Chapter 13

Chapter

Thirteen

SEVEN WEEKS LATER

GEMMA

“Oh god, yes. Don’t stop.”

I cling to Trey as his body moves inside mine for what we both know will be the last time for a long time.

He whispers into my lips, “I’m going to miss you. I love you.”

I whisper back, “I love you too,” before our lips lock again.

Yep, I’ve completely fallen in love with Trey DePaul. We haven’t spent a single night apart in the past seven weeks. Almost all the evenings have been at my house in Philly, but I took the past few days off and am at his place in New York City. It’s a magnificent penthouse overlooking Central Park. It looks like it belongs in a movie.

He needed to come home to pack before he flies to Florida for a month of spring training, the unofficial kickoff of his season. We’ve ambiguously agreed to see each other when we can throughout the season. New York City and Philly are only ninety minutes away from each other. He’ll travel down during his one day off every other week, and when they have home games on the weekends, I plan to travel up. It’s not ideal, but it will have to be our normal for the long, seven-month season.

We lay there in the aftermath, desperately clinging to each other. I rub my cheek on his now smooth face. He shaved last night per his team’s requirements. “I love your scruff, but I equally love it when I can feel your soft face on mine.”

He nuzzles into my neck. “I love everything about you.”

Except that I won’t move to New York for him. He doesn’t need to say that out loud for me to know he’s thinking it. We’ve had plenty of disagreements about this topic over the past seven weeks, but I’m not budging. We’re still relatively new. I’m not making any rash decisions. Yet.

I’ve been to his place a small handful of times throughout the past two months. I noticed on this trip up here that he’s made some changes. He cleared out the second closet in his bedroom. He also filled the second vanity and shower in the bathroom with duplicates of all the shampoos, conditioners, lotions, and just about every product that I use. All are color-coded to my specifications.

His alarm begins to ring, and he squeezes me tight. “I don’t want to leave you.”

I run my fingers through his hair and try to savor the feel of his naked body on mine. I breathe, “I know. Trey, if things…feelings change for you, I need you to be upfront with me. Separations sometimes change things. I know women must throw themselves at you all the time.”

He lifts his head and looks at me like I’ve got three eyes. “Have you not heard a single word I’ve said to you in the past few months? There is no one else. There never will be. I’m in love with you. We’re end game. When the logistics finally work out, we’re getting married. I don’t care how long I have to wait.”

Tears sting my eyes. I’m left without words, so I simply nod .

He wiggles his dick over me. “Besides, you’ve marked me as yours.”

I smile through my unshed tears. My Christmas gift to him was replacement jewelry for his dick piercing. It now has a “G” charm on it.

I joke, “You could always find a guy named Gary. That could work too.”

He tickles me and we both laugh, trying to stuff down the emotions of our impending separation.

Three Weeks Later

“Knock, knock.”

I look up from my office desk and see Darian and her husband, Jackson, at the door. He’s got his arms around her from behind. He’s constantly touching her. I always thought they had this magical, fairytale of a relationship. One that normal people don’t have. It turns out that it can happen. Trey treats me the way Jackson treats Darian. Trey loves me the way Jackson loves her. Special, all-encompassing love does exist beyond the pages of romance novels.

I try to plaster a fake smile on my face. “Are you two headed out for the day?”

She nods. “We are. Reagan and Carter are picking us up for dinner.” Reagan is her daughter and Carter is her son-in-law. “I just wanted to check on you before we leave.”

“I’m fine. The Morton deal went through today. I’m finalizing the paperwork.”

“I don’t mean work, Gemma. I know the past few weeks have been hard on you. You miss him. It’s okay to admit it.”

I pinch my lips together and nod. “Only a little over a week until he’s back in New York. I’m sure the partners of all baseball players miss their men.”

“I’m not worried about them. I’m worried about you. Listen, Jackson and I have talked about it. He does a lot of real estate deals in New York City. He’d welcome in-house counsel. If you want to move, I’ll understand. There’s a job waiting there for you.”

