Page 18 of Home Run

“Should I open it now?”

“Whenever you fucking please,” he said with a smile.

I pulled at the ribbons, tore up the paper, and opened the box. Lying on top of blue tissue paper was a white card with a phone number.

“That’s my number. So you can call me,” he rasped.

For some reason I blushed. Physical intimacy was different than emotional intimacy and while I was very comfortable sharing my body with this man, the relationship part had me all a flutter. “Thank you.”

“Keep going.”

I set the card carefully on the nightstand, then pulled open the tissue paper. Inside was a white t-shirt with a Mantas logo. On the back was the number 13 and Rhett’s last name. But it wasn’t some regular shirt from the team store. This one was individually made. It had bicycles with my team colors woven through the numbers.

“It’s something all the wives and girlfriends do for each other on the team.”

I blinked at it a few times, my flutters multiplying into a stampede of butterflies. Girlfriend. The word made me feel…it made me feel good. “What if I’d told you I didn’t want to see you again?”

He sipped his coffee, eyes locked on me. “I guess the real Christmas miracle is that a woman named Hope made Rhett Ryan hopeful.”

A full blush heated my skin.

“There’s more.” He nodded back to the box.

When I peered inside I saw a smaller box. The kind jewelry usually came in. “You shouldn’t have.”

“Why not? It’s Christmas and I make a stupid amount of money playing a game. It’s nothing crazy. I just noticed you seem to have a thing for earrings.”

Instinctively I touched my ear, then opened the box to find a simple but pretty pair of diamond earrings. “Thank you, Rhett. This is very thoughtful.” Like, crazy thoughtful. We spent a few hours together and yet somehow he noticed this detail. “Earrings always made me feel pretty, even after five hours of sweaty cycling. I guess they became my thing when I was a teenager. A way of bringing some glam to my uniform.”

He cocked his head to the side, his eyes tracing my features. “It suits you.”

“I didn’t get you anything.” How did I not think to get him something? Oh, that’s right. I was so convinced he wouldn’t show that I didn’t plan for the eventuality that he would.

Bad planning on my part. And oddly pessimistic for me.

“I don’t need anything, gorgeous. The only thing I really wanted for Christmas was you, and I’ve enjoyed that gift very much indeed.”

I shoved the wrappings and box aside and jumped out of bed with the urge to kiss Rhett senseless. His eyes widened with surprise and he just barely had time to place his coffee on the table before I was in his lap, straddling his waist, my arms around his neck as I kissed him. “I got gifts I didn’t even know I needed.” His chin was scratchy now but I didn’t care. I ran my finger along his jaw and took his chin between my finger and thumb. “Merry Christmas, Rhett.”

“Merry Christmas, Hope. Now,” he nodded with his chin, my fingers slipping away, “get your ass back in that bed. The day has only just started.”

9

Our off seasons took place at almost exactly the same times, which meant we got to spend two whole months together. It was like one long vacation that started at my house. I spent very little time there but it was my oasis to come back to whenever I had the time. Logically, I should rent it out when I was gone for weeks or months, but I spent so much time living out of hotel rooms that I couldn’t bring myself to do it, to share it with anyone else.

I didn’t know what I expected when we got to Rhett’s house in St. Pete, but it wasn’t a near copy of my own. His house was bigger—it had two more bedrooms and bathrooms than mine—and a better pool. But the focus of both our homes was the same: a killer open kitchen and large workout room.

“You need better cycling options.” I moved between a weight rack and a treadmill. “But other than that,” I whistled, “nice place.”

“Yeah well, I don’t like people, so I have to make sure my house is where I want to be. Or where I want to let other people be.”

After spending four hours in the car we ordered takeout and took a shower together. Rhett had a really nice shower. He also had a sauna on the back porch I was really excited to try out later. I was a big fan of the healing properties of heat.

Rhett came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder. “You know, I don’t think I’ll ever look at a pool and not think of you.”

I spun in his arms and threw mine around his neck. “Well then my job here is done. Imprinting my wild ideas onto everything you look at is my highest priority.”

“Well then we should definitely have sex on the kitchen counter.”

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