He’s Not My Type

She’s so beautiful.

Just look at her face. Those eyes, they fucking slice right through me. The light freckles on her nose give her a look of whimsy. Those lips, they’re so sweet and innocent but also sinful and dangerous.

And she’s mine.

Even though it’s all I’ve wanted from the moment I met her, it’s settling in and now I’m terrified.

Why, you ask?

Because I wanted to share this night with someone. I wanted to tell my parents about how goddamn lucky I am to have taken Blakely out. I wanted to send them the picture Blakely and I took on the aquabus. I wanted to be able to brag about the girl in my arms. I wish I could call Holden, Hayden, or my parents, and find a time for them to meet my girl.

And sure, I have my boys, and they’d be ecstatic for me, but there’s the pain that I feel deep in my soul that reminds me every day that I don’t have the one person in my life I could have shared every detail with. And he’d have sat there and listened. He’d have called me a douche at times or made fun of me for liking a fucking lemon square, but in the end, he would have been proud of me and smiled.

I don’t have that, and knowing I don’t have that has messed with my head.

It’s reminded me that having a shred of that comfort back is a possibility, but someone has to break the tension. Someone has to make that first move and, despite feeling so fucking sick over it, I know it needs to be me.

“Halsey.” Blakely runs her finger over my jaw. “Talk to me.”

I run my hand over her lower back, rounding her ass, then up her spine. It’s slow, and it’s comforting. It confirms she’s here with me now, and she has no intention of leaving.

“Tonight was everything I could have asked for,” I say. “When I say I’ve dreamed of this night for so long, I’m not fucking kidding. I’d lie here in my bed and think about what I’d do with you. Where I’d take you on our first date. What I’d say. And then it happened, and I feel so fucking euphoric, like I’m soaking in a high that I never want to end.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

I shake my head. “It’s not. Nothing about tonight was bad. It was perfect. You’re perfect.” I smooth her hair behind her ear. “And that’s what’s killing me because I want to shout to everyone that I’m the luckiest motherfucker ever.” I pause and then say, “When we got home, do you know what my initial instinct was?”

“What?” she asks.

“To call Holden. When you went to your room, I sat and stared at my phone, wondering if I texted him if he’d respond. I wanted to tell him that I took out my dream girl, and how it was so fucking perfect. But I knew he wouldn’t respond. That’s when I thought about my parents and Hayden. I would have texted them in the past, but I knew that wasn’t an option and it made me realize, I need to mend those relationships. If I don’t, it will sit on my chest and then at some point, it might hurt our relationship, and I will not let that happen.”

I press my hand to her cheek.

“You’re it for me, Blakely. This is it. I want nothing else and I want to do everything I can to make sure this relationship goes the distance.”

She gently smiles as she leans down and presses a soft, whisper-like kiss to my lips.

“No one has ever talked to me like that before,” she says.

“Does it overwhelm you?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “It doesn’t. It makes me feel secure, cherished, and wanted. And not to bring up Perry, but I think that’s where the difference is when it came to my feelings for him. In some senses, we were so young when we first got together. Everything was fun, and then over time, it wasn’t. We didn’t grow with the relationship. I’ve thought a lot about this since he left. It wasn’t actually that hard to let him go. And that showed me that our relationship wasn’t as strong as I had thought it was. We wouldn’t have gone the distance.”

She smooths her palm over my heart. I can’t say I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve wondered if I was a rebound, but I don’t think I am now.

“But the connection we have? It’s why I was so scared at first to be with you. This bond we have seemed so innate. Intense. It’s real and it’s honest, and it’s so much more than just a fuck at night. Does that make sense?”

“It does,” I say. “Because I feel the same way.”

“Then don’t feel immediate pressure to make things right with your family. You do that when you’re ready. Remember that it’s a two-way street here. It’s not just up to you. But also, don’t think you need to do it because of me or that you won’t be healthy enough to be with me until you do. I care about you, Halsey. I want you as is, right now, in this very moment.”

I wet my lips as my eyes stay connected on hers. “Thank you, Blakely.”

She presses a kiss to my lips before saying, “No need to thank me, just keep holding me.”

“Easy,” I say as I roll her to her back and shift her legs open with my knee. She raises a brow right before I kiss down her body and keep going south so I can show her exactly how much she means to me.

