19. MATTHEWS

MATTHEWS

I t was cold in the Nest. I tucked down into my sweater as Silas got comfortable on the couch across from me. He was wearing a Hornet’s ballcap with a matching polo shirt and a pair of jeans. It wasn’t every day I got to interview a team doctor. I had been through six other players between Arlo and Van. They were all normal, some of them second string. I just wanted to get a good feel for the team dynamics, good or bad.

Sometimes, it was the ones forgotten that gave the most information.

Silas Shore was a watcher.

Even when they thought he wasn’t around, he seemed to be. He had their backs. He kept their secrets, fostered their growth, and kept them healthy. Some might say he was the reason most of them were alive.

“From the dugout, as the chief medical staff for the Harbor Hornets, how do you think the season went?” I asked him after a few warm-up questions.

His gray eyes flickered up to meet mine. “That feels like a trick question.”

“A coach cares about wins, the players care about the series final. What is it that the team doctor cares about?”

Silas paused and ran his hand over his scruffy jaw before answering, “I care about the health of the team.” “Diplomatic.” I shifted and tapped my pen against my notepad. “You’ve had a lot of injuries this season, some related to the game, some not.”

“Ask the question, Ms. Matthews.” Silas’s brow raised at me.

“The accident, that's all anyone has been talking about. What happened?” I had known that asking Arlo about that day would have been met with a meltdown. He wasn’t going to answer my questions, but Silas looked like someone who was willing to shut down rumors, even if it meant getting in trouble later on.

“You didn’t ask him?” Silas leaned back against the couch.

“ Arlo ? No.” I shrugged.

“Smart,” he scoffed. “It's exactly as the news relayed it. Cael got high at an after-party and crashed his car into a ditch.”

“You make it sound like car accidents are something that happen often at Harbor.” I scrunched up my face in concern.

“They’re not,” he confirmed. “What happened was, in fact, just that, an accident.”

Not only a watcher but Silas Shore was the only Hornet with media training. Annoying.

“So there’s no underlying issues with the team that brought the star pitcher and his shortstop best friend there?” I asked.

“A lot happened that night, I’m sure you’ve seen the videos.”

I shake my head at him.

I didn’t make a habit of searching out Cael; it always had the ability to make me sad.

“I wasn’t in the car,” Silas said, pressing his lips together in a thin line, “but if you want to dig that deep, you’re going to have to ask him yourself.”

Ask Cael.

I stuck my pen in my mouth, chewing on the cap, thinking about him. His hands down my pants, the smell of booze, bathroom cleaner, and sex wafting over me and glazing my thoughts with lust. It was hard to focus on Silas in front of me when I knew I’d be seeing Cael later. I had every reason to stay away from him, yet here I was, impatient to ignore every single one.

But first, I needed to finish with Silas, who was clearly growing annoyed with my prying. His gray eyes narrowed in my direction, and his hands rubbed over his jeans. He was uncomfortable but hiding it well.

“Were Mr. King’s issues with his hands because of the accident?” I asked him.

“Those issues predated the accident.” His voice was tight. That was a sore spot that I didn’t partially feel like digging my nails into just yet.

“And Mr. Cody’s shoulder?” I slipped in.

“Ms. Matthews.” Silas cleared his throat. “The health of my players is the end of the line for me. It means everything. As I’ve stated before, we're a family, and when one of us hurts, we all hurt. I suggest you don’t bring up the accident to the rest of the players. You won’t be met with the openness I’ve offered today.”

I was readjusting the lighting in the living room, stretched onto my toes, when Cael swooped in to help. Long fingers wrapped around mine to twist the screw tightly in place so the pole didn’t wiggle.

“Hi,” he whispered against my ear as I lowered back to the balls of my feet.

Memories tangled together from Hilly’s, flashes of his body pressed against mine that made me squeeze my thighs together as he pulled away and wandered around to the couch.

Cael looked good today. His hair was still damp, and little pieces of his natural blondness licked at his forehead. He shifted in his gray sweatpants, that hung low on his hips, and loose navy blue crop top that showed off his taut stomach. His muscles strained as he wrapped his sweaty arms across his chest. I was starting to think that Cael didn’t own a real shirt but, at that very moment, I was glad. His big blue eyes watched as I collected a few supplies from my bag and joined him in the sitting room. I sat on the couch across from him and counted to ten in my head.

My heart was racing.

