Ginny Baker sits on the edge of her bed and stares at the black dress that hangs on the open bathroom door. It's just a dress – not her best and not her worst, but she can't tear her gaze from the silky fabric. This was the dress she'd worn on her date with Noah earlier tonight. She'd been wearing it when she got the call from Mike and ended up choosing her captain over the guy who had cleared out a restaurant just for her. And she'd still been wearing it when she sat next to Mike at the bar and later when he had almost kissed her.

When she almost kissed him...

When they almost kissed...

"Oh God." Ginny falls back onto the bed and screws her eyes shut. She had almost kissed Mike Lawson! She'd almost kissed him and it had felt so incredibly….right. How had they gotten to this point? When had things shifted so far that an almost kiss was even possible between them? When did he start seeing her as anything other than a rookie? Mike is her captain, her mentor, her friend. He was her childhood crush for crying out loud.

"Yeah, right. Childhood crush." Ginny shakes her head and sits back up. The way she'd felt tonight when his soft beard had brushed against her chin and his breath was warm against her lips – that had not felt childish.

Not even a little bit.

Ginny glances at the clock on her night stand. Had it really been just two hours ago that she'd watched him standing on the curb as her car had driven away? Two hours since she'd felt his breath mingling with her own in the almost kiss that haunts her now?

Two hours since Oscar's call changed everything?

What would have happened if Mike had let that call go to voicemail? She's pretty sure that the kiss would have happened. "Yeah, take it to the bank," she mutters.

When they'd stood there in front of Boardner's, laughing about nailed cleats and contemplating just how much they would miss each other; Ginny had found herself considering taking a chance - a big one. That's why she hadn't pulled away - why she'd leaned in and why she most certainly would have kissed him if they hadn't been interrupted.

But now Mike is staying HERE in San Diego instead of going to Chicago and everything is going to be awkward because obviously they'll have to pretend that they didn't almost cross a line.

Ginny has never been good at pretending.

Tomorrow when she goes to the clubhouse, he's going to be there. She's going to have to pitch to him. They'll be working out in the same gym. She'll have to listen to his stupid long speeches. She'll sit next to him at press conferences.

She'll have to pretend not to notice the way he laughs at the guys' jokes or the way he leads the team like a boss. She'll have to ignore the way her heart beats faster when he walks into the room.

Ginny will have to forget that almost kiss because she can't remember it and survive. She's going to have to see Mike Lawson every damn day and NOT kiss him or even think about kissing him, and this is the thought that kills her because now that's she's gotten this close, she wants nothing more than to get closer.

"Oh God," she says again as her breathing becomes labored and her heart begins to pound. She can feel a panic attack building. Ginny concentrates on breathing in and out like Amelia had showed her to do. After a few tense minutes, she feels her body begin to relax.

Her gaze lands on the dress again as her brain fills with a million different 'what if' scenarios. She's cursing the Cubs with their trade incompetence and thinking about all the ways it could have gone when she hears a soft knock on her hotel room door.

Ginny gets up, feeling shaky from her attack. She heads for the door, unsure of who might be here at this time of night. She looks through the peephole and groans with dismay.

Mike. Is. Here.

Ginny closes her eyes and rests her forehead against the cold door. This is bad. It's not just bad because after her shower, she'd put on a pair of leggings and her favorite old Lawson tee shirt. It's not just bad because it's late and undoubtedly tomorrow is going to be a crazy day.

No. It's bad because just seeing him for that tiny second through the little glass circle has her panties wet. If she reacts like that to one glance, how can she welcome him into her room?

"I know you're in there, Rook. Open up." He sounds tired.

"You should be sleeping," she says. "Long day tomorrow, remember?"

"Open the door, Ginny. Please."

Her belly flutters when he calls her Ginny. He'd done that at the curb too and it had the same effect on her there. Desire swirls in her gut and her heartbeat stutters into a frantic rhythm.

She opens the door and just stands there, staring at him. Her mind is a whirl of uncertainty.

"Can I come in?"

