Page 77 of Last Fall

Wasn’t it obvious? “I’m theseriousguy.”

“Serious and boring aren’t the samething.”

When you were the one constantly telling your friends to chill, your brothers to think before they leapt, it started to feel a heck of a lot like you were the killjoy in everyone’s life. “I don’t really have an answer for you. I’m not the wild one. I don’t do stunts. I don’t party allnight.”

“You also go dancing on a whim and stand naked for a woman to examine...forfun.”

“Not for fun. This is veryserious.”

“Oh.”

I turned slowly in a circle. “Ask me something else.Anything.”

“Why do you livewithSeth?”

Another one I didn’t see coming. “Uh...well, because I keep waiting for the team to realize they could have a better second baseman and send mebackdown.”

She scrunched up her face. “Um, yeah. That’s not going tohappen.”

“Marie keeps saying the samething.”

“Is it just because of the money or is it because you’relonely?”

Damn...“Both. When I got called up I was suddenly making enough to help put my sisters through college. Then they kept me and I was making even more. I helped Mom out, paid for everyone’s tuition. Then Jack got the coaching job with the Pythons and it wasn’t just me anymore. We bought Mom the house in the Keys. I know I can afford to buy my own place now, but I’m stuck in this habit of thinking I can’t.” And maybe in the end it was a good thing. Maybe I didn’t buy because I wasn’t ready. Maybe I was waiting for Zoe before I decided where my life wasgoingnext.

“Okay, then if you were to buy a house and put down roots here, where would you look? What kind of home does Erik Cassidy dream of atnight?”

“Babe,” I laughed, “I can honestly say I don’t dream about houses. That’s the other reason I’m still living with numb nuts. I’m too comfortable to care enough to start the process.” But if things kept going this way with Zoe, I’d be looking in a heartbeat just to get some privacy. “What about you? I know you don’t plan on living with June and Romanforever.”

“I don’t know,” she rolled to her side, propping her head up on her hand. “I care more about my writing space than anything. I need lots of bookshelves, a nice couch or chair, as few distractions aspossible...”

Her voicetrailedoff.

“Do you plan on staying inTampa?”

Her eyes flicked up to mine. “Yes. My lifeishere.”

“Ask mesomethingelse.”

Her eyes did that thing again. They got all big and dark, like she was turned on. “We know you’re a Bear in the streets, but what are you in thesheets?”

She was being playful and serious at the same time, so I decided to have a little fun with the answer. “A bull, a stallion, afuckinggod.”

She shivered. “A god? Well then...I guess I should prepare to beamazed.”

Amazed? Okay, maybe I’d gone a bit too far. There was confidence and then there were unrealistic expectations. I wanted to keep things closer to confidence. I sat on the edge of the bed because the distance didn’t feel necessary anymore. “I’m not a bear in the bedroom unless you ask me to be one. I think what I like about you so much, what’salwaysattracted me to you, is that I’ve never felt like I had to be that guyaroundyou.”

She stared upatme.

And stared. With these big green, gorgeous,owleyes.

“Erik,” she paused, pink lips slightly parted and begging to be kissed, “that’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard. It’s the kind of thing I’d have myherosay.”

“That’s what I told you last night. Your books are more real than your past. I’m your hero, Darlin’. And you,” I moved onto the bed, over her, hovered near those damn lips, “are mine. I’ve been waiting a long time to make thisstoryreal.”

It was a really good sign that she didn’t flinch away or hesitate. It was all very natural the way she smiled up at me, the way she ran her hands over my shoulders and behind my neck, the way she pulled me closer forakiss.

I eased my weight down onto her and sankintoit.