“Thanks for the sex.”
I burst a laugh. It’s loud and unladylike and I don’t give a shit.
This guy is frustratingly good, easing my tension with humor the way I usually do.
“You’re welcome, Baseball Daddy. And I do mean Daddy.”
I can hear his laugh from here. “Today was a good day.”
It really was.
“They could all be good days.”
He hums. “Yeah. Maybe.”
There’s only a thin wall between us, a handful of feet and an open door. Just enough distance that I’ve convinced myself is necessary. But in an odd way, it feels like he’s still inside of me. Not physically, but as if he’s etched his way into my soul. His scent is still on my sheets as I burrow into them. His touch still singes my skin.
He was right. There’s no way I’ll be able to forget him.
Chapter 24
Miller
The sun peeking through my curtains is what wakes me up, blinding and bright. Squinting, it takes me a moment to orient myself, remembering where I am.
Boston.
I’m in Boston.
I’ve woken up most of my adult life this way, needing to recall where I am, what city I’m currently passing through.
Rolling over, I’m struck with another reminder.
I’m sore.
I’m sore from Kai stretching my body.
Because we had sex.
Mind-blowing, made-me-come-three-times, better-than-I’ve-ever-had sex.
Flashes of his dark hair, wet with sweat, pass through my mind. His body, long and lean, knowing exactly how to take care of mine. And his words . . . God, he talks dirty in bed.
I squeeze my thighs at the memories.
My attention darts to the side table where he left his glasses last night, but they’re gone, as are the clothes he left scattered across the floor. But yesterday’s olive-green overalls are still right where I left them, so without fussing over a bra or shirt, I step into them, needing to cover some of my naked body, not knowing if Kai has picked up Max from his brother’s room yet.
And right on cue, I hear the front door of Kai’s room unlock. The one connecting ours is still wide open and it’s only a few seconds later that he takes over the threshold, a coffee in either hand. He’s wearing athletic shorts that cut well above his knees, showing off that thigh tat, with a gray tee and his glasses back in place.
He’s so hot and put together at this early hour while I’m barely dressed with my hair still a mess from his hands running through it last night.
He smiles at me, all sweet and sexy, clearly not thrown off that I kicked him out of bed last night.
“Did you just wake up?”
“Yes.” I turn away from him, using the full-length mirror on the wall to quickly throw my hair up in a knot. “It seems someone here exhausted me last night.”
“Well, that seems fair.” Kai occupies the space behind me, looking at me through the mirror. “Because you exhaust me on a daily basis.”
I smile into our reflection. The last thing I needed was Kai coming in here talking about us making love or something like that. What I needed was for him to give me shit.
He bends to kiss my now exposed neck. “Morning.”
“Hi.” I find myself curving into him. “Did you bring me coffee?”
“A chai.” He reaches the cup over my shoulder, putting it in my hand.
“How’d you know I like chai?”
“It’s what you were drinking the first day we met, when your dad stuck me with your ass all summer.”
A smile ticks on my lips. How observant of him. “Thank you.”
Kai’s eyes lose their previous cheery glint, replaced instead with concern. “Are you okay?”
“In regards to . . .”
“Are you okay with what happened last night?”
A slow grin spreads on my lips as I look at him through the mirror. “More than okay.”
His worry washes away, his smirk taking on a boyish edge. “Yeah?”
“Yes.”
“Would you be more than okay if it happened again?”
God, he’s cute, all shy with his question.
“I’d love for it to happen again.”
He’s full-on smiling now, a smile I didn’t know existed only a month ago.
A smile that seems hopeful, reminding me of what this man has gone through in his life, and that I can’t be the next person to hurt him when I leave.
“But,” I interrupt. “I think we should have some rules.”
“Haven’t we learned that we aren’t very good at holding strong on those?”