She reluctantly nods and he follows her, closing the door behind him. She hears the click of the door as it shuts; followed by the second click which tells her Mike has thrown the security lock into place as well. Evidently he plans to be here for a bit.

Ginny licks her lips, not sure if she can even turn around and face him. She doesn't trust herself anymore. She feels him move in close, but he doesn't touch her.

"Nice shirt," he says.

Ginny's cheeks flare as she remembers the giant 36 on the back of her tee under his name, but his tone helps ease her nerves a little. There is humor and maybe even relief in his voice and she finds his teasing to be familiar and comforting. She rolls her shoulders before turning with a tentative smile. "What? This old thing?"

He nods and grins, flashing white teeth. "Yeah, well we should probably talk." He runs a hand over his beard, his eyes intent on her.

Her smile fades. "Yeah. Okay."

He moves over to the sofa and sits down. His gaze wanders around the room, taking it in. "Nice place."

Ginny smirks. "Yeah, my motel room is probably a big step up from that mansion you live in."

He shakes his head, clearly flustered. "I didn't come here to talk about our living arrangements."

"So what did you come here to talk to me about? The trade with Chicago? Why did it fall through?"

Mike stands and begins to pace. "Not the trade. Wanted to talk about tonight."

"Tonight?"

"Listen, I wasn't entirely honest with you before." His brow is furrowed and she has to fight the insane urge to reach over and smooth the skin with her fingers.

"What do you mean?"

"You came to the bar and asked where everybody went…"

"Yeah?" She frowns. "You never really said."

"I should have told you the truth, but I didn't."

"What truth?"

"Nobody else was there."

"I figured that out when I didn't see any of them."

"No, Rook. You aren't listening. When I thought that I was leaving for good – when I thought I had to do a press conference in Chicago tomorrow – when I wanted to go out for one last drink with the people who matter most to me here in San Diego…" His voice trails off and his gaze is pleading. It's like he wants her to figure it out on her own.

Ginny has an inkling, but self-doubt gives her pause. "What?"

"You're the only one I invited, Baker. I told the guys I was going home. They all went to Omar's. Hell, they might still be there."

She starts to say something but he cuts her off. "I lied about something else too."

"What?" Ginny feels unsettled and isn't sure where Mike is coming from..

"I let you think the reason I was leaving was because of a damn ring."

"And it isn't?"

"Well that's part of it, but a bigger part of it is something else entirely. It's something I realized very recently. Something that's been eating at me ever since."

"What did you realize?"

"That I'm a mess."

Ginny barks out a nervous laugh. "I could have told you that, Lawson."

"No," he growls, moving toward her. "Not like that. I'm a mess because I figured out that I'm falling for a woman I can't have and shouldn't want. That this woman has become more important to me than anybody else ever was. And I started to worry that my self control would snap and I'd ruin everything for both of us." He's in her personal space now and his chest heaves with emotion.

Ginny gulps. "But, what? Who?"

"You know."

She shakes her head, unbelieving.

Mike takes a step closer. "You left a date for me."

She feels off balance with the change of topic. "Yeah."

"Why?"

"I wanted to say goodbye. I didn't want to… I just couldn't –" She can't think clearly. It doesn't help at all when he reaches out and trails one fingertip along her cheek.

"I think you left your date for the same reason that I only called you for my last farewell." His voice is low and dark and his eyes are digging into her soul.

"Why is that?"

"Cause you wanted to be with me as much as I wanted to be with you – especially right before I left."

"But now you're staying."

"Yeah. I thought about that a lot. Been walking around thinking about it ever since you drove off and I decided it changes nothing."

"What are you saying?" Ginny involuntarily leans into his hand which now cups her face.

"I'm saying I wish I hadn't answered Oscar's call. Saying I should have kissed you right there in the street until your knees buckled. Saying I should have taken you to my place and shown you all the things I want to do with you. Saying that I walked around for two hours thinking about this speech, and even though you say my speeches are too long – I had to make this one because this one is the most important one of all." His eyes are wide and he looks more vulnerable than she's ever known him to be. He takes a deep breath and continues. "Rook, I'm saying that I want you and I need you and not just as a teammate and I think you feel the same way or you wouldn't have let me get so close earlier."

