You can’t see his whole body or even his face. It’s the coolest shot! Will you get to take pictures like that for a magazine?”

“First of all, thank you. It’s sweet of you to say that about my photos and I appreciate it.” Cassie smiled. “I guess it totally depends on the magazine and their style. But the ones I’d love to work for have very beautifully creative photos and I think they give the photographer a lot of control with their shots.” She shrugged her shoulders.

“That sounds perfect for you. Your photography is way too beautiful to be defined by someone else’s standards. If it doesn’t work out, you can always go into sports photography and follow your boyfriend around the country,” I suggested helpfully.

“So, I’d just wake up and take pictures of you all day?”

I let out a slight chuckle. “Sounds like a dream job to me.”

“Oh, Lord.” Gran sighed. “Forgive me, Cassie, I did the best I could with him.”

She laughed. “It’s okay, Gran, he’s perfect just the way he is.” Her eyes wandered back to mine as her lips curved in a slight smile.

“Jack, Dean, come help me serve, will you?” Gran asked.

Dean and I jumped up from the table and returned carrying steaming dishes filled with Italian food. The smell of freshly baked bread mixed with garlic tomatoes filtered into the air and my mouth started to salivate.

“Dig in, please. Cassie first,” Gramps insisted.

Cassie reached for the bowl of spaghetti and dished out a huge helping before grabbing two piping hot pieces of fresh bread and tossing them onto her plate. Her eyes widened once she added salad, and I gently placed my hand on her upper thigh and squeezed.

“Get enough, Kitten?” I teased.

“I think I got excited in my serving sizes,” she admitted, the hue of embarrassment rising in her cheeks.

“Don’t worry about it. Just eat what you can.”

“This all looks incredible, Gran. Thank you so much,” she said sincerely, before digging in.

“You’re welcome, dear. Thank you for coming.”

“Now, Jack, we need to talk about the draft,” Gramps mentioned between sloppy, sauce-filled bites.

“What about it?”

“Well, for starters, who all will be here on draft day besides the reporters from that TV channel?” Gramps swirled some spaghetti around his fork.

Cassie looked at me, clearly interested in the conversation we’d yet to have. I swallowed my food before speaking. “You and Gran, of course. Dean, you’ll be here, right?”

Dean nodded and I turned to face Cassie. “And Cass, I’d like you here too.”

“Wait. Here for what? I’m sort of lost right now.”

“The major league draft. They think I’ll go within the first couple of rounds so it will be televised on ESPN.”

“Really?” she asked with surprise.

“Really.” I mimicked her tone and she glared at me.

“That’s crazy.”

“You’ll come though, right?” I reached under the table again and connected with her thigh, moving her dress up slightly with my fingertips.

“Of course I’ll…come,” she sputtered before swatting my hand away.

“Great. So, Gramps, it’s you and Gran. Dean and Kitten. And of course, my agents, Marc and Ryan.”

“You have agents already?” Her face scrunched up as she winced noticeably.

“Not officially. I can’t sign with them until I get drafted, but we have a verbal agreement.”

“And how many do you have? Don’t most people only have one?”

“One’s an agent and the other’s a lawyer. But they work together and it stops me having to hire a lawyer separately,” I explained.

“Oh. We really need to talk more about all this baseball stuff. I feel like I don’t know anything that’s happening.” She bit her bottom lip and I saw the unease on her face; she looked so overwhelmed. I’d do anything to take that feeling away from her. I didn’t just want her by my side through this process, I needed her there.

“Sorry, Kitten, we’ve had other stuff going on. And this is all pretty recent. I was going to tell you about it.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m not mad or anything. I’m really excited for you, but the whole TV thing is a little overwhelming.”

“It only happens if you’re getting drafted really high. They don’t send camera crews to everyone’s house,” Dean said, and I couldn’t read her expression any longer, her face blank.

“Oh. When is it, anyway?”

“The first Monday in June,” Dean answered before I had the chance.

“And then when do you leave?” Cassie asked softly, her green eyes searching mine for answers I didn’t have yet.

“I don’t know for sure, but I think right after,” I answered, my chest suddenly feeling like it weighed a thousand pounds.

“Like that day?” she asked, as her eyes started to get that shiny look.

“No. But within a week, I think.” Her face twisted at my words.

