Page 132 of The Long Game

And only when I knew she’d felt them, I said, “Because I fucking love you.” I pressed my forehead to hers. “Because I’m crazy about you and I—fuck, Adalyn. I’ll buy the Flames for you if that’s what you want. I’ll sit back and watch you conquer the world. I don’t know how to express how much I care and want you. I’ve given myself to you, but if that’s not enough then I’ll do anything—”

“I fucking love you, too, Cameron Caldani,” she whispered against my lips. “And I only need you.”

Before I was ready, she pulled away, taking something out of her shirt. My ring dangled off the chain around her neck, and I knew then that I’d marry this woman one day. I’d give her the cats, the babies, a farm of terrifying baby goats if she wanted one. I’d doanything in my power to get that chance. I knew with every ounce of who I was.

“There’s so much I need to tell you,” she said, a shadow crossing her expression. “Starting with how wrong I was about pushing you away and thinking you didn’t have my best interest at heart but—” She swallowed. “Wait. Oh my God. Did we win? Will the girls forgive me?”

We. Thatwedid me in.

I took her mouth again, tasted her on my tongue. I knew she wanted the answer, but I wanted her. And I was selfish enough to take it when I could. We came up for air, her lips swollen, and her eyes glazed. “The girls will come around, and the Green Warriors are the winners of the Six Hills Little League. The story will be all over the local press tomorrow. County and state.” Her eyes widened. “I called them myself. When they heard who I was—”

Adalyn mouth parted. “You did what?”

A throat was cleared, making us turn.

A woman was looking at us with a huge smile. Fuck. How long had she been there? “Sorry to interrupt, that was fire and I will surely be fantasizing about it more than I should probably admit, but…” Her eyes pointed to her right.

A blond man was walking—sauntering, really—through a barrier, smirking at a wide-eyed security guy who was avoiding my gaze. Fuck, how many people had just watched me eat my woman’s face? I guessed I didn’t care.

The man spotted us, and I felt Adalyn tense.

That was the only indication I needed to know who that was.

I released the woman tucked into my chest and strode in his direction, ignoring the twin gasps of surprise behind me. “David?” I asked when I reached him.

The wanker smiled. He smiled. “Hi—”

I grabbed him by the collar. Gave him a little tug. The guy went white as a sheet. I was being a Neanderthal. I knew that. This wasn’t right. But I couldn’t help myself. “Thank you,” I told him. Or grittedbetween my lips. “Somehow, I have your stupidity to thank for changing my life.”

The man frowned, his lips bopping like some fish I suddenly wanted to throw around. I felt a hand on my shoulder. The simple touch immediately settling me down. “I’m sorry, love,” I told Adalyn, who was now by my side. I turned my gaze on David and added, “You know how I have a mean streak.”

David blinked. “You’re… You’re Cameron Caldani.” He seemed to think about something, then his eyes darted to one side. “Kelly? If you don’t put that phone down, you’re losing your job.”

“Oh,” Kelly, as I’d just learned, answered. “I quit. I overheard everything that went on in that office tonight and you’re a piece of shit.”

“What the fuck—” David started.

I tightened my grip. “Language.” David’s lips thinned, and I smiled. I wasn’t going to hit him. I wanted to, but I didn’t think Adalyn would see that as a gesture. Plus, I—

The fingers on my shoulder squeezed. “Hey, love?” Adalyn said.

My eyes were on her in a heartbeat. “You calling me love?” I whispered. “Now, that’s playing dirty.” Almost as dirty as the things I was visualizing doing to her while she repeated that word over and over.

“Oh, I know,” she admitted with a flush. “But I don’t want you getting into trouble for me.” I hesitated and her fingers trailed up, all the way to my neck. She flicked her fingers along my skin there, and fuck, this woman had me eating out of her palm. “Please?”

I released David with a jerk of my arms.

He stumbled backward, sputtering, “What is wrong with you?” He fumbled with his shirt, sending us a glance. “And since when are you two a thing?”

“That’s none of your business,” Adalyn told him. “And also? You’re a dragon I can slay myself.”

Before I could even blink, Adalyn threw her free arm out and landed a punch on David’s jaw.

He doubled over with a groan.

“Okay.” I grabbed Adalyn by the waist, pulling her back just in case there was any more slaying planned. “Unexpected but deserved.”

David recovered, glancing back at us. “You’re not getting away with this. You—”

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