I look up at Jackson. “You’d hire me?”

He smiles at me. “For Darian’s tenth favorite employee? Of course.”

We all laugh at the ongoing joke.

“I appreciate the offer. Can I think about it? I’ve never seen myself living anywhere but Philly, and I’ve never seen myself as the kind of woman who would uproot everything in her life for a man.”

Darian gives me a small smile. “You’re in love, sweetheart. It’s okay to change course. Love changes you, and there’s no shame in that. It’s well worth it. And of course you can think about it. It’s an open-ended offer.”

“Thank you. I might go visit my grandmother for the weekend, leaving tomorrow after work. Maybe I’ll surprise Trey at his game on Saturday.”

She only lives an hour from where he’s playing this Saturday.

“Why don’t you make it a long weekend? Call in sick tomorrow.”

“You’re literally my boss. You can’t encourage me to lie and call in sick.”

She giggles. “Happy employees are productive employees. How about you work on the plane ride, and we’ll call it even?”

I smile at the best boss in the world. The one I can’t imagine ever leaving. “Deal.”

Just then, Reagan appears in my doorway. She’s about my age and is beautiful, with blonde hair and blue eyes, but looks nothing like Darian. She and I have always gotten along well, both with a sarcastic, dry sense of humor.

She gives me her mischievous smile. “Well, well. If it isn’t my mother’s secret love child.” She always cracks jokes about how much more I look like Darian than she does .

I grin widely. “Hey, sis . Did you bring me a belated holiday gift?”

“I did.” She reaches into her purse and pretends to search for one before lifting out her middle finger, turning it upright, and flipping me off.

I let out a laugh. “Good one. What a coincidence. I got the same thing for you.” I use my middle finger to simulate putting on my lipstick.

She wiggles her eyebrows. “I hear you’re banging Trey DePaul. Nice pull.”

I nod in agreement. “Yep. Mom and I pull all the hotties.”

I wink at Jackson, and they all laugh.

I Uber to Grammy Jane’s house by late morning. She’s standing outside to greet me. I immediately fall into her comforting arms and start sobbing.

She rubs my hair in her special, motherly way. “It’s going to be fine.”

“What am I going to do? I swore I’d never change who I am for a man.”

“You don’t need to change who you are, Gemma Morgan. You’re going to have to learn to be a little flexible.”

“But—”

“I know what you’re going to say. It’s okay to give yourself permission to bend. Don’t ever break, but bending is needed from time to time. Both in and out of the bedroom.”

I break out in a smile before she grabs my hand and pulls me into her house. “Come get changed. We’ll have lunch at the pool with my friends. They always put a smile on your face.”

Thirty minutes later, we’re poolside with Happy, Millie, and Mortimer. They’ve asked me a few questions about Trey before it slips out that he was here last week. I snap my head toward my grandmother at the unexpected news .

She scrunches her face. “He stopped by on his day off. You know their spring training isn’t too far away.”

“What did he want? He didn’t mention it to me.”

She rubs my hand. “Just to chat about you. He loves you. The separation is hard for him too.”

Mortimer smiles. “He sure does. He loves you almost as much as I love my Millie.”

Millie rolls her eyes. “Oh please. If something happens to me, all you’ll need is a cook, a cleaner, and a prostitute.”

I giggle. “Stop it, Millie. Mortimer loves you.”

She winks at me. I know she’s just joking with him.

I turn to Happy. “What about your love life? What happened with Samuel?”

Grammy Jane shakes her head. “He asked her to marry him, and she broke his heart.”

I gasp. “Why?”

Happy shrugs. “We had no future.”

“How come?”

“His name is Samuel Heiman. How could I ever marry a man with that name?”

I think for a moment and then start laughing. Hysterically laughing.