A smirk formed on his face, and I knew I was done for.

“Are you okay, Ms. Matthews?” He asked, dragging the end of my name over his lips as he cocked his head to the side and stretched out his body. His shirt rose around his chest, forcing me to press my tongue to the roof of my mouth to keep from making any illicit noises. “You seem flustered.”

“You seem sweaty,” I countered with a shaky tone, just doing my best to shield myself from the charming blows he hurled my way.

“I ran from the stadium. It clears my head.” Cael sat forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “I can go shower if I smell,” he offered. “You can come with me and make sure I’m extra clean.”

“The camera is recording.” I pointed to the red light on the camera beside me.

“Good,” he said, sitting back, mischief twinkling in those ocean eyes as he got comfortable.

“The interview shouldn’t take long.” I ignored the excitement in his tone.

“Guess I’ll stay sweaty.” His tongue ran over his teeth as his smile grew.

“Baseball suits you, Mr. Cody.” I gave him a tight smile and, without warning, started. “Was it always your dream to play at college level?”

“No.” He shrugged. “Next question.”

“Then why play?” I asked.

There was no flicker of amusement on his features. I knew the answers to these questions because I was there. I knew how much he hated ball. Ryan had a habit of reminding Cael that if he hadn’t come along, Ryan would be further in his career. Like his son was a mistake that cost him a run at the major leagues. Every Sunday, we would watch hours of baseball, and Cael spent it outside with his mom in the backyard in the sun. But any chance Ryan had, he’d make a joke or mumble under his breath. It was never vicious, always teasing, but it made Cael indifferent to baseball. He never wanted to end up like his father.

And now look at him.

“I was bored.” Cael shrugged.

I pressed my lips together into a thin line and nodded. He was going to make this harder than I expected. “Alright,” I laughed under my breath.

Back to playing the game.

“Your father, Ryan Cody; the head coach of the Harbor Hornets grew up playing baseball. He was the star player on his high school team, married his high school sweetheart, and went on to have a decent career in the minor leagues until you were born,” I snapped, and Cael flinched, almost unnoticeable, but his eyes flickered from me to the floor and back again. “He went on to coach high school baseball until his sister, your aunt, called him with an opportunity to coach at a NCAA level. ”

“Do you always give history lessons during your interviews?” His smirk faded.

“I’m just curious.” I shrugged. “Baseball seems to be a family affair and you joined a record-winning team because you were bored ?”

He swallowed tightly, his shoulders rolling back as he sat forward again.

“There’s no one in the house,” he said, instead of answering me.

“Answer the question,” I urged him as heat licked at my neck.

“They’re all at practice for another two hours.” His head lolled to the side and his eyes raked up my legs as his tongue darted out over his bottom lip.

I crossed my legs to quell the soft pulse that tickled at my core from his gaze.

“Mr. Cody,” I said, trying to control the situation. “This is a professional setting, please behave.”

“Mr. Cody is my Dad,” he quipped lightly.

“Answer the question,” I responded.

“If I answer the question, can I kiss you?” He said, eyes flickering up from my legs to meet my eyes.

“No,” I said coldly. I’d have to cut that out later.

“I got into baseball because I had nothing else,” he said flatly. “No friends, no interests. I was bored and getting into trouble. Dad gave me an ultimatum when I graduated: school and baseball, or I could leave. So I joined the team at an entry level, but you already know that.” He raised an eyebrow at me. “It wasn’t a shock that I was good. Really good. I’m one of the top-ranked shortstops in the entire league.” His voice was low and tight, darker than I had ever heard from him.

“That was before you ruined your shoulder,” I baited him.

“That was an accident . I never meant for Arlo to be in that car, and if the reporter in you wants the sob story of the nepo-baby baseball star, you’re gonna have to do your research because I’m not giving it to you for free,” he snapped, but the playfulness still danced behind his eyes. “I’m done talking about me.”

“This interview is about you , Cael,” I reminded him.

“This interview is done.” He clicked his teeth together and slid from the couch to his knees. “I’m bored .”

“Cael.” I swallowed tightly. “The camera.”

“Leave it on.” He leaned over, moving the remote out of my reach, and lowered his voice to a whisper, “for research. ”

“This isn’t a game,” I warned him. In a pathetic attempt to stop him, I put my hand up and pointed at him. “Cael.” His name left my lips as a growl.

“This is how you like me, isn’t it? On my knees, or did that change?”

