She stands on her tiptoes and grins. “I can’t have you back, Cole. I never gave you up in the first place.”

I pick her up, making her squeal. Then I sit her on top of her desk.

“Don’t mess up my stuff,” she says, laughing.

I lean my forehead against hers. “I’m your boss now. I can do what I want.”

She smacks my shoulder.

“I meant it when I told you that I love you,” I whisper. “I love you, Palmer Clark.”

“And I love you, Cole Beck.”

I pull her close to me again, needing to feel her heartbeat against mine.

This is better than any baseball game I’ve ever played in, better than any home run or grand slam in the biggest games of my career. This, right here, holding my girl, is it. It’s what I’ve always been looking for.

It’s the sweet spot.

And I’m never letting her go.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE PALMER

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

PALMER

Burt’s face . . .” I giggle as Cole drives me home. “At least we were clothed, I guess.”

Cole snickers at the memory of Burt walking in with me sitting on my desk and Cole standing between my legs, kissing the hell out of me. He reaches across the console of my car and squeezes my thigh. “I need you unclothed as soon as humanly possible.”

My blood heats, and it’s hard not to undress in the passenger’s seat and climb on top of him while we’re going down the road.

“Is that what this is now?” I ask. “You think you can just undress me at any time?”

“You’re damn right I do.”

I lean back in my seat as his hand goes up my thigh.

Cole spent the entire afternoon at the office. Kirk ended up coming in for a few minutes while Charlotte was with her nurse and used that opportunity to tell the shop guys about Cole’s purchase. They took the news well. Burt walked Cole around the yard after Kirk left, and I think they had a bonding moment over stale doughnuts.

“We have some things to figure out, though,” he says, removing his palm from my leg.

“Like what?”

“Well . . .” He exhales. “Where do we live, for one?”

“What do you mean, ‘Where do we live’? You know where I live.”

Then it hits me. He wants to live together.

Butterflies take flight in my stomach, and I fight to keep them under control before I start dancing in my seat.

He glances at me out of the corner of his eye and grins.

“I know you’re Mr. Moneybags and all,” I say, laughing, “but I actually really like my house. Hey, by the way, do you own it now too?”

Cole chuckles. “Actually, I do. Or I will. It was a package deal.”

I roll my eyes at his amusement.