"I was kind of drunk."

"Liar." His arms wrap around her back and his point is clear. She didn't pull away before and she's not pulling away now.

She reaches out to trace a series of freckles on his neck. Ginny stares at the freckles, unable to meet his searing gaze. "What about my rule? No ballplayers." Even to her own ears, the words sound weak and meaningless when spoken in the face of the raw need that crackles between them.

"It's a good rule. It is..." His lips graze over hers in the softest of kisses. "But every rule has an exception and this time it's me. I'm the exception to your rule." His earlier vulnerability has been replaced by the cockiness she knows so well.

He moves in for another kiss but Ginny puts her hands on his chest and holds him at bay. "Let's say you're right –"

"Okay. I'm right." Confident that he's finally getting his way, Mike grins before nipping at her earlobe, his beard tickling at sensitive flesh.

She pushes against him again, but with less force this time. "So maybe you're right and I want this - whatever this is - too? What happens next? At the ballpark? On the road? All of it? Doing this could ruin everything."

"Maybe. Or maybe we ruin everything if we don't do this." He brushes her hands aside and kisses her again, more thoroughly this time. When they break apart, they are both breathing heavily. Mike's forehead presses against hers. "We'll make it work, Ginny. That's a promise. It won't be easy, but the really good stuff never is."

"You're sure?"

"So sure." He kisses her slowly and she melts into his embrace unable to think of even one argument that is more compelling than Mike's kisses are proving to be.

"Bed," she rasps against his lips.

Mike lets her pull him through the suite and into her room where they come to a stop at the foot of her bed. He spies the dress hanging on the bathroom door. "That dress. Damn, Baker. I wasn't expecting to see you all dressed up tonight." He brushes hands up and down her arms. "That dress did things for me that I can't even explain."

"So, you liked?" Ginny leans into him, loving the way their bodies meld together.

"Liked is an understatement, but you know what I like even more?" He presses his lips against her throat, licking a stripe along her jugular.

"No. What?" she swallows hard.

"You wearing my number is the hottest fucking thing I have ever laid my eyes on."

Ginny chuckles. "I bet you say that to all the girls who wear one of your shirts to bed."

Mike stills and presses his palm against her cheek, staring into her eyes with an unsettling intensity. "No other girls ever made me feel like I feel when I'm with you, Rook. Not one."

Instead of responding with words, Ginny leans up and kisses him hard. Her sudden move catches him by surprise at first, but Mike is a quick study and his arms slide around her back. He yanks her close with a possessive growl as the kiss intensifies. Lips and tongues and teeth collide as passion builds between them.

Ginny reaches for the buttons on his shirt, fiddling with them blindly as she probes his mouth with her tongue. Mike slides his hands lower, cupping that ass he's admired since day one. His cock grows thicker and harder as he explores the perfect globes under her leggings.

His shirt is tossed aside and now it's Ginny's turn to wantonly touch him in a way she's been dying to do for a really long time. Her fingers flutter across heated skin. She strokes across his pecs and up and down his abs. He stands perfectly still, watching her learn him. Ginny's eyes find his. "Sports Illustrated, 2004."

Mike's brain is short circuiting with every touch of her fingers. "What?"

"That was the first time I saw you without your shirt on. It was a feature about you and there were some photos from the locker room and one of you at a pool."

"I sort of remember that."

"Kept that issue under my mattress for a long time." She leans close and trails tiny kisses along his collarbone. "A long time."

He pushes his hips against hers, loving the way she moans against his chest. "You still have it under your mattress, don't ya, Rook?"

She chuckles and shakes her head. "Nah, don't need it anymore. I see the real deal every day. You've aged well, by the way." She continues exploring his skin with her fingers.

Mike's knees pick this moment to throb and he nods toward the bed. "Parts of me better than others. Come on."

She reaches for the hem of the old tee shirt she's wearing but Mike shakes his head. "No. Leave it on."

"Really?"

He licks his lips hungrily, watching the way her nipples press against the thin fabric of the old shirt. "Oh yeah. Really."

