It didn’t work.

  “Thank you for tonight,” she said, a smile on her face as I tucked some loose strands behind her ear and kissed the nape of her neck. She pulled away with a giggle. “I know what you’re trying to do,” she accused, and I faked innocent.

  “What? A guy can’t kiss his girlfriend good night?” I said, and her eyes widened for a split second before she recovered. I reached for her chin and tilted her face upward. “Summer, I told you, I’m already yours. If you think that I can walk away from you now, you’re severely mistaken.”

  She faked a cough, her fist punching her chest. “Crew.”

  “Say it,” I demanded.

  “Say what?”

  “Say I’m your boyfriend.” I dragged the word out, acting like a freaking preschooler.

  Her lips twisted up into a smile that she tried to force into a frown but failed. “Fine. You are. I guess.”

  Grabbing her waist, I pulled her up against me, my dick hard again. “That’s not what I asked. And it didn’t sound very convincing. Is it so bad, being my girlfriend?” I asked, kissing random parts of her as I teased her.

  “That was too many questions. I forgot them all,” she breathed out, sounding exasperated and turned on.

  Her hips started to push into my body, and if I didn’t stop this now, I’d fuck her right here on the grass without a care in the world.

  “Who am I?”

  “Crew Maxwell.”

  “Your?”

  “My?”

  “Your what?” I pushed.

  “My quarterback,” she answered.

  “Summer,” I growled, taking her bottom lip in my mouth and biting it until she whimpered.

  “My boyfriend. You’re my boyfriend,” she agreed, not sounding the least bit convinced. I wasn’t sure if it was because she didn’t believe me or if she hadn’t had an actual boyfriend in so long that the term was strange at this point.

  “Yes, I am.” I moved my tongue into her mouth and reminded her who she belonged to. She was mine. I was hers. And there wasn’t a moment where I saw that fact changing. “And I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “You will? I mean, of course you will. We still have work to do.”

  “Yes, I will,” I reassured her. “And not because of work.”

  Even though she wasn’t necessarily acting like it, I knew some part of her had to be worried that since she’d given in to me, I’d disappear. But I wasn’t going anywhere.

  Especially not after tonight.

  Why on earth would I ever willingly walk away from a woman like her

  I opened the car door for her and helped her inside before giving her another kiss. “Call me when you get home, so I know you’re safe.”

  Her jaw dropped slightly before she slammed it shut and pursed her lips together.

  “What? Did I say something wrong?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “That’s a guy test that no guys pass anymore.”

  I replayed her words one more time before giving up. “It’s a what that what?” I asked, stumbling over my own thoughts.

  “Nothing.” She waved me off. “I’ll call you,” she said as she started the engine.

  As soon as she cleared my driveway and the gate closed, I turned to walk back inside and clean the dinner dishes. I really didn’t want to, and I was tempted to leave them until the next morning, but I knew I wouldn’t want to deal with them then either. It was now or never.

  I filled half of the sink with hot water and soap when my phone rang. I looked down at it, wondering who it could be when I saw Summer’s name. Wiping my hand on a dish towel, I pressed Accept to answer the call.

  “Summer? Is everything okay?” I got worried that she’d gotten into an accident or something.

  “I’m fine,” she said, and I realized how quiet it was in the background.

  “You’re not home already, are you?”

  She laughed. “Yep.”

  “You literally just left my place.”

  “I know.”

  “Wait. Summer, how far away do you live?”

  She started laughing again into the phone line. “Not far.”

  “How far is not far?”

  “Pretty close.”

  “Summer, where the hell are you?”

  “Three blocks away,” she answered. “Happy?”

  “You live three blocks away from me, and you’re not here right now?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re lucky I don’t hook Bart up to his leash and have him lead the way. I’m sure he knows it,” I threatened as Bart started wagging his tail and jumping up and down.

  “He’d take you to the beach and plop his happy ass right down in the middle of the sand,” she said, and I knew she was probably right. “Are you mad?”

  “No. Of course not.” I wasn’t … mad. “Just a little surprised, is all.”

  “I know. Sorry. I wasn’t going to tell you at all, but now that you’re my—” She stopped short of saying the word out loud again, and I filled it in for her.

  “Boyfriend. Now that I’m your boyfriend.”

  “Yeah. That. I guess you need to know these things.”

  “Good night, Summer. See you tomorrow.”

  “Night,” she said, her tone sounding actually surprised that I was letting her off the hook so easily.

  But her man had a shitload of dishes that apparently weren’t going to wash themselves.

  We easily fell into a routine over the next couple of weeks. I found myself learning to navigate the LA traffic and freeways, and even though both sucked, it wasn’t like I could control them. Some days, it took me forty minutes to get back home, and others, it took me almost two hours. But it was all worth it. I loved living in Manhattan Beach.

  Somehow, in the midst of it all, I’d convinced this amazing woman to be at my place, waiting for me when I got home from practice every day. There was nothing that I loved more than walking through the front door and seeing her there with Bart. It filled me with a sort of peace and stability that I’d never had before. I always wondered what kind of woman would make me give up my single life, and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that it couldn’t have been any other woman. It had to be her.

