Pitching for Her Love Read Online Free PDF Page A

his black shirt over his muscled core.
    “Thank you for everything, Mr. Hunter,” I said, extending my hand.  Without missing a beat, he bypassed the handshake and pulled me into a light hug, kissing my left cheek close to my ear and sending a river of chills down my spine.
    “Call me Grayson,” he said, his hand lingering just a fraction of a second on my lower back before he released.  “Have a wonderful day, Grace.”
    With that, he called to Stan, who trotted over and shook my hand enthusiastically.
    “We can’t wait for the article, Miss Taylor,” he said and chased after Grayson who had started jogging toward the dugout.  I looked after him longer than I intended to, and Peter coughed intentionally.
    “Are we good?” he asked matter-of-factly.
    “Always, Peter,” I said, and we walked toward a small door in the outfield wall and back into the parking lot.

Chapter 4
    I t didn’t take long for me to forget about Grayson Hunter.  During the cab ride back to the office I got caught up on the text message conversation between Megan and Amanda.  The wine bar opening for that night was scheduled for six, which gave me just enough time to finish up at the office and then run to Simona Beck with Megan for a wardrobe change and to pick up Amanda.
    It was a busy day at Top Press . Even Megan didn’t have time to chat with me about my interview, which was just as well because I was still pretty unsure what I thought of it myself.  I sat in front of a blank Word document for what felt like hours, until finally Megan’s voice piped up from behind me.
    “Earth to Grace?” she said.
    “Yeah?  Sorry, little busy over here,” I said.  She stared at my blank screen.
    “I can tell,” she said.  Not wanting to talk about the interview, but knowing we would eventually, I quickly changed the subject.
    “So where is this place tonight?  Who is going to be there?”  I asked, and Megan was instantly swept away.
    “It’s right by the park; adorable little place.  Remember where that bistro, Elliot & Franc, used to be?  It’s right next door.  And I think Amanda said Simona is in town and might come by, not with us of course, but she’ll bring a great crowd.  Otherwise it will just be the regulars,” she said, pulling a gold compact from her purse and reapplying her lipstick.
    The regulars were some of the most up-and-coming and influential young people in Chicago.  Though I knew most of them by name, we really only ever interacted at the various club openings, charity events, and other social gatherings we were all invited to.  There were your standard-issue investment bankers and finance guys, some B-list actors and their entourages that followed around the city’s few socialites, and us, who they had lovingly nicknamed the Heartbreakers.
    It had started as a joke, when both Amanda and I had broken up with our boyfriends in the same week and both had begun dating new guys the following Friday.  Amanda’s ex and new boyfriend had gotten into a fight outside a club opening that Saturday, which was broken up by a young personal trainer that Megan had sunk her claws into almost immediately.  All of these men had once been a part of the regular group, and now they weren’t.  It was a running joke among the regulars that no man was safe from a Heartbreaker, and since then we had decided to date outside the group only, or in my case not at all.
    I was excited for tonight.  I hadn’t been out with the regulars in a while, since last weekend was consumed by work and that terrible date with Gabe or Greg or whoever.  What a colossal waste of time.  I picked up my shoes from underneath the desk and momentarily thought of Grayson when I saw remnants of the outfield on the spike of my heel.  Irritated, I brushed off the dirt and slipped my feet inside.
    “Ready?” Megan asked, her smile wide and her eyes bright.  I could tell she was excited too.
    “One second. I have to check my makeup,” I said,