Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 60219 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 301(@200wpm)___ 241(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60219 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 301(@200wpm)___ 241(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
It had taken ten years, but the high school fantasies, the dreams and desires of that young girl had come true. Everything I ever could have asked for had happened, and it was somehow even better than I’d thought it would be. My body tingled and vibrated inside as I struggled to catch my breath.
Yet, my eyes were closing, either by exhaustion or overload of sensation, and when Graham pulled the blanket up and over top of us, I sighed deeply and let them shut for good. I didn’t know what was going to happen next, but for that moment, I wasn’t going to let myself think about it. Stress was for another time. Nothing was going to ruin the afterglow of this perfect moment. Nothing was going to ruin the knowledge that Graham Miller was lying naked beside me, and that his body had been inside my own.
Slowly, I felt myself drifting away, sweat drying itself and being wicked away by the satin sheets. Beside me, Graham sighed, and I felt his breath slowing as well. We were falling asleep together, my naked body wrapped up in his. As much as my consciousness could, I relished that moment until I was fast asleep.
14
GRAHAM
The sunlight filled the room early, and I awoke to the room bathed in a golden light.
I turned to glance at the ancient alarm clock beside the bed. It was barely six in the morning. I was actually running late.
Normally, I was up around five, allowing myself to sleepily go through the motions of the early morning. I would have a cup of coffee while I watched the sunrise, read the news on my phone, go over the scouting report my pitching coach would send. Even my off days in the rotation were filled with work, and I would be up and out of bed in plenty of time to get a head start.
But having Mallory in my arms, the two of us curled together in the warmth and dim light of the early morning, was too much to fight. Everything else could wait for now. I was going to lie there for a few more minutes. After a decade of waiting for this moment, I think we both deserved the sleepy lovely morning that came after.
Mallory dozed beside me, her hair spread out over the length of my arm as her chin rested on my shoulder. She was so beautiful, and I found myself just simply staring at her. Last night had been incredible, and I planned on spending the rest of the away stand in New York with her as much as possible.
After a little while, my stomach rumbled, angry that I had upset the normal routine of having my workout and then breakfast by six-thirty. I kissed Mallory’s forehead and slid my arm out from under her, letting her head gently fall back to the pillow underneath. She pulled the blankets up to her chin and smiled softly as I got out of bed.
I walked as quietly as I could to the closet so as to not wake her up and opened the doors.
Digging through my clothes on the hangers, I found the shirt and slacks I was going to wear to the park and pulled them out, setting them on the dressing chair by the closet door. A drawer inside the closet also had my underwear and socks, and I put them on first, then slipped on the slacks before walking back into the bedroom. A fresh stack of white T-shirts was in the drawer in the bedroom, and as I opened it to grab one, I saw Mallory stir in the bed.
Suddenly, she sat up, looking around in slight confusion, and then when her eyes settled on me, they softened, and she relaxed back onto the pillow.
“Good morning,” I said. “You don’t have to get up. I just need to get my workout in this morning.”
“I’m sorry I slept in,” she said, yawning and stretching her arms high above her head. “What time is it?”
“Still early yet,” I said, slipping the shirt on and grabbing the dress shirt. I walked over to the side of the bed she was closest to and leaned in for a kiss. “You stay here as long as you like. Stay for the rest of the day if you want. I’d like that, actually. I’d be very happy knowing I had you to come back to after the game today.”
She grinned, and I kissed her again.
“I would love to,” she said, “but I have to work.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “You could call in and hang out here. Order room service, watch TV.”
She looked like she was contemplating the temptation for a moment before sighing and shaking her head.
“No, I need to go in,” she said. “Trust me, that sounds like a wonderful way to spend the day, but I do need to work.”