She laughed. “No, it was your talent that propelled you toward that no-hitter tonight. Your curveball was on fire. It was like a perfect storm of pitches. You could do no wrong.”

She was saying all the right things—about his game. “Thanks. It’s a game I’ll remember throughout my entire career. But you know, that’s not why I’m here.”

She took a deep breath, then let it out. “About my dad. I was so pissed at him. My mother is so angry with him. And he’s very sorry. He said he’s going to talk to you about that tomorrow. He owes you a big apology.”

“Well, it happened. The worst part is I didn’t do anything about it. It shocked me at first and I just kind of took a moment—a really long moment, unfortunately, to think about what that meant. Like, was he really serious? And if so, what would that mean for my career?”

She nodded. “Understandable. I mean, really, Tucker, I understand. You’ve worked your ass off to get where you are. Once I found out what my father did, I understood the choice you made.”

She was letting him off the hook, and that wasn’t acceptable. He shook his head. “No, it wasn’t okay, Aubry. I didn’t want to tell you what he said because I didn’t want to put you in the middle between me and your father, forcing you to have to make a choice between us. Second, I should have chosen you. Right away, I should have chosen you. Because without you, this career means nothing to me.”

Aubry’s heart did that squeezing thing again, like it always did since she’d fallen in love with Tucker. She swallowed, her throat gone dry as she struggled for a response. “I . . . your career is everything to you.”

“Yeah, it is. But when I tried to keep my distance from you, baseball didn’t have the same spark. So while I love the game, I love you more. And I’m so sorry that I didn’t realize that right away. Please forgive me for hurting you.”

Now the tears fell, and she blinked them back. “Tucker. I love you, too.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, and it was like an explosion of warmth and love and the passion that had always been there with him. It was as if everything in her world was right as long as he was holding her.

“I’ve missed you,” he said, rubbing his lips against hers.

She felt the heaviness of his hard cock pressing against her hip. “I’ve missed you, too. Make love to me.”

He picked her up and carried her into her bedroom, then set her on the bed. He stood next to the bed and pulled off his T-shirt, then unzipped his pants, kicked off his shoes and let his jeans drop to the floor.

Aubry arched a brow. “Commando, huh?”

“I was in a hurry.”

She reached for his cock. “Works for me.”

She stroked him, tipping her head back to watch his face as she wound her hand around him, then put her mouth on him. His loud groans were her undoing, making her dampen and quiver with need.

He pulled his cock from between her lips and pushed her back on the bed.

“I need my cock inside of you.”

He tugged on her capris and pulled them off, along with her underwear, then dragged her shirt over her head and made quick work of taking off her bra. Once naked, he swept his hands over her body.

“I’ve missed you like this. Naked, with my hands on you.”

She shivered under his touch, those amazing goose bumps she got whenever he touched her. “Yes. Touch me.”

He cupped the globes of her breasts, then rubbed his thumbs back and forth over her nipples, making her ache. As he snaked his hands down over her ribs, she parted her legs, giving him access to her sex. He cupped her, rubbed her clit and slipped his fingers inside of her, making her gasp at the shattering sensations he could evoke so quickly.

She hadn’t made herself come since the last time they were together. It had been too long, and she was so ready she could go off right now. But, like Tucker, she wanted to come with him inside her.

“Now,” she said. “I want you inside me now, making me come.”

He got a condom and put it on, then pulled her to the edge of the bed and bent one of her legs, wedging it between his arm and body to hold her in place while he entered her. Then he leaned forward, thrusting into her with slow, deliberate strokes.

“This is where I belong, Aubry,” he said as he moved within her. “This is where you belong.”

“Yes.” She arched her hips, giving him deeper access.

He bent and stretched lengthwise across her body, cradling her head between his hands, and kissed her. She was lost in him, drawn into the mix of love and sex, of emotion and powerful physical sensation.