The Trade(78)

I nod. “We are.”

“And you’re sure?”

“Could not be more sure.”

“Good.” He presses another light kiss across my lips and before I can revel in it, he pulls away. “Then let’s get you home.”

“Wait . . . what?” I ask, stepping away to see if he’s serious. “You want to take me home?” I look down the hallway. “But your apartment is right there, a few feet away, with multiple fucking surfaces.”

He laughs out loud, his head flying back while he grips me tighter with his arms, forcing me to rest my head against his chin. The rumble of his laugh flows through me and I commit the feeling to memory, letting it sink beneath the layer of my skin.

“I want to take things slow with you, Natalie.”

“After you dry-humped my ass, isn’t that a little backward?”

He shakes his head, puts his hand in mine, linking our palms, and then takes my suitcase with the other one and presses the down button on the elevator. “That was me losing control, before I knew dating you was an option. That was me clinging to anything I could to fill the hole that was burned into me during vacation. A desperate man.”

“So now you’re going to hold out on me?”

He presses a kiss to my temple. “I’m doing this right. I never really gave much thought to a relationship before, and now I know this is what I want, I don’t want to give myself any opportunity to ruin it. So yeah, I’m going to hold out on you. I’m going to get to know you. Take you out. Hold your hand in public, sneak kisses when I can, and when the time comes, I’m going to spread you out naked on my bed and make love to you.” My body shivers as he lowers his mouth to my ear and whispers, “And then I’m going to fuck you across my entire apartment. Sound like a plan?”

Unable to form words, as visuals of Cory fucking me on every surface of his apartment cross my mind, I nod my head, really liking his plan.

The elevator dings and we both get on, Cory never letting go of my hand.

On the way down, I ask, “Where were you headed when you came out of your apartment?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know, really. I was just going to start walking until I felt like my head was clear. Pretty sure if I didn’t find you in the hallway, I’d be walking all day and through the night.”

“Well, I guess you don’t have to worry about wearing out the tread on your shoes now.”

He smiles at me and then wraps his arm around my shoulders again, kissing the top of my head. I melt into his embrace, wondering if this is how our relationship will be. He treasures me. He’s done that from the beginning if I think hard about it. I understand now why he was guarded, and it wasn’t to frustrate me, but to keep his heart safe. And that tells me everything I need to know about this man. He sees me as someone who could hurt him. Me. Which means he’s going to protect my heart too.





“You’re so manly wheeling my bag around for me.”

He chuckles and says, “Want me to roll it into your bedroom?”

“Last door on the right, I would be so grateful. How about I order us some pizza? Are you hungry?”

He rolls my suitcase down the hallway of my apartment and quickly appears, hands in his sweats pockets. “I should actually get going.” My hope of a night of Cory tumbles down. “Ah shit, don’t give me those sad eyes.” He walks up to me and takes my hand in his only to bring it up to his lips and press a kiss across my knuckles. “I should really get a workout in and get my life sorted after vacation. Schedule some time in the cages as well.”

“I understand,” I say, knowing full well the time and dedication being a professional baseball player takes.

He sighs and lifts my chin to his mouth where he works his lips along mine. Soft but intense at the same time, he sends shivers down my limbs with every pass of his mouth, and I can feel how much he regrets not hanging out with me tonight.

When he pulls away, he asks, “Can I take you out tomorrow night?”

“Yeah?” He nods. “I would love to. Are we talking fancy or fun?”

“Up to you. Do you want fancy or fun?”

“Would it be cliché to say fancy? I really want to dress up for you.”

His hand falls to the small of my back as the corner of his lips turn up. “Dress up, huh? Does that mean a tight dress where I can see all of your curves?”

“Is that what you want?”

He nods and bites his bottom lip. “Especially something that shows off your ass.”

“Cory Potter.” I press my hand against my chest, feigning innocence. “Are you an ass man?”

“I wasn’t until the first day on the boat in St. Croix, when I caught the sight of half your ass cheeks out in the sun.”

“Ugh, that bathing suit was a mistake. I didn’t think it was going to be so revealing.”

“I’m not complaining at all. If you want to wear that tomorrow night, by all means, feel free.”

I chuckle. “So you’re not one of those men who goes all alpha on their girl and doesn’t want other people staring at them?”

He reaches around me with both arms and says, “They can stare all they want, because there’s one thing for sure, I know exactly who you’re going out with . . . and that’s me.”