Page 23 of Pro Gamer's Aim

Have I fallen too far too fast?

Yeah.

Do I give a fuck?

Not really.

Maybe I should. She's young. I'm way too old for her. She has a full life ahead of her, and I just retired from my dream career.

But—there's a dark little corner of my mind that whispers ideas into my head. Like making sure she falls as hard as I do so she can never, ever leave.

I brush my lips against the shell of her ear. "Morning, little bunny."

She hums contentedly, threading her fingers through mine where they rest on her stomach. "Mm, five more minutes..."

I chuckle. "You can have as long as you want. No rush."

I'm in no hurry to let her go. I could happily stay here all day, holding her, talking, teasing, touching. Last night was... intense. Mind-blowing. I've never experienced anything like the fiery connection between us. It's addictive.

Sam rolls over to face me, her dark hair spilling across the pillow, the ends a vibrant blue that doesn't even make me blink.

It's so perfectly her. I love every bit of it.

She blinks up at me with those big doe eyes, still hazy with sleep. Fucking gorgeous. I capture her lips in a searing kiss, pouring my need into it. She meets me with matching hunger, hands fisting in my hair, and I'm already dreaming of a full course of Sam for breakfast.

A wet nose nudges my foot, accompanied by an impatient whine, shattering my hopes. I groan against Sam's mouth. She pulls back with a breathless laugh.

"Someone needs to go out." She untangles herself and sits up, running a hand through her mussed hair. "I should get him home."

"You don't have to go." The words tumble out before I can stop them. "You could stay. We could have breakfast, take Milo for a walk..."

Uncertainty flickers across her face. Fuck. Too fast.

I backpedal. "Or not. Whatever you want. No pressure."

"I want to. I do. It's just..." She gnaws at her plump bottom lip. "This is a lot. You and me. It's intense. I'm not honestly sure how I'm supposed to be acting right now. I've never had a one-night stand before. And definitely not with a neighbor."

"I know. Believe me, I feel it too." Hiding my internal panic at the way she summarized our amazing night as a one-night stand, I cup her cheek, smoothing my thumb over her lip until she releases it. "Hey. We can take this slow. Figure it out as we go. No need to put any labels. Let's just do what feels right. Okay?"

I'll make it so everything feels so right, she never wants to leave.

Simple.

Game plan: Get the girl.

She searches my eyes and then nods. "Okay. Slow sounds good."

Fast sounds better, but I don't argue. I kiss her again, soft and sweet. "Go take care of Milo. I'll make you coffee. We'll have breakfast and see when the repair men are supposed to get here."

While Sam takes the dog out, I pull on sweatpants and head to the kitchen. I load the coffee maker, thoughts drifting as it burbles and hisses. A quick text to Liam solves the repairman issue—he'll let me know when they're on the way.

I meant what I said about taking things slow, letting this develop naturally. But I already know I'm all in. Sam is special. I felt it the moment I crashed through her door and saw her brandishing that controller, all fire and sass.

I want her in my bed, in my arms. I want to come home to her, share my life with her. Fuck, I never thought I'd be thinking about having a dog, but now I'm planning on a dog destroying my yard for the rest of my natural life. If that furball is part of the package, I'll learn to live with dog hair and chew toys. Gladly. Waking up with her tucked against me, I've never felt so complete. So happy.

The door opens, admitting Sam and Milo. She's wearing my shirt, and the sight makes me want to drag her back to bed. Milo scampers over, sniffing at my bare feet. I crouch down and let him lick my fingers.

May as well start with making a connection with her little furball.

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