She was upset. Of course she was upset. I hadn’t told her any of this and now it was all being sprung on her without any warning. I could be such an idiot sometimes.

“So what’s the plan, Jack? What do your agents think is going to happen?” Gran asked from across the table.

“They think I’ll go within the first round and that should come with a solid signing bonus. If we like the deal, then we accept it and I’ll have to move to wherever their Single-A farm team is.”

“What’s a signing bonus?” Cassie asked, her forehead creasing.

“A signing bonus is exactly what it sounds like. It’s money used as an incentive to get the player to sign with the team instead of returning to school for another year. The minor league pay scale is barely enough to live off of each month. That’s why the signing bonus is so important. But not every player gets it.” I tried to clarify without confusing her.

“So not everyone gets a signing bonus, but you will because you’ll get drafted in the first round?” she asked, her voice stumbling a bit.

“Exactly.”

“How many rounds are there?”

“In the draft? About forty.”

“Holy shit, and they think you’ll go in the first?” Her eyes widened as I stifled a laugh. “I’m sorry,” she said before clasping her hand over her mouth, her face embarrassed.

“We’ve heard far worse,” Gramps said with a laugh.

“What happens to those guys who don’t get a signing bonus?” she asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you said they can barely live off of the money they make without a bonus.”

“No one plays this game for the money, Kitten. We play it because we love it so much that the thought of being without it causes unbearable pain. It’s a game that one day ends for every single person who plays it, but we all want to put off that ending as long as possible.” I took a quick breath. “When you only dream of doing one thing for the majority of your life, it’s almost unfathomable to think about doing anything else. You don’t know how. It’s all you’ve ever wanted and you’ll not only fight like hell to get there, you’ll fight like hell to stay.”

“I love how much you love it,” she said, her eyes beaming.

“I wouldn’t play it if I didn’t,” I admitted, grinning at her.

“Do Marc and Ryan have any idea what team is going to try to draft you?” Dean asked while ripping apart a piece of bread.

“If they do, they haven’t told me.”

“So you have no idea where you’ll be going?” He chewed thoughtfully while he waited for my answer.

“Not yet.” I smiled.

“The teams are all over the country, right?” Cassie asked, her expression a mixture of excitement and concern.

“Pretty much.”

“And you just have to go wherever they tell you to?”

“If I want to play ball, I do,” I responded with a playful grin, hoping to lighten the darkening mood.

Gran’s concerned gaze swung between Cassie’s face and mine. “What will you two do when he leaves?”

“Well, we haven’t really talked about it yet, Gran.” I ran my fingers nervously through my hair. Cassie placed her hand under the table on my thigh and I quickly reached for it, grateful for her touch.

“Long distance relationships suck,” Dean commented darkly.

“What the hell do you know about ’em?” I snapped at Dean, suddenly overwhelmed with the reality of the situation with Cassie and me.

“I’ve just heard they suck. And they never last.” He clamped his jaw shut, a little too late for my liking.

“That’s enough, Dean!” Gran swatted him with her napkin. “Long distance relationships can work just as well as any other kind. Sometimes they’re even better.”

“How so?” Cassie asked, our minds clearly on the same page.

“For starters, your relationship becomes less about the physical aspect, obviously,” she said with a laugh, “and more about the things that truly matter in the long run. When you can’t see each other for months at a time, the building blocks of your relationship either flourish or flounder. No relationship can survive without trust, honesty, and communication, no matter how close you are.”

She stopped for a moment, looking at both Cassie and me before continuing. “Long distance means countless hours talking on the phone. And I mean, really talking. Because it’s all you have when you can’t simply get in your car and drive to the other person’s house. You get to really know each other. The bonds you form during that time apart can be as solid as steel beams.”

I found myself completely focused on Gran’s words. “She’s right,” Gramps added with a twinkle in his eyes. “When you only have the telephone or letters, it changes things. All the emotions and feelings are still there, but they’re amplified in a way that’s tough to explain. That’s why the communication part is so important.”

Gran glanced over at him with a dimpled smile. “Because it’s easy to misinterpret things or jump to the wrong conclusion when the person you love is far away. The only way to fix it is to talk about it. So you end up talking…a lot.”

“When were you two apart?” I asked, finally realizing they were both speaking from experience.

