Bases Loaded (Mustangs Baseball) (23 page)

She was on fire.
Her skin burned, and the blood racing through her system felt like molten lava,
searing everything it touched. Nerve endings fired like a pyrotechnics show
gone wrong, haphazard, random, wherever her lovers touched her. Between her
legs, Antonio detonated one explosive after another, sending shockwaves of
pleasure through her body. Mike cradled her left leg between his shoulder and
his neck, kissing anywhere he could reach while holding her right leg aloft,
stroking fire from the back of her knee to her ankle.

Her head rolled
from side to side, one moan after another falling from her lips. It wasn’t long
before tension coiled tight and low inside her. She was vaguely aware of all
the hands on her—everywhere. From the top of her head to the arch of her feet,
rough palms and fingers explored her every curve and found secret places where
a touch could drive her insane with need.

The tension built
one caress, one questing tongue flick at a time until she couldn’t stop the
inevitable. Like a pebble dropped in still water, shock waves radiated out from
her pussy, along her legs and torso all the way to her toes and fingertips.
Even the tops of her ears tingled as her first orgasm of the night unleashed
its power in a shower of light and moments of complete and utter darkness,
catapulting her from one to the other so fast she could do nothing but ride the
waves of pleasure like a rubber raft adrift in a hurricane.

The storm seemed
to go on forever, but slowly her body calmed, and feeling as if she’d drowned
and washed up on shore, she became aware of being lifted by strong arms and
held.

Safe.

Her mind drifted
in her post-orgasm haze. Around her, she sensed activity, others, but she
couldn’t make it all out. Voices, soft but firm. Then she was being passed from
her safe cocoon to another place of safety. How she knew she was in no danger
she didn’t understand. She just was.

Time meant
nothing. Her lovers positioned her boneless body, stroked, and molded.

“Clare, baby. Look
at me.”

She opened her
eyes and was face to face with Keith. He smiled, and she smiled back, too happy
and sated to do anything else.

“That’s our girl.
Hold onto my shoulders.” Someone helped her lift her arms, curved her fingers
over Keith’s shoulders. “Here we go. Remember to cross your fingers if we’re
going too fast.”

Hands on her ass,
from somewhere behind, lifted her. The pressure between her legs was like a
jolt of electricity to her brain. Suddenly, she was alert and completely aware
of her surroundings. A quick glance around confirmed the tidbits of sensory
information coalescing into reality in the fogged recesses of her mind.

Her lovers had
shed their clothes. She still wore Antonio’s jersey, but instead of lying on
the ottoman, she sat astride Keith’s lap. Over her shoulder stood Mike. Conner
and Antonio stood on either side of her.

“Take me in,
baby,” Keith crooned.

Her mouth form an
O as Keith’s cock impaled her in one slow but steady slide.

“She’s so damned
wet. Tight and hot,” he said to their audience. Then to her, “Christ, baby. I
don’t know how long I can last.”

“Lie back,” Mike
said.

“Come with me.”
Keith wrapped his arms around her and with incredible abdominal control,
lowered his back to the ottoman, taking her with him so her breasts flattened
against his rock-hard chest.

Fingers probed her
ass, gentle but firm. “Oh, man. This is going to feel so good.”

“Use this.”
Antonio’s voice.

“Thanks,” Mike
said.

She bit down on
her lower lip and closed her eyes, embarrassed and anticipating what she knew
was coming. The lube wasn’t as cold as she expected, but Mike’s fingers
slathered it on and in her with quick efficiency that left her little time to
react.

“Ready, Clare?”
Antonio asked.

She nodded, and
instantaneously Mike pressed against her. With one hand at the small of her
back, he breached her barrier, filling her completely. Clare crossed her
fingers and waved her hand around.

“Slow down,”
Antonio warned. His face filled her vision.

“Okay?” he asked.

Her head spun, and
she quickly realized it was because she was holding her breath. She exhaled and
dared to draw in another breath. She nodded. “Forgot to breathe.”

Antonio smiled, and
she gave him a weak one in return.

“You’re doing
fine. Conner is ready whenever you are, babe.” He stroked her cheek, his thumb
hanging on her lower lip for a second. “Raise up on your elbows when you’re
ready to take him in. Everything okay below?”

“Yes. It feels
good.”

“For them, too.
Mike is turning purple trying to keep from coming.”

She smiled at
that. “Let’s do this, then.” Pushing to her elbows, she looked down at Keith.
His jaw was clenched tight, and the muscles in his neck looked ready to rupture.

The ottoman dipped
as Conner dropped to his knees at Keith’s shoulder. He held his cock in one
hand and reached for her with his other. Cupping the back of her head in his
broad palm, he guided his cock to her lips. He was big. They all were, but when
she glanced up at Conner and saw the raw lust in his eyes, she opened her mouth
and took him in. Placing her weight on one elbow, she wrapped her other hand
around the base of his cock and sucked.

