“Aww.” Mrs. Potter claps her hands again. We have a clapper, folks. I really like it. “Is it love?”

  “Do I love Cheryl? Sure,” Cory answers. “I love her like a grandma since she’s seventy years old, has a bad hip, and has no problem smacking me on the back of the head when I’m acting like a moron as she likes to call me often.” With a smile, he takes another sip of his beer.

  I take a moment to observe everyone’s reactions and all their faces have fallen flat, especially Milly’s.

  “She’s old? And she has better fashion sense than I do?”

  Rian and Sean both laugh out loud.

  “Yeah, tough pill to swallow, huh, sis?”

  “But . . . I thought she was your secret love affair,” Sean says. “I was wondering when you were going to finally admit that you were doing your assistant.”

  “Sorry to disappoint, but the thought of hooking up with Cheryl literally makes bile rise up my throat. I love the lady, but she’s not my type. Plus her husband scares the shit out of me. Retired marine with a constant scowl on his face.”

  “Does she have a granddaughter who has caught your eye?” Mrs. Potter asks.

  And for a second, I catch a flash of uncertainty in the stoic eyes of Cory Potter. Well there, looks like Cheryl might have a granddaughter for the famous baseball player.

  “Yeah, but she has a boyfriend. Also, you might have forgotten, but I’m not really looking for anyone right now. Thanks for the inquisition though.” He turns to Sean and Rian and asks, “What about you two? Any prospects in the works or are you forever going to be Bert and Ernie?”

  Sean flips him off while Rian says, “Dating fucking sucks.”

  Could not agree more, it’s why I’m so thankful I have Milly, because I could not imagine having to go through the dating process once I make it to the big leagues. I’m sure it’s why Cory has been so guarded; it can’t be easy.

  Mr. Potter grabs my attention and says, “Are you looking forward to regionals?”

  The rest of the night, we eat pizza, talk about baseball—poor Mrs. Potter is bored out of her mind—and the potential for each rising baseball player looking to be drafted in the first round. All the men at the table and Milly believe I’ll be drafted early in the first round. It sends a bolt of nerves and excitement through my veins.

  Drafted in the first round would be a dream come true.

  Drafted in the first round with my girl by my side? Nothing could be more incredible. I didn’t know that part of my dream was to have the love of a good woman with me, but now I can’t imagine anything else. That would be perfect.

  * * *

  “Come here.” I hold out my arms, and Milly climbs onto the bed and straddles my lap, wearing a pair of short plaid shorts and the baseball shirt I let her borrow the other day. It’s enormous on her but she looks good in it.

  Really fucking good.

  “Did you have fun?” she asks, dancing her fingers over my bare chest. “My family can be a little invasive. I hope they didn’t scare you away.”

  “You’re currently sitting on my lap, and I’m pretty sure there are hearts in my eyes as I stare up at you, so you tell me if I was scared away.”

  “Hearts in your eyes?” She leans down and brings her forearms to my chest, propping herself up just enough so her lips can find mine. “Does that mean you like me even more after meeting my family?”

  “You could say that. Seeing how you interact with them, the way you all laugh the same, with a slight tilt to your head, and how much love you have for every single one of them was really sexy. I don’t have a big family, it’s always been just my dad and me since my mom passed, so it was nice seeing how you interact with your family . . . like they’re part of your lifeline.”

  “They mean everything to me. They’re the reason I have so much confidence to do what I do.”

  “I could tell. But I hope you know, it only made me want to attach myself more to you. Are you prepared for that? I might become a clinger.”

  “Are you telling me you’re not already a clinger?” She kisses my chin. “Because from the way you can’t stop touching me, I’d say you’re a stage-five clinger.”

  I shrug. “Where you’re concerned, I’m not ashamed to admit that yeah, I might be a stage-five clinger.”

  She chuckles and brings her lips to mine. My hands fall to her back and my mouth parts, giving her more access. She shifts up my body and brings her arms by my head where she straddles my ears. Her hands fall to the short strands of my hair and they twist and turn as her lips capture mine in a warm, passionate kiss that has my body stirring and my groin hardening.

