Page 73 of If We Never Met

"Right."

"So how do you feel now that you've shared your worries with me?"

"Strange and a little unsettled."

"You can trust me, Dante. Whatever you say to me will never go any further."

"I believe that." He met her gaze. "And I have to admit, I haven't always been able to trust that someone will keep my secrets."

"You don't have to worry about that with me. As much as I don't want to see you leave any time soon, I really, really want you to get better and get back to the mound. I want you to be happy."

"Thanks. I'll come to the game tomorrow."

"No. You don't have to do that. It's not a big deal. We're actually going out on Adam's boat tomorrow after the game. Adam is Lizzie's brother."

"The cop, right?"

"Yes. Why don't you join us for that? If you want to. No pressure. It's nice to see the lake from the water."

"It sounds great. And for the record, I want you to be happy, too."

"I'm extremely happy right now," she said, lightening the mood. "And just so you know, pitching is definitely not the only thing you're really good at."

"I'm glad you think so, because I am not ready to let you out of this bed, not without showing you what else I can do."

"You really are an overachiever, aren't you?"

He laughed. "This will be worth more than one point."

"I'll be the judge of that."

He gave her a gentle push, rolling her onto her back, and lowered his lips to her stomach, sliding his tongue around her belly button, sending all kinds of delicious chills through her body. She closed her eyes and let him have his way with her. Then it would be her turn.

Chapter Seventeen

Saturday morning,Dante didn't wake up until his alarm went off at eight. He felt tired but really happy. After leaving the cabin around two o'clock in the morning, he hadn't gotten more than four hours of sleep. He wished they'd been able to spend the whole night together, which was odd, since he rarely wished for that. But Keira was different in so many ways.

He'd followed her home from the cabin, making sure she was in her house before heading back to the inn. It was late enough that everything was quiet. He hoped the tabloid reporters had left the area, but that was probably being too optimistic. He just wished they'd concentrate only on him and leave Keira alone, but that was also a foolish thought.

He hated that Keira was having to deal with the press and also with Nikki's lies. She didn't deserve to have her reputation shredded online, but he was glad she hadn't shut him out because of it. He'd had more fun with her than he could remember having with a woman, and that wasn't just because of the great sex they'd shared. It was everything else, too.

He'd liked being with her. And he'd enjoyed talking to her. He'd told her things he hadn't told anyone, and he felt a little lighter today, maybe because he'd let some of the fear and worry out.

After a quick shower, he dressed and headed down the stairs, eager to grab breakfast before he headed to rehab. Today's session would only be two hours, but he wanted to have the energy to do it well. He walked into the dining room, filled his plate with fruit and eggs, grabbed a cup of coffee, and then looked for an empty table. There were several open. It was early, and most of the guests were probably taking a slower start to the day. But Mark Langley was up and sitting at a table by himself, sipping coffee as he gazed at his phone. He wasn't wearing a suit today, but he wore a short-sleeve button-down blue shirt with tan chinos, looking casual but also put together.

He hadn't planned on sitting with anyone at breakfast, but it seemed like too good of an opportunity to pass up. He moved over to Langley's table and said, "Mind if I join you?"

"Of course not." Mark tipped his head toward the open chair as he set down his phone. "How are you today?"

"Good. I'm heading to the rehab center in a few. Wanted to get some food first."

"How's your rehab going?"

"Very well. The center and the therapists are impressive."

A gleam of pride entered Mark's eyes. "I'm happy to hear that. We're still rolling out some of our services, but I believe the rehabilitation center will eventually be one of the finest in the country."

"I believe you're right. How did you end up here in Whisper Lake? Were you working at another center before this?"

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