She lets go of the shirt and shrugs playfully. "A little pervy, but okay. I'll do it your way this time, old man." She smirks at him and he lunges her way. They fall to the bed in a tangle of limbs and urgency. He kisses her again, as his fingers go to work rolling her leggings and panties down her endlessly long legs.

Mike smiles when she lifts her hips to give him better access to her center, but he ignores her hint and rucks the tee shirt up under her armpits instead. Ginny's breasts are round and full, tipped by perky nipples that beg to be tasted.

He takes one between his lips and works it with his tongue before biting down lightly on the puckered flesh. Ginny thrashes under him and he palms her other breast, squeezing it as he worships its twin with his mouth.

Ginny's grasps wildly at his scalp keeping his mouth in place even as he slides his fingers south.

She cries out as he presses a thick calloused finger between her lower lips, sliding it slowly into her tight heat. "So wet, baby." He begins to move it in and out at a leisurely pace, still sucking her nipple as he does so. He works a second finger in when she's ready for it and fucks her gently with his hand, loving the way she responds to his every touch.

Her body is shaking with need and she whines when he pulls both digits free. Her whine changes into a moan when he uses the moisture he's collected to rub little circles onto her tender clit. Ginny writhes under his expert touch, begging for more.

So he gives her more. More kisses. More stroking. More thrusting fingers that alternate with feather light caresses.

Ginny's orgasm rips through her without warning and her thighs bang shut around his hand. Mike is up on one elbow watching her as he slowly strokes her through her release. She collapses, boneless at his side.

"Damn, old man." She lets out a long satisfied sigh and looks him up and down. "You're still wearing pants." She shakes her head. "Gonna have to fix that."

He rolls to his back and lets her unfasten his jeans. He lifts his hips when she pulls his jeans and boxer briefs off, careful of his erection. She pauses with his pants around his thighs as she takes in the view. "Damn, again."

When he's naked, Ginny straddles his legs. She runs her hands slowly along his thighs and over his muscled abdominals. They twitch under her fingers and she loves the way his response makes her feel stronger.

Glancing up at his face, she smiles at the look of complete and utter adoration on his face. "You okay up there?"

He nods. "So okay."

Ginny holds his gaze for a moment and then she leans down, leisurely swiping his cock with her tongue from base to tip. Her movements are tentative at first as she gauges the size of him. His cock is hard and thick and long. Damn. The rumors had certainly been true. He's huge.

She gently flicks her tongue at the weeping slit before opening her mouth wide and taking him between her lips. She wraps her hand around the base of his cock, pulling with a pace that matches her her mouth over him.

Ginny has given blow jobs before, but not enough to feel confident in her skill. So when Mike weaves his hand through her hair and encourages her with a breathy moan, Ginny figures she's doing okay.

She's intent on her task, loving the way he tastes and getting wetter with every little sound he makes as she bobs up and down his massive cock. She slows only when he tugs gently on her hair. "Move on up here, Rook."

Ginny wipes at her mouth before moving up to straddle his waist. She runs her fingers over his chest, now flushed pink. His pupils are so huge, his eyes look black. His breathing is ragged and she can feel the way his hands are shaking slightly where they rest on her thighs.

"You're amazing." His voice is an awed whisper. "Fucking amazing."

"Not so bad yourself." She grins down at him before leaning over to pull a condom from her bedside table. She lays it on the bed next to his head. Mike pulls her in for a kiss, his lips soft and his beard softer. She loves the way he kisses and she can't wait to see what else he can do.

Ginny reaches for the condom, but his hand wraps around her wrist. "No, baby. Not yet. Turn around."

She hesitates but follows his call. Mike groans and Ginny glances over her shoulder. He's staring with wide adoring eyes and running his hands over her back and the faded 36 on the shirt she wears. He hadn't been lying about liking her in his shirt. He's looking at her like she's a present on Christmas morning. Ginny teases him by stroking his hard-on with her ass.

