Base Hit by Haven Hadley
Evan
There wasnothing like the freedom of a dance floor in a steamy nightclub with writhing bodies of gorgeous men all around me. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday night.
The crowd was thinner than it was on Fridays and Saturdays, but that was fine with me. I wasn’t looking for a hookup. After not going home with anyone since Cade, I was ready to live a little. Not a lot. Just a tiny bit. I wasn’t looking for someone's dick to make me feel better. After all, how did I expect things to change if all I thought about was where my next orgasm was going to come from? No, if I wanted my fairy-tale life, I had to put myself on a pedestal. Not that I was sold on me finding my Prince Charming. I honestly didn’t know if he existed, but I was going to put my best foot forward. To get there, I had to learn to be free again.
I didn't need someone to validate me. Someone to tell me how good I looked or how they’d love to taste me. What I needed was to believe in myself. No man was going to value me like I should be if all I did was chase dick around. I chuckled to myself at the thought of men running around like dogs, noses down, trying to sniff out the best one to fulfill them.
As the music flowed through me, I became one with the sea of people dancing around me. Not one person stayed next to me for long. I didn’t try to hump them or make it more. Most were here looking for some company for the night. They didn’t know Evan Ashland wasn’t ripe for the taking. So, I let them dance with me for a moment then moved on. This was about me and my journey to fairy-tale-hood. Wait. That didn’t sound right. Princedom? The Kingdom of Dick? Cocks and Rocks? You know, the big gems I’d look amazing in. I could see myself with diamonds dripping from my neck as I was made love to.
The lights moved and brightened throughout the massive room, never landing on one person for long. I closed my eyes and gave myself over to the song. My body swayed as my feet carried me like the music was made for me and me alone. But then there was a shift. Something changed. Instead of bothering to see what it was, I decided to remain clueless and continue to live in my own world of Evanland.
Maybe that was it. That was what it should be called. Evanland. Thou shall not enter unless thou hast the purest of intentions.
I chuckled in my head. There was no reason to get ahead of myself. Pure wasn’t a word I used anywhere near a sentence that involved me. I wasn’t a whore by any means; however, pure went out the window a long-ass time ago.
As I brought myself back into my freeing state of mind, a voice in my ear said, “Goddamn, you’re sexy.” A pair of hands landed on my hips from someone behind me. Nothing new. This had happened repeatedly tonight. But I was fooling myself. There was something different about these particular fingers and the way I could feel the heat of them through my jeans.
“I know I am,” I replied. This was my world after all. I deserved to be worshipped.
With a quick look over my shoulder, to make sure my target was in sight while only focusing on the front of his jeans, I backed my ass up and continued my dance. We ebbed and flowed. Moved as if we were one. And for some reason, he didn’t drift away from me like the others did. I was sure it had to do with the way my ass was pushed firmly against him. The way he held on to me as if I were going to run away. I couldn’t, though. I was drawn to this particular man for some reason. The sizable dick, which pressed to my ass, didn’t have a damned thing to do with it. Nope, not at all.
Then his lips found my neck and holy mother of all that was good did that man’s tongue know how to work. The way he kissed my neck not only made my dick completely take notice, but it also sent a chill over my skin. I was reacting like I never had before. Not even with assface.
The man behind me spoke again and it took everything in me to reply. His teeth joined in on my neck, his hand worked its way to my hard length, and it was game over. Maybe I could slip back into the old Evan one more time. One last romp before I entered Evanland and ascended the throne. Fuck, I was already on the throne, wasn’t I? Screw it. This man was way too hot to let go.
I gave in and spun around. “We need—” The next words died on my lips because I was living in a fantasy. This wasn’t real life. I had to be dreaming. There was no other way to explain it.
“We need?” he replied in a deep, sexy as sin voice.
Throwing caution to the wind, I dove in for a kiss. At first, it was a simple press of our lips, but then his fingers wove into my hair and our lips parted at the same time. Once our tongues touched, my kingdom paid tribute to what was the hottest kiss in all of Evanland. They rejoiced along with me. But then the mood changed. I came back to myself and realized who I was and who I was kissing.
Two point five seconds later, I broke the kiss. I missed the loss of his touch immediately. Evanland’s people wept. My heart broke with theirs. This couldn't be their king’s destined partner. But oh, how I wished he were.
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a card. It only had my first name and phone number on it. It was something I kept with me when I went to the club. It was instinct to bring one tonight, even though I wanted to be free and just enjoy myself without looking for sex. And at this very moment, I was grateful I did.
