Page 101 of Play the Game
I lean in, nipping at his lip and smiling when he hisses out a breath. “Our living room.”
“What?”
“We’re having a baby, Cooper. You didn’t expect us to live in separate houses, did you?”
“I don’t…I mean, I didn’t…But…Huh?” I think maybe I broke his brain, and it absolutely delights me. I may love him, but I’ll never stop wanting to throw him off balance. I think maybe it’s my love language.
I grin, wrapping my arms around his waist. “Better make some space for my aquarium because I obviously can’t leave McDreamy, McSteamy, and Nick behind. They hate change as much as I do, but your apartment is nicer than mine, so I think they’ll adjust. I suck at cooking; I think I have a mental block against using that space station you call a coffee machine; I’m an overachieving workaholic a lot of the time; I barely ever sleep past five in the morning; and it’s possible I have a boatload of issues on account of sucky parents. But you know all that and you love me anyway, so…I’m ready.”
“I think I’m going to need you to be a little more specific than that,” Cooper says, his eyes boring into mine.
I put my hand on his cheek, loving the feel of his stubble under my palm, the way his deep blue eyes hold mine as he tries to work out what I mean. The spark of hope beneath the calm patience. Yeah, this man was made for me. “I’m ready, Cooper. Today. Nothing about us has ever been conventional, so why start now? We love each other, and we’re having a baby. Except for my axolotls, my apartment has always just been a place to live and keep my shit when I’m not at work, but you have this whole brownstone full of brothers and sisters you love so much. This isyour place, Cooper. I love it too, and it turns out I want to be wherever you are.”
A massive grin spreads across Cooper’s face, and he bends down, wrapping his hands around my thighs and boosting me up. “You want to live with me, Rhodes?”
Wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck, I hold on tight when he sits down on the couch with me straddling his lap. “I mean, you’re really pretty to look at and you fuck like a rockstar. You’re an amazing cook, and you stock my favorite snacks, and you indulge my basic bitch candle and seasonal coffee obsession.” Leaning in, I press a kiss to his forehead, closing my eyes at his sharp intake of breath. “You make me feel like it’s okay to be me. Like who I am is enough even if who I am is an overachieving workaholic who had a panic attack at my first ultrasound and wonders all the time if I have what it takes to be a good mom. I didn’t…”
I break off, my voice catching. Cooper runs his hands up and down my thighs, waiting for me to continue. I take a deep breath and try again. “Except for Chris, no one has ever made me feel like that. I’ve always been too much of something or not enough of something else. Too bitchy, too cold, too smart, too ambitious, not girly enough, not enough like my brother.” I shrug. “I never thought it bothered me much, but then we stopped hating each other and I realized what it was like to have someone who likes me for me, and, well…” I shrug. “It turns out I like being seen. So, I guess that’s a long-winded way of saying yeah, I want to live with you.”
Cooper presses his mouth to mine and I melt into the kiss, locking my arms around his neck. “There is so much inside of me for you,” he murmurs. “I love you with every single beat of my heart, every breath I take. I don’t want you to be anyone except for exactly who you are, because who you are is spectacular. You are my favorite human, and all I want is to do life with you, right here. We can figure everything else out along the way.And for the record, I never hated you. It just took me some time to realize it.”
I smile, pressing my forehead to his and closing my eyes, breathing him in. “That sounds perfect. And I don’t think I ever hated you either.”
“No?” Cooper asks, grinning at me.
I give him a sly smile. “Nah, it was more of a very strong dislike.”
“Brat,” he growls, digging his fingers into my sides and tickling me until we’re both laughing hysterically, and then Cooper fuses his lips to mine and kisses the breath out of me, and suddenly breakfast doesn’t seem so important anymore.
“Everyone better be decent!” Noah’s voice and the pounding on Cooper’s door has us tearing our mouths apart as I jump in surprise. I don’t have time to do anything except for yank Cooper’s shirt down over my thighs as best I can before the door explodes open and what looks like Cooper’s entire family comes pouring in. Elliot’s dog tears across the living room with a yip, and the once quiet apartment is suddenly filled with the noise of nine people talking at once.
“Shit,” Cooper mumbles, letting his head fall to my shoulder. “I’d apologize for my family’s near pathological need to invade everyone’s privacy, but, well, this is us.”
Kissing the side of his head, I laugh a little. “I like it. And hey, it could be worse. You could have been making breakfast and then they would have found out you can actually cook without you being able to do a big reveal.”
Cooper huffs out a laugh, lifting his head to kiss me.
“Kiss the girl later, Coop!” Pam orders, walking straight to the couch and pulling me up into a tight hug. “Jo told us you had a not so pleasant run-in with your parents last night,” she says quietly, leaning back with her hands on my shoulders. “I would apologize for barging in here like this but, well, I’m not sorry.” She shrugs and smiles. “I was worried about you, and I wanted tocome check in. I figured we might as well all have breakfast together. Are you doing okay, honey?”
“Pammy, I told you there was no reason to be concerned. Our Cooper knew just what to do. Didn’t he?” Cece studies my face and seems to approve of whatever she finds, because she smiles and nods. “He sure did,” she murmurs, answering her own question. “Love looks good on you, Evan, dear.”
“Love?” Jo must have supersonic hearing because her head whips around from where she stands, Jordan’s arm slung around her shoulder, arrowing in on me with a wide grin. “Are we in love?”
“Oh my god, of course they are,” Hannah says, coming over to link her arm through mine. “Look at her face. She’s freaking glowing.”
“I mean, that was some kiss we walked in on.” Amelia bumps her shoulder with mine, smirking at me. “Nice shirt.”
I snort out a laugh. “We weren’t expecting company.”
Jo walks up and links her arm with Pam’s, still grinning. “Rule number one of being a part of this family. You never expect company. Company just arrives and gets all into your business, usually with food.”
“Get used to it, Rhodes.” Cooper sidles up behind me and slides his arms around my waist, lacing his fingers together over my stomach and pressing a kiss to my neck. The Wyles women all beam at us, five heart eye emojis personified. “You live here now.”
The room goes silent at Cooper’s pronouncement, nine sets of eyes swinging in our direction. When I feel Cooper’s smile against my neck, I know he did it on purpose.
“Seriously?” Jo squeals, breaking the silence and bouncing on her toes the way she does when she’s excited. “You’re moving in?”
I shrug, leaning back against Cooper. “We’re having a baby. It seemed logical.” I go for nonchalant, but I feel my smile spread and know I don’t quite get there.