“PENNY, YOU’RE STARING AGAIN,” Blakely says.

“What? No, I’m not.” She lifts her menu in front of her face, blocking us from view.

Blakely reaches across the table and tugs down the menu to reveal her friend. “Yes, you are.”

Penny tosses her hands up in the air and says, “Fine, okay, I was staring, but how can I not? Eli is staring too.”

“No, I’m not,” he says. “I’m trying to decide whether I want soup and a salad or a hearty sandwich.”

“Go with the sandwich, man,” I say as I drape my arm over Blakely and she leans into me.

Blakely asked me this morning if I’d go to lunch with Penny and Eli because Penny was—as she put it—“frothing at the mouth” to see us together. It was an easy yes for me because any time spent with Blakely is a win, even if that means it feels like we’re sitting in a fishbowl as her best friend watches our every move.

“Can’t a girl just be excited for her friend?” Penny asks.

“A girl can be excited for her friend, but a friend can also be a creepy stalker who won’t stop staring.”

“Uh, because I’m in awe,” Penny replies. “I’ve never seen anyone manifest anything as hard as Halsey did. I mean, look at you both. He has his arm wrapped around you, you’re all cuddled in close, you both have smiles on your faces, and there’s a tiny bite mark on your neck that you forgot to cover up.” Blakely presses her hand to her neck. I saw the bite mark before we left and said nothing because I like people to know that she’s taken. “It’s so sweet and so amazing that I’m just sitting here in wonderment. So yeah, I’m going to stare. And Eli is going to stare.”

“But I’m not staring.”

Penny swats at her man. “Eli, stare.”

“Oh, right.” He clears his throat and looks up at us. He knits his brows together as he stares hard.

“Dude, she means look at us, not try to blow us up with the force.”

Penny glances up at Eli and then smooths out his brow. “Don’t be a creep about it, Eli.”

“I don’t know how to stare. This is weird.”

“What’s weird is that you’re not as fascinated as I am about this development. You were there for the journey.” She motions to us. “Marvel at the result.”

Eli looks between us and Penny, utter confusion written all over him. “I don’t know what to do here. I’m extremely uncomfortable. Do you want me to clap?”

“Yes,” I say before Penny can say anything. “Clap for us, Eli.”

He lifts his hands above the table, hesitant, only for Penny to swat his hands down. “Don’t clap for them, that would make this weird.”

“Jesus fuck, this whole thing is weird.” Eli pulls on his hair. When he hears me chuckle, he points and says, “You’re an asshole.”

“How about this,” Blakely says. “We start a conversation that doesn’t make anyone uncomfortable? How about how the season is going?”

Eli shakes his head. “Nah, the last thing I want to do is talk about hockey. How about we discuss Valentine’s Day.”

“Very subtle,” Penny says with an eye roll. “You mean your birthday?”

“Well, can’t a guy discuss what he wants to do? We have the night off.”

“Do you want a party?” Blakely asks.

He shakes his head. “No, I want Penny’s parents to take Holden and Penny to take me in—”

Penny clamps her hand over Eli’s mouth and says, “Say that out loud and I won’t be taking you anywhere.”

He smiles against her hand and in a muffled voice, he says, “Good to know.”

Penny then turns to us and folds her hands together as she asks, “Are you two going to be each other’s valentines?”

“Yes,” I answer as Blakely says, “We haven’t discussed it.”

Question in my brow, I look at her and ask, “Planning on being someone else’s valentine?”

“No,” she answers. “Just didn’t want to put any pressure on you. Perry often worked on Valentine’s Day. He’d always escape early so we did something, but I never pressured him to do anything.”

“Pressure me all you want,” I say. “I want to know what you want, how you want it, and when you want it. If you desire a valentine’s celebration, it’s yours, baby.”

“Oh my God.” Penny clutches her chest. “He calls you baby.” She swats at Eli. “Did you hear that? He calls her baby.”

“Ouch,” Eli says, rubbing his arm. “I have ears, Penny.”

Ignoring them, I say, “Then let’s celebrate. I’d love to be your valentine.”

I lift her chin and press a delicate kiss to her lips. “Good.”

“HOW’S THE ANKLE?” Posey asks as he comes into the ice room where I’m nursing my ankle in an ice bath.

