Looking down into my grandmother’s wise eyes, I didn’t know what to say. “How does love feel?” I asked instead.

  A smile played on her lips, and something intimate flashed behind her eyes. “It feels like you have a helium balloon tied to your waist and it lifts you up against your will. You fly over scenery that is familiar but looks different from that high angle. And the world begins to spin, but you don’t care.”

  I laughed. “That sounds like you’ve had too much alcohol.”

  Her eyes twinkled. “It is like that. It’s an incredible high…” She paused, and her face grew more somber. “Then the helium begins to leak out, and you find yourself back on land. And if you still feel happy to be with her… not when you’re soaring, but when you’re trudging up mountains… that’s when you know it’s love.”

  Looking up, I found Eliana immediately in the crowd. Her mother had her by the elbow, walking her to the corner of the room. Eliana looked stiff, her face a neutral mask as Alize spoke to her, saying things I couldn’t hear.

  “Nana, I think I’m going to find my girl and ask her to dance. Need anything before I go?”

  She patted my arm and turned to follow the direction of my gaze. “No, dear. Go rescue her from that vile creature. Some human beings shouldn’t be allowed to give birth.”

  “True, but I’m very glad that particular human being did, and I’m very glad Eliana is nothing like her.” I kissed Nana’s soft cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”

  “Stop it,” I heard Eliana hiss as I approached them, her hands clenched by her side. As I got closer, her hands relaxed, and as if she could feel me grow nearer, she turned to me, her face flooding with relief.

  “There you are.” I pulled her tight against me, giving her a hard kiss. “I was missing you.”

  Alize made a scoffing sound, and I lifted my head, glancing in her direction. “Something wrong?”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t you think this is a little soon? After all, it wasn’t less than two weeks ago that your face was splashed all over the tabloids. And you expect me to believe you’ve been in a relationship with my daughter? I want to know what’s going on.”

  Pulling Eliana tighter to my side, I held my temper in check. “What’s going on is that I’m busy thanking every god in existence that Eliana is nothing like you, Helen Jean. And I’m not surprised that you don’t believe that I care for your daughter. I don’t think you’d recognize that emotion if it slapped you in your collagen-filled face.”

  Alize gasped, and her fingers flew to her cheeks, but before she could defend her plastic surgeon, I whisked Eliana away to whirl her onto the dance floor.

  I’d only made it a few steps when Alize grabbed Eliana by the arm. “You, young lady, will be out of that apartment by next weekend. Your roommate too. I’m selling it.”

  Eliana gasped and hardened her jaw. “You, Mother, apparently don’t understand tenant rights. There’s a process you must go through, or I’ll sue your ass.”

  I could have cheered as I watched Eliana stand up for herself. I wondered if it was the first time she’d done so.

  Alize lifted her chin. “Well, consider this your notice. My attorney will be contacting you with specifics.”

  I stepped in. “I’ll buy it. Better yet, Eliana can simply move in with me. She doesn’t need you or your threats. In fact, she’ll never need anything from you again.”

  “That was epic,” Eliana said once I’d guided her to the dance floor, her face pressed into my chest. “White knight really does run through your veins.”

  I growled. “I swear, I’ve never hit a woman, but I…” I didn’t finish the sentence. “Anyway, what was she saying to you before I arrived?”

  Eliana looked up at me, her eyes shining as we glided to the music. “She was giving me advice on how to play you in regards to the prenuptial agreement you would be sure to have me sign. She called you a man-whore and said to make sure there was a cheating clause that will give me a bundle when, not if, you have an affair. She made it clear that she didn’t think I was female enough to keep you sexually satisfied.”

  “I really, really hate that woman.”

  Eliana poked me in the chest. “Well, you better get used to her. She’s your fake future mother-in-law after all. But don’t worry, you won’t have to see her very often. Now, probably even less so. Maybe never. She isn’t used to being spoken to that way.”

  We danced, swaying to the music. It wasn’t until one song faded into the next that she looked up at me again. “Aren’t you going to deny the man-whore part?”

