Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

BAILEY

I ’m brushing Harper’s hair in her bathroom. She’s in a towel, just having gotten out of the shower. We were practicing softball all afternoon, both in the batting cage hitting and defensive drills. Tanner should be home any minute to pick her up and take her to the Cougars game tonight. I’m going to the same game with my friends.

My eyes meet hers in the mirror. “Are you excited for the game? I think Quincy Abbott is pitching tonight. He’s one of my friends.”

“How cool. He’s so cute. I love his curly hair. Dylan has a crush on Uncle Layton though.”

I smile. “He’s very taken.”

She nods. “I know. He loooooves Arizona. Daddy says Layton is whipped. I don’t know what that means.”

I giggle at her innocence. “It just means he’s super into her. And I think your daddy is right about that.”

“Daddy said I can have cotton candy tonight. Andie and her parents are coming too. We’re sitting in their box.”

“Does your mommy ever go to games? ”

She scrunches her freckled nose. “Not really. Maybe one or two times.” Harper puffs out her chest and proudly announces, “She prefers my games.”

I nod in agreement. “I prefer your games too.” I went to her game this week. It was so cute to see them play. I nearly forgot what it was like at that age.

I continue, “You know, it’s great that you’re working so hard. I barely played at your age. Kam played, and I tagged along sometimes. You’re going to be a huge superstar.”

She smiles. “Do you really think so?”

“I do. Just make sure you love it.”

“Do you love it, Bailey?”

I think for a moment. “Sometimes. I love my teammates, and I love that I get to live and play with my sister. She’s my best friend.”

Harper’s face falls. “I wish I had a sister like you do.”

“Maybe you will one day.”

She shakes her head. “Daddy says he’s not having any more kids, and Mommy says she’s getting too old.”

“How old is your mommy?”

“Thirty-seven. She’ll be thirty-eight on Christmas Eve.”

“Ooh, that must be a fun day for her. Lots of presents.”

“Yep. Daddy and I always get her two presents. One for Christmas and one for her birthday. She said growing up, her family always gave her one present for both, so Daddy says we always have to get her two. He told me that when I’m a grownup, I have to make sure to keep doing that for her.”

So sweet.

I finish her braids and tie them with a rubber band. “All done.”

She inspects my handy work. “I need a hat. Can you get one for me, please?”

“Sure. Where are they? I haven’t seen any in your closet.”

“Just grab one of my daddy’s. He has them all in his room.”

“Okay. You get dressed, and I’ll find you a hat. ”

I walk down the long, wide, bright hallway toward Tanner’s room. I haven’t been in there yet.

I slowly open the door and peek inside. It’s not what I expected. The rest of the house is modern, but this is more traditional. Almost regal. The bed has four huge posts with round metal handles coming out of them. There’s a large chest at the foot of the bed. It looks like an oversized treasure chest.

I inhale. Yum. It smells like him in here. It’s a manly aftershave and cologne combo that I swear my body involuntarily reacts to. Especially when we were in that tent last week. I felt enveloped in it.

I notice two picture frames on his night table and walk over to look at them. One must have been a few years ago with him and Harper at a ball game. So cute. The other is a family of four. I look closely and realize one of them is Tanner in a baseball uniform. This must have been him in college. He was hot then, and I more than love seeing him in his uniform, but it’s nothing compared to his more mature sex appeal now.

Both of his parents are in the picture, along with a little boy. I know he has a younger brother, but I didn’t realize the age difference. He’s at least ten years younger than Tanner. Maybe more. They’re an attractive family.

Looking around the room, I don’t notice any hats.

I walk inside his closet. Holy shit. It’s bigger than my bedroom. How does one man have so many clothes? And everything is lined up perfectly in color order. It's like being in a high-end department store. Wow.

I look around, but I still don’t see any hats. Maybe they’re in the big chest near his bed.

I walk over. It has a combination padlock, but it’s unlocked. It’s odd that it would have a lock.