“During the war. But I wrote him every day,” Gran said matter-of-factly.

“And I wrote every chance I had.” Gramps grinned. “Called, too.”

“That he did.” They exchanged a loving glance and I squeezed Cassie’s hand.

“Well, that’s enough of that talk for one night. I’m sure the kids don’t want to think about all this stuff right now.” Gran waved a hand in front of her face before rising from the table, followed by Gramps.

“No, it was really nice to hear. Thank you.” Cassie smiled, her hand still holding mine.

“We’ll get the dishes, Gran. Go lie down,” I suggested with a hearty smile.

“Thank you, Jack. We’ll just be in the other room,” she said before slowly making her way into the living room.

“You two are gonna stay together, right?” Dean asked with a wince.

I turned to look at Cassie, whose eyes were piercing into mine. “She’ll probably be sick of me by then.” I couldn’t help but tease Cassie in a weak attempt to hide my fears.

“Most likely,” she kidded back.

At least, I hoped she was kidding.

“You guys seriously haven’t talked about any of this?” Dean questioned in disbelief, leaning back against his chair.

“Not yet.” I tried to be cool, ignoring the irritation rising in my body.

“Dude, June isn’t that far away. And you’ll leave right after the draft. You two are hopeless.”

I rammed my foot into Dean’s shin with force, my temper flaring. “Why don’t you shut the fuck hell up, Dean, and worry about your own love life. Or lack thereof.”

Dean’s chair slid across the kitchen floor with a loud squeak. “Ow, Jack! Jesus! I was just saying you two should probably get your shit together and actually start doing that whole communicating thing Gran was talking about. ’Cause the last time I checked, you sort of sucked at it.”

I stood up from my chair, my breath increasing with each second that passed. “You’re being a real asshole, Dean, you know that?” I seethed, my jaw working as I ground my teeth, trying to control my anger.

Cassie’s hand gripped the bottom of my shirt, pulling it tightly toward her. “Jack! Sit! Down!”

I looked at her face, all pinched with fear, and fell back into my chair, my breathing ragged. After thinking a moment, I shot to my feet again and grabbed her arm. “Let’s go.”

“What? No. We haven’t even done the dishes and…”

“We’re leaving. I’ll do the dishes when I get back,” I demanded, leaving her no choice.

“Night, Dean,” she said grudgingly, two steps behind me.

“Night, Cass. Sorry.”

I stormed into the living room before leaning in to plant a kiss on Gran’s soft cheek. “I’m gonna take Cass home. I’ll be back in a bit and will handle the dishes then. Okay? Thanks for dinner, Gran. It was delicious.”

“Did something happen, dear? What happened?” Gran’s voice echoed her concern.

“Ask your other grandson.” I smiled at her unapologetically, before giving Gramps a hug, inhaling the scent of tobacco lingering on his clothes.

“It was really nice meeting you both. Thank you so much for dinner. It was fantastic.” Cassie smiled softly before leaning in to hug Gramps and then Gran.

“Nice to meet you too, young lady. Good luck with that internship!” Gramps remembered with an enthusiastic smile.

“You’re welcome any time, even after he leaves,” Gran told Cassie, her eyes tired but kind.

“That’s very sweet of you. Thank you so much. I’ll see you both soon.”

I practically dragged Cassie out of the house by her hand before she ripped it from my grip once we were out the door. “Jesus, Jack, enough! Stop pulling me like I’m a fucking dog or something. I don’t even know what you’re so pissed off about!”

I came to a sudden stop on the walkway as guilt immediately mixed with my anger. “Did I hurt you?” I asked, my insides battling.

She cocked her head to one side, assessing me. “No. But don’t do that again. I don’t like it.”

I reached for her hand, but she tucked it behind her back. “I deserve that,” I said with a nod before walking toward my car ahead of her. I opened her door, but didn’t stay to help her up. If she wasn’t going to let me touch her hand, she sure as shit wasn’t going to let me grab her ass.

Once inside, I pulled open the old ashtray, the sound of jingling change filling the air as I dug around for the proper amount. I glanced at Cassie, knowing that she was pissed causing an aching in my chest I couldn’t stand. “Forgive me,” I said, before tossing two quarters into her lap.

