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.

“You’re right!” I called. “That did cheer me up.”

He returned, unfortunately wearing a pair of boxer shorts, his hands behind his back. Gathering the sheets around me, I sat up as he came to the side of the bed.

“Pick a hand,” he told me.

I pointed to his left hand and he grinned, drawing his hand out from behind his back and handing me an envelope.

Confused, I opened it to find a brochure for Houston Community College.

“What’s this?” I asked, turning it over. The other side was an enrollment form, one that had already been filled out in my name.

“You told me once that you hadn’t been able to afford to go to college.” Nathan sat down on the edge of the bed. “Well, it’s not some big fancy school, but you can take classes there and still keep your job at the Register. Once you have your degree, you can do whatever you want with it.”

A lump formed in my throat.

“You got me a college degree?”

Nathan shook his head. “You’re going to get yourself a college degree. I’m just going to help by paying for it.”

“I don’t know what to say,” I told him, my eyes filling with tears. What had I done to deserve a guy like this? I leaned over and kissed him. “Thank you.”

“Well, before you thank me.” He now looked nervous. “I think you should find out what’s in my other hand.”

I had totally forgotten that he had presented me with two options when he came back into the bedroom. What could possibly top the world’s most incredible gift? But still, I pointed to his right hand.

He withdrew it from his back, his hand in a fist. When he opened it, my heart stuttered to a stop.

“Will you marry me, Sophie Hall?” Nathan asked, a sparkling diamond ring resting in the middle of his palm.

I was pretty sure I had lost the ability to speak.

“I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Skee-ball and Titanic and on-the-record questions and you. So what do you say, Sophie? Marry me and make me the happiest man in baseball?”

“Yes,” I somehow managed. “Yes, I’ll marry you!”

Tears spilled down my cheek as he slid the ring onto my finger. Then he took my face in his hands and kissed me until I thought I might explode with happiness.

Homerun, Hall, I thought, smiling against his lips. Home-fucking-run.

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