I lift the heavy lid to open it. My eyes almost bug out of my head. The chest is full of ropes, cuffs, chains, whips, paddles, and all kinds of items that I’ve never seen before.

What the fudge? What is Tanner Montgomery into ?

Suddenly, I hear the front door open and Tanner’s voice yells out, “Bug, where are you?”

She responds. “Getting dressed, Daddy.”

I quickly close the chest and quietly run back to Harper’s room. “Sorry, I didn’t see any hats.”

She’s now dressed and takes my hands. “Come on, silly. I’ll show you where he keeps them.”

“You get the hat. I’ll be downstairs.”

I walk downstairs and see Tanner on the phone. He looks stressed as he barks out, “I agree, Jerry. There’s no I in team, but there is one in dickhead, and that’s what you’re being. He deserves every cent I’m asking for. In fact, he deserves more. You have until noon tomorrow to come to your senses. After that, his price tag is going up. We both know what he’ll garner on the open market. Good luck fielding a team next year without him.”

He aggressively presses the end button on the call without any further word and mutters, “Asshole,” under his breath.

Seeing him in his element, being commanding, just took his sexiness up another notch. I’m going to have to change my panties before the game.

I think I let out a moan or some other noise because he whips his head around to me. “Hey. Sorry if you heard that. I didn’t see you standing there.” He runs his fingers through his hair. “Some people are such short-sighted assholes.”

I take a few calming breaths, resisting the urge to fan my face. “Honestly, I think it’s great that you advocate so hard for your clients. Don’t apologize for doing your job. I didn’t realize how antagonistic it can be.” And how freaking hot it is.

“Not every negotiation is like that. I’ve always had amicable negotiations with the Cougars. I think it will be even stronger with the new ownership. Reagan Daulton is smart and understands value.”

“She’s been more than fair to us. Honestly, she’s overpaying all of us.”

He smirks. “Investing, not overpaying. You guys are putting butts in the seats with your play. You’re the best in the country. There’s something special about your group that Reagan identified before this team even came to fruition. She did her homework. The Anacondas will win the league in the team’s first year of existence. That’s practically unheard of in professional sports. Trust me, if anything, you’re underpaid. Value yourself or others won’t value you.”

I simply contemplate his words as he continues, “Honestly, I’ve never worked much with female athletes. A few tennis players here and there, but nothing more. I see the way my daughter idolizes you all. I think I want to find more female agents, probably former athletes, and start a division in my company devoted solely to representing people exactly like you who aren’t paid enough. Look at your male counterpart on the Cougars.”

“Ezra?”

“Yes.”

“He’s a great ballplayer.”

“He’s a solid defensive second baseman and a mediocre hitter. You’re better in your sport than he is in his.”

“But the Cougars draw more fans. It’s dollars and cents.”

“Perhaps, but they don’t come to see Ezra Decker. They come because the Cougars have been a staple in this town for a century and because of stars like Layton Lancaster, Trey DePaul, and Quincy Abbott. Even Cheetah is a draw, not only for his play, but his larger-than-life personality. It’s not Ezra, and he makes probably forty times what you make. That’s not right. I get more indignant every time I think about it.”

We hear Harper’s voice as she enters the kitchen. “Indignant. Anger toward something unfair. What’s unfair, Daddy?”

“That women aren’t paid as much as men for doing the same damn job. When you’re a professional softball player, I want you to make as much money as the boys.”

She crosses her arms and emphatically nods. “I won’t charge you for the bad word since you think I’ll be a professional softball player. ”

I can’t help but smile at the confidence he’s instilling in her. And me .

I’m at the Cougars game with Kam, Arizona, and Ripley. Quincy is pitching a gem.

Now that Arizona and Layton are the it couple of Philadelphia, the cameras constantly find us in our seats directly behind the Cougars’ dugout. Kam loves the spotlight and is always dancing for the cameras, often to a sea of applause. We’re staples on the big screen at the stadium at this point.

