Page 80 of Play Dirty

“We slept all afternoon,” she says with a soft laugh. “Wore each other out, I guess.”

“Can’t think of a better way to spend the afternoon,” I say.

“Same.”

“But I’m starving,” I admit.

“I could eat,” she says, sitting up.

“How about we get takeout and stay in? Then maybe just come back to bed?”

“It’s like you read my mind.” She nestles against me comfortably and I realize it’s been a long time since I felt this relaxed with a woman. Brenna never wanted to cuddle, never wanted intimacy. We had sex, of course, but in retrospect, she basically cut me off after Bradley was born. I don’t know exactly when she started sleeping with Philippe, but we only had sex once, right around the eight-week mark postpartum. And never again.

Has it been that long?

“I could go for Thai food,” she murmurs.

“Sounds good.” I reach for my phone and pull up a place I like.

I place our order and then we just settle back in bed, in no hurry to move.

“What would you think about staying here more?” I ask after a moment. “Not officially moving in together but giving it a trial run. What’s the point of me taking you home every night or us alternating sleeping here or there. Why not just be together as much as we want to be? Obviously, if you have an early appointment that’s closer to Chey’s place or whatever, you could go home, but I…” I hesitate. “I don’t want to play games, Stevie. I like you. I want to be with you. We don’t have to label it… I just want to live it.”

She doesn’t move, and she doesn’t respond right away.

“Babe, if you don’t want to, it’s okay to say no. I just thought?—”

“No, I do,” she interrupts, her voice soft. “But I usually jump into relationships headfirst, before I’ve had a chance to really get to know them, and as you know, my relationships are usually a disaster.”

“We’re not going to be a disaster. Even if things don’t work out between us long-term, I promise I will never treat you badly, cheat on you, or do anything to hurt you.”

“Somehow, I know that,” she says, lifting her head to look at me. “I trust you, Marty. I can’t explain it, but I do.”

“I’ll never break that trust. I don’t know what the future will bring, but I’m not going to hurt you, Stevie.”

She sighs and drops back down to the crook of my shoulder—still her favorite place to be. “When you called me your girl,” she says after a moment. “Was that a figure of speech in the aftermath of great sex, or…did you mean it?”

“I basically just asked you to move in with me,” I respond. “Of course, I meant it. I don’t believe in post-sex platitudes. If I don’t feel it, I won’t say it.”

“Let’s just take it slow, okay? I’ll bring over a few things every time I come over, and you’ll need time to adjust to my toiletries.”

I chuckle.” I’m good with that.”

“Things will change once hockey season starts.”

“And they’ll change again depending on what happens with my custody hearing. We’re going to need to be flexible.”

“I might start working more too. I’ve kept my schedule light because of the upcoming trial, but once that’s over, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“As long as we communicate, I think we’ll be fine.” I stroke her hair, loving how soft the strands are between my fingers. “The kids already love you, so I don’t think that will be an issue.”

“But what will we do?” she asks. “If you win custody and then we’re both traveling at the same time?”

“I talked to my mom before she left and she’s going to take a sabbatical this year so she can come out and help until I find a full-time nanny and get into a routine. She’d been thinking about it anyway—she wants to write a book—but this gave her the excuse she needed to pull the trigger.”

“How will she feel about me living here?”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. She likes you and when it comes to taking care of the kids, the more the merrier.” I pause. “But I want you to know, Stevie, they’re not your responsibility. I don’t want you to feel like you have to give up your life or career to be their babysitter. That’s not why I’m asking you to be with me.”

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