Page 48 of Revived
“No, I didn’t. I’m serious, Elle. I know you’re training right now, and I respect that. I’ll wait until the Olympics is over. I’ll wait as long as you need me to. It’ll kill me, but I’ll do it. Make no mistake though, the second that you say I can fill you up until your belly is swollen with my baby, I’m doing it. You should have never held a baby in front of me. I’m going to be insatiable now.” His lips dance up and down my neck in playful kisses and nips of his teeth.
I know I should throw him off of me and yell at him. Maybe tell him he’s absolutely insane, and I think we need to take a break or to slow down about twenty steps. There are so many things that I should do, but the one thing I absolutely shouldnotdo is allow myself to think about what that would look like. I try extremely hard to shove it all back, but it’s no use.
Thoughts of me pregnant with Sullivan’s baby fill my mind. He will be the most attentive partner during pregnancy. I can see him now trying to carry me around and making sure I don’t lift a single finger. It’ll drive memad, but he won’t be able to help himself. He’ll change his schedule around to make sure he’s at every single appointment. Even the ones that take all of five minutes.
I can see him wanting to wait to find out what the baby is because he really doesn’t care one way or another. Images of him laying in one of those tan hospital recliners with no shirt on while our baby lays in just their diaper on his chest have my eyes misting. He really will be such a great dad. I know that he’s going to be so attentive when they’re little, following them around so they don’t fall or bump their heads on anything. When they’re older, he’ll teach them to dance and play sports, and I’m sure he’ll instill our love of running into our children.
Most importantly, I know he’ll teach them to be amazing people. He’ll make sure they know how to be kind, honorable, witty, and love like no one is watching. Sullivan is such an amazing man that his children won’t have an option but to be amazing humans.
“You’re thinking about it.” He chuckles darkly before placing a singular kiss on my shoulder and straightening up. “Come on, baby girl. You don’t have to make any decisions right now.”
My brain is short circuiting, but all I can do is follow him back out to the living room, where his entire family is filling the room to the brim. He pulls us over to the empty love seat since he knows I’m worried about sitting on him with his bruising. His back looks so bad that it makes me queasy to think about. Bruises in dark blues, purples, and blacks cover the muscular surface. He keeps trying to pull me in his lap or on top of him when he’s resting, but Iknowhis body is killing him. I saw the way he looked at me when I was holding Lina earlier. The look in his eye was the only reason that I humored him and sat with him. I let him get comfortable before leaning my head onto his shoulder and watching the chaos of all the kids running around. His brothers bicker and joke while we’re in our little bubble, where now I can imagine our little one running around the group of kids one day too.
***
“Alright girls, that’s a wrap!” I yell out into the room filled with girls between the ages of eight and ten. I coach the girls multiple times a week when my schedule allows it. I watch as they run off the mats to gofind their parents. They’ll probably go home to finish up homework and get ready for a new day tomorrow. I make sure everyone has left before grabbing my gym bag and my keys.
Sully went back to work two shifts ago. He was only out a week, but he was practically climbing the walls to get back to work. He still has an entire day to go before he’ll be home, which means it’s me and a big empty bed tonight. Turning off all the lights on my way through the gym, I smile at Knox waiting for me on the other side of the main door.
Knox’s sandy blonde hair and stunning blue eyes get him more bed buddies than he knows what to do with, but they do nothing for me. Women throw themselves at Knox Olsson, and men want to be him. He’s the top pitcher in the majors and is on his way to securing a spot in the hall of fame one day. But to me? He’s just the kid who moved next door to me in the first grade and asked if I wanted to go catch lightning bugs with him.
He ruffles my hair when I step outside and begin locking the main door. I playfully throw my elbow into his stomach, causing him to grunt and drop his hand. “Don’t touch me. You’re gross.”
He looks down at his clean clothes before looking back at me with a puzzled look, “I just showered less than an hour ago?”
“Maybe, but I know those hands have been in some questionable places before.” I have to fight to hide my smirk when realization dawns on him and he scoffs.
“Shut up. Your fingers could have been in Sully’s ass for all I know, but I don’t mention that.” He laughs as he responds.
I push him away from me before he turns, and we walk shoulder to shoulder to my car, “Yeah, yeah. So, anyway, how was practice?”
“Good. I think we’re really shaping up. It was a rough first few games, but we seem to be gelling more and more now that we’re under new coaching.”
Knox plays for the Virginia Reapers. A couple of weeks ago they overhauled their coaching staff after a huge scandal broke out involving betting. It was unclear just how deep it ran, so they replaced everyone from the coaches to the medical staff; hell, even some of the higher ups were changed out. Seeing as how Knox is the Captain for the Reapers, a lot fell on his shoulders to help make the transition as smooth as possible for everyone.
“That’s good. You’ve been working hard.” I smile up at him and bump my shoulder into his.
“Yeah, hopefully it doesn’t go unnoticed. Of course our new physio is hot, so trying to get everyone out of her office and their heads in the game is harder than it should be. Hopefully her husband and wife coming up to the field today will stop the guys from acting like twelve year olds, but I’m not counting on it.”
“Husband and wife? Lucky lady.” I whistle low as Knox pulls my car door open for me.
“Three husbands and a wife.” He raises a brow at me.
“Well now I’m caught between she’s extremely lucky and is she the one doing the laundry?” I wonder out loud as I slide into my seat.
“You want more than one husband, Boo?” He chuckles, knowing that Sully would lose his shit if he shared me.
“Nope, none is good for now, and one is good for later. Any more than that and I may start forgetting names.” I toss a playful wink at him. “Thanks, Knox.” I tell him sincerely.
“Anytime, Elle. You know that. I’m heading home for the night anyway, so I’ll follow you and make sure you get in the house safely. Are you staying at your place?”
“No. I promised Sully I wouldn’t unless he or my Papa was with me after last time.”
“Yeah, that’s probably a smart decision. Let’s get out of here.” He gives me one more grin before shutting the door and waiting to hear the locks click before going back to his truck.
The ride home is uneventful. Where I would normally call Sully on the way, he texted me to let me know that they were out on a car accident. By the time he texts me to let me know he’s back at the station, I’m just stepping out of his shower in the en suite. After wrapping myself up in a big fluffy gray towel, my phone begins to ring with a facetime. Before I can second guess myself, I answer and bring the phone up so all you can see is my face.
Sully fills my screen, and I can’t help but smile as I take him in. He looks freshly showered. His hair is a little damp still, and his shirt is clinging to him in the way that tells me he threw it on while his torso was still just a little damp. His phone is propped up on his desk while he sits back in his desk chair, silently appraising me with the slightest grin on his face.