“Good,” I say, studying the heavy set in his shoulders and the irritated pull in his expression. “How’s everything with you?”

“Great,” he says, offering me a fake smile.

“You sure? Because it seems like—”

“I said everything is great,” he grunts before taking his shirt off as well as his shorts, leaving him in nothing but his boxer briefs. He submerges himself up to the neck into one of the ice baths and breathes heavily as he lets his body adjust to the cold.

“Sore?” I ask him.

“Something like that.”

I think back to the text conversation we had and I wonder if the girl OC was talking about has anything to do with his mood. Because he’s been so invasive with my personal life, I decide to insert myself into his.

“Want to tell me about the girl?”

“There is no girl,” he says.

“Says the guy icing his dick.”

He glances over at me. “I’m not icing my dick.”

“Then what are you icing?”

“My ego,” he mutters.

“Care to share?”

“No,” he says as he blows out a heavy breath. “I’m assuming everything’s great with you and Blakely? You’re welcome by the way.”

Seeing that he’s riding the bitter train, I decide to throw him a bone. “Thank you, Posey. Yes, everything’s good with us.”

“Better be your best man at your wedding. If it’s Eli, I’m going to fucking scream.”

“You’re getting ahead of yourself.”

“You’re telling me you haven’t thought about buying that girl a ring?” he asks, a knowing tilt to his head.

“I thought about buying her a ring the day I met her,” I answer. “But I need to make sure she’s ready, so cool it on the marriage talk.”

“Well, someone needs to get fucking married. All of you have girls but no one’s set a date.”

“Why the rush?” I ask.

“Because . . . good things happen at weddings. Look at you. You started hitting it off with Blakely at a wedding. I need a fucking wedding.”

“Dude—”

He holds up his hand. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay . . .” I pause and then ask, “Do you have a valentine?”

His eyes narrow. “I really hate you.”

“DOES IT HURT?” Blakely asks as she sits on my lap while she gently traces the gash I took to the head tonight.

“Not too bad,” I say.

Despite wearing a helmet, I took an elbow to the head, right above my eye. The hit was so hard, it split the skin and I had to get two stitches during the game.

“It looks disgusting.”

I chuckle. “Thanks.”

“Anytime.” She looks me in the eyes. “I didn’t like seeing you bleed. It made me sick to my stomach.”

I stroke her thigh with my warm palm. “I was okay.”

“I know, but it still sucks seeing it, you know?”

“Yeah, I get it. It’s a hazard of my job.”

“I guess so. Although, the black eye is kind of hot.”

“I don’t know what to think about that.”

She laughs. “Neither do I.” She rests her head to my shoulder and I hold her closely as we snuggle on my couch. “I hate that you’re leaving tomorrow.”

“Me too,” I say as I kiss the top of her head.

“Penny was telling me that she and Eli have FaceTime sex all the time.” She lifts up to meet my eyes. “Is that something you’re interested in?”

“I’m interested in anything you want to do,” I say.

“So . . . if I answered the phone wearing that lingerie you like so much, what would you do?”

“Start rubbing myself immediately,” I answer.

She smirks. “I like that answer. Can I ask you another thing?”

“You can ask me whatever you want,” I say as I pick up a strand of her hair and start twirling it.

“Do you ever watch porn?”

“What do you think the answer to that is?”

Mischievously she dances her fingers over my chest. “Yes.”

“You would be right. At the moment though, since you’ve been around, I haven’t needed it.”

“What did you like to watch?” she asks.

I shrug. “Didn’t matter. I don’t have a specific kink. Anything that would get me hard, really. Why . . . do you have something you like watching?”

She shakes her head, but I can tell she’s lying.

“We’re honest, right?” I ask her and she nods. “So tell me.”

“It’s embarrassing.”

“No, it’s not,” I say. “There is nothing embarrassing about getting turned on, it’s natural.”

She moves her teeth over her bottom lip before she says, “I really like watching guy-on-guy porn.”

“Really?” I ask, surprised. “Huh, I wouldn’t have guessed that.”

“There’s just something about it. I don’t know. Two dicks are better than one.”

My brow raises. “Well, just so you know, I don’t share. There will only be one dick in this relationship.”

She laughs. “Trust me, Halsey, you have enough dick in your pants for four men.”

“Good answer.”

She plays with the collar of my shirt. “Would you ever watch it with me?”

