Page 91 of Relief Pitcher

He leaned in. Damn. The guy even wore sexy cologne. “If you ever want a third, you know where to find me.”

“Sure, man.”

He strode off as I turned to Coop. “No fucking way. I couldn’t bang a guy who was so confidently misinformed about beer.”

Coop shook his head and gave me an adoring smile, then wrapped his arm around my neck and pulled me in for a kiss. I fucking swooned. Who knew feelings could be so great? I sure as hell never had, but thank fuck for them.

“Please never change,” he said when he pulled back too soon for my liking.

As the crowd began to disperse, I caught a ride with Coop back to the brewery for the end-of-season party we’d volunteered to host for the league. I wanted to talk before the party, or else I would explode. I’d worry about my car later.

“So,” Coop said as he buckled his seat belt.

“So.” It was time to do the words and feelings thing.

“Who’s starting?” he asked as he navigated out of the parking lot.

I admired how casual he sounded. Me? I was on the verge of hurling.

“I’ll go.” I reached over and rested my hand on his leg. The contact helped calm me. He wrapped one of his hands over mine.

“I like you so damn much.” I squeezed my eyes closed. I’d practiced far more eloquent ways to say it, but the words abandoned me in my time of need. Bastards.

Coop turned to me and smiled. “Bet I like you more.”

I melted back into the seat. How did the man always know exactly how to put me at ease? It was like he had a user manual for my wild brain and heart.

“I didn’t understand it for a long time. No offense. But I’ve never had feelings for someone like this before. There was a guy in college, but even that pales in comparison to these fucking big, gooey feelings I have for you.” I scrunched my nose.

“None taken?”

“I couldn’t figure it out. Then my beautiful asshole of a brother helped me discover that I’m demiromantic.”

Coop’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh shit. That makes a lot of sense.”

“I know! I guess spending all that time getting to know you—”

“On top of the great sex.” He grinned.

My smile burst free. “Yes. You used your sex appeal like a honey trap to lure me in until I caught feelings.”

“I caught your balls all season, and you caught feelings. Aww.”

I let out a loud laugh. He was making this too easy on me. “You never made me feel bad for not wanting what other people did. I’m grateful for that. I think your patience was ultimately what sucked me in.”

“And my hair. You’re such a slut for it.”

I swatted his arm.

He glanced at me and smiled. “That’s what worked for me too. I wasn’t looking for anything serious when we met. You know how it ended the last time things got serious with someone.”

I squeezed his leg, and he squeezed my hand in return.

“Telling myself that there was no destination, no rush, no end goal with our time together helped me ease into it. I went from being scared to fall for anyone to being terrified to loseyouto being petrified I’d let fear win and miss out on as much time with you as I could get. Being with you is worth any pain that might come.”

His words punched a sharp breath out of me. “Damn, Coop. You sure know how to make a guy feel special.”

We stopped at a red light, and he turned to me. “And you don’t? You kissed me in front of everyone.”

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