Thanks so much for all the reviews and follows! I'm sorry this one took longer, but it's a much longer chapter, so hopefully that makes it worth it! This one was much harder to write. Hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think! :)
Liza inhaled deeply, savoring the delicious scent of the warm summer air. She wasn't a fan of the stifling daytime heat, but the mild, breezy, evenings in the city this time of year bordered on magical.
Next to her, Charles stopped walking and turned toward the huge structure beside them. She peered up at the large, blue illuminated sign and then looked over at her date, her brows furrowed. "Yankee Stadium?" She took note of the absence of people in the area. "It doesn't look like there's a game tonight."
He grinned, enjoying her momentary confusion. "You're right. No game tonight. Come with me." He offered out his hand, and she laced her fingers with his, following his lead. When they arrived at a thick, metal door, an older man wearing a security uniform appeared, greeting them as though he was expecting them.
"Mr. Brooks," he nodded at Charles. "It's all yours." He tipped his cap towards Liza. "M'am,"
"Thanks, Sal," Charles replied.
They entered a cement corridor, and Charles led her down a maze of long, winding hallways until they made their way out onto the field. It was absolutely breathtaking. Watching a game from the stands never prepared her for the unique perspective of being in the diamond.
He dropped her hand, allowing her freedom to explore, and she spun around slowly, taking in the epic view. The lights glowed in the night sky and the smell of freshly cut grass took her back to childhood summer evenings spent running around her big backyard, innocent and free. She felt Charles' eyes on her, measuring her reaction. "Charles," she met his gaze. "It's beautiful."
He beamed. "It is. I know there are probably thousands of beautiful places in the city I could have taken you, but this is one that means a lot to me." His eyes sparkled as he spoke, and his chest rose and fell in a slow, relaxed pace. He seemed much more at ease in this place, as opposed to his more tense, controlled demeanor at work. She knew he loved baseball, but she had a feeling there was more to the story.
Without a word, he offered his hand again, and she eagerly accepted. He led her across the large expanse of grass and dirt. When they reached the home team dugout, he guided her carefully down the steps and sat on the bench, patting the spot next to him. She dutifully settled in closely beside him, and they both leaned their backs against the wall, taking in the stunning park before them.
Liza watched as he rubbed his hands together the way he always did when he was a bit nervous or hesitant. She hadn't really thought of hands as sexy before, but tingles ran through her body as she stared at his. She loved the strong warmth of them intertwined with hers, and she couldn't stop thinking about how amazing they felt cupping her face as they had kissed. Her cheeks flushed, and her breathing grew shallow as she reminisced about the unexpected, heated moments they had shared in the Hamptons.
Charles seemed to pick up on her train of thought. He turned to face her, reaching his hand up to cup her cheek, just as he had in her memories only seconds earlier. He leaned in, locking eyes with her for a brief moment before he pressed his lips to hers. He started out somewhat cautious, slowly tasting her, exploring, gently biting her bottom lip. When she moved her hand to his chest, he became more aggressive, his mouth completely enveloping hers, his tongue plunging in and out in a torturously suggestive rhythm. The faint sounds of the city traffic completely faded away, and all she could hear was the blood pulsing through her veins. His tongue continued to tease her relentlessly, and her core ached, craving more.
His hands slid down her body, squeezing her hips and pulling her forcefully onto his lap. She grasped his hair with her fingers, dragging her nails across his scalp as his warm lips traveled down her neck. She pulled him as close to her as physically possible, any restraint she had overpowered by raw need.
She was so completely consumed by the rush of sensations throughout her body, it took a minute to register the muffled sound of a phone ringing. At first, she tried to ignore it, but when the incessant ringtone continued to repeat, she reluctantly pulled away, breathless.
"Charles," she panted. "Your phone."
He sighed, appearing equal parts flustered and annoyed as he shifted her weight to one side of his lap, fishing his phone from his jeans pocket. A quick glance at the screen had him immediately motioning for Liza to get up.
"Hello," he answered, walking a few steps away. Turning his back, he was quiet for a moment, intently listening to the caller. Liza studied him carefully, trying to determine the nature of the call. She watched as tension took hold of him and his shoulders stiffened.