“Sure,” I say.

“Really?” she asks with a look of surprise.

“Yeah, why not? If you’re into that, then sure, babe.”

She shakes her head almost in disbelief. “Perry would never.”

“Good fucking thing I’m not Perry.”

“You certainly are not.”

HALSEY: I hate that I’m not there on your last day. I’d take you out to dinner to celebrate, then I’d eat you for dessert.

Blakely: Don’t freaking tease me, not after last night.

Halsey: Still thinking about it?

Blakely: Halsey Holmes, I will never stop thinking about it. My pussy is actually throbbing from thinking about it.

Halsey: Don’t make me hard on the plane.

Blakely: Don’t make me wet at work.

Halsey: If you’re wet, then slip two fingers against that delicious clit for me and taste yourself.

Blakely: Can you NOT sext me right now? I’m trying to write a wrap-up email for my boss to give to the new hire so they know everything they have to take over.

Halsey: You started it.

Blakely: How about this. I go to the bathroom and you go to the bathroom and we FaceTime so we can masturbate to each other?

Halsey: I’m in if you’re in.

Blakely: Oh my God, Halsey, I was kidding.

Halsey: Baby, don’t play with me. You know I’m up for anything. Last night proved that.

Blakely: Stop talking about LAST NIGHT!

Halsey: LOL. Never.

Blakely: Then I’m going to have to end this conversation.

Halsey: Is that what you really want to do?

Blakely: No.

Halsey: That’s what I thought. Is Penny doing anything special for your last day?

Blakely: Uh . . . why is there a bonsai tree being delivered to my office?

Halsey: Right on time.

Blakely: OMG, Halsey.

Halsey: Do you like her?

Blakely: There’s a bow in her leaves! Halsey, you did this for me?

Halsey: Just a little decoration for your home office. Probably not smart delivering it to work because you have to cart her home, but I wanted something special for you on your last day.

Blakely: I love her. Oh she’s a Chinese Elm bonsai. She’s so beautiful. Does she have a name?

Halsey: That’s up to you.

Blakely: Why am I getting so emotional over a freaking tree?

Halsey: Because you have the best fucking heart I know, and you care about things . . . even if they’re mini trees.

Blakely: I love her so much. I want to put her next to Sherman. Ooo, I should name her with an S name, you know, so they feel cool together. Kind of like how you and Holden did that.

Halsey: That brought a smile to my face. So let’s pick an S name. How about . . . Shonda after Shonda Rhimes. I know how much you loved Queen Charlotte.

Blakely: True, true, but I kind of want this little girl to be her own person, you know? To not have to live up to the name. Shonda gives her some big shoes to fill.

Halsey: I see that we’re going to overthink this. How about you toss out some names?

Blakely: Let’s see . . . Sylvie, Susanna, Shirley.

Halsey: Shirley is cute.

Blakely: Yeah, I agree and it goes so well with Sherman. OMG, they’re going to be the best of friends. Halsey, this was such a wonderful gift. Thank you.

Halsey: Hell, if I knew you were going to like Shirley so much, I would have waited to give her to you in person to see your reaction.

Blakely: [picture] Here’s a picture of me and her so you can at least have a sneak peek.

Halsey: Fuck, Blakely. You’re so beautiful.

Blakely: You SPOIL me.

Halsey: I just state the facts. Glad you’re mine.

Blakely: Glad you’re mine, too.

“HEY, YOU,” Blakely sleepily says into the phone.

I lie down on the hotel bed while I hold the phone up to my ear. “Were you sleeping?”

“Maybe a little.”

“Shit, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m on the couch. I should move into the bed, but I just hate when you’re not there. It’s so empty and cold.”

“You wearing my shirt?”

“Yes, but it doesn’t replace you.”

A smile tugs on my lips. “I miss you, too.”

She yawns into the phone and then asks, “Did you win?”

“We did. It was a good game, so you shouldn’t have fallen asleep.”

“I’ve struggled with sleeping, and I think my energy is drained from trying to make sure I’m doing everything right with the new job. I have to go to the office sometime next week when you’re there for away games.”

“Yeah?” I ask. “Maybe we can share a room?”

“Perhaps.” I can hear the smile in her voice.

“If we’re in the same city, we’re sharing a damn room.”

