Page 69

“I looked up the weather in Tacoma,” I said, expecting that to be answer enough. But when he just furrowed his brow, I pushed up to look at him properly. “It’s gonna be freezing. And none of my jackets fit my baby belly.”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t think about that. Um … let me get your measurements and I’ll grab you something tomorrow while you’re at work.”

“Huh.”

“Huh?”

“Well, I’d been thinking, aka worrying, about all the things you’d miss out on because of your weird schedule. But it might actually be super convenient.”

“Because I can run errands while you’re at work?”

“I mean, yeah. That and like, taking the kid to the doctor so I don’t have to take off work. You know, I’ve always found it odd that, like, general doctors keep office hours the same as all the other offices. Like, wouldn’t you get more customers if you worked the hours your patients were free?”

“I don’t know, but that’s an interesting thought,” he said, chuckling at me. “Is there anything else you need me to grab?” He paused, chewing at his bottom lip. “Some team merch, maybe?”

“That depends. Do we get to check a bag? Because I don’t have any mini toiletries.”

“I can get your bag checked.” And then after a few seconds of tense shoulders, he asked, “Cinn, will you wear my jersey to the game?”

“Ah, so the rumors are true,” I teased, turning to my bag to pull out the jersey Kodi had given me after all the homework talk.

“What rumors?” Niall asked, his voice a little offended, like he thought one of the guys had told me something odd about him.

“That all sports guys love to see their partners in their jersey,” I said, pulling off my top to put the jersey on before turning to face him. “So how does it—”

Before I could finish my question, Niall had crossed the room, thrown the dish towel aside, and scooped me up. He carried me a few steps before resting my ass on my dresser and crashing our lips together.

We haven’t had too many kinds of kisses in our time together. The first ones were naturally hungry, basic sexual yearning. Then we spent a few months apart and when we finally saw each other again, I was too guarded to let anything else happen. But when we—when I finally gave in last week, our kisses were soft and tender and trepidatious. We were both too aware of how fragile our relationship was.

But this kiss was … fulfilling. The perfect mixture of comfort and desire, a taste of what our days together would be like. It was the kind of kiss I’d get after a win, after he came home from an away game. It was meeting each other exactly where we needed to be.

And when his lips slowed into soft presses, I couldn’t help but giggle.

“What part of this does it for you, honey? Is my boy a little possessive?”

“Maybe a little,” he murmured, kissing my cheek before trailing his lips down to my jaw. “I like you wearing the team colors, being a part of the team, my team. It’s just … we’re family. Sharing a name, being in my jersey, it shows that, proves it.” His arms moved up to wrap me in a tight hug. And while the hug was innocent, it did pull me tight against him and the bulge growing in his joggers. “And yeah, I’m a simple man, seeing you in my jersey, knowing you put it on to tease me, it’s making me hard.”

Niall’s lips trailed even lower, tongue swirling over my neck and I tilted my head, urging him to continue even as I said, “When I invited you over, I almost explicitly said no sex. My homework was to find things we could do that didn’t freak me out without relying on sex.”

“Mmm,” he said into my skin, the vibrations making my eyes roll. “And I shouldn’t exert myself with the game coming up.”

“Such a good boy, taking your career so seriously,” I murmured. My hand moved to his hair, twisting the short strands until I had the grip to pull him closer. “But what do you want?”

“God, I want to be inside you again, please,” he answered, the last word coming out in a whimper.

I leaned back, hooking two fingers under his chin so he’d look at me. Those blue eyes were filled with so much warmth. And for the first time in my life, I thought it’d be nice to spend the rest of my life with someone, with this man.

“Do you want me to keep this on?” I asked, tugging at the collar of the jersey.

“Maybe.” His eyes dipped down to where my breasts pulled the fabric taught, debate tightening his eyebrows together. “What were you thinking?”

“That you”— I pushed him back so I could slide off the dresser and guide him to the bed—“take off your clothes, sit there, and let me get your cock nice and wet, maybe even fuck you with my tits if you’re good, before climbing on top of you and riding you ’til we both come.” I nudged his chest and he crashed to the bed, Adam’s apple bobbing. “How’s that sound?”

“Like you won’t get enough attention.”

I stripped off my shirt and stepped between his legs. His hands immediately cradled my ass, pulling me closer so he could nip at my nipple, making me moan.

“I trust you’ll find a way to do that while still following my instructions,” I said, voice already shaky. “But you’re stressed and I wanna treat you.”