When we were recently shopping for the upcoming Sports Illustrated reveal party, I made the mistake of asking Arizona if Tanner was coming. My sister latched onto it and has been cracking jokes about me and Tanner for the past few days.

While Arizona and Ripley are busy chatting away, Kam leans over. “Seriously, is something going on with you and Tanner Montgomery?”

I shake my head. “No. I swear.”

“Are you into him? I know you like more mature men.”

I bite my lip. “I have a little crush. It’s harmless though. He’s a lot older than me. I think he sees me as a kid.”

She raises an eyebrow. “We’re a lot of things, Bails, but kids isn’t one of them. No man sees us that way and you know it. Just because you choose not to use your assets to your advantage doesn’t mean they’re not there.”

“ He doesn’t see me any other way. I’m simply the nanny to him, that’s it.” I swear there was a moment at the campsite where he wanted to kiss me, but I think it might have been the whiskey in me seeing things. Hoping for them.

“Whatever you say. If you’re not careful, soon you’ll be going from dancing clubs to Sam’s Club. Phrases like bulk buy will turn you on. ”

I let out a laugh. “Cut it out, freak.”

I hear my name being shouted. Looking around, I notice Harper and Tanner up in the owner’s box. They’re both waving at me.

I wave back and smile. Harper looks so darn cute in her oversized Layton Lancaster jersey and Cougars hat. Tanner is in jeans, a Cougars sweatshirt, and a Cougars hat. He looks hot.

Kam catches my line of sight. “Look at that, it’s Harper and Tanner. Right on cue.” She lets out a whistle. “He’s fucking sexy. He better keep that hat facing forward.”

“Why?”

“When a man’s hat goes backward, he goes from dad to daddy.”

I giggle. “Seriously, where do you come up with this shitake?”

She smiles as we see Gemma walking down the aisle toward us. She rarely makes it to games with a little one at home. That and she’s a successful attorney. I learned a few weeks ago that she writes romance novels under a pen name. The other girls don’t know yet. It slipped when she and I were talking, and she asked me to keep it quiet for now.

She sits next to me. “Sorry, it took me a while to get out of the office tonight. It looks like we’re doing great.”

I nod. “We are.” I lean over and whisper. “I finished your first two books. I’m obsessed with them.”

She smiles. “Really? Thanks. I have so few of my real-life friends who read my books. I appreciate that you made the time.”

That’s kind of shocking. She needs better friends. “I can’t imagine why. I love them. I’ve already ordered the rest. The love stories are amazing.”

“Thank you. I’m so sick of people calling them porn books. They’re love stories.”

“I agree. I told Tanner the same thing.”

“You discussed my books with Tanner?”

“Yes, I was reading one at Harper’s retreat last week after she went to sleep. ”

She smiles. “You were at the retreat? Is something going on with you two?”

I shake my head. “Of course not. He’s my much older boss.”

She lifts an eyebrow. “Do you have any idea how popular age-gap romance books are?” She winks. “Get back to me after you read my ninth book. Add in a little single dad and nanny aspect, and we’ve got ourselves a best seller.”

After Quincy gave up a few runs late in the game, Layton hit a huge home run to lift the Cougars to victory. We’re all at Screwballs celebrating. Kam and Cheetah have been trading sexually charged jabs all night. I wish those two would just do it and get it over with. It’s so unlike Kam to drag someone along like this. I wonder if she genuinely likes him.

Gemma leans over and asks me, “Do you guys know what you’re wearing to the Sports Illustrated reveal party?”

I nod. “Yes, we all got new dresses. You should join us for hair and makeup that day. Reagan hired us professionals. They’re coming to Arizona and Ripley’s apartment that afternoon. Do you have your dress yet?”

“I’d love to come, thanks, and yes, I just bought something. My grandmother is in town and she’s my best shopping partner.”