"So there's nothing we can do?" he questioned, his voice tight with restrained frustration. He listened again and then fired back with a bit less composure. "Well, keep looking for something, and don't call me again until you have it!" He abruptly hung up, releasing some of his anger by kicking the partial cement wall in front of him. Wanting to give him some space, Liza stayed seated on the bench, quietly observing. He slid his phone into his pocket and pinched the bridge of his nose, a slight tick in his jaw. He took a few deep breaths and turned back to her, his face softening.
"I'm sorry about that, Liza. That was our lawyer. I was hoping maybe he could find some kind of loophole that would prevent L.L. Moore from being able to sign with another publishing firm already." He sighed. "I knew it was a longshot."
"Don't apologize. I completely understand."
He slumped back down beside her on the bench. The earlier sexual tension dissolved into a comfortable silence. She was pondering the future of the company and her job when he spoke, the deep timbre of his voice bringing her back to the present.
"Do you remember the night of the Crown of Kings release party event?"
She giggled. "Of course. You really think I could forget wearing that horribly revealing outfit and being ogled by one of the creepiest men of all time?"
He shuddered. "In hindsight, I should've punched that guy in the face when I had the chance. It took everything in me not to that night." He shook his head, as if he was trying to shake the memory loose from his thoughts.
"Anyway," he began, "I was referring to what happened after all that. We were discussing what I would do if I could do anything, if my job wasn't holding me back."
Replaying the conversation over in her mind, she nodded. "You never got a chance to answer."
"That's one of the reasons I brought you here."
She pulled her brows together. "So you would play baseball?"
He chuckled softly. "Well, I'm a bit more of a realist." He fidgeted with his hands again. "I know that opportunity has come and gone. But I would do something with baseball—general manager, coach, business manager—hell, I wouldn't even mind coaching high school or little league. This," he gestured to the wide expanse in front of them, "is my refuge. My happy place. For some people it's the beach or the woods, but for me, it's a baseball field."
He picked up a stray ball from the ground, turning it in his hands.
"When I was little, I would go to games with my grandfather. We always got there early, and he would help me get autographs from the players. He bought me my own mitt when I was 3, and I brought it with me to every game we attended, hoping to catch a fly ball. He always talked to me like I was an adult, like one of his friends—discussing a player's stats or when the coach should've taken the pitcher out of the game.
"I worshipped my grandfather. He started his own successful company doing something he loved. He was so smart—he knew so much about so many things, but he never talked down to anyone. He never met a stranger. And somehow, even with all the work that goes into running a business, he never lost sight of what was important. His family always came first. A day never went by where he didn't show my grandmother how much he loved her. He always took time to take me to games or to the library..."
"He sounds like an amazing man."
Charles closed his eyes for a moment, his mood turning more solemn. "He was. When he passed, I was devastated. I just felt like life didn't make sense anymore—like what kind of world did I live in where a man I loved so much could be taken away from me? I grieved for a long time. And to be honest, I'm still not sure I've accepted it."
She scooted closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder. She didn't speak, allowing him to continue his thoughts.
"Whenever I need perspective, feel overwhelmed, or I just want to feel close to him again, I come here. I like to think that in some way he's here with me."
He set the ball beside him and took her hands in his, drawing invisible patterns on her skin with his thumbs.
"Liza, I don't know what it is about you, but I feel so comfortable confiding in you. I've struggled, in the past. I kept most of my thoughts to myself, and it caused trouble in my relationships. But with you…sharing just feels natural. I don't know how to explain it."
"I know exactly what you mean," she reassured him.
But she didn't. Things could flow naturally with him if she could be completely honest, but instead she had to filter every thought or feeling she had to make sure it didn't reveal her secret—the horrible secret that threatened to bring this fledgling relationship (or whatever you wanted to call it) to its knees. Books were always a safe topic, but anything too personal was risky.
He interrupted her thoughts. "I apologize; I've been talking so much you haven't been able to get a word in. What are you thinking about in that busy mind of yours?"
She couldn't very well be honest with her reply, so she quickly decided on another way to handle things.
She leaned into him, gently gliding her finger across his lower lip. She saw a spark of heat flicker in his eyes just before he crushed his mouth to hers, clutching her hair in his fist. She allowed the kiss to completely consume her, washing away all her worries, keeping her completely present in that moment. His mouth danced with hers, and she got lost in the feel of him. A soft moan escaped her as she felt him start to pull away.
"As much as I would love to do that all night..." He brushed a loose curl away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "There's something else I want to show you." He stood, radiating the excitement of a child, as he gestured for her to join him. This time, instead of taking her hand, he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her flush to his side.