Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 85838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
He swallows, maybe embarrassed he’s so worried. He turns to me, resting his face against my chest. “Stay with me,” he whispers.
“I’m not leaving you,” I reassure him.
He takes a big breath. When he lifts his face again, he knits his brow. “Hey. What the hell are you doing here?” The question is full of wonder. “How did you pull this off?” It’s just hit him that I’m here with him in public, comforting him. “You’re not Super Agent right now. You’re…Super Boyfriend.”
I can’t resist smiling. “I had to see you. I told Vance I quit. As in, tonight.”
His green eyes sparkle. “You did?”
“Sometimes you just have to go after what you want fearlessly. With everything you have. I wanted to be with you and make sure you were okay,” I say with confidence and certainty.
“Have I told you how much I love you?”
“Feel free to say it again.”
“I love you,” he says softly, then pulls me down next to him, exactly where I want to be.
“Nothing’s wrong.” The young doctor with the soprano voice gestures to the X-ray a little later. She also did an MRI. “All clear. Not even a fracture, a sprain, or a muscle tear. But take a couple days off,” she says to the patient.
Zane laughs ironically. “I have the next few days off.”
“Good,” she says drily. “Then you’ll probably continue your Mister Durable streak. Since that was quite a lucky fall.”
When Zane looks my way, a smile tips his lips, then lights his entire handsome face. “Yeah, it sure was a lucky fall,” he says to me, a little woozy, a little slap-happy.
He’s not taken any drugs besides ibuprofen, but I think he’s high on the good news. The lack of an injury can do that to a man.
“Walk me out, hottie,” he says to me with a wink as he rises.
As we head through the corridor so he can rejoin the team in the dugout, he says, “You know, there was an empty seat next to my brother earlier.”
“That so?”
“That is very so,” he says, then gives me the row number and the section. “If you want to watch with my other special guests.”
I arch a playful brow. “I’m your special guest now?”
He stops in the corridor, gives me the fiercest look. “You threw down for me last night. You threw down for me again tonight. You’re my special guest. The most special.”
He plants a possessive kiss on my lips before he turns into the tunnel. Once he’s gone, I run a finger over my bottom lip. I can still feel his kiss. It’s in my bones. It’s under my skin.
I make my way back up to the concourse, then through the crowds at the Bandits ballpark. Along the way, I text Adriana.
Maddox: Zane’s going to be fine. I’ll be joining the Archers. Let’s catch up soon.
Adriana: We better. Vance was sputtering when he returned. He was all…Maddox is with Zane and he quit, and, and, and…
Maddox: Sorry to leave you with that.
Adriana: Please! I can handle him no problem. I mean, I saw it coming last night. But you still owe me details, friend.
Gossip isn’t my thing, so I won’t share all. But she deserves something.
Maddox: I fell in love with him. I’m happy.
Adriana: Stahp, stahp. I won’t cry next to my boss.
With a smile, I send her a Thank you for everything, then put the phone away.
As I head down the steps to the third-base line seats, I squeeze past a few fans, then grab the free seat next to Gage. I introduce myself to him right away. “I’m Maddox. I’m seeing your brother,” I say, loving the sound of all those words. And these too. “He’s going to be just fine.”
Gage smiles, bright and genuine. “He texted me and told me. And he told me you were with him too. But, honestly, I figured that out on my own. I saw you take off when he got hit. Recognized you because I looked you up when he told me last night he fell for you,” he says, and my whole soul lights up.
Then Eliza pipes up. “My uncle is really tough.”
“He sure is,” I say proudly, and we watch the rest of the game together. When it ends, with Zane’s league losing, the players come out on the field one more time to wave to the crowd, then fan out to talk to reporters, to head to the dugout, to goof off.
But not all of them. The first baseman for the Dragons points my way. Then he trots over to our seats. He’s sporting a cocky grin. The same one he had the night I met him. “Get over here,” he commands.
I don’t deny his orders often. With a giddy heart, I make my way to the edge of the stands, a smile matching his.