Taking his hand in mine, I slid the card into it. “I’m Evan. Call me sometime.” Then I hightailed it out of there like my ass was on fire. It wasn’t my ass, though. It was my lips. They still blazed from the kiss I shared with him.
I couldn’t stay any longer. If I had, I would have made a colossal mistake. It might have been amazing for one night, but then he would have moved on. After all, what would a player in the majors want with a gym teacher who was also a beer vendor? I sure as hell wasn't ready to be his one-night stand.
Okay, that wasn’t necessarily true. I gave him my number. What the fuck did that mean? What was my end goal? Hoping he’d fall helplessly in love with me from a hot grind at a club? That shit didn't happen. If by some miracle it did, it didn’t happen to me. Yet, Vander Devlin now had my phone number in his possession. I wasn’t sure if he’d ever use it. I left him in the dust after making him hard as steel.
With my ass in a cab headed to my apartment, I rested my head back and closed my eyes. I was close enough to walk, but if Vander decided to follow me, I wouldn’t have been able to keep moving once he found me. Running away from him once was hard enough. A second time would have been impossible.
After that night when Vander debuted in his first major league game, and I looked him up online, he starred in every one of my dreams. Sometimes, he was gentle and kind, kissing me and taking me by the hand to walk along the Jersey Shore. Others, we were in bed and he was fucking me so thoroughly I felt like I wouldn’t walk right for days. There were some nights when there was no dream at all, or if there were, I didn’t remember it. I wasn’t sure if that was better or worse than dreaming about him because he wasn’t someone I could have. He wasn’t attainable.
The only reason more people weren’t clinging to him in the club was that he was still new to the team and area. Once the local gays found out there was a very eligible bachelor who swung their way, there would be no hiding anywhere, especially in a club. Vander was lucky tonight. Or unlucky since I left him hanging.
Another thought occurred to me. He could have turned around after I left and found someone else to dance with. Another tight ass who would love to grind with him.
A wave of nausea slammed into me. I didn’t drink tonight, so I couldn’t blame it on that. No, this was from the thought of my fairy-tale prince forgetting me the moment I left his arms and the club.
Why did the thought of that make me so sick? Vander wasn’t mine. We didn’t share anything more than a bit of groping and a kiss. Yet that little voice in my head was reminding me how I never felt anything like I did when he was touching me.
After paying for the cab, I made my way into my apartment building. We did have doormen, but the one currently on wasn’t anyone who could chase down a criminal.
“Early night, Ev?” Fred asked as he sat on his chair near the door. He was slender with next to no muscle mass. A stiff breeze could push him over. And it wasn’t for lack of eating. I’d seen him put away a sub sandwich like no one’s business. His metabolism just burned it off fast.
I shrugged. “You win some, you lose some.”
“You’re not the type to usually lose, though.” His smile turned into a frown. He was a nice man. Late forties. Married with two kids in high school.
“I wasn't meant for this particular conquest,” I told him as I pushed the button for the elevator.
“You'll find someone.”
“Maybe one day.” I wasn’t sure about that, but I didn’t voice it. “Night, Fred.”
“Night, Ev.”
After a quick elevator ride up three floors, the doors opened on the top level. It was a small building but it was nice. I didn’t want to live in a high-rise but, while this one seemed a little out of place downtown, it was historic yet had modern amenities. The owner kept it clean and well preserved. It was what drew me to it. Plus, it was close to downtown.
I wasn’t sure I wanted to be close to everything anymore. Maybe it was me getting older. The clubs were fun, and tonight had been, up until I saw who was dancing with me. I should retire that part of my life. If I truly wanted to find my prince, I wasn’t going to do it in skinny jeans and a mesh shirt. I had to dress for the position I wanted, not the one I had. Although, I didn’t think walking around with a crown and a scepter would work either.
With the door closed and locked behind me, I stripped off my clothes, grabbed a pair of comfy shorts, and headed for the shower. Time to get the smell of the club off me, even if meant erasing the spicy scent of Vander I caught when I stripped.
The night was done. Time to put it behind me. After all, there was no way Vander was going to call me.
Once I was clean and lounging in bed, I grabbed my phone and sent a quick text to Spencer. I needed someone to talk to about the changes I was making in my life. Spencer and Kasper knew me best. While Kasper was a great friend, he was incredibly busy. As for Spencer, Callen would be gone for an away series starting Wednesday. I needed some quality time with my best friend.