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I sighed as he moved up my body placing kisses across my back, tracing his tongue up my spine and leaving soft wet kisses across my shoulders. When he reached my neck I couldn’t help the soft moans that escaped as he pressed himself hard against me.

“I’d started to think I’d made you up,” he said, his mouth warm against my ear, as he continued to kiss my throat, sucking the sensitive skin below my ear. “I thought I’d imagined you, these soft sighs, this sweet taste. But now I feel you. Now I know you are real.”

His words were my own. And I couldn’t believe that we were on the same page. It hardly seemed possible. Only it was. And as he turned me to my back and pulled the simple white cotton from my body I knew that I’d break all of my rules for him. As he sunk into me, my name falling from his lips, I knew that for him I’d take the risk. When it came to him, I didn’t have any other choice.

“I ALMOST TALKED
myself out of coming here,” Keaton said absently as I lay tangled around him, my head against his chest as he drew soft pathways across my back.

“I’m glad you did,” I said.

"I hate that you left me without a goodbye." He pressed a kiss to the top of my head, taking some of the sting out of his words.

"I know."

"Do you want to tell me why?" he asked.

I shrugged, "It was just easier. I didn't think I could hold up my end of the bargain," I admitted.

"And what was that exactly?" he asked.

I sighed. I didn't want to admit it out loud. "Leaving you was hard and I didn't want you to think I was trying to change the rules."

"You’re the one who made the rules, Quinn, not me," he pointed out.

"I know," I said.

"I would have changed them. I would have liked to talk about it at least. When I came out and found your note I felt cheated. I didn't like it." His words caused a lump to form in my throat and I worked to swallow it down. I figured he'd be relieved when he came out and saw that I had gone.

"I'm sorry," I said softly.

He pulled me tight against him, "No, I get it. It's just walking away from you wasn't easy for me either."

"Is that why you are here now?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah. I guess I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain either," he said.

His words left me feeling warm. They had me wanting to find my back to my Keaton bubble, where I was perfectly happy to shut out everything that would bring me down from this high. I didn’t want to take time to question any of it. But I couldn’t quiet all of the questions.

I moved out of his grasp and sat up, crossing my legs beneath me. I wanted to see his face when I asked him the things that were weighing on my mind.

"So, what happens next?" I asked, hoping I sounded braver than I felt at asking such a direct question.

“I don’t know, what are you doing tomorrow?” he asked casually, folding his arms behind his head and smiling that dazzling smile. God, he was beautiful. It threw me off my game.

“I’m actually going to a baseball game with my dad,” I said.

He frowned, “You have plans?” He looked so crestfallen that I couldn’t help but smile.

“You were planning on staying?” I asked, my hope starting to overtake my good sense.

“Maybe, if you let me,” he said.

In the space of a moment my heart wanted to make plans. Big plans. Then I stopped myself. “Wait. You’re distracting me. I had a question.”

"What happens next,” he said, reminding me.

That was it. I nodded.

“With us?" he clarified.

I nodded feeling the blush touch my cheeks. He moved to sit, mirroring my cross-legged pose. He took my hands into his and steadied his gaze on mine.

“I don't want to leave here and not see you again. In fact, I’m pretty sure I want to talk to you every day. I’m going to want to know what you’re doing and ask you how your day was. I want to find time to kiss you and worship your body on a regular basis. I'm not okay with leaving us in the past," he said.

"Okay," I breathed as my mind wrapped around his words, putting them away safely so I could replay them later in vivid detail.

"Does that work for you?" he asked. His stare left my breathing a little shallow.

"I think . . . I think I need to be really honest with you," I started. I watched as he took a deep steadying breath, bracing himself for what I would say next. That made me smile. I liked the idea that he felt a little bit nervous. Because I was nervous.

"I know I was okay with being casual back in San Francisco. It was fun and it was exciting, and I knew what I was in for, for the most part. But this is me in real life. And I know that if we continue down this road that I'm going to have real feelings for you. I already do. I'm going to get attached. So if you're looking for something casual, a girl that you can call periodically for a random hook up, I don't think I'm up for it. So, if that's the case, I get it. I'll still be really glad that you showed up at my door and that we had this night, but I won't -- I can't--." I started to stumble over my words, not sure how to say what I was feeling.

I watched as the smile overtook his face and he leaned towards me, his hands leaving mine as he cupped my face, his long fingers brushing across my cheeks.

"Quinn," he said his voice silencing my speech for good. "I don't want to do random with you."

"You don't?" I asked.

"No," he smiled, his body closing the small space between us, his mouth brushing against mine.

"Good."

"So, it’s settled, I’m going to stay. And I'm going to wake up beside you in the morning and you’re going to let me go watch baseball with you and your dad,” he said. I smiled, nodding. I liked the idea of taking him with me tomorrow. “But, right now, I'm going to make you come with my mouth," he smiled as he pushed me down to my back.

