Page 40 of Last Slice of Pie

“Hi, Bryan,” she eventually mumbles against my lips, hers tipping into a smile.

“Hey, you,” I reply, sucking her bottom lip between my teeth and then letting go with a pop. I love her bottom lip.

She sighs, and my heart swells in my chest. Groaning, I move to bury my face in her neck and just breathe. Her arms and legs squeeze tight as she hugs me. It’s the best hug I’ve ever received.

“It took everything in me to not devour you in front of my teammates, their families—hell, the world,” I murmur against her skin.

She laughs, and it’s the best sound I’ve heard in . . . maybe ever. “I could tell. Everything about you was tense and tight, plus you looked at me as if I was your prey. I wondered how long it would take you to pounce. In fact, I’m surprised you made it all the way home.”

“Trust me, I almost didn’t.”

Pulling back, I rest my forehead against hers and let my heart settle. I’ve been so excited to see her, the apprehension of it and where tonight might lead, I’ve felt overworked the last couple of days.

“I enjoyed watching you today. Thank you for the ticket,” she says, blinking, her eyelashes brushing against my skin.

“You’re welcome. I felt different knowing you were there. I don’t know why. It’s not as if you haven’t seen me play before, but I don’t know. It was just different.”

“I hope it was a good different.”

“It was.”

Leaning forward, I kiss her again, softer and slower this time.

“Thank you for coming home with me,” I tell her.

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

That feeling of pride settles in again.

Letting her down, a sigh escapes me as I kiss her forehead.

Grabbing our bags, we move into the house, and I drop them by the stairs. Tucking my hands into the pockets of my pants, I watch as she slowly takes a turn around the living room, looking at my things.

This house isn’t large; after all, what do I need a lot of space for? It’s a simple three-bedroom, old Florida bungalow-style home. It’s a new construction so the kitchen, bathrooms, and floor are updated, but outside of that, what really sold me was the backyard and the river.

The house is set on two lots, giving it more space and more privacy. There is a large white fence that runs down the side edges of the property, and a brick wall shields the front. The gate keeps people out, which is great because the fewer people who know where I live, the better.

“It’s not what I was expecting.” She frowns, and my stomach dips. It never occurred to me that she wouldn’t like it here, and I find that I really want her to. I come from nothing, and I’ve worked really hard to be something. Of all the people in the world, she’s the one I feel the need to impress the most.

“What were you expecting?” My voice is low, and I cross my arms over my chest.

She walks into the living room and runs her fingers across the top of the couch. Yes, my home looks like a guy lives here, but the furniture comes from a respectable company and Camille came in and completed the decorations earlier in the year, adding different shades of grays and blues.

“I don’t know. Something a little more flashy, modern, glamorous.”

“Why?”

“Well, for starters, you make a ton of money now. You’re living high on the hog, so you can afford a certain lifestyle.” She makes a round through the kitchen and then trails off and walks over to the sliding glass doors that lead outside.

“What else?”

“It’s just . . . I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do. Tell me.”

She doesn’t turn to face me. “It’s been so long, and I guess I had just built up your life to be something else, anything else that was as far away from how you grew up as possible. This house is charming and . . . well, warm, homey.”

Tilting my head, I try to see things from her perspective and think about what she’s said. “You thought I was cold?”