Short Stop to Love Read online

  Jacob nodded and Jeremy strode to his room to change. He fired a quick text off to Keri and smiled to himself as he thought about the rest of his evening.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Keri

  Keri sighed as Jeremy stepped off the stage at the end of his press conference. She could tell he was stressed from his stiff gait and tense shoulders. She was worried as well because she knew how important baseball was to him. If he couldn’t play, she wasn’t sure what would happen, especially since he wouldn’t be quitting on his terms.

  She flicked her TV off and looked at Joann and Troy sitting on the couch.

  “Well, that went better than I thought ti would,” Troy said.

  Keri nodded. “I agree, but you can tell he’s worried.”

  Troy shrugged. “I am too. I know he’s expecting a call from the higher-ups about a formal investigation.”

  “How likely do you think it is that he’ll be done with baseball?” Keri worriedly asked.

  Troy slowly blew out a breath before saying, “I don’t think his career is ruined. He did everything voluntarily, which says a lot. So long as he cooperates, there shouldn’t be problems.”

  Keri sighed in relief. Troy’s words soothed her. They sat in silence until Troy and Joann stood.

  She quirked a brow at them. “Where are you going?” she asked.

  Troy smirked. “Well, if I know my brother, and I like to think I do, he’ll be on his way over here soon. I’m not sure I want to be here for the aftermath.”

  Keri’s brows furrowed at Troy’s words. “What do you mean?”

  Troy chuckled. “If you can’t answer that yourself, is it worth me explaining?”

  With that, Keri was alone in the apartment, pondering Troy’s words. Pushing them from her mind, she instead thought about Jeremy and how delectable he looked in that navy blue suit on TV. She didn’t see him in a suit often, so she wanted to remember what he looked like so nicely dressed.

  As if her thoughts had conjured him, the buzzer sounded. She made her way over to the door, buzzing him up and opening the door. She leaned on the jamb as she waited for Jeremy to come into view.

  When he stepped out of the stairwell, Keri felt her mouth water. He was wearing jeans that hugged him just right and sat low on his hips. He had paired them with a gray V-neck T-shirt that conformed to his well-developed chest and arms. He was tense and Keri wanted to soothe him.

  His eyes met hers and she gasped at the intensity of his stare. She gulped as he walked closer and pushed her back into her apartment. He shut and locked her door before stalking toward her. He pressed against her and molded his body to hers. A frisson of anticipation worked through her body. She opened her mouth, but Jeremy quickly covered it with his, thrusting his tongue inside. She groaned as their tongues dueled and Jeremy clutched her closer.

  She grabbed onto his shoulders, fingers digging as she tried to move closer. His hands gripped her ass tightly before they moved up and grasped the hem of her shirt, pulling it off. He quickly unclasped her bra and tossed it to the side as well. The rest of their clothes were ripped off and they stood there naked.

  Jeremy guided her to the living room and her legs bumped into the couch. He quickly turned her around and pressed against her back, bending her over the arm. She panted as his hands glided down her back to grip her butt. She felt his fingers lightly brush her center, making her quiver in need before she felt his erection.

  He lightly tapped the tip of his cock against her, making her squirm at what was to come. She could hear his harsh breathing behind her and she tried to stay still as he slowly pushed in. He teased her, only thrusting enough to move the tip in and out. He suddenly slammed into her, making her gasp and then groan as he filled her.

  He stilled once he was fully inside. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gripped tightly. Her back arched. “I hope you’re ready,” Jeremy said lowly.

  She couldn’t say anything and just nodded. The rest was pure scintillation as Jeremy thrust into her. She moaned loudly as he used his leverage to pound into her. The sounds of their moans and slapping skin filled the apartment. Jeremy’s other hand gripped her tightly on the hip and barely tethered her to reality.

  “Oh God,” she moaned as he continued to fuck her.

  Each time he thrust in, he hit that spot and rubbed against her clit just the right way. She was close to having an orgasm and it would be explosive. Even without foreplay, Keri was deliciously wet by Jeremy’s display of dominance.

  Her walls fluttered and her orgasm ripped through her, leaving her gasping as she pressed back against Jeremy. She heard him groan and his thrusts slowed as her orgasm subsided before he pulled out entirely. She groaned at the empty feeling as he pulled her up so she was standing. He twirled her around and pressed a hard kiss to her lips. She opened her mouth so their tongues could battle while he gripped her thighs and placed them around his hips.

  He moved them backwards until she felt a table under her backside. He set her down and pressed on her chest, making her lay back. Jeremy leaned over her torso and thrust into her again. She gasped at the sudden intrusion. The table had a slightly tacky lacquer on it, keeping her held in place, as Jeremy thrust

  “Fuck,” he mumbled as he buried his face in her neck.

  He thrust into her again, just as hard as the first time. She gasped and groaned as he moved in her. His fingers dug into the fleshy part of her ass as he continued moving. His accompanying groans quickly pushed her to another orgasm.

  Without warning, she shattered. Jeremy grunted and stopped thrusting as he swelled within her. As they recovered, he pulled back and slipped out of her. On shaky legs, she stood from the table as he stepped back. She leaned against the edge for support.