  Which was why we were currently house-hunting from a secret file folder that Seline had given Summer while I was away with the team. None of the homes had hit the market yet but were still forthcoming. I was getting to see them early, thanks to both Seline and my occupation.

  “What do you think?” I asked against Summer’s neck as I held her hand tightly in mine.

  “It’s beautiful. But a little over the top, don’t you think?” She looked at me and shrugged. “I’m just saying, do you really need eight bathrooms?”

  “You’re right. You’re totally right.” I shook my head because it was easy to get lost in a stunning home when you could technically afford it but didn’t really need it.

  “Okay, you two.” Seline stepped between us, breaking our contact, and I practically attacked her. “I have one last stop. It’s not on any list, but I know you’re going to love it.”

  “Wait, what is it? One I don’t even know about?” Summer asked her best friend, looking annoyed.

  “It’s new construction. Still being built, but it’s almost done,” she said, and Summer nodded like that made complete and total sense to her.

  “Let’s see it,” I said before heading to my G-Wagon. Now that Summer and I were a couple, I insisted on driving us everywhere. It was my job to take care of my woman, and part of that, in my opinion, was driving.

  “Any idea where we’re headed?” I asked Summer once we were in my car.

  “No. I don’t even know of any new construction within the city limits. Unless it was a teardown.”

  “Meaning?”

  “It’s exactly what it sounds like. They tear down the old house and build a brand-new one on the existing land. It actually happens a lot out here.”

  “And the new house is better than the old one?”

  Summer laughed. “Oh, yeah. I mean, they really know how to make use of a limited amount of space these days. So, instead of building larger homes that they don’t have room for, they build up.”

  “Gotcha,” I said as I followed Seline’s black Mercedes around the tiny streets.

  When her brake lights lit up and she pulled to a stop in front of what looked like a three-story gray-and-white home, I pulled in behind her and did the same as I eyed the house, still lined with construction cones and workers finishing up the job.

  Seline was at my door in a flash. “Come on.”

  I popped open my door before asking, “We can go in?”

  “It’s practically done. Just finishing up the backyard and some other details that were weather-related pushbacks.”

  I reached for Summer’s hand again, threading my fingers through hers as we walked toward the three-car garage and the front door.

  “It’s three stories with a rooftop view of the ocean,” Seline said as my eyes grew wide.

  Even Summer looked impressed as we stepped inside. The details were immaculate. Dark blue paint with slate-gray tiles greeted us. There was a massive beechwood table with black iron candleholders lining the walls. It was fucking stunning. And masculine.

  “I love this,” I breathed out, and Summer looked at me, practically foaming at the mouth.

  “It’s unbelievably appealing,” she agreed, and we took in the rest of the four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath home. There wasn’t a single detail that I would change. It was like they’d built this home with me in mind.

  “You have to see the best part.” Seline waved us toward the hidden staircase.

  “Holy shit,” Summer squealed once we reached the top. “I’m never leaving.”

  The dark-blue and slate-gray color pattern continued throughout the covered rooftop deck. Half of the railing was lined with wood for privacy while the other half had some sort of smoked glass that you could see everything through. The ocean was visible from every angle. There were couches, multiple tables, hanging lanterns, a full-size fireplace, and a mounted TV.

  Walking to the edge, I glanced down to see the small backyard. Summer had been right when she mentioned the plots of land here not being very large, but what they’d managed to build on it was pretty close to perfect. The yard might not be huge, but it was still plenty big for Bart. Not to mention, privacy gates and walls lined the home. People might know that I lived here, but they wouldn’t be able to get in or gain access. At least, not without some serious effort.

  Seline settled in next to me and asked, “What do you think?”

  I paused before glancing at Summer, who was making herself at home on one of the couches.

  “Can we keep it?” Summer asked as soon as our eyes met across the open space.

  “Think she means it?” I wondered out loud, and Seline clapped her hands together as Summer hopped up from the couch and joined us at the balcony.

  “Is this the one? This is the one, right?”

  “Do you like it?”

  “I love it,” she exclaimed.

  “Would you live here?”

  “I might never leave here,” she answered with a giggle, and I looked at Seline.

  “I think we’ll take it,” I said, and the girls started hugging before Seline grew serious.

  “Okay. I have work to do. Take my girl somewhere to celebrate,” Seline insisted.

  “You mean, my girl,” I countered, and she pretended not to hear me.

  WHEN CONTRACTS END

  SUMMER

  Crew had bought the house that dreams were made of and was set to move in, in approximately thirteen days, which also signaled the official end of our contract. It was perfect timing because we’d get him all settled before the season officially started, and it would be one less thing for him to worry about while he was playing for a new team, in a new city.

  I didn’t even have another client lined up yet. My schedule had always been pretty packed with very few open days, but here I was, leaving myself available to travel with Crew if he wanted me to.

  So, why was the thought suddenly so terrifying? Why was I afraid that we were about to end?