  Tongues dancing, our mouths taking control, I glide my hands under her shirt and drag the fabric up and over her head. She sits up, helping me remove it completely, leaving her in a purple lace bra that barely covers her ample breasts. Her hair falls over her shoulders in a mound of curls and her shorts are folded at the waist, showing off her fit body.

  She’s so fucking hot.

  Hands on her thighs, I say, “Mills, you’re a fucking dream girl.”

  She smiles at me. “You’re not so bad yourself. Do you like my bra?”

  “A lot. Please don’t tell me Cory, oh God, or Cheryl, got that for you too.”

  “No.” She shakes her head. “I picked this out just for you.”

  “That’s hot. Does your underwear match?” She nods. “Let me see.” She shifts off me for a second, removes her shorts, and then climbs back on my lap. My hands fall to her bare ass and my eyes widen. “Are you wearing a thong?”

  “Yeah, it’s kind of awful, but I wanted to wear it for you.”

  “Milly,” I say gently. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  She shrugs and stretches out across my body. Legs to legs, hips to hips, and chests rising and falling together. “I wanted to. You make me feel sexy, and I wanted to show you how much.”

  “You’re so fucking hot.” I grip her cheeks and sigh, I’m so goddamn lucky I met this girl and let her school me in the sport I spent my entire life learning. “Can I ask you something?”

  Her finger circles around my cheek and her lips grow closer and closer to my mouth. She’s on a mission, but I need to talk to her about what’s been on my mind before we move forward, because from the looks of it, Milly wants to go all the way tonight.

  “You can ask me anything.” Softly, like a feather, her lips brush against mine and fuck, it makes me snap for a second. My hand grips the back of her neck and I bring her in closer right before rolling her to her back and pressing my erection against her leg. She gasps but then smiles against my mouth. “I love how easily you’re turned on.”

  “It happens easily with you around.” I work my mouth across her lips, to her cheek, and down her neck, forgetting that I wanted to ask her something. It isn’t until she gasps when I nip at her collarbone that I realize I have a question.

  When I remove my mouth from her skin, she protests with a big sigh. “What are you doing?”

  “Question,” I mutter, my dick hating me for stopping my pursuit.

  “Right, okay, make it quick.”

  Laughing, I pull up so I’m not too tempted, but don’t stray too far. I allow my fingers to toy with the straps of her bra.

  “We graduated and I have some big things coming up, so I kind of wanted to see where you stood.”

  The lust in her face sobers and she grows serious. “What do you mean? Like, where I stand in this relationship?”

  “Yeah.” I look to the side and try to figure out how to say this in the best way. “Life is going to change drastically soon, and I guess I just wanted to see where your head’s at. Are you in this for the long haul or are you going to call it quits after, you know . . . I’m drafted? There’s a lot of uncertainty and your life is going to be here in Chicago, and who knows where I’ll end up.”

  She bites her bottom lip and avoids all eye contact with me. My stomach immediately drops.

  “Well, what are you thinking? Do you want to take a break?” she asks in a pensive voice.

  “What?” My brow forms a V. I’m shocked she would say that. “A break, from you? No.” Her eyes snap to mine, relief clear. “Milly, I’m asking if you want to do long-distance with me, if you think you can handle it? Shit, I’m not strong enough to go on a break from you. I wouldn’t be able to stay away. I want you in my life, for the long haul. I just want to make sure that’s what you want.”

  And just like that, her dimples reappear, and her hand falls to the nape of my neck. “Of course, that’s what I want, Carson. I understand your life is about to get really crazy. I saw Cory go through it, and I believe I’m more prepared than any other girlfriend in my same situation to handle your insane schedule and the lonely nights. I just wanted to make sure you still wanted me.”

  Jesus Christ, this woman.

  “Milly, I don’t think I’ll ever stop wanting you.”

