Page 55 of Fielder's Choice

Rory pipes up. “Why don’t Cole and I watch Sage tonight? We can take her off your hands, Lane, and you can make sure Olive makes it home safely.”

Her smile is full of faux-sweetness. I don’t know what she’s setting up, but she’s obviously trying to make sure Lane and I spend more time together tonight.

“That would be great, Rory,” Lane says happily. Turning to me, he adds, “There we go. Looks like I’ll be taking you home.”

“Okay,” I reply, unable to mask my smile.

Rory isn’t the only one who wants me to spend more time with him.

“My car is right here,” Lane says, hand resting on my lower back, as he likes to do. He leads me to where he’s parked on the street.

We come to a stop in front of a navy blue Subaru Outback.

“This is your car?” I ask, surprised.

He chuckles. “I used to have a Ferrari. But this car is very safe, and that’s my top priority with Sage.”

I turn to look at him. He glows under the light of the streetlamp, the chiseled features of his face highlighted and oh-so enticing.

He really is a beautiful man.

The more I get to know Lane, the more Iseehim, and I really enjoy the person he is.

“You’re staring at me again, Ballerina,” he says, voice low, as he steps closer to me.

“I am,” I reply, owning it. “You’re a good-looking man, Lane. I’m not going to pretend I don’t see that.”

His hands find my hips, and he pulls me in, anchoring my body to his. “You like my looks, huh?”

“Yes,” I breathe. “But I like a lot more than that, too. I like you as aperson,Lane. I love being around you.”

“You don’t know how much I like hearing you say that, Liv.” He slips one hand around my waist, pulling me even closer as he rests the other against my cheek. “Talking to you has been the highlight of my day for weeks now.”

Snow is falling around us, but the beauty of this moment is in Lane’s eyes, not our surroundings. It’s in the way he gazes at me as if I’m precious to him. It’s in the way heseesme.

Lane licks his bottom lip again, and I track the movement, unable to resist asking my next question.

“Lane,” I whisper. “Earlier in the kitchen… were you going to… kiss me?”

He smiles at me softly. “Yes.”

“Do you still want to kiss me?”

He lowers his forehead, resting it against mine while staring right into my eyes. “Yes. God,yes,Liv.”

I don’t let myself mull over the words. I don’t let myself overthink it.

I just lean up and press my lips against his softly one time before pulling away.

But Lane immediately leans back down, capturing my lips again in a searing kiss and wrapping both of his arms around me, holding me close. His tongue traces the seam of my lips, and I part for him, enjoying the feel of his tongue against mine.

I’ve never been kissed like this before. I feel the heat from this all the way down to my toes, and I don’t think I’m ready to end the night just yet.

Once we pull apart, I say, “What if you don’t take me home yet, Lane?”

“The last thing I want to do right now is let you out of my arms, baby. Where do you want to go?”

“Your place,” I breathe. “Let’s go to your place.”

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