Keith and Mike
took that as their cue, and with ease, established a piston stroke rhythm that
made it difficult to concentrate on the cock in her mouth. Then Antonio was
there, stroking her spine, sweeping her hair off her face, encouraging her with
erotic words whispered in her ear and kisses from her nape to her ass. The
grunts and groans from the other three confirmed their pleasure. Clare’s psyche
soared.

She was doing it!
And, God, it felt good! She’d never felt so empowered in her life. The words of
a song popular decades ago but still relevant reverberated through her brain.
“I am woman, hear me roar!” She might have even hummed the tune because Conner
grabbed a fist-f of her hair and shoved his cock to the back of her throat.

“Christ almighty.
That tongue….” And then he was convulsing, filling the thin condom worn to
protect her. Conner’s release triggered a chain reaction of creative curses and
uncontrolled thrusts as one by one the others came inside her. She’d almost
forgotten all four needed to come until Antonio’s voice issue a hoarse curse.

Conner pulled free
and behind her, Antonio grabbed her hair, yanking her chin to her shoulder. In
her peripheral vision, she saw him fisting his cock in short, quick strokes. No
condom. Hot cum shot across her cheek, random spurts making it into her open
mouth. Her tongue lapped eagerly at the salty cream on her lips. She moaned
when Keith and Mike withdrew, but then four sets of hands caressed her, and
pride swelled her heart.

“I did it,” she
said in wonder, collapsing onto Keith.

“You did,” Antonio
said, his fingers tripping along her spine, sending shivers through her cooling
body.

“That was fucking
perfection,” Mike said, his hands massaging her ass.

“God, what a
mouth,” Conner added. “You should have warned me, Tony.”

Antonio chuckled.

“You sure you want
Tony?” Keith asked, the words rumbling through his broad chest. “I think I love
you, baby.”

“Get your own damn
woman,” Antonio said, his voice carrying enough edge Clare understood he wasn’t
entirely kidding. “This one is
mine
.”

“Can’t blame a guy
for trying,” Keith said.

“Come on, let’s
get her into a hot bath.”

She let her head
fall against Antonio’s shoulder as he carried her to the bathroom. He held her
while Mike filled the tub with warm water and fragrant bubbles. Soon, the
restoring water worked its magic on her body while from behind, Antonio held
her safe in a cradle of arms and legs and chest.

Conner brought
them ice water in crystal glasses, setting them on the wide ledge surrounding
the tub. Keith added a plate of cheese, crackers, and grapes.

“I feel like a
queen,” she said, taking sustenance from Antonio’s fingers.

The others had
done their jobs, and left them alone for the moment.

“You are. And
we’re your willing slaves for the night.”

“Just for
tonight?” she teased.

“The others. Me?
You’ve got me forever.”

She lifted her
left hand. Soap bubbles slid down, revealing the ring he’d given her before
they’d left Dallas. “I can live with that.”

“No matter what
happens, I love you. You’ve proven you have what it takes to win this game. If
you want to stop now, it’s okay. I’m sure the guys will go along with a
charade.”

She dropped her
hand to his raised knee above the waterline and let her fingers trail down his
thigh. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to finish what we’ve started.” She glanced
meaningfully at the counter where three spent condoms lay in an arch,
representing first, second, and third base.

“Babe, you have no
idea how hot it makes me seeing you with these guys. If we continue, I get to
be inside you for the next three innings.” He flexed his hips, making her aware
of his growing erection. “That’s something I’m always up for.”

As if on cue, the
rest of the team returned. She licked her lips at sight of them fully
aroused—for her.

“She’s ready,”
Antonio said.

And like the queen
she was for the night, they helped her from the water, dried her, and coated
her body in rose-scented lotion before Mike swept her up in his arms and
carried her to bed.

Chapter
Twenty-Two

Tony lay awake,
watching Clare sleep. The fourth inning hadn’t concluded until nearly dawn, and
while he’d seen to her bath, the guys had changed the sheets on his bed. She’d
been asleep before he’d pulled the covers over her exhausted body.

He’d drifted off
for a while, but the need to touch her, to make sure she was okay prevented him
from resting. The guys had all gone to Keith’s apartment to sleep it off and
wouldn’t be back until evening when, if Clare was up to it, they would take her
to receive the clit piercing she had earned.

She looked like an
angel, her dark hair rumpled and sexy against the steel gray sheets. Her
eyelashes formed crescent-shaped fans on her cheeks. He reached out to touch
her still swollen lips and stopped short. He didn’t want to wake her.