  She glanced away, pressing her cheek to my chest again before I could read her expression. “No, I can’t deny that,” I admitted. “Especially lately. Being in the majors is still new to me, and there are a lot of women who enjoy seeing how many baseball stars they can sleep with.”

  I felt her nod. “It must be difficult to resist all those beautiful women.”

  Blowing out a breath, I ran a thumb down her spine, and she shivered. I did it again. “I have a confession that you’ll probably hear about anyway. The night before I met you, I was with a woman. It wasn’t until the next day, when I saw our picture in a tabloid, that I realized she was a porn star. That, in itself, wasn’t the problem. I’m not going to judge anyone on how they make their living, but it didn’t look good for my reputation or the team’s, and I caught some shit from the team owner. What bothered me the most was that she played me. Bragged about how our tryst landed her some new gigs.”

  “Thank you for telling me. That explains the porn star reference from Mommy Dearest earlier.”

  “In case you’re worried, I went that same day to a doctor and got a full STD panel done. The initial results are clean, and I’m always careful. There are some things that take a while to get back, so… if you want to wait to—”

  I wasn’t able to finish because she was pulling my head down for a kiss.

  The kiss was hard at first, a harsh pressing together of our mouths, then it softened into something that I’ve only before experienced with her.

  “I want you to make love to me tonight,” she said, her breath warm on my lips. Couples danced around where we stood, but I didn’t move us out of the way. “Bring condoms. Lots of condoms. I need you inside me. I need to see you naked. Taste your skin. I need to know if what I imagine it being like in my head is real.”

  Pulling her even tighter against me in order to hide my erection, I looked down into her sweet face. “There’s something else you need to know. I don’t make love. I fuck — hard.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Did you just fifty shade me?”

  I threw my head back and howled. “The guys in the locker room talked about that damn book a lot, not because they read it but because their wives or girlfriends dragged them kicking and screaming to the movie.”

  “Seriously?”

  I nodded. “Yep. They are always doing something stupid to mimic the characters. I fuck — hard is a favorite and gets exploited often.”

  She grinned up at me. “How often?”

  “Just yesterday, Calvin Malone said, ‘I pitch — hard,’ after striking out the side.”

  She cocked her head. “What does ‘striking out the side’ mean?”

  “He struck three batters in a row out.”

  “Oh, cool. Who else says it?”

  I gave it some thought and remembered. “In the next inning, Ace Newman hit a homer. When he got into the dugout, he yelled—”

  “Let me guess. He yelled, ‘I bat — hard.’”

  I held out a fist, and she bumped it. “Exactly. Then, one of the guys yelled, ‘You change diapers — hard.’”

  Eliana laughed. “What did Ace do?”

  “Pounded his chest and said, ‘Hell yes I do.’”

  “So, I’m guessing he has a baby.”

  “And your guess would be right. A cute little boy, in fact.”

  Her eyes were shining, and she looked so happy. “Do you want kids someday?”

  I didn’t even hesitate. “Yeah, I do. You?”

  “Yeah. I can’t wait to tell Alize she’s going to be a grandmother.”

  I laughed and bobbed my eyebrows. “Well…?”

  She gaped at me. “Don’t you dare suggest a fake pregnancy. I can’t take much more of this.”

  “More of what?” I kissed her, long and deep and slow. “More of that?”

  “Yes, please.” She pulled my head down to kiss her again.

  Someone cleared their throat loudly, and I raised my head. “I think we’re being inappropriate.”

  She blinked the passion away. “We can be inappropriate later, right?”

  I pulled her tighter against me so she could feel my erection. “As soon as my current level of inappropriate shrinks back down, we’ll go do that. Right now, I’ll get arrested for indecency.”

  “My, isn’t someone really full of himself. Are you really that big?”

  I choked at her frankness, and she patted my back as we resumed swaying to the music. “Let’s see, first basemen need to create a huge target for the guys to throw to and be able to stretch out and catch the shit they toss at me. I’m six-four, and my hand is this big.” I hold it out for her to look at and she presses her palm to mine.