  Jeremy composed himself and she noticed he didn’t look tense, though he looked worried still.

  “Well, that’s quite the hello,” she said.

  He chuckled as he stepped back to her. He pulled her into his arms and pressed a light kiss to her lips. “What can I say? I wanted to make sure you knew how much I missed you.”

  Keri laughed lightly as she grabbed the shirt he was wearing earlier, pulling it on. It just barely covered her ass, but she didn’t care. She glanced over her shoulder and swayed her hips a little more as she walked toward her bedroom. She waited in anticipation for his steps to follow hers down the hall. She heard his footsteps and laughed as he scooped her up and over his shoulder, slamming the door behind him once they reached the bedroom.

  Later that evening, Keri and Jeremy lay together on her bed. She snuggled into his side with his arm wrapped around her, his fingers lightly running up and down her arm. They lay there in silence, though Keri’s mind was working a mile a minute thinking over the press conference earlier.

  “So, what happens next with the scandal?”

  Jeremy didn’t answer immediately and he sighed. “It’s hard to say. I essentially have to wait and see what the Commissioner of the League decides and what further actions will be taken.”

  They lapsed into silence before Jeremy said, “I think someone is out to get me and I want to know who it is.”

  “Do you have an idea who it could be?” she asked as she moved to see his face.

  He was silent before saying, “I have my suspicions, but I don’t want to say on the off chance I’m wrong. All I’ll say is I think it’s someone on my team that’s spearheading this witch-hunt.”

  It shocked her to think that someone would try to sabotage Jeremy’s career like this. But knowing how greedy some people could be, she realized it wasn’t all that shocking. Greed and jealousy were enough for most people. If someone on Jeremy’s team wanted the spotlight, then it made sense that one of them would attempt to attain that.

  “How are you going to find out if you’re right?”

  “That’s the hard part. I asked Jacob and Allison to see if they can identify the source. Since it’s not true, I hope we’ll find out who it is rather quickly.”

&
nbsp; They lapsed into silence again and Keri dozed lightly as a result, worn out from Jeremy’s attention. She jerked awake when Jeremy’s phone rang. She blearily blinked her eyes as Jeremy answered.

  “Glass.”

  Keri gazed at Jeremy as he listened to what was being said.

  “You’re sure?” Jeremy asked as he settled back beside her. “E-mail it to me.”

  Jeremy hung up and glanced at Keri. “That was Jacob. He was sent some information that he thought I’d find interesting. He’s already verified it and is sending it to me.”

  Jeremy’s phone dinged to indicate a new e-mail. Keri watched Jeremy fiddle with his phone. His eyes moved over the screen.

  She asked, “What is it?”

  “It’s a document that proves the initial news story was fabricated. It’s a doctored test.”

  “Okay…”

  “This gives the name of the person that provided it. I can pass along to my lawyer to prove defamation and libel, possibly slander depending on how this all plays out..”

  “That’s serious. Who is it?”

  “According to this, Andrew Lennox.”

  “Andrew?”

  Keri realized how stupid that question was. She’d heard how greedy and covetous Andrew was. While Andrew was a fantastic player, his personal life bled into his professional life and provided endless fodder for the newspapers. While he was considered a major hotshot at the start of his career, he’d steadily faded into the background while Jeremy’s star continued to rise to meteoric levels. Andrew didn’t seem to understand what Jeremy had that he didn’t.

  “For the last few years now, Andrew has struggled with his image and gameplay. While he’s still a great player, he can’t keep it together. He’s always in the news boozed out different with women. He’s shown up to play hungover and drunk. He’s been passed over for a lot of things and he’s gotten angry and bitter about it.”

  “Since you have proof, what will you do?”

  Jeremy shifted on the bed and sighed. “I’m going to go to the manager and owner. We’re a team and we’re in this together, but, I have proof that a teammate is trying to actively hurt not only me, but the organization. That’s a larger problem.”

  It made sense, though she understood the difficulty Jeremy was now faced with. They lapsed into silence again.

  Jeremy moved away from her. He glanced at her and said, “I wish I could stay longer. But, I need to see Ross tonight.”

  She wasn’t surprised Jeremy wanted to handle this sooner rather than later. She hoped it would take the negative scrutiny off him. She knew he was feeling the effects of the constant attention. He typed out a quick text before moving into the living room to gather his discarded clothing and get dressed.

  He walked back in a few minutes later, fully dressed except for his shirt, which he snagged from the floor. He pulled it on and leaned down, pressing a kiss to her lips.

  “Seeing you like this makes me not want to leave, but I’ll try to finish up quickly and come by later.”

  Keri nodded in understanding. She heard the door shut and flopped back onto the bed. Earlier had been mind-boggling and she felt deliciously sore as a result. With a sigh and a stretch, Keri got up and moved into the shower, thinking over what she could do to fill the time until Jeremy returned.

  Knowing she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on work, she popped a romantic comedy in for background noise and grabbed a book from her bookshelf. It wasn’t until the buzzer sounded that she realized how much time had passed. She made her way over and pressed the intercom.

  “Yeah?”

  “It’s me,” Jeremy said.