On the pillow
beside her face rested her left hand bearing the evidence she was his. He’d
staked his claim on this remarkable woman, and still couldn’t believe what a
lucky bastard he was. Why he’d fought to keep her to himself, he couldn’t
fathom. The night before he’d witnessed her metamorphosis from a beautifully
shy rosebud to a flower in full bloom, confident of her place in the world.

That bitch of a
woman back home had better look out! The Clare Kincaid she was used to pushing
around was gone, and he, for one, couldn’t wait to see the new, confident Clare
in action.

He was so damned
proud of her. Not only because of what she’d accomplished the night before, but
because of the way she’d done it. After the first inning, she’d had every one
of them eating out of her hands. They’d called the pitches the first time, but
after that, it had been all Clare. She’d told them how she liked it, where to
touch her, how fast, how slow. And she’d touched them, exploring, giving as
much pleasure as she took, and earning the respect and love of every one of
them.

When they put the
second phase of his plan into action, there wouldn’t be any acting involved.
Every word, every move would be genuine.

Tony rolled to his
back and stared at the ceiling. Many floors below, the city teemed with life
and energy, unaware a goddess slept above them.

“Mine,” he
whispered to the universe. With one last look at what was his, he slipped out
of bed.

* * *

An uneasy feeling
woke Clare with a start. She sat up, brushing her hair away from her face and
clutching the sheet to her chest. Four gorgeous hunks of manhood stood at the
foot of the bed, smiling at her.

“You’re awake,”
Mike said.

“About time,”
Keith added.

“I’m hungry,”
Conner said.

“There’s plenty of
time,” Antonio admonished the team. He walked around and sat on the edge of the
mattress beside her. “How are you feeling?”

She took stock.
She was undeniably sore in a few places, but otherwise…. “Not bad,” she said.
“I’ll live.”

“Sore?”

“A little.”

“I’ll get you
something for that.” Conner headed for the bathroom.

“Do you want a
bath? Or a shower?” Mike asked.

“I think I can
manage a quick shower to wake me up.”

Conner returned
with a glass of water and two over-the-counter pain relievers. “Here. This
should fix you right up.”

Antonio looked at
Conner as if he was two pitches short of a full count. “You think? Give the
woman a break, Ostenhouse.”

Clare downed the
tablets and handed the glass back. “Thanks, Conner.” She put a hand on
Antonio’s arm. “I’m fine. Really, I am. If you’ll give me a few minutes, I’ll
be ready to go. Do we have time for food first? I could eat a horse.”

They assured her a
meal was next on their agenda then left her alone to get dressed. Naked, she
made it to the en-suite bathroom and turned on the shower. She looked around
for a towel, found one, and hung it on the peg next to the shower door. She’d
been avoiding it, but no longer could. She faced the mirror over the vanity.
Lord, she was a sight. Her hair was going to take more than a brushing to
wrestle under control. Several spots on her body showed signs of having been up
close and personal with a five o’clock shadow—or four. She’d thought hickeys
had gone out of fashion but apparently not. Thank goodness none of hers would
show wearing normal clothing.

All in all, she
looked pretty damned good considering the night she’d been through. She was
about to step into the shower when a thought struck her, and she turned back to
the mirror. In all her perusal of her naked, well-loved self, not once had she
thought of herself in terms of fat or ugly.

“My body is
beautiful,” she whispered. “I’m beautiful!” She’d said it out loud and then
laughed. “I really am.” She turned this way and that, admiring for the first
time the womanly curves that had kept four men enthralled for an entire night.
And they were back, waiting to mark her as someone special to them.

Reborn, she
stepped into the shower, unconcerned if the men waiting overheard her less than
perfect rendition of
I Am Woman
. She emerged from the bathroom a good
bit later, a woman in charge of her own destiny.

She felt like a
queen holding court. Her escorts turned heads, but they only had eyes for her,
even though they could have had their pick from the bevy of beautiful women in
the trendy restaurant.

“Really, guys.
Don’t you want to try your luck elsewhere? If I see that I-wish-I-was-you, look
from one more woman, I think I may just let her take my place.”

“No you won’t,”
Keith said. “Admit it. You aren’t through with us yet.”

She laughed.
“You’re right. I’m not through with you.”

“Oh, yes you are,”
Antonio asserted. “These guys are along because this is a celebration. They can
come along next weekend for the big event, but there won’t be any more base
running. Not with my woman.”

Clare melted
inside. She reached for Antonio’s hand and laced her fingers with his. “The
only bats and balls I want to play with from now on are yours. But I’ll never
forget what these three did for me. For us.”

“You know, you can
wear both charms on a necklace. You don’t have to do this,” he said.

She shook her
head. “No. I want to wear your charm there as a reminder of who I belong to. No
one else needs to see that one, but the other one…it will be on display for
everyone to see. I’m never going to take it off.”

