Page 99 of Play the Game
The smile that explodes across his face has my heart squeezing. This man. This kind, beautiful, amazing man is mine. I can’t quite grasp the enormity of it. Closing my eyes, I run my hand over his neck and down his torso, needing to feel all of him. To convince myself that this is all for real. When I feel the waistband of his boxers, I open my eyes and frown. “Weren’t you naked when we went to bed?”
Cooper’s cheeks turn a little red, like he’s embarrassed, and it’s so fucking cute I kind of want to scream into a pillow. “I thought it was weird to talk to the baby when I was naked, so I put on underwear.”
I laugh because this man. Jesus. “Talking to my stomach isweird no matter what, but you do you. You know she can’t see you, right?”
Cooper shrugs. “I have a psychic grandma. Maybe it runs in the family. You don’t know what the baby knows.”
“Why do I like you again?” I ask.
He grins, leaning in and kissing me. “I have no idea, but you said you love me, and I definitely love you, so you’re stuck with me now. No takebacks, baby.”
I grin back at him, reaching over and lacing my fingers through his. “Never. But does being in love mean I get breakfast? I’m starving, and we never had those waffles last night on account of family trauma and sex so good it put me into a coma.”
“So good, huh?”
I roll my eyes, even as my entire body lights up at the memory. “You were there. You know what happened.”
Cooper’s eyes flash. “I sure was. After breakfast, we can play share the shower and have ourselves a little repeat.”
Cooper all wet in his big, beautiful shower with the built-in bench absolutely perfect for naked activities? Yes, please. “Sold. So that’s a yes to breakfast?”
Cooper leans in and kisses my nose. “Rhodes, I’ll make you the best breakfast you’ve ever had.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
EVAN
When Cooper goes into the bathroom to brush his teeth, I slip on his shirt from last night and do up a couple of the buttons as I walk into the living room. I’m happy for the few minutes alone to get myself together. Making major proclamations of love was not on my bingo card for this morning, especially after our run-in with my parents last night.
I’m sure I have a million texts from Chris and Rio checking on me, and probably from all the girls too since Jordan and Jo saw me right on the edge of a meltdown. My parents have probably called too, or they’re icing me out and I won’t hear from them for a while—there’s really no in-between with them—and I’m not sure I’m ready to deal with any of that, so I leave my phone right where it is, buried in my bag on the kitchen island.
When I spot the pink notebook on the coffee table with a couple of my favorite pens, I smile because of course Cooper would put my notebook on the table so I would have it for morning when I do my best writing. I consider going to the kitchen for coffee first, but Cooper’s secret espresso machine practically requires a PhD tooperate, so I grab the notebook and flop on the couch to do a little plotting while I wait for him. I have an idea for a banger of a spicy scene I can’t get out of my head. The boyfriends are about to become boyfriends, and my readers are going to absolutely die.
The second I flip open the cover, though, I know that this notebook isn’t mine. Confused, I scan the pages, phrases jumping out at me.
I found out about you today, and your mom let me hold her hand.
I fell in love with your mom today. She looked over at me from the swing on your grandparents’ porch and I just knew.
She’s not ready for the words yet, but that’s okay.
I would wait forever for her.
I hope I can be a good dad. I really want to try.
Sometimes I wonder about who you’ll be.
I hope you’re smart and brave like your mom. She’s the most brilliant woman I know.
I can’t believe she gets to be mine.
All I want is for the two of you to be happy.
My girls are going to be the happiest girls in the world.
I love you already.
I promise.
