Page 108 of Last Fall

My reward was her laughter. When Zoe laughed I knew everything was okay. I liked it so much I kissed her again and again, then nuzzled down behind her ear. It wasn’t enough though. So I set the phone down and ran my fingers into her hair, holding us together in an awkward but totally necessaryembrace.

“Send your friends our picture. And tell me if they say anythingentertaining.”

I sat back as casually as I could, sipping my orange juice and watching the crowd, but mostly Zoe as she smiled at her phone. She was still a mystery to me. So fiery and confident most of the time. Unsure and lost in her head the rest ofthetime.

“We’ve gotten two ‘adorable’ and one ‘hot’ comments. There are also a lot of hearts.” She flipped the phone around toshowme.

“I like that picture. Can you send it to me?” It was about to be my new lock screen andbackground.

“Noproblem.”

I was trying really hard not to show it but I was kind of nervous. I had something for her and even though I was pretty sure she was going to like it, there was a tiny voice in the back of my head reminding me the last time I asked this question she got up and ran awayfromme.

“So I wanted to ask you something,” I said just as my phone lit up with the picturefromZoe.

“What’s that?” She tossed her phone back into her bag and smiled upatme.

For a second I forgot what I was saying. “We have our last regular season game Friday night. It’s a home game and I’d really like you there.” I held my breath, half expecting her topanic.

But she didn’t. Instead she said, “I’dloveto.”

I cheered inside as my nerves twisted even deeper. I hadn’t been this messed up about asking a woman anything ever before, but I had one more, even bigger question. “Will you wear mynumber?”

She froze, what looked like a combination of panic and curiosity flitting acrossherface.

“Yes,” she finally whispered. “Yes,Iwill.”

“Good.” I grabbed the shopping bag I’d brought with me and handed it over. “Eve says this shouldfityou.”

Her eyes went all big and round as she opened it and pulled out a dark blue Mantas t-shirt. On the back was my name and number. “This is like the shirt Eve wears togames.”

“Exactly like it, except it has my number on the back.” Eve had commissioned a special line of high end t-shirts for the female executives and the wives of the players. Our logo was over the left breast. “It’s one of kind, just for you, Darlin’. No one else has ever worn mynumber.”

She ran her fingers over my number a few times, then jumped up, pulling the shirt on right over hertanktop.

It looked even better than I imagined. The shirt clung in all the right ways and when she turned to show off the back, I suddenly had visions of bending her over the bed while I branded her over and overagain.

Fuck, I was such a man sometimes. It was a good thing she’d never hear these thoughts because I was pretty damn sure they’d scare her. Half the time they scared me. It was so primal andimmediate.

“Youlikeit?”

“Yeah,” she said slowly. “Yeah I do.Thankyou.”

“Thank you.” I reached out and gave her hand a tug until she fell into my lap. “I just want everyone there to know you’respecial.”

“That I’myours?”

Damn straight.“Not like that,” I said instead. “We’re not casual. We’re...real. You’re part of the team now and you should have the gear toshowit.”

I must have said the right thing because she relaxed against me. “Ilikethat.”

“I do too.” I traced the line from her ear to the tip of her chin, then kissed her lightly on the lips. “Besides, I like the way my number looksonyou.”

She rolled her eyes a little but she also smiled. “Have you always been numberfifteen?”

“Just since I joined the Mantas.” I was never really attached to a number before I got here. “I always felt like I was chasing life, never really catching up, until I moved to Tampa. Everything here changed for me. I guess this numberrepresentsthat.”

She nodded slowly, kissing me back. “That I understand all too well. Zoe Hyde didn’t exist until I moved here. Now I sometimes forget my real last name isBurke.”

“God, Zo.” I took her face in both my hands and kissed her hard. I think whether I knew it or not, I always felt drawn to Zoe because in a way we were on thesamepath.

A path that had finally brought ustogether.

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