Page 113 of Play the Game
Evan studies me for a beat, her eyes bounding between mine. I don’t know what she’s looking for, but she seems to find it, her lips tipping up in a smile before she wraps her arms around my waist and kisses me, slow and deep, until butterflies explode in my stomach and my brain is at risk of going offline completely. “I love you,” she says, her eyes on mine and her tone as serious as I’ve ever heard it. “I love you so much, and I’m really glad that you get to be mine.” Then, in a flash, serious disappears, replaced by a smirk. “And I’m really glad you came to find me in here so you could fuck me so hard against that sink that I saw my life flash before my eyes.”
I bark out a laugh, peppering kisses all over her face until she’s giggling, and let me tell you, you haven’t lived until you’ve made the strong, fierce, independent as fuck Evan Rhodes giggle. Life. Made. “You too, huh?”
She snorts out a laugh. “Oh yeah. And don’t think I missed how you lost your fucking mind when I put my hand on my belly. Like, I’m pretty sure my pussy will never recover from it.”
Laughing, I pull up my pants then bend down, grabbing her leggings and helping her slide her feet into the legs, pulling them up for her and then slipping on her shoes, tying the laces before standing back up. Kissing her nose, I grin at her. “Can’t help it, Rhodes. You all pregnant and shit makes me feel some kind of way.”
She rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling too. “Whatever does it for you, I guess.”
Cupping her cheek, I run my thumb over her lower lip, bending to kiss her. “You do it for me. Always, only you. Want to go home?”
She tilts her head, considering. “Can we stop at the diner for pie on the way?”
I grin, tossing an arm around her shoulders and opening the bathroom door. “Two a.m. pie sounds like exactly what we need.”
“I think you’re exactly what I need,” Evan says, and her words have my heart squeezing. “And pie.” She grins up at me and presses a kiss to my jaw, and happiness bubbles up inside me along with a fierce gratitude for this night. For her. For whatever higher powers conspired to put Evan and me on this planet, in this place, at this time, together.
Wrapped tightly around each other, we walk out of the theater into a chilly Boston night, ready for whatever adventures lie ahead.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
EVAN
MAY
“Ugh,” I groan, reaching out a hand and slapping at my phone, trying to turn off the incessant beeping.
“I got it, baby.” Cooper reaches over me and silences my alarm. When he leans down to kiss my forehead, running a hand over my hair, I peel open my eyes and try to sit up, wincing and pressing a hand to my side as everything inside me tightens suddenly, painfully, before finally, mercifully, releasing.
“Shit,” I mutter, giving up the effort and flopping back down against my pillows.
“Those fake contractions with the weird name again?” Cooper asks, propping himself up on an elbow, laying a hand on my belly and stroking lightly.
I huff out a laugh when the baby shoves her knee or elbow or some other tiny body part right into Cooper’s hand. Somehow, she always seems to know when he’s right there. Whatever spooky Wyles mind reading thing Cooper has, I think maybe thebaby has it too, and even as I think it, I recognize the absolute insanity of that notion and wonder if I’ve gone completely round the bend when instead of weirding me out, it makes me feel warm all over. “Braxton Hicks, yeah. Something something preparing for labor? I have no idea. I honestly wasn’t paying all that much attention to the doctor when she was explaining it the other day. I was too busy freaking out over her very detailed description of the stages of labor and delivery.”
Cooper laughs, helping me sit up and grabbing the water bottle he fills with ice and water for me every night and leaves on my nightstand so I have it first thing in the morning. He hands it to me to drink, then sets it back down when I finish. “You and me both, Rhodes. Maybe you should stay home today.” He lays back down, sliding an arm around my waist and tugging me closer, dropping a kiss on my head and turning so we’re face to face, one of his hands resting on my belly. “Better yet, we can both stay home. Call in sick on account of practice contractions. Think of the possibilities. No real clothes. None of the ridiculous heels you still insist on wearing. You don’t even have to get out of bed.”
I press my face into his neck, breathing him in, my whole body loosening at his proximity. “Can’t,” I mumble. “I have a motion to draft, the final deposition for the Lazarus case this afternoon, and a meeting with the associate who’s taking over my caseload when I go on maternity leave.”
“Who did you finally settle on?” Cooper asks, running his nose down my neck, dotting kisses over my collarbone.
“Well, I wanted to settle on you, but you had to be all feminist and decide to take your whole parental leave at the same time as I take mine.”
Cooper smiles against my skin. “We’ve talked about this. Like fuck would I leave you alone right after you birth an entire baby. That’s not how any of this works. Our baby, Ev. We do it all together.”
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate it, but you’re the bestassociate in the group.” I give him a sly smile. “After me, of course.”
Cooper snorts out a laugh. “Of course.”
“And you’re the only one I trust my clients with. How about you just take, like, two weeks. Then you can go back and make sure the baby associates haven’t fucked everything up.”
Cooper kisses my nose. “That is literally the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, but I’m still not taking over your cases. Parental leave, Ev. Me and you. The baby associates are going to be fine.”
“Not likely,” I mutter, my hand fisting in the sheets as my stomach tightens again. I take a slow breath, trying to hide it from Cooper because my due date is still three weeks away, and as appealing as a day at home sounds, I really do need to get to work.
“I hope no one’s naked!” Jordan calls, letting himself in the door of the apartment. “I’m on breakfast today!”
Cooper groans, burying his face in my neck. “I really should remember to lock that damn door. Fucking brothers barging in at all hours of the fucking day.”