She chuckles. “Yeah, I agree with that. I didn’t know I’d become so dependent on you. How did you make that happen?”

“Just slowly needled my way in over a year and a half.”

“Well done, sir. Now I don’t sleep well without you. Look what you did to me.”

“Trust me, I don’t sleep well without you either.”

She sighs over the phone. “We’ve become that nauseating couple.”

“Best news I’ve ever heard,” I say.

She chuckles. “So were you asked any stupid questions after the game?”

“Like what?” I ask.

“Like . . . what cup size do you wear?”

“What?” I laugh. “I don’t think that’s ever asked.”

“Maybe not yet.”

“All right, Blakely, your fatigue is showing.”

“You might be right, but I don’t want to get off the phone, not yet.”

“Then get ready for bed and tell me about your day, but don’t ask me if reporters asked me my cup size.”

She laughs. “Why not? It’s an interesting question. The women want to know.”

“There should only be one woman who cares.”

“Oh Halsey, trust me when I say, there is more than one woman who cares. You should see the comments Penny has to filter through every time she posts about you.”

“Well, I only care about one woman.”

“This I know.” I sit up from the bed and go to the bathroom where I turn the phone on speaker and set it on the counter. “Are you getting ready for bed too?” she asks.

“Yeah. I’m fucking beat.”

“I should have given you a pair of my underwear to cuddle and sleep with.”

I chuckle as I line my toothbrush with toothpaste. “And with my luck, Posey comes charging into my room only to see me with your underwear around my head.”

“I’m sure he’s seen worse.”

Together we brush our teeth. After I spit and rinse, I say, “So tell me about your day. Anything fun happen?”

“No. Just training and learning about The Jock Report. I was thinking that I could play around on your profile a bit to learn it better.”

“I don’t have one.”

“You will tomorrow. I hope that’s okay.”

“Whatever you need, babe,” I say as I switch off the light and go into the bedroom where I lie down. “Just pick a good picture.”

“I have the perfect one in mind. It’s from that game where you won in the last second against The Freeze. The Agitators use it all the time. Very recognizable, great for branding.”

“Or maybe we don’t use that picture,” I say.

“Oh, you want to do a shirtless one? Maybe garner more donations?”

“No,” I say as I drag my hand over my face. “That, uh picture, the one that the Agitators use all the time? I hate it.”

“Why?” she asks in a curious tone.

“It’s from the night we lost Holden. Every time I see it, I’m reminded of what happened after that game.”

“Oh my God, Halsey, I had no idea. Does the team know that?”

“Obviously not. It’s an epic shot for Agitators’ history so I understand why they use it. It’s like the Bobbies using the picture of Carson Stone jumping on Knox Gentry’s back when they won the World Series. It’s iconic.”

“But if it causes you such difficult thoughts, maybe it’s something we can talk to Penny about.”

“Nah, it’s okay,” I say. “But for my personal stuff, I’d like to avoid it.”

“We will.” And to lighten the mood, she says, “I’m almost tempted to use a picture of you and me as the profile, you know, to make all the thirsty fans out there know that you’re off the market.”

“I’m cool with that.”

“I’m kidding,” she says. “Shirtless is what we have to do. Maybe a picture of you wiping the sweat from your forehead while you’re in your gear, you know, showing off some of your stacked abs. That would be hot.”

“I thought The Jock Report was a place where athletes can reach out to fans and tell their own stories.”

“It is. And the story I’d like to tell when it comes to you is that you’re extremely hot, have a god-like body, and are currently unavailable because you’re all mine.”

“Quite the story, I’ll buy into it.”

“And just another reason I like you so much. You go along with my craziness.”

“Anything to keep you happy.”

“Is that so?” she asks. “So what if I decided that I wanted to revisit the conversation we had a while back? You know, about the dick piercing. What if I said I wanted you to do that?”

“Get my dick pierced?” I ask. “If you want me to, I will.”

“Stop it. No, you wouldn’t.”

“Baby, you’ve seen how open I can be. What makes you think a dick piercing would stop me?”

“Oh my God, I’m wet all over again.”

“If that’s the case . . .” In a deep voice, I say, “Take off your clothes.”

“They’re already off.”

I smile as I move my hand down to my cock. “Mmm, such a good girl.”

