Maid For Beckett Catching The Baseball Legend’s Heart novel Chapter 24

Chapter 24

-Andi-

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The moment Beckett shut the passenger door, the outside sounds muted–no more clicking cameras, no more annoying ex shouting my name, no more neighbors gawking from their windows.

Just my own pulse pounding against my ribs. Just the fresh leather scent of the SUV embracing me.

Just my boss… walking around the hood with a storm brewing on his shoulders.

He climbed into the driver’s seat, shutting his door with slow, controlled force. He didn’t grip the steering wheel right away -he flexed his left hand first, then rolled his shoulder as if trying to ease something tight there. A sharp, almost imperceptible wince flickered across his face. It’s becoming obvious, that pain in his left arm. He was pushing past it. ignoring whatever pain was there.

The movement was subtle, but it snagged my breath. A reminder. A whisper of vulnerability in the man who just went toe- to–toe with Carter like he was made of stone.

Sometimes being too particular about things is a curse. I shouldn’t have noticed that. I shouldn’t have noticed how his eyebrows were knitted together in furious concern. I shouldn’t have noticed how disturbed he was when those photographers took photos of me.

But I did.

He finally gripped the wheel. Hard. His jaw ticked once, twice, like he was quashing down everything he wanted to say. The silence in the car was growing heavy, thickening to the point of choking me.

I sank into the seat, hands shaking so badly I tucked them between my knees. My lungs struggled to keep up. I felt like I’d been wrung out, hung outside to dry, and battered by the wind all at once.

The engine rumbled to life, but the car didn’t move. He was contemplating.

Beckett angled his head toward me, not fully turning, just enough to pin me with his gaze. His eyes were darker than usual.

Almost black.

“You okay?” he asked, voice low–too low–like he was holding himself back by a thread.

I nodded. It was a lie, and we both knew it.

He scoffed under his breath, staring out through the windshield as if choosing his next words like landmines. “Seatbelt.”

I fumbled with the material; the belt ricocheted off me at the chest. Beckett sighed as I struggled to get a grip on the seatbelt The stupid thing wouldn’t cooperate! His large hands brushed against my arm as he snatched it; his breath was on my face as he secured the safety belt around me.

We were in slow motion as he looked up at me, those dark gray eyes penetrating through me, seeing the terrified girl inside

1. me.

“You don’t have to lie,” he murmured, his fresh waterfall scent hitting me in ways that I can’t describe. My skin was tingling where his breath was touching me, and his burning gaze was melting my insides.

I swallowed hard. “You don’t have to do this,” I fired back. Maybe that was not the right thing to say. He was being kind to me for the first time. I shouldn’t break the spell with my honesty

“I don’t,” he replied, shifting back to his seat. Then he stepped on the gas, and the car started moving forward, unhurriedly

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:17 pm

Chapter 24

PW

“But I wanted to,” he added once we were far from the paparazzi.

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The words hit like a warm hand around my ribs. Who is this man sitting beside me? What happened to my arrogant, selfish

boss?

I played with my hands on my lap. My mind was foggy, and my heart was still thrashing. “Thank you. I just. I didn’t think Carter would go that far. I didn’t think the paparazzi would-”

“They were following me.” He cut in. His voice was tight. “Not you.”

blinked. “Following you… of course… of course, why would they follow me, right?” I stammered, shame coiling in my gut.

Why did I even think those people were following me? Who am I?

He exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. “I had dinner with Sloane. The paparazzi picked it up and tailed me after. They always do when Sloane is involved.” His mouth hardened. “I didn’t expect them to follow me all the way here.”

So this whole mess, this circus, wasn’t planned by Carter alone.

t was a collision of two disasters.

Should I tell him about the viral post about Carter and me? Should I insist that they could be following Carter and not him?

t dawned on me that guilt made him drag me away from the paparazzi and not to save me. I don’t know why that made my heart sink. He didn’t really want to be kind to me, to save me, but he felt guilty for dragging me into his mess.

Silence prevailed inside the car as the wheels rolled. I watched the city pass by through the window, unseeing. I’m glad Beckett didn’t say another word. I relished the silence, the temporary peace, even just for a moment.

But I could still feel the heat of him beside me. The echo of his hand guiding me. The ghost of his body shielding mine. And I made my pulse stumble.

The car halted in an unfamiliar place. It was a coffee shop near the bay, with cozy lighting and a vibe that felt public yet

xclusive.

Beckett undid his seatbelt. I merely stared at him, skeptical of what to do.

I need coffee,” he said, answering my unvoiced question as he slid out of the car. I watched him round the hood of the car. hen as he opened my door. “Come on.” He tipped his head towards the cafe. I fumbled with my seatbelt, scared that he night do it for me again.

‘m not a damsel

The air outside was cold. The breeze from the bay was smooth on my skin. I stiffened when I felt Beckett’s hand on my back This wasn’t the first time he touched me, but this wasn’t the same as when he grabbed my hand at the trailer park. This time. I was more aware of his touch, of how his hand was so big against my back. I felt lightheaded I was floating as he guided me

towards the cafe.

There were people inside the cafe. Some of them looked at us as we entered, but it wasn’t to pry–they merely lookes.

Still with his hand on my back, Beckett guided me through the tables, taking the empty booth on the balcony overlooking the street down to the bay.

“Uhm, what are we doing here?” I had to ask because curiosity and confusion were killing me

“We’re going to drink coffee,” he stated matter–of–factly.

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Chapter 24

“Why?”

He sighed. “Because I need one, and you look like you could use one, too.”

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Oh, this man… This might be one of his talents. He didn’t have to do anything to make me melt like a puddle. He just had to look at me with that gentle gaze, gentle enough to make my chest ache.

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