"Okay," I said with a giggle, a giggle that quickly vanished into a sigh as his warm mouth began to kiss its way down my skin.

DAYLIGHT CAME AND
with it, my new reality with Keaton finally started to sink in. It's funny how morning can give things a whole new perspective. It felt like a new beginning, with him still wrapped up in my sheets, staring at me with sleepy eyes and a boyish smile. He was here, in my bed, in my world and the smile that found my lips threatened to stick around permanently.

"Ready for game day?" I asked him as I snuggled against his warm body. He instantly tucked me in closer to his side.

"Ready to spend the day with you. I've missed you. I don't do well with the missing thing," he said. I smiled bigger.

"Well, I know you are a Yankee's fan, but today you are Royal blue," I teased, running my fingers along his naked torso.

"You think your dad will like me?" he asked quietly.

"Depends on if you tell him you're a Yankee's fan," I teased. He laughed and the vibrations echoed in my ear.

"I'll remember that," he said.

I SHOWERED WHILE
Keaton left to grab some clothes from his hotel. Images of the night before played in my mind on a highlight reel, like a romantic movie trailer. I was back to living someone else's life, sliding into the skin of the other version of me.

When I was around Keaton I felt a fire inside. It made me feel alive and daring. It was new, but it was empowering. It was like that shy girl, the careful one who had always taken a back seat or questioned every choice from the sidelines was suddenly willing to step forward and be heard. It wasn’t that he made me different. It wasn’t even that he gave me courage. It was something more than that, something unspoken, natural, effortless. It opened me up to possibility. I hadn’t even realized it until he’d come back.

We weren’t taking a normal path. We weren’t a typical story. But I was starting to realize that I liked it, because it was ours.

I was nervous about introducing him to my family. I’d never told them about meeting him, so I knew they'd be shocked when I suddenly brought him home out of the blue.

I heard a soft tap on the bathroom door as it opened. "I'm back and I brought breakfast. Need some company?" Keaton asked.

"You could join me, but I'm pretty sure neither of us will make the game if you do. I mean, I'm fine with missing it, but if you want my dad to like you, you won't come between him and his Royals," I pointed out.

He seemed to think about it before moving the shower curtain. "Shit, I really wanted him to like me, but now I'm thinking I should just risk it." He reached his hand into the shower and tugged my arm so that I was closer to the edge. "Kiss me," he demanded. I laughed and obliged his request. How could I not? Kissing him was heaven.

I pulled back and pointed to the door. "That's enough; now go eat your breakfast. I'll be out in a minute. Make me some coffee," I suggested.

"Only if you tip the barista," he smiled, walking backwards to the door.

"We'll see how good the coffee is."

"Oh, it will be good. Best damn coffee you've ever had," he shot back playfully. I laughed and shut the curtain.

I finished washing my hair and shaving my legs. With Keaton here I put a little more effort into my morning routine. I was looking forward to him touching me later. I smiled at the thought. Keaton Harris was in my kitchen. It still took me by surprise. I'd never thought he would end up on my doorstep. Ever. But the moment I saw him, it was like all of the doubts I'd been wrestling with, had disappeared.

The sight of him standing there in the pouring rain was burned into my memory. I've never seen a rain-soaked man look so devastatingly handsome. Last night had been a turning point. Not just for us, but for me. Keaton made me want to be brave; he made me want to jump in without trying to reason it out. Maybe it was dangerous and reckless, but I wanted to be dangerous and reckless with him. I wanted to live on the edge. I wanted to jump right over it.

I knew I was getting ahead of myself. The logical part of my brain was still there to warn me to slow down, to take it one day at a time, but excitement can drown out the voice of reason. And for once, I was glad that it could. Today I was taking Keaton to meet my family, sharing a part of me with him and I was excited to do it.

When I made it out to the kitchen Keaton was sitting at the bar sipping coffee and eating a bagel. He was wearing a pair of long white cargo shorts, a blue Royals jersey and a baseball cap. I smiled wide as I took him in from head to toe. He looked good in blue.

"Did you rob a sporting goods store?" I asked stepping up and kissing his cheek. He pulled me back when I started to step away and kissed me properly. I could taste the cream cheese on his tongue.

"I couldn't show up without the proper attire," he scoffed.

"Good call," I smiled pulling out a bagel from the bag.

"I left you a matching one on the bed. I got one for your dad too," he smiled, proud of himself.

"You did all of that this morning?" I asked.

He shrugged, "I told you I needed to go and get some clothes."

"Pulling out all the stops, huh?" I teased.

"I don't do anything halfway," he threw me a smirk and a suggestive glance and while I knew he was teasing me, it still sent a wave of flutters through my stomach and a heat across my skin. I'm pretty sure I blushed a little too, just from the memories that look brought back.