Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 44850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
I go silent for a moment. I mean, how in the hell do you respond to that?
“Your family is crazy, baby.”
“If I had a dollar…”
“I just have one question.”
“What’s that?”
“Do you like being spanked?”
“And now, I think it’s time for this conversation to end. I’m not even going to ask how you got my number in the first place, by the way.”
“Parker gave it to me. He figures he owes me one. By my count he owes me a hell of a lot more than that. The important thing is that you have my number now, Marigold. You need to use it.”
“I do?”
“If you’re brave enough, yeah. If not…”
“Are you baiting me, Bat-Boy?”
“I just want to know if the woman I plan on getting involved with has grit or not, baby. That’s all.”
“Damn you,” she gripes, but I can tell she’s trying to keep from laughing.
“Night, baby.”
“Night, Slater,” she says, hanging up.
I stare at my phone for a little bit after she hangs up. I’m already missing the sound of her voice in my ear.
“Marigold Lucas…you’re mine.”
CHAPTER 9
Marigold
“Aren’t you supposed to be on the field, Bat-Boy?” I ask, and shit, I think I might be blushing.
I’m sitting in the bleachers beside Kage and Slater is standing in front of us in his uniform and damn does he fill out his uniform freaking good. It takes all I have not to move my gaze down and check out the goods he’s packing. I do it—well, mostly. I’m a woman and men in gray joggers catch my eyes, but I’ve discovered gray baseball pants are hypnotizing. It’s been a little over a week since Slater called me. I won’t lie. I was hoping that he would call again. He hasn’t, though. I realize he left the ball in my court. I almost caved once or twice—or more. The truth is I’m Ida Sue’s youngest daughter. I can be stubborn as hell.
“You haven’t called me.”
He’s upset. You can hear it in his voice. It’s more than that, though. Slater has always been easy, laidback, and full of humor when we’ve talked. He’s almost deadly serious now as he stares at me.
“My brother will suspend you if you don’t get out there,” I warn him.
“Tell me why you didn’t call me, Marigold.”
“Because Marigold isn’t your name? I mean, if you want me to call you that, I can. It just seems kind of silly,” I respond.
Kage snickers in the background and my own lips twitch. Slater, however, doesn’t find me a bit funny.
“Guys, do you care to give me a little room so I can talk to my girl?” Slater says talking to the couple below us.
“His girl?” Kage whispers, elbowing me.
“They paid for tickets, you can’t just ask them to move,” I point out.
“Sure thing Mr. Daniels. Can you sign this for me?” the guy asks, practically falling over himself to move him and his girl over to make room for Slater. Jesus pizza. The man is not helping me at all here.
“Will do. Tell you what I’ll take it back with me and get the team to sign and bring it back when I get a break.”
“Oh my God, that’d be awesome,” the girl practically squeals. It’s not like Slater is Elvis. This is minor league baseball damn it.
Slater doesn’t respond to them. Instead, he leans down on his knee and gets in front of me, placing a hand on each of my knees. I try to ignore the way his touch seems to brand me. The heat spreads through my entire body making that mostly impossible.
“You were supposed to call me.”
“No. You wanted me to call you. There’s a difference, Bat-Boy.”
“You’re planning on fighting me every step of the way aren’t you, Marigold?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I deny, lying through my teeth.
“There’s something you should know about me, baby.”
I bite my lip because something about the way he said baby just now causes my entire body to vibrate.
“What’s that?” I ask, my voice breathy.
“I live for a challenge and when people tell me I can’t do something it makes me that more determined to do it.”
“What’s that mean?” I ask, refusing to panic.
“It means keep making things hard for me, baby. All you’re doing is making me more determined to claim you.”
“Claim me? I’m not baggage you pick up at the airport.”
“Trust me, I know that, Marigold,” he croons and then before I realize what he’s doing, he leans in and takes my mouth in the hottest, sweetest kiss ever given.
I don’t even think to fight him. I give in instantly. I could make excuses, but the truth is I’ve missed Slater’s kiss since the moment our first kiss ended. I’ve missed being surrounded by his heat, the feel of his hands on me and most of all I’ve missed his taste on my tongue. In fact, I whimper when he pulls away and I’m not a bit ashamed to say that I wrap my hand around the back of his neck and pull him back to kiss him longer. This time, I’m the aggressor. My tongue searches his out, groaning as devour his mouth, needing more of him in any way that I can get him. My reward is that when we break apart it is Slater that looks stunned and lost in hunger.