  “Really?”

  I nod. “Yeah. You give me strength and push me to be not just a better ballplayer, but a better person. It’s going to be challenging, but I wouldn’t want to go through it with anyone else but you.”

  She brings my mouth down to hers and flips my world upside down when she pours her passion in to our kiss.

  There’s no question where her head’s at when she spreads her legs wide and moves her hand down to my ass, encouraging me to move against her. I glide my erection along her center, the fabric between us driving me crazy as with each pass I grind harder and harder, her cries of passion lighting me up inside.

  “Shit, Mills. Do you want this? Do you want me?”

  “All of you,” she answers. Thank fuck. Thank you, Jesus. I want this girl so much. And she wants all of me. That’s what she’s going to get, because there’s nothing more I want right now.

  Pushing me up, she glances at my crotch. Without skipping a beat, she reaches forward and starts massaging my cock while I sit on my knees, letting this gorgeous woman get her fill of me.

  “Milly. Clothes. Off,” I say between clenched teeth.

  Taking my demand the wrong way, she tugs on my boxer briefs and forces me to take them off before pushing me back on my ass and positioning herself between my legs. She grips my cock in one hand and presses her other hand against my thigh right before lowering her mouth to the tip.

  It’s not the first time she’s swirled her tongue along the head, or the first time she’s taken me all the way in her mouth, or the first time she’s made me black out from how hard she’s made me come with her mouth, but tonight, it’s going to be different.

  I let her suck me for about two seconds before I’m pulling away and attacking her body with my hands, undoing her bra and ripping off her thong. I flip her on her stomach and make her spread her legs wide. I take her arms and stretch them above her head.

  “Wh-what are you doing?” she asks, sounding nervous.

  I soothe my hand over her back and say, “Taking full advantage of your body.” Before she can ask more questions, I bring my lips to her skin and start working them across her shoulders and down her back. In a matter of seconds, her flesh erupts with goose bumps and I can only imagine how wet she’s getting.

  My girl gets turned on quickly, and it’s sexy as fuck. It doesn’t take much to get her ready, to make her soaking wet and primed for me.

  I want to see how hot I can make her, so I bring my hand to her thighs and drag my fingers up to her ass, repeating the motion over and over again while my mouth continues to press kisses across her back.

  With each pass of my fingers, I bring them higher and higher, closer to her middle, until I’m caressing her ass. The first pass over her crack makes her grip the sheets and a sweet, light moan fall from her lips. The second pass causes her to moan out my name.

  The third pass . . . her legs spread wider.

  “That’s sexy as shit, Milly.”

  “You’re going to destroy me, aren’t you? You’re going to make me wait forever.”

  “I’m just seeing how wet I can make you.”

  “No need to wait,” she says, her voice strained as I come close to her pussy with my fingers. “I’m already desperate for you.”

  “Yeah?” I lower my fingers until I test her arousal.

  She’s right, she’s so goddamn wet.

  Without even asking, she lifts her pelvis up and balances on her knees, opening up to me. “Please,” she begs. “I’m throbbing so hard. I need release.”

  How can I deny my girl what she wants?

  I release my lips from her back and position myself right behind her. I raise her hips even higher, spread her lips, and then press my tongue against her clit.

  “Oh God,” she shouts, her hands falling to the pillow that she brings to her head to muffle her cries.

  I swipe again and her hips buck. “Carson, oh Jesus, wh-what are you doing?”

  “Eating you out, what does it feel like?” I bring my mouth back to her clit and suck on it. She screams into the pillow and my erection surges against my stomach.

  I have to make this really fucking quick. I’m not going to last long.

  In intermittent strokes and sucks, I play with her clit, using my mouth as a lethal weapon until she’s crying out so loud that her voice starts to echo against her now bare walls.

  “Please, oh God, I’m going to come,” she announces right before a wave of arousal hits her and she’s moving her pelvis against my tongue, working out her own orgasm. It’s raw and hot and nothing I’ve ever experienced. She cries into her pillow and collapses in a heap of post-orgasm bliss.