“IS it crazy that I missed you this much?” Blakely’s straddling my lap on the balcony loveseat that I specifically picked out with the hopes that we’d use it together.

“No,” I answer as I smooth my hands over her ass.

“I shouldn’t be attached to you this quickly.”

“Why not?” I ask.

She sits back and plays with the hem of my shirt. “Because it just seems so sudden, doesn’t it?”

“For you, probably,” I answer. “For me?” I shake my head. “I’ve been attracted to you for a while, Blakely. But I understand where it might feel weird for you.”

“It’s not weird,” she says. “Just surprising. You always hear about people breaking up with their long-term boyfriend or girlfriend and how they needed to take like a year off from dating, and here I am, feeling so much more than I think I ever have only a couple months later.” I bet she has no idea how relieved I am to hear that.

“Just means I was made for you, and he wasn’t.”

She smiles at that. “I guess so.” She tugs on my shirt and I lift so she can take it off. She lays it on the couch next to me and brings her hands to my chest.

“Trying to make me hard?” I ask as the subtle music she chose plays in the background.

“Trying to get closer to you.” She chuckles and shakes her head.

“What?” I ask.

“Ugh, I’m such a harlot. I can’t get enough of your body.”

“Same,” I say as I slide my hands under her cotton shorts and grip her bare ass.

“But I don’t want to have sex right now. I want to ask you stupid questions.”

“Stupid questions?” I raise a brow.

“Yes, like . . . I want to know the benign things about you. I feel like I know you on a deeper level from the conversations we’ve had, but what about the stuff you’d put in your dating profile? I don’t know those things.”

“Well, I love having sex with Blakely would be something on my profile.”

She gives me a look. “If you like having sex with me there better not be a dating profile.”

“I’ve told you before, Blakely. I found what I’m looking for. I’m good.”

That brings a smile to her face as she leans forward and lightly kisses me.

When she pulls away, I continue, “But if you want to know the—as you call it—stupid stuff, I’d be more than happy to tell you whatever you want to know.”

“Okay . . . how about this? Why don’t we ask questions and for every question answered, we get to remove a piece of clothing.”

“I’m down,” I say. “You took my shirt off so I think I owe you an answer.”

“Good point.” She sits back on my lap as she asks, “What’s your favorite color?”

“Agitators purple,” I answer.

“Are you just saying that?”

I shake my head. “No. I really like the color. And I think I’ve seen it so much that I’ve become accustomed to it now.”

“Oh, that’s cute then. Okay, your turn. Ask me a question.”

“Who’s your celebrity crush . . . besides me?”

She rolls her eyes. “Uh, well, depends on the kind of mood I’m in. If I want someone big and burly, I really have a thing for The Rock.”

“Solid choice,” I say.

“But if I’m looking for someone on the smaller side but could still carry me around if I needed to be shuffled through a jungle like Tarzan and Jane—”

“A circumstance that happens quite often.”

“Obviously.” She taps her chin. “I think it would have to be Tom Hiddleston.”

“Do you think he could Tarzan you around the jungle?”

She nods her head. “I truly do.”

“Okay, then Tom and The Rock it is.” I tug on her shirt and bring it over her head, revealing a see-through lace bra. “Christ, Blakely,” I mutter as my hands find her breasts, her hard nipples pressing against the thin fabric.

“You’re growing hard.”

“Your fault,” I reply.

She plants her hands on my chest and starts to rock over me.

“Keep doing that and you won’t get all your questions answered.”

“Try having some patience, Halsey.”

“When it involves your wet pussy, I have zero patience.”

“Question time. Focus. If you weren’t playing hockey, what would you be doing?”

“Melting away into nothing,” I answer.

She pokes my chest. “Be serious.”

She continues to rub over me, making it hard to think, so I try to concentrate on my answer and not the friction building between us. “My answer probably would have been different out of college. I probably would have said something like coaching, but now . . . if I didn’t have hockey, I think I’d want to be a librarian of some sort, maybe a book blogger. Something that involves reading.”

She pauses and tilts her head to the side. “Why is that the most attractive answer ever?”

“Because you seem to have a penchant for nerds.”

She chuckles. “Probably.”

Then she lifts off my lap and helps me with my shorts, revealing my large bulge in my briefs. She wets her lips, her eyes meet mine, and then she sits back down on my lap where she slowly rubs over me in long strokes. “Tell me about your family. I feel like I know nothing about them.”