  She pressed the button for the main door and opened her apartment door to wait for him. He sounded tired and she worried how the talk with the manager went. She heard his footsteps and stuck her head out to see him come into view. He looked as tired as he sounded through the intercom. She stepped back to let him in and then shut the door.

  He pulled her into his arms, hugging her to him for several minutes. Neither of them said anything and Keri realized he needed the physical contact at this point. Eventually, he stepped back and moved to her couch, flopping down. She joined him.

  “How was it?” she asked.

  He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “It went about like I thought. Ross and the owner were disbelieving, even after I showed them the proof. It took them a little while to take it in. I’m not sure exactly what’s going to happen. When I left, he was calling Andrew, so I imagine I’ll know something soon.”

  “How are you?”

  Jeremy shrugged. “About how I expected to feel after something like this. I know I had to tell Ross, but I can’t help but think I potentially ruined Andrew’s career.”

  Keri shook her head. “You didn’t ruin his career. He ruined his own career.”

  Silence reigned as Keri glanced at the clock and saw that it was about time for dinner. She ordered a pizza to be delivered, deciding Jeremy didn’t need to worry about anything for a little while. After eating, they spent the rest of the evening watching movies before turning in for the night.

  When Keri woke the next morning, she was shocked to see an alert for Jeremy. She was even more shocked when she saw the content.

  Lennox Released from Contract

  With news that has rocked not only Seattle, but the baseball world to the core, Andrew Lennox has been released from his contract. Lennox was recruited four years ago during his junior year at the University of Washington Seattle and was selected by Seattle’s own baseball team in the sixth round. When he was drafted, he had impressive stats and was touted as a rising star, much like Jeremy Glass when he was drafted.

  However, since then, Lennox has not lived up to the hype. He’s been pictured in various compromising positions and getting into altercations at multiple local bars and restaurants. There are also rumors that he has turned up to games drunk or hungover, which has in turn impacted his gameplay. What started out as a great career has quickly turned into something that is embarrassing for not only Lennox, but also for the team.

  The exact reasons for his release are unknown at the time of publication. However, late last night, a source tells us that Lennox was called to the field and pulled into a closed-door meeting with the manager, Ross Bailey, and the owners. While they can’t comment on the content of the meeting, Lennox immediately cleared out his space in the locker room and was seen being escorted from the premises. Shortly after, a statement was sent to local news organizations informing us of Lennox’s release.

  We have to wonder why Lennox was released from his contract. It’s no secret that he’s been struggling not only in his personal life, but also with teammates on and off the field, none more so than the aforementioned Jeremy Glass. Sources have commented that Glass and Lennox have been caught more than once arguing in the locker room. Most recently, they were seen having a heated conversation about Glass’s girlfriend, Keri Robson. It begs the question: did Glass have something to do with Lennox’s release?

  Stay tuned as we wait for a comment from Lennox’s representative and more information about this release.

  Keri shook Jeremy. He grumbled and blearily opened his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  She thrust her phone into his hands and waited. Jeremy sat up and scanned the screen. He looked up and their eyes locked. “I…I mean…”

  “Should you check your phone?”

  Jeremy gave her back her phone and pulled his to him. Their breathing was the only sound in the room as Keri waited to see what Jeremy said.

  “An email was sent last night. They don’t give specifics, but it repeats what the article says. I have a team meeting later today to discuss it further.”

  “How do you feel about this?”

  Jeremy sighed and ran his hand over the comforter on her bed. “I honestly don’t know. I still feel like I’ve ruined his career by bringing this to Ross.”

  “You didn’t though.”

  Keri grabbe
d Jeremy’s hand and grasped it in her own. “He did it to himself. He made the choice to falsify a document and sell it to the press, not you.”

  “I know, but if I hadn’t gone to Ross—”

  “Then you’d still be dealing with a scandal knowing who did it, but not having done anything about it.”

  Jeremy sagged. “I know, I just hate stuff like this.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Underhanded, sneaky behavior. It shouldn’t be like this.”

  Keri scooted closer to Jeremy and wrapped her arms around him. “It shouldn’t, but that’s now how this works.”

  They sat in silence for several moments before Keri pulled back. “I know that you blame yourself, but really, this isn’t your fault. It’s Andrew’s. He is obviously jealous of you and couldn’t handle it, so he sold out his team in the process. That is not on you.”

  Jeremy smiled, though it looked forced. “Thanks. If only I could make myself believe it.”

  “Fake it till you make it.”

  Jeremy cracked a genuine smile at her and kissed her. “What would I do without you?”

  “Probably be much more unhappy.”

  Jeremy: Team meeting just finished.

  Keri: And????

  Jeremy: They told the team what happened.

  Keri: And?????

  Jeremy: They were very supportive. Ross took me aside and talked to me for a while about it.

  Keri: So, do you feel better?

  Jeremy: Yes. I’m worried about backlash if it gets out.

  Keri: Don’t be. If there’s backlash, it would have to be toward him, not you.

  Jeremy: I’ll still have Allison draft a statement just in case.

  Keri: That’s probably smart. Better to be prepared. You heading home?

  Jeremy: Yeah, I have an early day tomorrow.