“We want whatever
you want,” Conner said. “You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, and I’ll
do anything for you. All you have to do is crook your finger, and I’ll come
running.”

“Same goes for
me,” Mike said. “Maybe you’ll name your first kid after me.”

“Not on your
life,” Antonio said, tossing a dinner roll across the table.

Laughing, Mike
caught the flying bread using his napkin as a glove.

“Clare,” Keith
said, placing his hand over his heart. “None of these women hold a candle to
you. I’m yours. Always.”

“They’re
harmless,” she said to Antonio. “Just kids coveting the new toy their friend
brought to the ballpark. As soon as I’m out of sight, they’ll find women of
their own. You mark my words.”

“Yeah, well.” He
tossed his napkin on the table and stood. “Let’s get the piercing over with.
I’m not looking forward to the long dry spell after this, so the sooner we get
it done, the better.”

She’d read the
doctor’s instructions about keeping the piercing clean for a period of time
until it healed fully and understood what Antonio was talking about. Not that
she’d be ready for more physical intimacy anytime soon, but the thought of not
making love with Antonio for weeks was almost enough to sway her decision the
other way.

The doctor was
waiting for them, her practice long-since closed for the day. She greeted the
players by name, giving them each a very unprofessional hug before turning her
attention to Clare.

“How do you do,”
she said, extending her hand. “I’m Dr. Fiona Goldstein. You must be Clare.”

She shook the
doctor’s hand. “Nice to meet you. You’ve done this before, I understand.”

“More times than I
can count,” she confessed. “But this is the first time I’ve ever had a four
player entourage.”

“They’re my
knights in shining armor,” she explained. “They all deserve to be here.”

“Fine by me.” Dr.
Goldstein scanned the group. “So, which one of you gets to hold her?”

“That would be
me,” Antonio said, taking a possessive hold on her hand.

They followed the
doctor down the hall, where she instructed Keith, Mike, and Conner to wait
outside until she was ready for them. Once inside the exam room, she pointed to
the exam table already prepped with a white sheet draped over the raised back.
Antonio climbed on, letting his legs dangle over the sides.

“The skirt can
stay on,” she said. “But if you’re wearing panties, they’ll have to come off.”

Clare held onto
the table with one hand for balance and removed her shoes and her panties.

“I’ll take those,”
Antonio said, holding out his hand for the scrap of lace.

She handed her
panties over and watched them disappear into the pocket of his slacks.

A few minutes
later, the doctor examined Clare and pronounced her fit to receive the
piercing. Using a mirror so her patient could see what she was talking about,
she explained to her what she was going to do and gave her instructions for
keeping the area clean.

“Ready?” she
asked.

Clare took a deep
breath and let it out. “Ready.”

Her team entered
at the doctor’s call, fanning out around the exam table. Antonio’s arms banded
around her waist, providing emotional and physical support. Keith held the
mirror so she and Antonio could see. In the blink of an eye, the procedure was
over, and she was able to admire the tiny gold charm hanging from a barbell
piercing the hood of her clit.

“It’s beautiful,”
she said, tears of joy blurring her vision.

“First is a
sapphire. Third is a ruby. Second and home are diamonds,” Antonio said.
“Mustangs colors.”

“I can’t believe
it’s mine. That I’m yours,” she said.

“Forever.”
Antonio, placed a kiss on her neck sending shivers through her body.

“None of that. At
least not for a while,” Keith said. “Now that that’s done, we have one more
gift for you.” He held his hand out, and Mike placed a small box on his palm.
“You’re the first to earn this one, so wear it with pride because we couldn’t
be more proud of you.”

She accepted the
box and, with shaking hands, opened it. On a background of midnight blue velvet
lay an exquisite gold chain, and on the chain, a pendant the same shape but a
little larger than the charm she’d just received. All four bases winked in the
bright overhead exam lights.

“All diamonds,” Keith
said. “For a Grand Slam.”

“Thank you.” She
fingered the magnificent piece.

“That’s a work of
art,” Dr. Goldstein said. “Wow! Color me jealous!”

“You should be,”
Mike said. “No one else has ever come close to earning one of those.”

Clare looked over
her shoulder. “Put it on for me,” she said to Antonio, handing him the boxed
jewelry.

He secured the
chain at her nape, and Keith handed her the mirror again.

Her eyes filled
with tears at the sight of the pendant against her skin. “It’s the most
beautiful necklace I’ve ever seen.”

“But not as
beautiful as the woman wearing it,” Antonio said.

Then her knights
in shining armor admired the queen’s new jewels, above and below, and after
each placed a kiss on her lips, they filed out. She took the aftercare packet
the doctor offered, and a few minutes later, she and Antonio were in their
modern-day fairy tale coach, headed uptown to his apartment.