  “That’s pretty big. Should I be scared?”

  My erection wasn’t going down anytime soon. “Very.”

  She smiled. “Good.”

  “Is there anything you’re not willing to try?” I asked her, my hand caressing the soft skin on her back again.

  She bit her bottom lip, giving it some thought. “Like from the movie?”

  I grinned. “Sure, let’s start there.”

  She blushed. “I want to try everything. Well, except the spanking with the belt. I’ll pull an Anna if you do that, or maybe make a butt plug for you out of your nana’s ring.”

  She looked serious.

  God, she was adorable. And goofy. And sweet.

  I had to remind myself that all of this wasn’t real. She was going to school, I was gone half the year. I’d be heading back to California and big business meetings once baseball was out of my blood or I got injured and my glove was taken from me.

  After Nana died, we’d probably go our separate ways or maybe even remain friends. I could see her as a friend. Someone I could hit up for lunch on occasion. Hang out with. Talk to.

  Dammit all to hell. That wasn’t what I wanted. Maybe I just needed to fuck her and see if that got all this feeling shit out of my system.

  “Want to get out of here?” I asked her.

  She pressed tighter against me and looked down. “I don’t think you’re quite ready to go anywhere.”

  I growled. She was right. The front of my pants bore a close resemblance to Pinocchio.

  She batted her lashes. “You really want to fuck me hard, don’t you?”

  So freakin’ adorable.

  “You’re not helping.”

  She rose up on her tiptoes. “What else to you want to do to me?”

  I rolled my eyes and focused on the ceiling. “Not playing fair here.”

  “Do you enjoy oral sex?”

  That was it.

  She yelped when I turned her around. “Stay directly in front of me.”

  I followed a trail of giggles as I ushered her to the door. “Aren’t you going to say goodbye to your parents and Nana?” she asked, and I stopped.

  Dammit.

  “That’s good. Say Nana’s name again.”

  She laughed. “Nana. Mom. Dad. Family reunions. Sunday brunch. Parents having sex.”

  I looked down at myself. “Hey, it’s working, but don’t ever say that last one again.”

  When I was finally presentable, we made our excuses and confirmed brunch for ten in the morning. I had an afternoon game and would need to be at the stadium by noon.

  “Hurry,” I told my driver as I slid the privacy glass up between us. Eliana was already on my lap, loosening my tie.

  She was tongue and teeth, wet and sweet, but I didn’t want to fuck her in this limo. I wanted to wait and have her in my bed.

  All. Night. Long.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Eliana

  Kane’s apartment was amazing, the little bit I saw of it as he half carried me down the hallway. He turned on his bedroom light before dimming the glare just a bit.

  “There. I want to see you.” The gravel in his voice made me shiver.

  “I want to see you too.”

  Wrapping his arms around me, he took my mouth with his tongue then teeth as he pulled on my lower lip. He leaned down and licked my neck, stopping at the pulse point before capturing the lobe of my ear.

  “Have I told you that I love this dress,” he said as he unzipped it, “even better on the floor?” Within seconds, it was pooled around my feet, and I was standing in front of him in only tiny lace panties and my shoes. He stared at me until I blushed. “Beautiful.”

  As his lips covered mine again, I opened for him, welcoming his tongue, greeting it with mine. He bent down and ground into me with an urgency that was hedonistic and raw, his pubic bone creating delicious friction on my clit. I cried into his mouth as he deepened the kiss.

  His lips crushed mine, seeking and searching, punishing and soothing all at once. Our tongues met for a dance as ageless as time. I sucked on his, and he moaned, the rumble reverberating down my body. I loved that I could affect him too. It made me brave.

  With a pounding heart, I pushed his jacket from his shoulders, then I worked the buttons of his shirt. It was soon gone, and I could feel his skin. Warmth and rippling muscle. All man under my fingertips.

  He worked the zipper of his pants, but I pushed his fingers away. “Let me.” He stepped out of his shoes as the pants and belt joined the puddle of clothes.