Cheetah interrupts, “Grammy Jane is in town? I miss her brand of crazy.”

Gemma smiles. “Yep. She’s here with her lover . They’re home with Fletcher tonight.”

Cheetah chuckles. “I love that Grammy Jane is in a reverse age-gap romance. She’s the coolest grandma ever.”

Gemma nods in agreement. “Yep. She’s definitely not the kind of old-school grandmother who has plastic on her sofas, though I don’t think people have plastic-covered sofas anymore.”

Kam and I look at each other and smile. I admit, “Our grandparents totally had plastic on their sofa when we were growing up. They lived in fear of us spilling grape juice on it.”

Cheetah shakes his head. “It had nothing to do with your spilling. If your grandparents had plastic on their couch, it’s because your grandmother was a squirter and your grandfather knew what he was doing.”

I burst out laughing. “Oh my god. That’s a horrific image that will now haunt me.”

He nods with his trademark smirk and sparkling blue eyes. “But it’s true.” He winks at Kam. “Right, lickalotapus?”

Kam starts laughing hysterically. “That’s a good one, kitten. I haven’t heard it before.”

He smiles at her. “I love your laugh, but I’d love to hear your moan even more.”

I lean over to Kam and whisper, “I think Cheetah is your soul mate. You two come up with the most random stuff.”

She whispers back, “I think I might finally sleep with him tonight. I’ll fuck with him for another hour or so, but then I’m taking him home. I’ve been with all women recently. Time to play a little hide the sausage in my fun factory.”

“Finally. I was starting to feel bad for him. Go sooner rather than later so I don’t have to hear it. It’s almost closing time here and I can’t deal with your loud ass.”

She narrows her eyes at me. “I feel like you’ve never been fucked properly. Is this a cry for orgasm help? Blink twice if you’re in danger.”

I roll my eyes, and she sighs. “Fine. We’ll leave soon. You’ll be okay to get home without me?”

“I’m good. I’ll walk home with Arizona or Ripley.”

“Why don’t you go home with Ezra? He looks like he wants to give you orgasms.”

I look over at him and he winks at me. I mumble to her, “I’m not into it. I will never be with him. Don’t push me. You know I can’t do the random hookup thing, and even if I was, I wouldn’t do that to Ezra. ”

“That’s because you want Daddy Tanner and his dry beard.”

I pinch my eyebrows together. “What makes you think his beard is dry?”

“Just assuming. Why don’t you sit on it and condition it?”

I can only smile at my ridiculous sister.

She winks at me. After some more back-and-forth between her and Cheetah, she finally tells him it’s game on, and he immediately throws her over his shoulder and sprints out the door in excitement.

After another round of drinks, the only people left are Trey, Gemma, and Ezra. I’m not sure where everyone else went. Ezra and I were chatting about his family when they all disappeared.

He’s homesick. He’s from a small town and has a huge family. I think being in a big city is hard for him. I wish he would find someone. He’d be happier if he did.

With the bar beginning to empty out, the sound of the door opening draws my attention. Tanner walks in. I’ve never seen him here before. I smile as he approaches. “Hey. What are you doing here? It’s late. Where’s Harper?”

“She’s sleeping at the Windsors’. Layton invited me to come but I got hung up talking to Reagan. Where is he?”

Trey chuckles. “He and Arizona couldn’t keep their hands off each other. They left a while ago.”

His eyes toggle between me and Ezra. “Am I…interrupting? I can leave.”

I shake my head. “Not at all. Please sit. It’s last call anyway. Have one drink with us.”

Could I be more obvious in my excitement to see him outside of work?

I slide down in the booth, and he sits next to me. I only then realize how awkward it is. Trey and Gemma are on one side all over each other. I’m on the other side now sandwiched between Ezra and Tanner. I wish I were more like Kam right now. She’d be in heaven sandwiched between two hot guys. She’d probably give both hand jobs under the table without breaking a sweat .

