Game On(71)

When we finally broke apart, Nathan’s eyes were starry and I’m sure mine were too.

“Hi,” he managed.

“Hi.” I smiled up at him.

“You came.”

I held up his note. “How could I not?”

He grinned. “I’m very glad you did, Ms. Hall, since we never really got that final interview.”

The cheeky bastard, I thought. But I could play along. “I’m glad you reminded me, Mr. Ryder.” I put my hands on my hips, enjoying the way his eyes drifted down the length of my body. My clothes might not have been new or fancy, but they fit me exactly right. “Am I to assume these answers will all be off the record?”

“Actually.” Nathan took my hands. “I was thinking I would be the one asking the question this time. Entirely on the record.”

My heart was in my throat.

“Sophie Hall.” He was completely serious now. “I love you.”

“That’s not a question,” I told him, my heart racing in my chest.

He smiled at me. “No, but I wanted to say that part first. My question is—Sophie Hall, will you move in with me?”

I was speechless, but he wasn’t done.

“I know we’ve just met and there’s a lot we still need to learn about each other, but I can’t think of anything I want more than to come home to you every day and spend each night with you in my arms. So what do you say?” He looked adorably nervous.

I cleared my throat. “This is on the record, right?”

He nodded.

I flashed him a huge grin. “Yes! Of course, yes!”

Then his mouth came down upon mine and the rest of the world disappeared as I kissed the man I loved.





Epilogue


I was working in my office when I heard Nathan come home from practice. Closing my laptop, I sprinted to the entryway, eager as always to see him. He barely had a chance to put down his bag before I launched myself into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist and greeting him with my recently patented “welcome home” kiss.

When we broke apart, we were both breathless.

“I love coming home to you,” Nathan groaned, his expression dazed, but happy. I could feel exactly how much he loved it, as I shifted against him. He growled, and dug his fingers into my hips.

“I missed you,” I whispered in his ear, giving him a gentle nip on his neck as I rocked against him.

His head fell back and I trailed kisses along the glorious line of his throat, pressing my body against his, soft against hard. So good.

Without another word, he tangled his hand in my hair and brought his lips against mine, kissing me the way only he could. Then he carried me to the bedroom and showed me exactly how much he loved me. He lay me on the bed, stripping me naked, one piece at a time, his mouth replacing each article of clothing. Then he made love to me with his hands, then with his mouth, and finally, when I was begging for more, he slid his cock inside me, making me scream my pleasure across all of Houston. I came before he did, shuddering and groaning as he collapsed on top of me.

God, I loved this man.

Afterwards, we lay in bed, our damp bodies wrapped comfortably around each other.

Nathan had bought a gorgeous penthouse apartment in downtown Houston that reminded me of the suite in the hotel in Austin—tinted windows all around and an amazing view of the city. We spent most nights wrapped up in each other with the city sparkling below us. It had only been six months, but I had never been happier.

I sat up on my elbow and smiled down at him.

“So how was practice?” I asked.

He gently pushed back the hair that had fallen into my face. “Good. Hard, but good.”

“Kind of like you,” I teased, darting my fingers across his six-pack. He slapped them away playfully.

“How was work?” he wanted to know once he had captured those wandering fingers between his chest and his hand.

I shrugged. I was still working at the Register, but ever since everything that had happened in Austin, I had felt a strange pull to do something more. It just wasn’t satisfying in the way that it had been before. I wanted to be making a difference, not writing more puff pieces on the latest fashion trends or celebrity gossip, which seemed to be the articles Mike kept throwing onto my desk. I kept asking for more, but he kept telling me that those pieces were going to more senior journalists. Ones with experience. It was hard not to be frustrated, especially since I knew that experience was code for college degree.

“Still not making any progress?” Nathan asked, dropping sweet kisses along my shoulder. I shook my head.

At least Mandy was there. After the shelter article had come out—and as expected, garnered a huge amount of attention—Mike had hired her on. She and Chris had moved to Houston around the same time that Nathan and I had and lived only a few blocks away. She was pretty much the only reason I was sticking around and not looking for another job. Not that I thought I’d be able to get a better one. No degree, no respect, it seemed.

“Well.” Nathan lifted his head and flashed me a smile. “I think I might have something that will cheer you up.”

“Oh yeah?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Wait here,” he ordered and got out of bed, totally stark naked and headed back towards the entryway, giving me a great shot of his spectacular ass.