“Seems strange that you don’t know them. Well, there’s my mom and dad, Heather and Adrian, and I have a younger brother named Elliott. He’s working as a mechanical engineer in a big firm in Chicago. I’m close with my parents, but they live in Toronto, so I don’t get to see them very often. We’ll have to go visit them soon.” I’d love that. I think . . . but would they like me? I’m so different to her ex. Best not to worry about that one for now.

“Well, I’m glad you’ve had Penny as your bestie here in Vancouver.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Did you have a stuffed animal or blanket that you had to sleep with every night?” I ask, wanting to get her out of her clothes as soon as possible.

“A stuffed animal,” she answers. “He was an alligator named Chompy.”

“Fuck, that’s cute,” I say. “Do you still have him?”

“I do. He’s in a box of things from my childhood that I’ve kept. Sometimes I feel like he’s Woody from Toy Story with actual feelings, and he must hate me because he’s stuffed in a box somewhere. I had him out in my apartment when I was living with Perry, but Chompy isn’t the fella he used to be, and well, he creeped Perry out, so I put him away.”

“Fuck that,” I say, anger billowing inside me. “You can put Chompy out on display at our place. Hell, put him next to Sherman and Shirley.”

She leans back again and this time, there’s a softer look on her face as her hips stop moving. “You said our place.”

Huh . . . I did.

“Well, that’s because that’s how I see it,” I answer honestly. “To me, it’s our place. Is that how you see it?”

“I did get a desk for my bedroom where I’ve set up a place for me to temporarily work.” She swallows hard and her eyes meet mine. “I could make that a little more permanent if you wanted.”

“Yeah, I fucking want that,” I say.

“Really?” she asks.

“Blakely,” I sigh. “What don’t you understand?” I grip her chin and hold her steady so her eyes are forced to look into mine. “When I said I found what I wanted, I mean it. I’m just waiting for you to catch up to the feelings I have for you. If you want to make that second bedroom an office, I’ll fucking help you pick out wallpaper. If you want to set up a dresser in our bedroom and move your clothes in there, tell me how I can help and what dresser you want. You’re it for me. I’m sold. So whatever you want, you can have it.”

She brings her hands to her back where she undoes her bra and lets it slide off her before she leans forward and presses her bare breasts against my chest. Talk about a reward. I suck in a sharp breath as her lips find my neck and she kisses up the column until she reaches my jaw. “Then help me pick out some wallpaper,” she whispers.

Jesus . . .

How can I be this lucky? How is this actually happening right now? This woman who has had my heart, my mind, my fucking soul since the moment I met her, how did I possibly get her to fall for me? I’ll never know, but I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure she will always be mine.

“We also need some bookshelves for the living room for your books to make room for a dresser for me.”

“Done,” I say as her lips work down to my mouth.

“And we need a rug for the living room.”

“Take me shopping, show me what you like, and it’s all yours,” I answer.

“And I have some things from my old apartment that could work here.”

“I’ll have the guys help me move them,” I say as her lips find mine but instead of demanding kisses, she lightly pecks along my lips.

“And I want to iron the curtains.”

I chuckle. “I’ll help you.”

“And we need to take the tag off the whisk.”

“We can cut it off together as a symbolic gesture.”

She laughs and then sits up again. I massage her breasts and play with her perfect nipples. “Are we really going to live together?” she asks.

“Baby, we’ve been living together for a while now.”

“As roommates,” she clarifies. “This’ll be different.”

“Yeah, it’ll be so much better,” I say. “Because you’ll be my girlfriend.”

“Exactly. So this is happening?”

“If you’re looking for someone to debate whether you should do it or not, you’re looking at the wrong person. If it were up to me, you would have been living with me as my girlfriend a year ago.” I lean forward and lick the tip of her nipple, which causes her to moan.

When her head falls back and her chest moves forward, I slip my hand under her shorts and between her legs where I find her soaking and ready.

“This game is over,” I announce as I lift her up and carry her over to a lounger. I strip off her shorts, loving that she’s not wearing underwear, and I tear my briefs off. I move between her legs, position my cock at her entrance, and I sink into her deep warmth. “I need to fuck you hard now.”

I grip the sides of the lounger and pump hard until we’re both coming.