After the waitress brings us another round, Tanner smiles at Trey and Gemma. “Gem, Trey said he’s taking you on a trip for your anniversary after the season. Are you excited?”

Trey’s eyes widen. He grits out. “That was supposed to be a surprise, big mouth.”

Gemma lovingly rubs Trey’s scruff with her fingers. “A surprise trip? I’m so excited. Where are you taking me?”

He licks his lips. “Hopefully from behind, but that’s all the info you’re getting from me right now.”

Gemma giggles as she covers his mouth. “I can accommodate that request.”

She brings her lips to his and kisses him. Deeply.

Did I say it was awkward a few moments ago? It just got a lot more awkward.

Suddenly the manager, a middle-aged woman from south Philly shouts, “Last call! If yas don’t work here, sleep here, or fuck somebody that works here, pay yas tab and go home.”

Gemma breaks the kiss and spits in laughter. “Holy shit. That’s funny. I’m using it in a book.”

I look at her. “You should. That’s in line with the humor of your books. By the way, we don’t have practice until the afternoon tomorrow. We’re having brunch. Do you want to join us?”

“Sure. Having my grandmother in town frees up my time, but can’t we just say we’re gonna day drink? Is there any reason to bring eggs into this?”

I giggle. I really like Gemma.

Trey pays our tab, and we all walk out the door. Ezra lives near Trey and Gemma, so he shares an Uber with them. They offer to drop me home first, but Tanner has his car and says he’ll drive me.

We get into his red McLaren. I’ve seen the car at his house, but I’ve never been in it since there’s no backseat and I’ve never spent real time with Tanner without Harper.

“Wow, this car is beautiful.”

He smiles, looking sexy as sin getting into the driver’s seat. “I love it. I’ve got my eye on another sports car that will be out next year. A Maserati.”

“Have you always been a car guy?”

“I guess so. When I was growing up, my father restored old cars as a hobby. I used to work on them with him. Even my little brother helped now and then.”

“Where is he now?”

Tanner lets out a laugh. “Who knows? We’re total opposites. He’s a free spirit. Last I heard, he was surfing on the other side of the world. He’s a good-looking fucker and always gets slightly older, wealthy women to bankroll his goal to never work an honest day in his life. Maybe one day he’ll grow up.”

“Wow, you two are different.”

“Night and day. My mother coddled him. He was a later-in-life whoops for them. She was forty and Dad was fifty when he was born. I think she felt guilty and let him get away with murder. It made him lazy and a bit of an asshole.”

“Do you ever see him?”

“He randomly shows up on my doorstep every few years. I won’t give him money, but I usually let him stick around for a bit. We’re not close like you and Kamryn.”

“I can’t imagine another sibling. Kam is about all I can handle.”

He chuckles as he pulls up in front of my building. “This is you, right?”

“Yes, thanks for the ride.”

He places the car in park. “It’s late. I’ll walk you up.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I insist.”

We walk inside and into the elevator. As soon as the elevator opens on my floor, I hear Kam’s moans. Our apartment is right near the elevator bank.

Tanner looks at me in question, but I shrug. “My sister is a screamer. I’ve been dealing with it for years.” I reach into my purse for my AirPods and hold them up. “These help. I have noise-canceling headphones in my bedroom.”

He smiles. “You came prepared.”

“My sister has a lot of…suitors. She’s a busy girl.”

He tilts his head to the side. “I imagine you have plenty of suitors too. Honestly, you’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen in my life.”

He’s staring at my lips.

I hold my breath. Is he going to kiss me? I’m wondering if this is a fantasy, but it’s not. This is real. Tanner Montgomery’s lips are moving toward mine. His hand tentatively touches my waist.

I inhale his distinguishable scent. My nipples immediately harden. There’s no denying it. I want him. Badly.

I close my eyes as his mouth moves closer to mine, but before our lips can meet, we hear a deep voice yelling something in Spanish.

