Over the Fence: Lyssa Layne's Baseball Romances (41 page)

Driving home from the airport, we trade out Tate’s truck for my Corvette that we left at my office. I try to keep my tears at bay. It was a lot harder to say goodbye than I expected, I think more so than any of us expected. Tate hasn’t said a word after he hugged a tearful Toby and put him on a plane with his grandparents.

Reaching over, I pat his leg and take his hand in mine. “You okay, babe?”

Tate looks at me. “Have you thought about marriage?”

My heart beats fast, but I play it off with a laugh. “Yeah, it didn’t work out so great for me the first time around.”

He shakes his head. “No, I mean with me.”

I swallow and stare at the road in front of me. It’s one thing when the four-year-old James boy asks me about marriage, but it’s an entirely different thing when the twenty-eight-year-old one does. Tate squeezes my hand and leans his head back against the seat, sighing.

Panicking, feeling like I have to say something, the right thing, I begin rambling. “Well, we haven’t really discussed it. After my last marriage, I swore I’d never do it again, but now after meeting you, I’d be open to the idea…” I glance at him out of the corner of my eye. His head perks up at my last comment and I squeeze his hand back. “Tate, I just want to be with you and Toby and I don’t think marriage matters either way right now.”

Tate nods, a smile comes to his lips and he laughs. “I’m not real sure what exactly you just said, but it sounds like you want us to stick around. Toby asked me about it this morning and I figured I’d get your thoughts on the subject.”

A smile creeps to my face. “So, he finally asked you, huh?”

Tate looks at me with raised eyebrows. “Finally?”

I nod. “Every morning at breakfast, he’d ask me if we were getting married.”

Tate looks out the window and I frown. “What is it?”

Tate stares at the buildings we pass. “I didn’t realize the move would be so hard on him. He thinks if we get married then he’ll be able to come live here with us.”

My stomach drops and the reality of the kid’s loaded question hits me. I try to push away the fear that he was only using me because my heart already loves this kid. I shrug and look at Tate as I stop at the stoplight. “Anytime you want him to come visit, know that I’ll help you with him.”

He brings my hand to his lips and kisses it. “Thank you, Mia.”

The light turns green and after a few turns, I pull into my driveway. Tate looks at me confused. “Forget something?”

I smile and am a bit giddy that it’s second nature to both of us that I always stay at his place. Closing the car door, I walk to his side of the car as he watches me closely. Other than when Tate’s at an away game, and not even always then, I haven’t stayed a single night at my house.

He steps out of the car and I take his hands in mine, walking backward toward my garage. He narrows his eyebrows and cautiously asks, “What are you up to, Mia Tomko?”

I start to be playful and ask if he loves me, but I stop. I laugh to myself, here we are discussing marriage and we haven’t even shared the L-word yet. I slide my arms around his neck and pull him in for a passionate kiss. His tongue quickly reacts and circles mine. Having Toby around has definitely inhibited our spontaneity, but neither of us are complaining about spending time with the little guy.

Tate’s lips move to my neck, his warm breath on my ear as he whispers, “Time for my present?”

His hands move the straps of my dress off my shoulders. As much as I want to be naked with him, I pull away. “Actually, it is.”

I hit my garage door button and the door raises. Tate continues kissing my neck until he sees a red Corvette parked in the garage. Standing up straight, his jaw drops and he moves in slow motion toward it.

“It’s beautiful! Is it…” he trails off.

I grin and grab his hand, pulling him faster to inspect it. “Yes, it’s yours! Happy birthday!” I’m still saving up to leave Tomko Realty, but I was able to cash in stock without Asher finding out to pay for Tate’s new car. I knew he’d love it and I couldn’t pass up the chance to do this for him.

Tate runs his hand lightly over the finish of the sports car, taking in her every curve. I open the driver door and he slides into the seat. His hands glide up and down the steering wheel as he shakes his head in disbelief. Looking up at me, he says, “Babe, you didn’t have to do this.”

His eyes are dancing and he’s like a little kid on Christmas as he touches every button on the console. I smile and shrug. “I wanted to.”

He reaches out and pulls me into his lap. I giggle as we sit awkwardly in the driver’s seat, my legs dangling out of the car.

“Mia, this past month was more than enough for my birthday. I loved having Toby here, watching you two interact… being a family,” he says, making my heart race. His hand moves to my cheek. “Please don’t second guess his actions with you. He wants a mom, can you blame him? But don’t think that’s all he sees in you. I’ve watched him with my mother and my sister, and I’ve never seen him so smitten with someone. Mia, he loves you… just like I do.”

My heart races and it’s easy for me to reply, “I love you, too,” because I do. His lips crush mine as he pulls my head toward him, kissing me with intensity, fingers gripping my hair. I moan into his mouth. This declaration of love making me want him, all of him, more than ever. I break the kiss to step out of the car and he’s right behind me.

Tate takes the garage door opener, closing it as he unzips his pants. Tossing the opener aside, he spins me around and lifts my dress. I lean over his new Corvette as he moves my panties to the side and enters me inch by inch. His mouth covers my back and shoulders with sweet, subtle kisses while his hips rock and drive into me. As he pushes us both to climax, he pulls my hair to one side so that his mouth rests by my ear. His grunts pushing me closer to the edge, but it’s when he whispers, “Mia Tomko, I’m going to spend the rest of my life with you,” that I hit pure ecstasy.

CHAPTER 24

Tate

“I miss you, Mia,” my son says with a pouty look and touches his hand to the screen.

Mia reaches out and places her fingers where his hands are displayed on my laptop. “I miss you, too, Toby,” she says with a hint of sadness in her voice. I squeeze her leg then move into screen with her so Toby can see me.

Trying to lighten the mood, I say, “Hey, what about me? What am I, chopped liver?”

