Page 157 of Restricted List

I blush and bite back my grin. “I’m well aware.”

The girls gasp in unison.

“He said it?!” Ella asks excitedly.

“Over the weekend,” I reply. “We had a little date night at his apartment and danced around the kitchen. The moment was perfect, and he told me he loved me.”

“And you?” Lucia prods. “Did you tell him?”

“Of course. I’m ridiculously in love with him. I couldn’tnottell him.”

Harlow sighs happily. “You really are going to be my sister-in-law one day.”

I laugh and shake my head. “Slow your roll, Pierce. We only just said, ‘I love you.’ We’re not getting married.”

We’re interrupted by a knock at Lucia’s office door. Through the glass, I can see my boyfriend standing on the other side, already dressed in his baseball uniform.

I’ve always enjoyed the look of a baseball uniform, but Cole makes it look downrightsexy.

Kind of makes me want to rip it off him.

Lucia gestures Cole inside, and he enters, closing the door behind him.

“There’s loverboy!” Ella yells.

Cole just chuckles. “I take it she told you.”

I just shrug. “It came up.”

He walks up to me and goes to put an arm around my shoulder but thinks better of it when he remembers that Lucia’s office is made of glass walls with the curtains drawn. “Any chance I can steal my girl for a little bit?”

“Go for it,” Harlow says, walking up to me. “We’ll keep an eye on Sage for now.”

“Are you sure?” I ask as Lo positions Sage on her shoulder, miraculously without waking her up.

“We’ve got her. Go.”

I thank them as Cole and I exit the office. He checks the hall to make sure no one’s around before he leads me around the corner into one of the small conference rooms, locking the door behind us.

Without a word, I’m pressed up against the wall with Cole’s mouth on mine.

“Hi,” I say softly, lips brushing his.

“Hi, Starlight,” he smiles. “Just wanted to see you before my game.”

I wrap my arms around his shoulders. “Am I your good luck charm?”

“Hell yes, you are. My batting through Spring Training was insane. Playing better than I ever have this year.”

“And you think that’s because of me?”

He looks at me lovingly. “Iknowit’s because of you. You’re the only thing that’s changed between this season and last. And now I get to see you out in the stands wearingmyjersey withmyname across your back. I feel possessive, even if I know you can’t do that often so we can still hide this.”

I smile and press my forehead against his. “How are you so sweet?”

“I’m just honest, Rory girl,” he replies, placing his hands low on my waist. “You know, I have a new walkup song this year.”

“Seriously? Why did you change it?”

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