My hand itched to knock on the door between my room and Miller’s, wanting to walk down to the lobby with her, wanting to show up in front of my teammates together in hopes they’d understand she’s off-limits for tonight.
She’s off-limits always.
For them and for me.
Instead, as soon as Monty was settled in my room to watch Max, I headed down to the lobby alone, forcing myself to wait for her there while pretending to be entirely unaffected by the prospect of having a night away from the house or hotel with the girl I, annoyingly, can’t stop thinking about.
The entire team seems to be down here already, drinking pregame beers and all too excited to have a night off without needing to be at the field tomorrow. I find Isaiah on a couch and as soon as my ass hits the cushion next to him, he’s holding out a fresh beer, top popped already.
“Never thought this would happen again,” Isaiah says, clinking his bottle to mine. “You coming out with us.”
“It’s a one-time thing.”
He doesn’t say anything, simply brings his beer to his lips, but I can feel the unspoken words he’s dying to say swirling around us.
“What?”
“I just find it interesting that the night you decide to join us is the same night Miller is.”
“There’s nothing interesting about that.”
“Really? Because I thought it was especially interesting how suddenly, after Travis invited her, you were in too.”
I find our catcher hanging out with Cody and a few other of our teammates. I like Trav a lot, he’s a good guy and a good baseball player. He’s also twenty-six years old, a lot closer to Miller’s age than me, and doesn’t have someone else that he revolves every minute of his day around.
I’m not surprised that he might be interested in her. Hell, I think anyone would be interested if they knew her, but I hate that if Travis’s interest was reciprocated, it’d make a whole lot of sense.
“He into her?” I ask as casually as possible, taking a pull from the bottle.
“Would it bother you if he were?”
I shoot my brother a side glance. “Answer the question.”
“You answer mine.”
Rolling my eyes, I stare straight ahead once again. “It would only bother me because she’s here for Max. I don’t want it to get in the way of her taking care of my son.”
My brother barks out a laugh. “Oh my fucking God. You’re so full of shit.” He scrubs a hand over his face to hide his disbelieving grin. “Don’t put this on Maxie. I saw the way you were looking at her in the stands today.”
“I wasn’t looking at her. I was looking at my kid.”
“You can lie to anyone else, including yourself, but don’t try to bullshit me. I’ve known you since the day our wonderful mother blessed the world with me, and I haven’t seen you watch a woman the way you watch Miller in far too long. Hell, maybe ever.”
Fuck my life. I thought my lingering glances were sly, but I can’t lie and say I haven’t found myself looking at her anytime she’s in the same room as me. The way she is with Max, the odd juxtaposition of her as a person—polished and put together in the kitchen then reckless and wild outside of it—makes me want to learn everything there is to know about her. It doesn’t hurt that she’s fucking stunning and her blatant statements about the way I look make me feel equally as desired.
I try to save the lie anyway. “She’s good with my son. So, yeah, of course I like watching them together, but it’s only because Max is happy.”
“I make Max happy. Monty makes Max happy, but I don’t see you looking at us like you want to fuck us against the wall.”
“Fucking gross, Isaiah.”
“I’m just saying, it’s okay to admit that you might be interested in more than Miller’s babysitting skills.”
I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter. She’s leaving.”
Out of my periphery, Isaiah’s cheeky smile lifts. “Fucking knew it.” His voice isn’t low at all. “Fucking knew it. Glad to know the Rhodes’ family jewels are still functioning because I was getting worried there for a minute.”
“Can you please shut up?” I look around to make sure no one else heard him. “I haven’t slept with her, Jesus.”
“Well, get on it. You said it yourself, she’s leaving.”
I take another swig of my beer. “We’re done talking about this.”
“I think she’s into you too.”
That gains my attention. “You think so?”
He gestures to me. “This insecure dad thing doesn’t suit you.”
“I’m not being insecure.”
I’m completely insecure.
“I’m being realistic. Miller is young and successful. She doesn’t stay put for long. I’m inching towards retirement and have a kid who will always be my priority. Women like that don’t go for guys like me.”
Isaiah’s eyes are wide and unblinking. “You whiny little bitch. You need to get laid and find some of that swag that left when Max showed up at your door. I never thought I’d see the day where I’d have to be Malakai Rhodes’ personal hype man but here we go.” He sits up straighter. “First of all, having Max is a bonus, not a deterrent—”
“I never said he’s a deterrent.”
My brother holds his hand up to stop me. “I know you didn’t, but you’re thinking other women might view him that way. We don’t give a fuck about those women. There are people out there, let’s take the hot nanny who is living in your side yard for example, who will look at you being a father as a major check in the pro column. And the retirement thing—you’re a professional athlete. Of course, you’re close to retirement. We all are. You’re making it seem like you’re in your seventies and about to sign up for an AARP card. You used to have girls falling at your feet. Remember who the fuck you are. You’re Kai Rhodes, starting pitcher and sexy as hell.”