She glanced down, the corners of her mouth turning up in a hesitant smile as she shook her head. “I hate you.”

“No you don’t.” Relief spread through me as soon as I realized that it would be okay. We’d be okay.

She narrowed her eyes, releasing a long breath. “Just take me home, Jack. That’s what you ripped me from your house to do, so just do it already.”

My stomach twisted as her tone chased away every ounce of relief I’d just felt. I started the car and we drove in silence the entire way to her apartment, except for the music I chose. As soon as I put the car in park, she hopped out.

“Come on, Kitten. Wait!” I shouted at her retreating back, but she continued walking. “Cassie!”

I realized she had no intention of stopping, so I followed slowly behind her, my mind racing. When I reached her front door, I noticed that it wasn’t closed all the way and my heart literally let out a thankful beat.

“Cass?” I peered around the door into the empty living room. I noticed the light on in her bedroom, so I headed that direction.

I walked in and found her looking in the bathroom mirror as she scrubbed the makeup from her face. She turned to me and sighed before looking back at her reflection. I sat on the edge of her bed, suddenly feeling like the biggest asshole on earth. The problem was, I wasn’t sure what the hell she was even so mad about, but I was certain it was my fault.

I watched as she gathered her long hair into a ponytail, revealing that gorgeous neck she usually hid underneath. I knew I was in trouble with her, but suddenly all I could think about was kissing that neck. I stood up and started to walk toward her, my other head clearly in charge of my actions.

“Don’t,” she snapped and I stopped. No fighting back, no response, no arguing. I simply turned my ass right around and sat back on her bed. If I had a tail, it would sure as shit have been tucked between my legs.

I was one hundred percent not in control of this situation. This girl fucking owned me right now. I sat on that bed waiting for her to give me the time of day. I didn’t necessarily like this feeling, but I suffered through it…for her. I convinced myself that I’d probably suffer through pretty much anything for this girl.

The water turned off and she walked toward me, avoiding my eyes before sitting down as far away from me as possible. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Her angry tone caught me off guard.

I shrugged my shoulders. “What did I do?”

“You’re kidding, right?” She let out an irritated laugh. I stared at her as she threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. “You flipped out at your grandparents’ house. I thought you were going to hit your own brother!”

“He pissed me off!” I attempted to defend my actions. “I didn’t like the things he was saying about us. I don’t want to hear that shit when it comes to me and you.”

She released a loud breath, her shoulders slouching. “Jack, you can’t get pissed every time someone says something unflattering about us.”

“Yes, I can,” I responded seriously, and she laughed.

“Okay, you cannnn,” she dragged out the word before continuing, “but you shouldn’t. Plus, it’s not like Dean was really wrong.”

“What are you saying?”

“Just that we don’t really have the best track record when it comes to trust and communication, is all. We clearly have some stuff to work on.” She smiled as she scooted next to me.

I threw my arm around her waist and pulled her into me before kissing her on the head. “So we’re not perfect.”

“Not even close.” She laughed and her eyes danced. “But, Jack?”

“Yeah?” I leaned away from her so I could see her face as she spoke.

“Will you please keep me in the loop when it comes to your baseball stuff? I don’t want to be the last to know what’s going on with you.” She spoke softly and I could see the hurt in her eyes.

“You’ll never be the last to know again. I promise.” I caressed her hip with my thumb, the feeling that I’d let her down surging through my body.

“So you’ll really be gone soon?” she asked, her tone of voice breaking my fucking heart.

I nodded. “But I’ll be back in a few months. The season ends in September, so I come home as soon as it’s over.”

Her eyes lit up as the worry lines on her forehead subsided. “Really? So it’s not like you move away forever?”

The heaviness in my chest lifted. “Is that what you thought? That I got drafted and never came back?”

“Pretty much. I don’t know how it works.”

“I just go for the rest of the baseball season and then I come home. They’ve already been playing games since April,” I told her, wanting to alleviate her fears.

“And then what? I mean, you go back again, right?”

I smiled half-heartedly. “I go back in February.”

She started counting the months between when I come back and when I leave again on her fingers as I braced for her response. “That’s not terrible.” She smiled and dropped her hands.

“Totally doable, right?” I asked with confidence, but my insides were doing somersaults.

