Home. As much as he enjoyed being on the road, nothing could compare to sleeping in his own bed, surrounded by the familiarity of his own belongings. Tyler punched in the code and opened the front door.

He dropped his bag on the floor of the tiled entryway. Madison maneuvered around him as he emptied his pockets onto the side table. Hellacious stacks of mail covered the surface. It would take him a week to go through it all. He grabbed a handful and started sifting through.

“I’ll dump my stuff and make us some lunch. My usual room okay?”

Tyler glanced up. “Sure.” Both spare rooms had bathrooms attached, so it didn’t matter to him which one she picked, so long as it wasn’t his. “You won’t find much in the fridge, though. Water and stale beer probably. Doubt you’ll have much luck in the cupboards, either. I don’t stock much during the season. There’s a drawer full of delivery menus next to the stove.” He grabbed his wallet and pulled out a credit card and handed it to her. “Order whatever you want.”

“What about you? Aren’t you hungry?”

“I’ll grab something at the clubhouse later. I’ve got some work to do before I head out, so make yourself at home. I’ll be in my office for a bit if you need anything.”

“I’ll be okay. A friend of mine is in the city, so I might have plans later.”

“Oh yeah? Is this friend male or female?”

Maddie rolled her eyes. “Female.”

“Where are you going?”

“Do I answer to you now? You gonna pull the as long as you’re in my house crap Dad slings?”

The snotty tone caught him off guard. As did the comparison to their father. “How about you not attack me within the first five minutes of our co-habitation? I hadn’t given it much thought until now. I have no intention of being your keeper, but that doesn’t mean I’m not concerned for your safety. You are under my roof, which earns me some consideration, don’t you think?”

She crossed her arms. “Are you going to tell me where you’re going?”

Little shit.

“Isn’t that what I just did? My office. The clubhouse. Back home.” He ticked them off on his fingers. “I’ll probably have a beer and hit the couch to watch a game later.” Another finger. “Bed.” Alone.

Maddie’s gaze sharpened. “I’ll text you once I know what our plans are.” She spun on her heels and marched away.

Jesus. Was this what he was in for? He gathered the rest of the mail and grabbed the strap on his duffel. “Don’t forget to include what time you’ll be back,” he yelled and headed in the opposite direction, toward his bedroom. Although he had no idea what he’d do if she was late. Maddie was old enough to be on her own, but she’d always be his little sister. He had a responsibility to look out for her. Expecting him to act disinterested about her whereabouts while she stayed with him was bullshit. He wouldn’t do it, no matter how much it pissed her off.

Tyler dropped off his bag in the bedroom, then backtracked to the office. He used his elbow to switch on the lights. He dumped the armload of mail onto the round table in the corner to go through later.

He turned on his laptop and took a seat behind the desk. While he waited for the computer to come to life, he pulled out his phone and sent Gabriella a text. He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to let her know he’d gotten home, but it felt right so he didn’t question it.

Damn. His bed was gonna feel empty without her. The thought of anyone else beside him left him cold.

When the hell had that happened?

So quickly, Gabriella had become a staple in his life. When they weren’t together, he thought about her. A lot. Stupid shit like wondering how her day was going, or if she’d remembered to eat lunch. She forgot more often than not.

The laptop chimed, ready to go. Tyler shot off a message to Steve, letting him know he was in town, and inquired if there was any word on a new contract. He spent the next hour going through emails and paying bills. He returned a few phone calls. Mundane tasks that numbed his brain.

A message from Dr. Adlyn popped up, requesting they meet at ten in the morning and the location where he needed to go for the MRI. He also included a training schedule for tomorrow for which Tyler was grateful. Being idle wasn’t going to help him get back to work. He updated his calendar and closed his email, at odds now that he was free for the rest of the day. He would burn a few hours in the gym. Maybe hit the hay early. Be fresh and ready for the trainers tomorrow.

What would Gabriella be doing tonight? She’d fallen asleep in his arms nearly every night for the last week and a half. Would she miss his presence in her bed? The arrogant prick in him hoped she would.

A niggling urgency tugged his gut. A sudden need to wrap up his business as quickly as possible. If he could … maybe …

He stared at the computer screen, finger tapping with indecision against the mouse. Arlington and St. Louis were the closest major league franchises to Little Rock. He opened the Internet browser and did a quick search. He’d have to clear it with Gabriella, but if either team were playing at home, he wanted to take her. He could make all the arrangements, have her meet him there.

Excited about the prospect, he shoved away from his desk and went to the kitchen. He found an energy drink in the fridge. He opened it, taking a heavy swig before wandering toward the living room. He switched on the TV, found a game, and hit the remote’s mute button. Settling back on the couch, he pulled out his phone and called Gabriella.

“Hello?”

The sweet sound washed over him. “You’ve got the sexiest phone voice, you know that?” His own turned husky. “Hiya, gorgeous.”

She laughed, rich and warm. “Hi, yourself. I’m glad you think so. I saw your text. How was the flight?”

“Uneventful. We got into Atlanta early and had time to grab a quick bite to eat before catching the connection. It was smooth sailing into JFK. How about you? Busy day so far?”

“Not too. After you left, I went next door and had coffee with Lillian. I’ve got a couple of appointments later today, but the rest of the week is kinda slow. It’ll give me a chance to catch up on housework and laundry. All the stuff I’ve been neglecting the last few weeks. Did you get Madison all settled?”

He glanced toward the area of the condo Maddie had disappeared into. “I guess. She bit my head off shortly after we walked in the door. I’ve been in my office since.”

“Hiding?”

“From my kid sister in my own home? No. I had to catch up on some work. Just finished up and came out to grab a drink and chill for a bit before I hit the gym.”

