I had cheered out loud during that last hit, almost rising out of my seat. Cade was unstoppable tonight. I wasn't surprised he had made such a big splash. My father had been right to pay up for him, untested or not. He had arms of steel.

By tomorrow, everyone on Earth would know his name.

I rubbed my belly and wondered if our unborn child would have his talent with sports or mine with numbers. If they would be as curious as me or as arrogant as their father. I almost hoped so.

I definitely hoped they had his way with words.

I sighed, leaning back on the window seat I was curled up in. I had a cup of tea beside me. Something called rooibos that was supposed to be good for the baby. I was surrounded by the baby books I'd picked up on the ride out. I had a lot to learn but I was determined to do everything right.

I wasn't scared though. I knew I was going to take good care of this baby no matter what. At the moment I was warm and fed and sleepy.

I wasn't scared anymore.

I was hopeful.

Uzuri was stretched out beside me. I scratched behind her ears and was rewarded with a purr so loud it made the window rattle. That was my girl.

She never did anything in half measures.

"He did good tonight, didn't he?"

She lazily closed her eyes, blinking at me. Her tail curled around my wrist. I smiled.

"We'll see what he has to say for himself tomorrow, yes?"

I shut my book and let myself doze. It was pitch dark out when I woke up. At first I didn't know where I was. I had a moment of panic, before I remembered.

Cade. The groupies. Flying home. Then the test and driving out east…

The beach. My tears. The game.

Falling asleep in the window seat in my bedroom.

I was about to stand up when I heard it. A furtive rustling in the bushes outside. Too big to be an animal.

I stared out my bedroom window. The staff had gone for the day. It might be a deer…

The rustling came again. It was something big and clumsy. Definitely not a deer. And we didn't get bears in this part of the Hamptons.

Someone was outside.

I felt my heart beating as I reached for my phone. I was about to dial 911 when I heard the familiar voice outside, hissing in a loud stage whisper.

"Camille!"

Cade. It was Cade. He'd found me. And driven out here in the middle of the night right after the game. Now he was flailing around in the dark, risking injury.

I almost laughed. I almost told him to come inside. I almost told him I loved him.

Instead I rolled my eyes.

"For the love of God…"

I gave Uzuri a look while she cleaned herself. She glanced at me in her sleepy eyed way as if to say 'what did you expect from a man?'

What indeed.

I stood up and tightened my bathrobe. I glanced in the mirror to make sure I lookd alright. Then I opened the window.

"Follow the light to the front door."

I slipped my feet into my fluffy bunny slippers and shuffled downstairs.

I was wide-awake by the time I opened the door. I realized Cade wasn't used to seeing me with puffy eyes and messy hair. I doubted he'd imagined this when he drove all the way out here.

But at the moment I didn't care.

I just wanted to hear what he had to say for himself.

"Camille…"

His face was so sweet as he took me in, his eyes eating me up. Almost like he thought pajamas and fuzzy slippers were the sexiest thing in the world.

"Come inside, Cade."

I stood back to let him in and closed the door behind him, flipping the lock. I led him into the living room and sat down, crossing my arms over my chest. I was still mad at him. And I definitely didn't want him to see how much I'd missed him.

Not yet anyway.

"You know, there are snakes out there. And ticks. And spiders. You shouldn't be sneaking around like that."

He shrugged, clearly not concerned by the creepy crawlies.

"I was trying to break in."

I choked back a laugh. He was unapologetic, I had to give him that.

"Why?"

"You ran off on me Camille! What the hell was I supposed to do?"

I raised an eyebrow. It was now or never. Time to call his bluff.

"Give me a break, Cade. You have plenty of other women to fill my shoes."

His jaw literally dropped. I had to admit, that was gratifying.

"What are you talking about?"

I shrugged.

"The groupies. I know you have other women on rotation."

"No, I don't."

I sighed. This was the hard part. We might as well get it over with. Then I'd decide whether or not to tell him about the baby tonight or make him wait.

Whether he deserved to know or not.

I'd have to tell him eventually of course. But if he wasn't going to be in my life, he could wait until the baby was born to be in the its life. I'd have a nanny do the pass off if he wanted to have visits.

I would not put myself through the torment of seeing him week after week, year after year.

"Cade. I heard them talking about you. They were comparing notes."

"You heard- what?"

He looked confused. Maybe he didn't realize that women kissed and told the way men did. Actually, some women were worse than men with their locker room talk.

I'd certainly told my hair stylist some secrets over the years. Phillipe loved hearing dirty little secrets. But this wasn't light gossip. This was my life.

"The groupies outside the field. They said at least one had slept with you just the other night."

He stared at me. He looked shocked. He looked stupefied.

"Wait. You're… jealous?"

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Absolutely not. I just do not want to be made a fool of. I don't believe in cheating."

He started to grin.

"You're jealous! Cami, you had me worried. I thought you had run off with that slimy fellow we met at the club."

"Jason?"

He slapped his knee.

"I thought I lost you but you were just jealous! If that don't beat all."

He stopped smiling and leaned forward. He shook his finger at me like I was a bad little girl. It was ridiculous! What was he so happy about?

"If you ever do that to me again, you won't be able to sit down for a week."

I stood up and backed away from him.

"Cade, I did not say I was okay with you sleeping around like that. I gave you your freedom. Go- enjoy it. Without me!"

I made a waving gesture with my hand. He reached out and grabbed at me but I skipped out of his reach. He growled and kept coming.

"I don't want my damn freedom. I want you."

He advanced on me, until I was backed up to the stairs.

"Cade-"

"You listen to me Cami. I haven't slept with anyone since the moment I laid eyes on you, woman!"

He tilted his head to the side, looking at the ceiling.

"Before that actually. It's been awhile. It's hard to get laid on a rig. Even for me. I was pretty pent up to be honest."

He grinned at me wolfishly.

"Or couldn't you tell?"

"I heard them Cade! Why would they lie?"

"I don't know and I don't care. I choose who I take to my bed. I don't just take scraps that get thrown my way. I want prime rib."

I was about to protest being compared to steak when his words started to sink in. He was staring at me intensely, trying to make me believe him. And suddenly, I did.

"I chose you."

I swallowed, suddenly feeling like I'd miscalculated. Cade looked angry. And he had a right to be. I had jumped to a pretty big conclusion without even talking to him about it first.

"I'm sorry then. I should have asked you."

I took a step up the stairs.

"Hell yes, you should have! Instead you worried me for no damn reason!"

He stepped towards me.

"And you deprived me of my manly rights."

"Manly… rights?"

I took another step back. He reached out and grabbed me.

"You are going to make it up to me. Right now."

I nodded. I didn't know what I was agreeing to. But he was being very persuasive.

One thing I knew for sure though, he was telling me the truth.

He hadn't been with any of those women.

And he didn't plan to be.

I was smiling as he lifted me, carrying me up the stairs. His big feet made a racket as he thudded up the steps. I wrapped my fingers around the back of his neck, staring up at him.

He looked grim. His gorgeous face was serious. Extremely determined.

But I knew that he was mine.