Page 83 of Plus Size Player

I inhaled shakily. “I’m yours.”

“Good.” He planted the sweetest, most tender kiss against my lips. “I love to hear you say it.”

Do I… have a boyfriend?

The only thing that would change on my end was that I’d have to let The Funny One and The Smart One go. But in that moment, I realized that didn’t feel like a loss. The two of them combined couldn’t compare to Russ.

This is really happening.

I was in a state of shock.

Within thirty minutes, we were in the car, making our way back to Richland. With one stop at the local pharmacy and then another at a coffee shop, we battled Monday rush hour traffic. Even though I was still in a state of shock, I was surprisingly sure of my decision. And I could only attribute that to the realization that while everything happened so fast, nothing changed. We agreed to exclusivity and then everything was the exact same as it was before.

It was the same fun-filled road trip that it was on our journey there. I typically would’ve avoided allowing a man to drop me off at home. But it was Russ, and apparently, he was my man. So, I gave him my address and allowed him to bring me through the gate and into my complex.

“Okay, I see you,” he acknowledged appreciatively. “This is cool.”

I smiled proudly, even though I’d had nothing to do with the gorgeous architecture of the converted warehouses, the beautiful landscaping surrounding the artistic marvel of a fountain, or the resort-style pool that peeked from the side of the first building.

“Thank you.” I pointed out the building on the corner. “That one is me.”

“When you said you lived in a converted warehouse, I didn’t imagine this.”

“Some of the buildings were designed to look like they werepart of the original tobacco warehouses. Mine is new construction, but it still has the cool feel.”

“I look forward to seeing it sometime,” he said as he pulled in front of my building.

“And I look forward to seeing the house you’ve built,” I returned.

He chuckled as he parked illegally. “You’re right. But I gave you the address so, even though I haven’t moved in, you know where my house is.”

“True.” I reached in the backseat to grab my bag and he tried to stop me.

“What are you doing?” I wondered.

“I got your bag. I’ll walk you to your door.”

“You can’t park right here, and security does not play. And for me to get the guest parking pass would take too much time.” I leaned over and kissed him. “I promise I won’t think you’re less of a gentleman. But I really have to go.”

He opened his door at the same time I did, and as I grabbed my bag out of the backseat, he pursed his lips. “Nina.”

I nodded my head behind him. “See?”

He glanced in the direction of security and made a face. “Gahdamn, I’ve been parked for sixty seconds.”

I smiled ruefully as he met me on my side of the car. “That’s all it takes.”

“I’m going to tell him I’m dropping off my girlfriend. He’ll understand.”

Girlfriend.

Hearing the word roll off his tongue gave me butterflies. It was coated with love and lust and reverence. It flushed my skin and increased my heart rate. I didn’t think anything had changed, but him saying the word thrilled me and scared me at the exact same time.

Grinning, I shouldered my bag and then allowed Russ to take me in his arms. He brought his forehead down to mine and gazed into my eyes.

“This was exactly what I needed,” he whispered against my lips. “Thank you for this weekend.”

“For escaping with you?”

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