“What did she bite your head off about?”

He propped his feet on the coffee table, strangely enjoying the very couple-like conversation they had going. “She said she had plans. I asked her where she was going.”

“Asked her?” Gabriella laughed. “Let me guess. You did the thing where you lower your voice and then demanded to know where she was going, who’d she be with, and when she’d be home?”

Tyler frowned. Had he? “Well, maybe. Yeah. I do a thing with my voice?”

“Sometimes when you’re trying to make a point. It’s not a bad thing. I think it’s sexy. To a younger sister though, you probably sounded like a dad.”

He chuffed. “That’s the same thing she said. Being compared to my father sets my teeth on edge.”

“I didn’t say your dad. I said a dad. You’re not trying to control her, are you?”

“Of course not. I just want to know she’s safe.”

“Exactly. She’ll adjust. Give her time. When do you see the team doctor?”

Tyler wanted to laugh at how easily Gabriella made it okay for him to be worried about his sister, without making him feel like a total ass about it.

“Tomorrow. I’ve got a full day with the trainers, too.”

“Oh, that’s great. So, if you’re going to work with the team trainers, is there a specific reason you can’t stay and finish out your therapy there?”

“I could, I suppose. The higher-ups approved my current training schedule.” Was she ready to be rid of him? “I’d rather stick with the plan in place, unless you have any objections?”

“No. No objections.”

He relaxed. “Good. Because I’ve got a great idea. I promised to take you to a game. How does your schedule look for Friday?”

“Friday?” She hesitated. Tyler could almost see her delicate brows pinch together as she checked her calendar. “I’ve got a couple of clients early in the day. What time is the game? The ballpark is only about twenty minutes away.”

“I was thinking a little bigger than that. Texas is playing a home series in Arlington this weekend. I’ll make all the arrangements, so all you’d need to do is show up for the flight with an overnight bag. With any luck, I can get a flight that lands around the same time so we can meet up at the airport. Then we can rent a car and head to the park from there. What’dya say, gorgeous? Wanna meet me in Dallas for the game Friday night?”

“How does this work into your training plan?”

“You’re my therapist, right? I’ll let you work me over after the game.”

“Hmm, I bet you will. I couldn’t leave until after one.”

“There’s a regular schedule of flights from Little Rock to Dallas. Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I don’t know. It sounds like an expensive trip just to see a baseball game.”

“Let me worry about the cost. Call me old-fashioned, but when I invite a woman on a date, I expect to pay.”

“Even if the date includes airfare, rental car, and hotel stay?”

“Even if.” He dropped his head to the back of the couch. “Come on, Gabriella. It’ll be fun. Although after two nights without you, I’ll be counting down the minutes until I can get you alone. I’ll be praying they don’t go into extra innings.”

“I’m sure you have women lined up to share your bed. You couldn’t possibly miss me that much.”

Stunned, Tyler shook his head. “Where did that come from?”

He sensed her shrug. “Nowhere in particular. Just trying to keep perspective.”

“Is that what you want?” It sure as hell wasn’t what he wanted. “You want me to fuck some other woman?” His muscles tensed, ready to fight. “Or is there someone you’d rather share your bed with?” The thought of another man touching her made him want to pummel something.

“No. That’s not what I meant at all, Tyler.” For once, her reasonable tone didn’t make him feel better. “I certainly don’t intend to have sex with anyone else while we’re … whatever we’re doing. Hanging out. But I can’t expect you to do the same. What we have doesn’t lend to making claims on each other.”

The pressure on his chest eased. She didn’t want to be with anyone else. What that meant for the two of them, he didn’t know. “Maybe it should.”

She sucked in a breath. “What’re you saying?”

He wiped a hand over his mouth. What was he saying? His life was complicated enough right now. Adding a long-distance relationship into the mix didn’t seem the wisest course of action. And Gabriella seemed intent on holding him to their agreement to keep things light. Still, he needed to set the record straight.

“I’m saying I have no interest in having sex with anyone else. As long as we’re together, you’re the only woman in my bed, got it? I know you’ve been burned before. I know you don’t have any reason to, but you can trust me.”

“Okay.”

He wasn’t convinced she believed him. He dropped his forearm to cover his eyes, regretting, for the first time in his life, all the bed-hopping he’d done. “Say you’ll meet me in Dallas, Gabriella. Please.”

“I’ll meet you in Dallas.”

Yes! He jerked a fist in victory. “Thank you. I swear we’ll have a great time. There are some great malls in Dallas, too. If you wanted to stay the whole weekend, we could do some shopping.” He hated to shop, but he’d never known a woman who would turn down the opportunity.

“I can’t think of anything I need. I’m not much of a shopper.”

Until Gabriella. Damn, the woman constantly surprised him.

“I’ll book the hotel until Sunday anyway, if that’s all right with you. If you don’t want to shop, there are other things we can do.”

“Sunday sounds great. What other things do you have in mind?”

Where to start?

“We could go to a movie.” He hadn’t taken a girl to the movies since high school.

“Uh-huh.” Her breathy response narrowed his eyes. “What else?”

“Where are you right now?” He ran a hand down his stomach, halting before he reached his junk. Damn it. His sister was in the other room.

“In the office. I was catching up on some paperwork when you called.”

Tyler stood. “Go to the bedroom.”

He heard rustling in the background. “And what am I going to do there?”

He strode toward his own room. Once inside, he shut and locked the door. “I have a theory I’d like to test. Call it a preview to other things.”

He stretched out on the bed, wishing he could touch her. She’d have to do it for him … and give him every last detail.

“I’m listening.”

“Oh no, gorgeous.” He popped the button on his shorts and slid down the zipper. “I’m gonna need your voice for this.”