I raise my brow at him.
“And I’m only saying that because minus the eye color and glasses, you look a lot like me. Come on, man. Remember my prom date who only said yes to me because she wanted to ride in the same limo as you?”
“Krista?”
“Kaitlin.” He sighs, eyes looking up towards the ceiling. “Who I thought was the love of my life until I realized she was in love with my big brother, as was every other girl I wanted in high school.”
“You find a new love of your life every other week.”
He waves me off. “All I’m saying is, there would be a horde of women who would happily get you out of your self-inflicted dry spell.”
“Don’t need a horde of women.”
“Of course, you don’t. Because you’re only interested in one.”
I shake him off, my voice low. “She’s Monty’s kid.”
Just then, the elevator doors open on the lobby level, and like the magnet she’s become, my attention finds her as soon as she’s in the room. That dark hair is curled, falling over the tattoos I’ve begun to memorize, and instead of Miller’s typical overalls, dark denim jeans act as a second skin, so tight I can see every striation in her thighs. A cream-colored tank dips between her breasts, her typically bare lips are painted in red, and her eyes are set on me.
“Does she look like a kid to you?” Isaiah asks, trying to gain my attention, but it does nothing to take my eyes off her. “I didn’t think so. She looks like a grown-ass woman who knows exactly what she wants.” He pats my leg as he stands from the couch. “And that, my brother, would be you.”
Miller keeps her jade green gaze attached to mine from across the room and it does all sorts of things to my head and my dick. If I could pull my eyes off her, I imagine I’d find a few of my teammates checking her out as well. Not that I could blame them, she’s fucking stunning and that red around her lips has me daydreaming of seeing it smeared around my cock.
But then Travis steps up to offer her a beer, pulling her attention away from mine, and earning one of her smiles.
“And yes,” Isaiah says, walking backward to join the rest of the boys. “To answer your question. Trav is interested.”
Fucking hell.
“Let’s go!” Cody yells into the lobby. “Cars are here.”
Miller says something to my catcher, which causes Travis to join the rest of the team filing outside, but she stays put, lingering behind. I stand and do the same, waiting for the lobby to empty.
Miller’s eyes take their time trailing up my body until finally, they connect with mine. “Hi,” she says, her red painted lips lifting.
“Hi there.”
“You look hot.”
I didn’t think too much of my jeans and button-down while I was getting ready, but now I’m categorizing this as an outfit I need to repeat at my earliest convenience.
“You don’t look half bad yourself, Montgomery.”
Understatement of the fucking year. She always looks good. In the overalls, the chef’s coat, or this sinfully tight pair of jeans. I’ve just spent our time together trying not to notice.
A twinkle glitters in those green eyes, a slight color creeping on her cheeks. She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, and fuck if I don’t want to pluck it out of there and bite it myself. It makes no sense. She’s wild, far too carefree for my liking. Not to mention, she’s Monty’s daughter. I can’t stand half the things that come out of that mouth, but for some reason, I can’t stop imagining what it might taste like.
“I’m now taking not half bad as your highest compliment yet.” Her head tilts. “How was Max at bedtime?”
The sudden shift in conversation causes me to pause. I’m not sure why, but I didn’t expect her to ask about my son, especially when she’s got the night off to go out and party with the team.
“He was out like a light. I think the field wore him out in the best way possible.”
Her lips curve in a smile. “We had fun at your game.”
“Hey!” Isaiah calls from outside. “Kai, we’re leaving! Hot Nanny, let’s go!”
I shoot him a disapproving glare from across the lobby. “I swear I’m going to kill him if he keeps calling you that.”
Miller pops her shoulders. “At least someone is willing to call me that.”
She turns on her heel, headed straight for the exit.
Isaiah’s reminders ring in my mind, Miller’s blatant words too. I’ve always brushed off her forward flirting, chalking it up to her love of getting under my skin. But I don’t want to brush it off anymore. For one night, I want to pretend I can be the guy who can get a woman like her, the guy that doesn’t have a hundred responsibilities at home weighing him down.
For one night, I don’t want to think about whose daughter she is, and I sure as hell don’t want to think about her leaving in less than two months.
My steps swallow hers, chasing after her. Reaching around Miller for the handle of the door, I pull in, holding it closed with my chest to her back and my arms caging her in on either side.
I lower my lips to her ear. “Is that what you need to hear, Miller? That I think you’re hot? Do you really need to hear me say I can’t keep my fucking eyes off you when you’re in the room, or have you finally picked up on that?”
Her body stiffens and from behind, I watch her throat move in a long swallow. “No. I like watching you beat yourself up over wanting to look at me. It’s much more satisfying to know I piss you off than it would be to know I turn you on.”
A small laugh rumbles in my chest. “Well, much to my frustration you, Miller, are excellent at both.”