"Gonna remember this moment forever. Gonna brand it in my brain," he rasps as he pushes the tee shirt up a bit and runs his hands softly over her ass. His cock throbs against her. "Lift up a bit."

She does and he takes his dick in hand as she hovers, rubbing it along her drenched pussy lips.

"Condom," she reminds him breathlessly.

"Yeah, I know. Just a second longer, please." His cock pulses and he groans at how soft and hot she is. Her swollen pussy flowers open for him. "Wish I could feel you. All of you."

She feels the velvety soft tip rubbing against her drenched slit and she thinks about how hot it would feel to just sink down and feel all of him. She shudders with expectation. "I'm on the pill. If you really want to…"

"I really want to. You sure?"

"Yeah. I never did that before, but maybe you're the exception to all my rules."

"Damn straight." Mike pulls her down slowly and groans. "So tight."

Ginny can't believe how amazing it feels to have his bare cock filling her. She's never felt so stretched in her life. He digs his fingers into her hips and pulls her down farther. "Oh God," she moans as the pleasure that boards on pain takes over. His naked cock buried deep in her pussy is the single best thing she's ever experienced. No wonder he'd wanted to do it this way.

Facing away from him like this poses some challenges, but she finds a better angle and is able to take in more of him. Ginny rocks back and forth on his cock until they find a rhythm that works for both of them.

She lifts and lowers, taking him deep. His hands work up and down her back, and he squeezes her ass. "Love watching this - your pussy taking my cock. Love the way your ass bounces under my number..." his voice is strained and Ginny senses he's close.

She throws her head back, envisioning the view he's described as she takes him in completely.

He rubs his hands up her rib cage under the shirt, and encourages her to move faster. "Getting close, Rook. Can't reach around very good though. Touch yourself for me."

Ginny reaches down with shaky fingers and strokes her clit as she rides him. "Mike," she moans his name as she slams all the way down, taking him as deep as he can go before her body begins to quake.

Mike can't take much more. Ginny's cunt is squeezing and fluttering as she comes. He can see a sheen of sweat on her back and feel her whole body shake. "Keep going, baby. Just a little more."

She moves but not fast enough for Mike's needs. His biceps flex as he grasps her waist and lifts and lowers her body as he thrusts his hips upward with brutal force. Mike comes so hard, he sees stars. It only occurs to him later that he should have pulled out, pill or no pill. Too late now. His cock spurts his release deep inside her clenching pussy.

He sits up slowly without dislodging from her wet heat. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he kisses her spine. "I could get used to this, Rook."

Ginny's head falls back against him. "Mmmm." Her agreement is complete although words escape her.

Slowly he removes her shirt, trailing more kisses along her back. "Baker?"

"Yeah?"

"My brain is shutting down. Gonna have to sleep."

"Yeah. Okay." She separated from him slowly, feeling empty as his cock slides free, followed by a mixture of their combined fluids. She sits on the edge of the bed, not looking at him.

"What are you doing?" he asks, drowsily.

"Figured you were going to leave."

"Do you want me to leave?"

She glances his way then, her eyes are wide and unsure. "No."

"Then get over here. I'm a cuddler."

She smiles but hesitates.

He shakes his head. "I know you want to talk, and we will."

"But?"

"Not right now. I wasn't kidding. I'm fading fast." He pulls her close and they find a way to lie comfortably together, flesh on flesh.

"Okay old man. We'll talk tomorrow."

"We'll do a lot more than talk, Rook. That's a promise."

His soft snores fill the room and Ginny relaxes into him with a contented sigh.

Her sleepy gaze drifts over to the dress that still hangs on the bathroom door. Clearly that dress is her new good luck charm. Maybe she should start wearing it under her uniform or hanging it in her cubby at the clubhouse? She chuckles to herself at that thought, and then her eyes close and she drifts off into a blissful, dreamless sleep, far too exhausted to worry about tomorrow.

**end**

A/N A huge thanks to WildIrish who gave this a preview and to the Pitch/Bawson community in general for A) producing some seriously quality fic at a breakneck pace and B) being so very welcoming to a series newbie such as myself. Comments are awesome. Leave one if you have a moment.