When I eventually calm down, I deadpan, “I think Happy Heiman is a perfectly lovely name.”

She quips, “For a hooker. Nope. Not doing it. I told him we can still have hoochie coochie, I’m just not marrying him.” She sighs. “But he wants all or nothing.”

“Happy, why would you deny yourself this for a silly reason? You’re only hurting yourself. You’re being very foolishly inflex—”

I stop myself before I finish the sentence. They all lean back in their chairs in satisfaction, giving me knowing looks.

This was a rehearsed setup to show me the error of my ways. God, I love these people.

I know what I have to do. It starts with me being a little flexible. I can’t imagine my life moving forward without Trey. It’s time to put my preconceived notions aside. I need to move to New York to be with him. I’ve got a good job, a place to live, and Trey.

It’s not far from Philly. I’ll still see my friends. I’m suddenly feeling resolute on this.

We’re going to his game tomorrow, but I don’t think I’ll tell him. I might move in secretly so I’m there when he arrives home next weekend. It will be his welcome home surprise. I can’t wait.

Grammy Jane got us tickets right behind the Bombers’ dugout. Spring training games are different from regular season games. The stadiums are much smaller. It’s akin to the size of a college game.

We arrive early to catch their warmup routine. After making our way to the seats, I simply watch Trey looking sexy in his uniform as he prepares for the game. He hits, he fields, and, most importantly, he stretches. I could sit here all day watching him stretch. Was stretching always this erotic? He’s so hot.

He hasn’t seen us yet, but he’s finally making his way toward the dugout. I’m about to yell his name when at least twenty-five grown women scream for him. I look around. What the hell? All these women are begging for his attention, shouting his name. He doesn’t even bother to lift his head and acknowledge them. Take that, bitches.

I need to yell something that will grab his attention. “Hey, Demon Trey, know any good plumbers? I need my pipes unclogged.”

He stops dead in his tracks and frantically scans the area we’re sitting in until his eyes meet mine. The biggest grin I’ve ever seen breaks out on his handsome face. I can’t help matching it with one of my own. God, I’ve missed him.

He leaps up onto the top of the dugout and then into the stands. I think everyone around us is confused. Grammy Jane starts giggling.

He practically sprints to me, lifts me in his arms, and kisses the shit out of me. Everyone around us starts clapping and cheering but he doesn’t care in the least. He dips me as he continues to ravish my mouth. Our tongues meet, and I, too, forget our audience.

After several long minutes, he pulls me back up as our lips break. His forehead remains pressed to mine, and his arms continue to hold me close.

Slightly out of breath from that epic kiss, he breathes, “What are you doing here?”

I smile as I run my fingers over his handsome face. “I missed my man.”

He grabs my face and dots kisses all over it. “I’ve missed you so fucking much.” His voice cracks. “This is hard.”

I know at this moment that I’m doing the right thing. All my remaining doubts fade away. I can’t wait for him to find out that I’m going to move to New York for him.

“I know. For me too.”

I go to wipe my red lipstick from his mouth, but he grabs my wrist. “Don’t. I want it on me.”

I lean over and whisper, “If we can get a few minutes of privacy, I’ll leave you a ring of that lipstick on your dick.”

He sucks in a breath, throws me laughing over his shoulder, and starts running toward the locker room.

He yells back, “Sorry, Grammy Jane. I need her for ten minutes.”

Grammy Jane shouts back, “Make it twenty.”

TREY

I spent the best night with Gemma. Reconnecting with her was just what I needed. If I’ve learned anything over the past few weeks, it’s that I can’t be away from her.

After she leaves for the airport, I call Tanner. He answers right away. “Hey, buddy. Feeling better?”

He knows how much I’ve been missing my girl. We’ve had several conversations about it recently.

“I’m feeling more steadfast. Move forward with everything we discussed.”

“You’ll probably take a big PR and financial hit.”

“Don’t care. Make it happen. I’ll handle things on my end.”