“I’m not ready to give up on you quite yet. I’ll try anything with you once.” She winked at me before seeing the big grin on my face, then began backtracking. “Well…almost anything.” Her cheeks turned rose-colored.

I tilted her face toward mine, lifting her chin with my fingers. “I love you.” Her eyes focused on my mouth before closing as I pulled her to me. She tasted like the mint of her toothpaste and her lips were soft as I parted them. The touch of her tongue against mine woke up parts of my body I had no real control over. I tangled my fingers in her hair, pulling her even closer to me.

She let out a low sound and all I could think about was ripping that little white dress off her body. I leaned her against the mattress and positioned myself on top of her. The way her hair spilled out all around drove me crazy. There was something so sexy about seeing it splayed across her pillow as she lay beneath me. “You’re so beautiful,” I reminded her as I leaned down to kiss her again, pushing the lower half of my body against hers.

I waited for the signal that she was willing to go farther before I attempted anything. Her hips lifted from the bed to meet mine as she pressed herself into me. My hand reached down to her leg before sliding up along her bare skin, bringing her dress with it. I pulled the fabric up to her hip as she wiggled, sensing no rejection to my actions.

I ran my thumb along the elastic of her thong, sliding underneath it. The feel of her skin made me ravenous. I couldn’t get enough; all my thoughts consumed in what it felt like to be inside her. “I want you,” I admitted, my breath faltering.

She opened her eyes to mine, her mouth opening slightly as her hands reached for the button on my shorts. Her fingers brushed against me as she fumbled, causing a groan to escape from my lips. My willpower fading, I reached down to help her remove the fabric that remained between us.

I flung off my shorts and boxers as she pulled at me, her fingers digging into my exposed skin. I sat up, my breathing erratic as I tossed my shirt onto the floor. Her gorgeous body, half naked with her white dress bunched up toward her breasts, took my breath away, and I peeled the dress from her effortlessly. Then I reached lower and pulled her underwear all the way down to her feet, where she kicked them off.

The curves of her body called out to me, and I slid my mouth over them, my tongue tasting the salt on her skin. Her breathing was quick and heavy as her fingers slid along the muscles in my back. Every sound that escaped her lips simply made me want her more. “Jack.” Her voice was shaky. “I want you.”

Her words lit a fire inside me that was hard to contain. I wanted to please her…satisfy her…ruin her for all other guys out there. I wanted this moment right here to be the best part of her day.

Her hands gripped my body as I slid into her. She let out a sigh and I almost lost it right then. I bit down on my bottom lip as I rocked in and out of her, trying to focus on anything other than how amazing she felt.

Her eyes opened and closed as my thrusting continued. No matter how many girls I’d slept with at Fullton, none had ever come close to feeling like this. Nothing had ever felt like this. Not even baseball. “I’ll never get over how incredible you feel,” I admitted without shame.

She looked into me. “You too. Don’t stop, Jack.” She panted the words and I crushed her lips against mine. My hips moved with hers, my shoulders burning from the weight of my body, but refusing to falter. She moaned and shuddered as she sucked in a deep breath, her eyes flying open in wonder as her body trembled in spasms. My pace quickened; I knew wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer.

Her head thrust back and I kissed along her neck, before finding the sweet taste of her lips. My mouth covered hers, my tongue exploring while I continued working in and out of her. “Cass,” I said as my lips pressed against hers. She sighed as her teeth grazed against my ear. I groaned without control and released myself into her.

I gently pulled out of her before falling onto my back, my breathing loud and uneven. She turned to lay her head on my chest and I wrapped my arm across her bare, damp back.

“I love you, Jack.” Her breath whispered against my skin as I kissed the top of her head.

“Just don’t forget that when I’m gone for three months this summer.”

“I’m not the one who’s slept with half the school.” She laughed, softening the barb a little.

“That doesn’t mean half the school won’t try to sleep with you the second I’m out of the picture,” I informed her, my tone serious.

I’ve seen the way other guys look at her. I’m not the first guy at Fullton to notice Cassie. I’m just the one who actually got her.

“You’re insane.” She looked over at me, disbelief written all over her face.

“Let’s hope every guy on campus has the same opinion of me.”

“I’m pretty sure they do. It’s not like you’re known for your sweet disposition.”

“Good.” I smiled as contentment welled within me.