  His erection tented his boxers, and I wanted to feel him, taste him. I began to sink to my knees, taking his boxers down with me, when he stopped me, yanking me up and tossing me onto the bed.

  Like a predatory animal, he climbed up my body, licking his way up my legs and belly, stopping to circle each breast before again finding my mouth. He kissed me hard, holding my hands above my head. “Tell me what you want.”

  Where did I start?

  I licked my lips. “Taste you.”

  He growled and slid the rest of the way up my body until he was planting a knee on each side of my head. He stroked himself just inches from my face. “You want this?”

  I nodded. More than anything.

  “Tell me.”

  “I want your cock.”

  “Where?”

  He was going to make me say it. “In my mouth.”

  One side of his mouth lifted, and with a last long stroke, he lowered his length to feed me. When he pressed the tip to my lips, I opened them gladly, eager to accept his offer. His taste exploded on my tongue as he pulsed very gently in and out. I grabbed his ass, pulling him harder into me, wanting more.

  Refusing to gag, I took him into my throat, looking up into his eyes as he watched from above. His face was strained as he battled to not hurt me, giving me short intervals to breathe.

  I didn’t want to breathe.

  I wanted him. All of him.

  And nearly cried out when he pulled away.

  Immediately, I missed the weight of him on my tongue, but his cock was soon replaced with his lips. “You’re driving me crazy,” he whispered. “I don’t want to come yet. I want this to last.”

  His hand traveled to my breast to play with a nipple, squeezing just hard enough for me to feel it. I groaned, and he squeezed again. “Pain enhances the pleasure.”

  I believed him.

  His fingers were replaced by his lips, his teeth, as he moved back down my body. When he came to my panties, I wailed as tongue and teeth pressed through the material, the lacy barrier increasing the sensations on my swollen clitoris. My hand found his hair, pulling him closer, harder.

  Needing no further urging, he sat back on his knees and reached for the top of my panties. “It feels like I’ve waited forever to see this,” he said as he peeled them down my legs. “Beautiful. So smooth.”

  When they were gone, he settled between my thighs and my breathing picked up speed. A small flick of his tongue nearly sent me over the edge.

  “Sensitive. I love that.”

  Sliding his hands under my ass, he lifted me. Our eyes met as he opened me with his thumbs and blew on my heated sex. Before I could even react, he dove deep, his tongue blazing a trail down my welcoming slit.

  “God, you taste so good. So wet for me already.”

  When I didn’t think I could take it any longer, his tongue plunged inside me, his teeth scraping my outer lips. One finger, then two invaded me, making me groan. Pleasure exploded as his teeth grazed my clitoris, his tongue sinking deeper into my folds. I moaned and cried out his name, clutching the bed covers, anything to ground me. He licked and sucked and bit, eating me alive.

  He pumped his fingers, hard and deep, twisting them as he did.

  I was there, so close to the edge, every cell inside me contracted. He curled his fingers, and my eyes rolled back in my head.

  “Feel good?” he asked, and I hoped he didn’t expect an answer. He stroked me there again, and I shuddered. “Ready to come?”

  “Yes. Please.” The words came out in pants.

  The flat of his tongue washed over my clit as his fingers began to move. I clutched at his hair, my nails digging into his scalp. He didn’t stop, only increased the intensity. The pressure. Everything.

  Writhing, I was between wanting him to stop and wanting more when I exploded, screaming his name.

  Trying to control my trembling body, I was vaguely aware of him moving away and rolling on a condom, then he was on top of me again, his hard cock nudging my entrance.

  “Open your eyes.”

  I obeyed and stared up into his green ones as the tip of his cock speared into me. I arched against the burn of being stretched but didn’t close my eyes as my body absorbed him inch by inch. When he was fully seated, he murmured, “You are so precious, feel so good,” and began to move.

  His strokes were hard and powerful as our bodies pounded together. I was on fire, felt branded as we melted into one. His muscles worked under my fingers as I held on for dear life.