He tugged off the sweaty shirt and chucked it away from him. His muscles were still flushed from his run, and beads of sweat clung to his tan skin as he walked himself across the carpet on his knees toward me. My traitorous pussy clenched at the sight of him.

Some things never change.

“That’s what I thought,” Cael laughed. “You’ll always be my girl.”

His confidence was infectious, and it drove me mad.

The closer he got, the harder it was to breathe, and when his hands slipped over my knees, pulling them apart so he could slink between them, I forgot what air was altogether.

“Presumptuous,” I huffed as his fingers trailed further up my thighs and looped into the elastic band of my tights.

“You can try to hide it, Plum.” He kissed a line down my bare skin as he pulled each leg down, nipping at my calf. “But I can feel how much you miss me every time our skin touches.”

I couldn’t fake the reaction I had to his touch, no matter how much I tried. He left a scorching trail in his wake as he worked his way back to my core.

“And if we get caught?” I lifted his chin so he’d look at me and was met with a raging fire behind those ocean-blue eyes.

“Even better,” he hummed and dropped his chin. Using his tongue to catch my fingers, he sucked them into his mouth and bit down just enough to hurt.

I practically melted into the couch from his words, and the sensation of his lips wrapped around my fingers as his other hand tickled a path toward my underwear. I couldn’t stop my muscles as they contracted around his shoulders. Laughter dripped from his lips as he let my fingers go and sunk back between my legs.

“You’re always so wet,” Cael whispered, blowing cool air over my cunt. “Is it always for me?”

Blue eyes flickered to meet mine and I nodded.

“Good girl,” he praised and slid the soaked underwear to the side.

“Fuck.” My hand flew into his hair as his tongue darted over my folds and circled my throbbing clit delicately. I heard the fabric rip before I could stop his teeth from tearing through it, leaving it in tatters on the couch and leaving me exposed to the entire sitting room. “Cael,” I scolded, but it only drew a throaty laugh from his lips.

“They were in the way,” he teased.

“Seriously?” I scowled down at him.

“I’ll buy you new ones,” he purred and dove back in.

With careful, broad strokes, he worked the pleasure from my core and spread it out over every muscle in my body. I raked my fingers over his scalp until he was trembling beneath my touch. Gasping for air, for any sort of release, his fingers dipped into me without warning. My cunt fluttered at his touch as my toes curled into the carpet, searching for something to hang onto as Cael dangled me over the ledge.

Knuckle deep, I pleaded for him to move faster.

“Greedy,” he teased.

Cael’s tongue lapped over my clit, his teeth caught skin, consuming me with pleasure as a breathy moan dripped from me. His pace was affectionate and he took the time to pause and rework each spot that drew a sound from me.

My muscles tightened as he sucked at my swollen clit and snapped the cord deep within my stomach, his fingers plunging deeper to coax the orgasm from my soaked center.

“That’s it, Baby,” he purred as I tightened around his fingers. “Come for me.”

He didn’t have to ask twice.

Strangled noises flooded the room as I dissolved into pleasure, my head falling back against the couch. I let the orgasm drown out every thought I had as Cael cleaned me with his tongue, lapping up everything and leaving no trace behind.

“I’ll never get sick of that.” He licked his bottom lip and kissed my thigh.

His eyes were brighter than I had ever seen them, so proud of himself.

“That was a good distraction,” I hummed and sat up, wrapping my hands around his face. I brought my mouth to hover over his. “But this interview is not over, Cael Cody,” I whispered before pulling away.

Cael groaned, falling back onto the carpet as I unhooked myself from him and pulled on my tights. His face tightened with disappointment.

“I’m not your girl anymore, Cael.” I looked down at him. “Sweet talking and a few decent orgasms won’t make anything better.”

“Keep fighting it, Clementine,” he responded.

Pushing off his knees, he brushed his hand along my thigh as he straightened out and hovered over me. I could tell he was thinking about stealing a kiss, despite the rule I had set. His eyes darted to my lips, and his throat bobbed slightly before he stepped back and collected his shirt from the floor with the swoop of his long, muscular arm.

“And that orgasm…” He leaned in close, teeth finding my ear lobe and biting down before he spoke again. “...was better than decent.”

“You’re full of shit,” I bit back.

“You’re trembling. ”

The words sent a shiver down my spine as he pulled away and left me standing in the sitting room, staring at the blinking red light of the video camera with shame.