  “You okay?” he asked as we snuggled on the couch in his rental house, Bart sitting next to me instead of his true owner.

  “Yeah. Just thinking about the end of our contract,” I said with a wince.

  “Why?” He turned his body to face mine as he waited for me to respond to his question.

  I hated sounding insecure, so I wasn’t sure what to say that would help me come off as less needy, so I said nothing and stared into his green eyes instead.

  “Summer, we’re not ending because our contract is.”

  “I know,” I said, followed by an uncomfortable laugh. Clearly, I didn’t know.

  “Do you? I bought us a house,” he explained, and I reared back at the use of the word us.

  “You bought yourself a house.” I wasn’t purposefully trying to be difficult, just realistic.

  My name wasn’t on the title. It wasn’t my house. It was his. He was paying for it, not me. I hadn’t contributed a single dime toward it, and I hadn’t planned on it either.

  “I bought a house that you loved,” he emphasized. “A home you said you never wanted to leave.”

  “Oh,” was all I could formulate as his words hit me. He bought the house because I love it?

  “I want you to move in with me.”

  I cleared my throat. “You want me to what?”

  “I was going to play it cool and wait until you started spending the night every night and then tell you that you already lived with me anyway, so you should just bring your things over,” he said, like his words were no big deal at all when they were absolutely life-changing.

  “Crew.” I shook my head. I was not an irrational woman. I didn’t jump into things with both feet and question them later.

  “I know what you’re going to say,” he started, and I cocked my head to the side and gave him a smirk.

  “What am I going to say?” I folded my arms across my chest and waited.

  “That it’s too fast. We should take our time. Make sure it’s right, blah, blah,” he said, and I bit back the laugh bubbling in my throat because he was right. “Am I wrong?”

  “No,” I responded, annoyed that he knew me so well.

  He pushed up from the couch and walked toward the window, staring out of it. I followed him, wrapping my arms around his middle and leaning my head against his back.

  “Don’t be upset with me.”

  Crew turned around, keeping my arms in place with his as he faced me. “I’m not. I know that not rushing is the right thing to do, but I just …” He maneuvered out of my grip and ran his hands across his face as he started walking away.

  “What? What’s the matter?” I felt so lost, so unsure of what was going on in his head.

  We’d just started dating. And, yes, it had been incredible and unbelievably easy so far, but we hadn’t even gotten into the start of the football season yet. There was still so much to experience and go through as a couple.

  What if we weren’t any good at it? What if it was too hard for me? What if the other women were something I didn’t want to deal with on a daily basis?

  I had a lot of questions and concerns. Things I’d never voiced to Crew yet. Keeping them to myself had just seemed like the better option up until this point.

  Crew eventually walked himself into the kitchen, and he leaned his elbows on top of the granite as he watched me. “I know it’s fast. I do. But I also know that you’re it for me.” He put a hand up to stop me from disagreeing. “You can tell me it’s too soon to know. But you’d be wrong. I know.” He looked straight at me, his face deadly serious. “I know.”

  I’d never in my life had someone be so sure about me and say it out loud and to my face before. It was a surreal feeling to know that this incredible man thought that he wanted to be with me forever. But there was still that little part of my brain that refused to give in. It refused to be romanced. It absolutely would not swoon.

  “I have a compromise,” I said as I headed toward him. When I reached the kitchen, I pulled out a barstool and sat down across from him.

  “I’m listening.”

  “My lease is up in a few months.”

  Even though I had plenty of money saved and actually owned two homes in other states, I was currently renting the house I lived in. Seline had found it for me at an absolute steal years ago. It had been in the same family for generations and was all paid off, so they charged me next to nothing to live there and keep it up. I knew that they would let me continue to stay for as long as I wanted and that moving would probably be a surprise to them, but maybe it was time.

  Crew’s face actually lit up as he looked at me. “It is?”

  “Mmhmm.”

  “So, what you’re saying is that if things are still good with us, which they will be, you’ll move in with me and Bart?” He headed around the granite counter, running his fingers across the top as he made his way toward me.

  “I don’t see why not,” I said even though my heart was pounding and my head was screaming with fear.

  “I’m going to make you so fucking happy.” Crew was standing in between my legs now, his large hands cupping my face as he leaned down to kiss me.

  It wasn’t sweet or gentle. It was a kiss without time. It had nothing to do with how long we’d known each other or how long we’d been dating. That kiss was punishing, deep, and hard. It was the kind of kiss that reminded you of exactly who you belonged to, who made your body bend and curve at their whim, who claimed you wherever they damn well pleased, without regard for anyone else.

  Crew picked me up and placed my body on top of the cold granite, and I squirmed as he pulled my shorts down and started feasting on my already-wet pussy, telling me that he’d never get tired of tasting me. Once he finished making me orgasm, using his tongue and fingers in a way I’d never understand, he climbed on top of the table and thrust himself inside of me without warning or ease. His large cock still made me gasp on entry, but my body quickly adjusted to his size, craving more.

 

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