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“Good morning, Sparrow,” I reply, pressing back against him. “Was last night real?”

“Very fucking real.” He pulls me closer and kisses my shoulder.

I roll over and face him. “So, what you said last night. About not climbing into bed with me as a friend.”

“What about it?” he asks as he starts running his fingers up and down my side.

“Did you… mean that?”

Cole looks at me in disbelief. “Do you truly think I’d say that if I didn’t mean it, Rory?”

“No,” I sigh. “I know you wouldn’t. But this feels too good to be true, and I don’t even know what we are.”

“Well, we’re not friends,” he laughs. “That’s for fucking sure.”

“What does that make us then?” My voice is soft and full of hope.

Cole leans over and kisses me gently, conveying his meaning without even needing to speak. But he reassures me anyway. “I said I’m all in, Rory girl. I’m not your friend. In fact, I’d much prefer you call me your boyfriend.”

I can’t help but smile brightly as I press my face against his chest, my forehead resting on the baseball bats over his heart. “How the hell did we end up here? I’ve told myself from the beginning that I wouldn’t let these feelings go anywhere because I didn’t want to put you into an impossible situation. And I also thought there was no way you’d want me.”

“And you couldn’t have been more fucking wrong, baby.” Cole twirls a strand of my hair around his finger. “I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you. My past in Kansas would probably tell you I’m not boyfriend material, but that hasn’t been me since I landed back in New York. That hasn’t been me since I metyou.”

“I know. You really managed to keep that under wraps around everyone else, but I’m the one who had to look into you when my dad wanted to trade for you. I learned all about you. I told myself you’d be just another fuckboy, but even the first time we met, I could tell you weren’t like that. And then you became such a great friend.”

“And I hated every goddamn moment of that,” he laughs. “Finding out you were my Field Manager’s daughter only meantthat I couldn’t act on the things I wanted, and I told myself I could just be your friend. Even then, I always secretly hoped we’d end up right here.”

I smirk at him. “With me naked in your arms the morning of our friends’ wedding?”

“Smart ass,” he says as he tickles me, trying to keep me from squirming around. “I absolutely always wanted you naked in my arms, but I hoped it would be with you as my girlfriend, not just a quick fuck.”

Warmth courses through me the moment he says that word.

Girlfriend.

This is real.

This is happening.

I’m actuallydatingCole Pierce, my best friend’s brother and shortstop for the New York Stars.

It won’t be easy, especially with my dad, but I’ll try anything for him.

It’s clear that we have chemistry in every aspect between us, and I won’t let my dad be the one to keep us from exploring that.

“So, how are we doing this?” I ask. “I know you said you don’t care about risking your career, but I still want to save that if possible.”

Cole kisses me sweetly and tenderly. “I want to tell our friends. They all know we slept together anyway. But let’s not tell them tonight. Today is Josh and Ella’s wedding, and I don’t want us to say anything that could take away from them.”

“Agreed,” I say. “They leave for their honeymoon on Monday. Maybe we can tell everyone sometime tomorrow. But let’s not tell anyone else. I trust our friends, but we still need as few people to know as possible so it doesn’t get back to my dad.”

“I want to tell one other friend as well,” Cole adds, squeezing my hand. “Ari Morgan.”

“The guy from the Thunderbirds?”

“One and the same. We played in Triple-A together for a couple years and then again for a year on the Huskers. He’s one of the first friends I made in the league. I know you don’t know him, but I promise we can trust him. He also kinda figured out that you were the mystery woman I was pining over. But he’ll be in New York next week for a meeting with the Stars, so you might get to know him very soon.”

“If you trust him, then I do, too.” Cole flashes me a soft and sweet smile, and I melt inside. “I need to get up and ready soon, though. I have to meet the girls in about an hour.”

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