Like me she was left handed, and she smashed the ball out to right field where Armie was running around in circles with his arms skyward, trying to gauge where the ball was going to drop. It was a wonder he could see anything with those big Jackie O sunglasses on. Needless to say the ball slipped through his usually talented fingers and he fell on his ass.

Nikki took her sweet time, strutting to first base.

Kelsey was up next. She was still wearing her cowboy boots and short denim skirt and her blonde hair was pulled into plaits. If it wasn’t for the full-sleeve tattoo on her left arm, she’d look fresh out a North Dakota tourism catalogue.

She swung at the first two pitches, then hit a foul on the third.

Piper didn’t fare much better despite Jesse’s cries of support from left field. “Come on baby … you can do it … kick our ass!”

I swung around to look at him, my arms raised in a what-the-hell kind of fashion. The dude was so whipped. He looked at me and shrugged.

When Piper missed the second pitch, Jesse complained that I was pitching them too hard and too fast.

“Don’t worry baby, it’s just the way I like it.” She winked at her boyfriend.

I rolled my eyes and threw her an easy third, which she belted straight down the line and into my hands.

Pissed at me, she flicked me her middle finger as she walked back to the bench.

Harlow reappeared at the plate, looking smug and so damn sexy. The way her palm slid up the handle and her fingers curled around the shaft of the bat sent carnal pleasure tearing through me. I shivered. Damn it. I had to focus and take her out. I didn’t want her winning the bet.

She leaned into her batter’s stance. My eyes rolled over her perfectly round ass and long legs that went on forever in those jeans and I felt an appreciation for them everywhere in my body. She fixed me with those bright glittering eyes, with a small curl on her full lips and I was more determined than ever to win our bet.

But she had different ideas. And unfortunately, she had the ability to back it up.

She hit a homer skyward sending her and Nikki over the home plate.

If I wasn’t so turned on, I would have felt a little incompetent as a pitcher. But damn, this girl was good.

She was damn good.

That was two home runs.

Piper stepped up to the plate, determined to be a part of the play. I admit, I went easy on her because we go way back and I’ve always adored her like a sister. Even if she did scare me sometimes. But hell, I wanted her find her way around the field. Let one of the fielders be the bad guy and get her out.

She missed the first ball but hit the second, sending it trundling along the ground towards left field. She squealed, genuinely surprised by her achievement, and bolted towards first base.

When Kelsey sent one straight into Leigh’s waiting hands, the girls were out.

Harlow strolled over to me.

“Well aren’t you full of surprises,” I said.

She winked and took the ball from me. “You think I’m good with a bat, wait ’til you see my ball work.”

Okay, now she was just teasing. She was trying to psyche me out again. I got it. But damn … tell that to my dick.

“Don’t hold back,” I said.

“Don’t worry Heath, I’m going to give you everything I’ve got.”

Fuck. Me.

I had to win this bet.

The sooner she was in my bed, the better.

Chapter Six HARLOW

Armie was first up to bat. Before stepping up to the home plate he lit a cigarette and let it dangle from his bottom lip. He was a glorious sight—tight black jeans and a sleeveless A7X t-shirt that exposed slim arms covered in tattoos. He wore big round sunglasses that were … wait … were they ladies glasses?

“Okay H-lady, show me what you’ve got.” He exaggerated his batting swing, as if he knew what he was doing.

He didn’t.

“You know, you’re gonna have to step a little closer to the plate Armie.” I explained.

He sucked on his cigarette without even using his hands, and blew smoke out in two streams from his nose. He sheepishly approached the plate where he pushed his butt out in a batting stance I’d never seen before.

It took everything I had to be able to pitch the ball to him without keeling over in laughter.

“C’mon buddy,” he said, swinging the bat like he was a pro.

“Are you ready?” I asked.

“H-lady, I got this. Hit me!”

He missed the first two pitches, then hit the third to the floor.

“I’m just warming up,” he yelled.

“No Armie, you’re out,” Nikki said, using her thumb in a gesture that he was out.

He looked crestfallen and his shoulders slumped. “Well that’s fucked.”

“It’s okay baby,” Kelsey called from the field. “You’ll get another chance to play.”

He pressed his fingers to his lips and threw three kisses out to her.

Heath stepped up to the plate, looking fifty shades of sexy.

He did look like he was born to play baseball. The stance. The way he held the bat. The bulge and flex of arm muscles as they grasped the bat. The smoldering game face that sent small pulses of delight to every nerve ending in my body.

I cocked a brow and grinned. “Ready?”

“I was born ready baby.” He winked.

I put everything behind my pitch. And somewhere in a small corner of my mind I thought there was a chance he might miss. But of course he didn’t. He smashed that ball so far into the afternoon sky it took Nikki a good five minutes to find it. Heath didn’t even run to home base. He took his time, winking at me as he crossed the home plate.

“Show off,” Nikki called out to him as she threw me the ball. He flipped her the bird and she put her thumb and forefinger to her forehead in the shape of an L.

Things went downhill for the girls from there. Jesse stepped up to bat and pelted the ball out mid field, sending him across the home plate before Kelsey had even managed to pick it up. Someone had failed to mention he had been on the baseball team with Heath in high school.

I knew Leigh would be tricky. Something told me he was pretty much good at everything he set his mind to, so I unleashed a furiously fast pitch at him. He swung and, to my pleasure, missed. Unfortunately he got the second and managed a sprint to second base.

Armie was easy pickings. And if I hadn’t been feeling so damn competitive, I would have felt a little bad about sending an unbridled fastball at him. Three times.

That was two out. Heath stepped up to the plate and winked. If I got him out, and if Leigh didn’t sneak over home plate … the girls had this game nailed.

Swinging around to Nikki and Piper, I signaled for them to keep an eye on Leigh, whom I suspected would attempt a sprint to third base as soon as the ball left my fingers. Both had their game faces on and nodded, ready to take out the eldest Dillinger.

I turned back to Heath. With a smirk, I said, “You’re going down.”

He smirked right back, with a wicked glint in his eyes. “Promise?”

I smiled and shook my head. He wasn’t referring to baseball at all.

Hoping he still had his mind in the gutter I did what my pro-ball playing brother would do, and sent a changeup at him. He had expected me to pitch a fastball and even though the bat made contact with the ball, his timing was off, sending the ball straight up in the air above me.

Looking up at the ball descending from the late afternoon sky I knew I had a decision to make. In that split second I could change the course of everything. If I caught the ball, it would be game over and I would have won the bet. If I missed, Heath could still win our bet.

I don’t know if I had fully made up my mind as I let the ball slip through my fingers. But I did, and it hit the dirt below with a thud.

Heath took off to first base and then second. Leigh headed home. I picked up the ball and threw it to Nikki, hoping she’d catch Heath between second and third. But he was too quick.