O.B. Benson knows that, as a gay baseball player, his only chance to keep from being shut out of the Major Leagues is to stay as far from the public eye as possible. His low profile is threatened when the team manager insists O.B. take part in a TV interview to help boost lagging fan support.<br><br>Avery Turner, TV reporter, is handsome, fit, and definitely pushes O.B.'s libido into high gear. He’s also out -- something O.B.'s situation doesn’t allow. And Avery believes in monogamous commitment -- something O.B. cannot identify with. But when Avery delivers a curveball to the catcher, O.B. doesn’t know how to handle it.<br><br>When O.B.'s interview is aired, he’s forced to evaluate his life of meaningless one night stands. Can O.B. and Avery work out their differences and build a winning team, or will O.B. strike out?

Major League Shutout

Avery sat for a few seconds, just looking at O.B., his mouth slightly open. O.B. couldn’t read his expression. Was it pain in the man’s eyes?


Avery dropped O.B.’s hands, got up, and walked over to the big picture window that looked out onto the tarmac. He stood with his back toward O.B., who remained on the couch, bewildered at Avery’s response. Finally O.B., too, got up and went to the window.


Standing behind the man he loved, O.B. lightly placed his hands on Avery’s shoulders. Avery sighed.


Avery turned and looked up into O.B.’s face. There were tears in his eyes. O.B. didn’t know what to think or say. Were they tears of joy or— He put one arm around Avery’s waist, the other on the back of his head and pulled him into a hug. O.B.’s heart was pounding. Had he done something wrong?


Avery shuddered. Almost too softly for O.B. to hear, he whispered, “I love you, too.”


O.B. pulled back and looked down at the man, joy swelling in his heart. But Avery wasn’t smiling. He was crying.


Chapter 33