The warmth of Tanner’s hand and body withdraws. I open my eyes and see a look of shock on his face. “Is that Cheetah?”

I nod. “It is. They left together just before you arrived.”

He steps further away from me. “I should…umm…go. Have a good night.”

I blow out a breath as he steps into the elevator and the doors close.

So close. Even if only for a moment, he wanted me.

I slip in my AirPods and turn on my playlist before entering my apartment. Without even bothering to glance at her den of sin, I walk straight into my room, past the pile of clearly discarded clothes on the floor, and close my door.

With music blaring in my ears, I slip into my pajamas, brush my teeth, and get into bed. I toss and turn for a few minutes before bringing my hand to my lips. Tanner was so close to kissing me. I wanted it. Really wanted it.

I reach over into my drawer and grab my vibrator. My real vibrator, not the massive porn dick that Kam bought me.

Pulling down my shorts and panties, I run the vibrator through me. I’m already wet. Spending time with him seems to have that effect on me. There’s something about the way he controls things. His conversation on the phone earlier today. His car. All of it is so attractive to me.

I slide it in and close my eyes, trying to imagine it’s him. Seeing the contents of that wooden chest today has my mind reeling as to what he’s into. I’ve never done anything that kinky but find myself wanting to experience it with him. I can only imagine the way he must dominate a bedroom. He dominates everything in his life. I want to be dominated by him.

Would he tie me up? Would he spank me with that paddle? Being at Tanner Montgomery’s mercy sounds like just about the best thing I can imagine.

I pump the vibrator in deep. Tanner is a big man. I bet he’s big everywhere.

And his lips. They’re plump for a man. Women pay thousands of dollars for lips like those. I almost felt them tonight. Tracing my fingers over my nipples, I imagine they’re his mouth moving all over my body.

What would that sexy beard feel like on my face? Between my legs? What would it look like covered in me?

That’s my tipping point. I come with images of his face buried between my legs, my juices dripping from his beard after he makes me come.

Just as I finish, I hear a screeching so damn loud that I know it’s not from sex.

I quickly slip back into my panties and shorts before running out of my room. I’m definitely not prepared for what I see. Cheetah is naked, running around like a madman. There’s water literally pouring out of Kam’s room, immediately saturating our living room carpeting. She walks out, completely nonchalantly, as naked as the day she was born as if it’s not Niagara Falls in our apartment.

She smiles at me. “He fucked me so hard that my waterbed burst.” She scrunches her nose. “Damn, I was seconds away from another orgasm. Such a bummer.”

“ That’s the bummer? That you didn’t have another orgasm? Not the flood happening in our apartment or the one below?”

Cheetah is throwing towels at her room as if it makes any difference. It’s like trying to drain a swimming pool with a sand bucket.

I look closely at him and turn to Kam. “Why are his balls absurdly large?” I’ve honestly never seen balls that big in my life.

She nods. “I know, right? And he likes them tickled. I might have a G-spot, but he has a B-spot. I think he could come from it.”

“If he tea-bagged you, you’d probably suffocate and die.”

She smiles. “Did you know that the female equivalent of tea-bagging is a flappachino?”

I sigh. “No, I suppose I didn’t.” I sarcastically add, “What a useful piece of information, especially given what we’re dealing with right now in our apartment.”

She giggles.

I motion toward her state of undress and take in her hickey-covered breasts. “Do you want to cover yourself so we can deal with this nightmare?”

She points to Cheetah, still running around like a lunatic, and shrugs. “I think he’s got it completely under control.”

Not even close.

We both laugh before I quickly grab Kam the sheet from my bed to cover up and then call the emergency maintenance number we were given when we moved in. They say they’ll send a maintenance crew right up.

Cheetah is still screaming in Spanish when Ripley bursts through the door. She takes in the whole crazy scene and then smiles. “The waterbed popped?”

Kam nods and proudly announces, “We fucked it to death.”