Toby falls back on the couch and giggles hysterically as Mia laughs with him. After a few moments of hysterics, Toby leans forward, his face right in front of the computer. “Of course, I miss you, Dad. You’re so silly!” He presses his lips against the screen.

“Good. I was beginning to think you liked her better than me,” I tease. I look at Mia then lean forward, whispering, “Us guys gotta stick together, okay?”

Toby giggles again and then agrees with me. My mom yells at him in the background to wash up for dinner. Toby waves to us both and says, “Bye Dad, bye Mia. Love you!” We don’t have a chance to say anything back before he’s off the screen.

I close the laptop and turn to Mia. My grip tightens on her thigh as I look into her teary eyes. I laugh. “Don’t cry, baby.”

Mia wipes her eyes and leans over, kissing me softly. “I’m sorry, I just never thought I could…be so attached to him.”

I take her hand and pull her in my lap. Pouting, I ask, “What about me? What am I, chopped liver?”

Laughing, she tousles my hair with one hand and taps my nose with her index finger on the other. “Yes, babe, I’m extremely attached to you, too. Don’t worry.”

“Good,” I say with a grin and move my lips to hers. Our mouths lock and move slowly over one another’s. Our tongues dance together as we both moan softly.
God, this woman does so much for me.
My hand moves down her chest while I pull her hair lightly with the other, ready to ravage her here on the pool deck.

My lips press against her collarbone as I slide her dress straps off her shoulders. Her fingertips lightly massage my head as they play with my hair and she lets out a soft, delighted sigh. It’s the same noise she makes when I nuzzle her neck in the morning before she wakes up.

Without looking up, I simply say, “Move in with me.”

Mia laughs and I feel her tilt her head up. “How would that be any different than now? I’m here every night you are.”

My tongue trails down her chest and my hands move the material of her dress to expose her breasts. One hand cups each bosom and squeezes playfully. I roll her nipples between my thumbs and forefingers until I elicit that wonderful purr-moan of hers. Licking her perky nipples, I nod before taking one fully in my mouth. Mia tilts her head back again and whispers my name, sending waves of electricity over my body and turning me on even more.

My hands continue to massage her chest until I pull my head away to look into her eyes. “I need to know that you’ll be here waiting for me when I get home from away games. I need to know that you’re safe in our bed when I’m gone. I need to wake up to you every day.”

I see Mia’s lips drop into a frown. “I don’t know, Tate, that seems like…a big step.”

My lips move to her neck and I whisper into her ear, “You’re going to marry me, Mia, you know that, right?” It’s a bold move I know, but when I told her I was going to spend forever with her three weeks ago on my birthday, she seemed to enjoy the sentiment. A smile spreads across my face as I recall how much she
really
enjoyed my words that day.

“Sell your house, babe, move in with me, and when the season is over, we’ll talk marriage,” I try to demand, knowing damn well that she’ll make her own decisions.

Her body stiffens under my hands and I move my mouth back to her nipple, trying to relax and distract her. That wonderful purr-moan escapes her lips and she mumbles, “I’ll think about it…”

Mia

I stare out the window into the dark night, the ocean crashing into the sand beneath the open window mixes with Tate’s light snoring as he holds me against him. It’s been two weeks since Tate asked me to move in. Ever since, I’ve laid in bed every night thinking about my future with Tate…and Toby. Better, my future without Asher.

I sigh and roll to my back. Tate moves his head to my chest and I wrap my arm around his shoulders. My fingertips walk up and down his tricep as he rests peacefully in my arms. I want to say yes. I want to sell my house. I want to lay like this with him forever but there’s one thing keeping me from this dream—Asher.

Tate snuggles closer to me, mumbling my name in his slumber. I smile and press my lips against his forehead. This is what little girls dream about. A man that loves her and makes her feel safe, her knight in shining armor. This is what happily ever after is all about.

The alarm numbers reflect in the silver picture frame on the nightstand. Inside it is a picture of the three of us. Toby is giving a goofy grin as we all smile for the camera on the beach. Turning back to Tate, I realize this is what I want. I want him. I want Toby. I want us to be a family.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I run numbers in my head. My bank statement came last week. If I sell my house, I would have plenty of money to leave Asher and start my own business. However, with Asher’s name on the house papers, I’ll need his permission which means I’ll probably have to split the profit. Moving in with Tate though, I won’t need the money I’d budgeted for a new place, but I hate to depend on him for that. My eyelids flutter as I start to drift off. This is it, I am so close to breaking away from Asher and having my fairytale with Tate.

A few hours later, I hear the water running in the bathroom as I blink my eyes awake. The clock says it’s five and I remember Tate is leaving for a three-day road trip with the team. Perfect, this will give me time to start boxing up my house and work up the nerve to talk to Asher about my decision.

I climb out of bed and walk to the bathroom in my silk panties and matching chemise. Tate sees me in the mirror as he brushes his teeth. Smiling around the toothbrush, he holds his arm out to me, which I happily move into his reach.

My lips brush his shoulder before I look into his eyes. He rinses off his toothbrush and gives me a minty fresh good-morning kiss. The toothpaste makes my tongue tingle as his rolls over mine. I moan into his mouth and he pulls my hips so I’m directly in front of him, pressed between him and the counter.

“I’m going to miss you, baby,” he mumbles in between kisses along my collarbone.

My fingers run through his hair as I nod. I take a deep breath and decide to tell him now so I don’t chicken out. “I’ll sell my house,” I whisper.

Tate’s lips stop and he glances up at me. “Seriously?”

I nod. “Seriously.”

He whoops and covers my mouth with his as his hands scurry over my body, touching every nerve ending in me. I throw my head back and laugh as he does a happy dance in front of me, spinning in circles.