  Hard as a goddamn stone, I pull a condom from my bag next to the bed, sheath myself, and flip her over. Her breasts sway with her movements and I consider playing with them for a little bit, but if I don’t get inside her right now, I literally might die.

  “Milly?” She opens her eyes and sees me hovering above her. “Please tell me I can get inside you now.”

  She doesn’t answer, instead, she spreads her legs and reaches down to my cock. She guides me to her entrance and with what little control I have left, I guide myself in, the entire time trying to focus on every last inch.

  “Oh, Carson.” Her eyes widen. “Oh you feel . . . oh Jesus, you feel so good.”

  “You feel so . . . goddamn perfect,” I grit out, my control snapping with every inch. “Shit, Milly. I want to go slow, but it’s not going to happen. I need to fuck you.”

  “I need you to fuck me too,” she says, surprising the hell out of me.

  I lean down and press a light kiss across her lips. “I’ll be slow next time.”

  She kisses me back and loops her feet around my calves. I give her a few more kisses before I start thrusting. I’m slow for a second—one fucking second—until my hips start to piston in and out of her. I prop myself up on my hands, my muscles straining, her moans spurring me on, making me go deeper and deeper until I bottom out.

  The first hit is like tapping into euphoria.

  The second creates a bolt of white-hot bliss straight through my balls.

  “Fuck, I’m going to come.”

  She doesn’t answer me as her own orgasm takes her. Her fingers dig into my skin and our hips move together, her pleasure spurring mine on until I’m coming so goddamn hard I can’t see anything. All I can feel is the indescribable feeling of my orgasm ripping and tearing through every last inch of my body.

  “Oh fuck, fuck,” I groan, spilling inside her.

  My hips slow down but don’t fully stop. I don’t want to stop yet. I want to feel her wrapped around me, like a glove, like we were made for each other.

  Her arms loop around my neck and her mouth finds mine. Together, we make out, our tongues greedy, our arms desperately clinging to one another, and our pelvises still connected. Desperation to stay close flows between us, the need to become one taking over.

  And while our mouths explore each other after the most intense orgasm of my life, I realize that Milly isn’t just it for me. She’s my soul mate, put on this earth to be by my side and for me to be by hers.

  I love this girl, hard.

  So fucking hard.

  And even though the road ahead might be a challenge depending on where I’m drafted and where Milly ends up, I know we’re going to make it. I saw our future tonight in the love between Milly’s parents. It was in the way they looked at each other, with deep respect, with frequent amusement, and with genuine, selfless love. It was in the way they listened to each other, that even after twenty-something years together, nothing was assumed. That’s what Milly’s known for her whole life, so that’s what she expects . . . and deserves. And I know, with all my fucking heart, that I won’t rest until we have that. Tonight, she let me inside her body, but I’m hoping I’m already inside her heart, because I know she already owns mine. The bond we have, this connection, it’s what the greatest loves stories are made of. It’s what I want our story to be made of.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  MILLY

  “That’s the last one,” Carson says, setting a box on the ground. Bare-chested, with his shirt tucked into the back of his athletic shorts, and a rolled-up bandana tied across his forehead, he looks incredibly tempting. It’s been hard to avoid staring at him the entire time we’ve been moving my things into my new apartment.

  I have more possessions than I thought. I filled up the smallest U-Haul truck I could rent with things from my parents’ house and of course, everything from my dorm. I wasn’t expecting to even make a dent on the space in the truck.

  Carson and Jason have been amazing, helping me move all my boxes and small pieces of furniture into my apartment, never once complaining.

  Cory and I agreed upon an apartment near Hyde Park where the new facility will be. There’s a doorman, concierge service, and an onsite coffee house, but the apartments aren’t huge and the studio—which I forced him to agree upon—is perfect for me. I’ll give him the security aspect of the building and the location, but I managed to choose the size of the place.