Page 61 of All In

“But what about you?” My eyes are already growing heavy.

“Tonight, wasn’t about me, Natalie.” He kisses me again, and I can taste myself on his lip, tart and tangy and utterly sexy. “Relax, Sweetheart. I’ve got you.”

Those are the last words I hear.

I have no idea what time it is when I wake up to pee in the middle of the night. Brady is still in bed with me. At some point in the night, he lost his jeans and is tucked in next to me in just black boxer briefs. I take a minute to soak in the sight of this boy who is entirely man. Padding as quietly as I can, I sneak into the bathroom and clean myself up, taking a minute to brush the rats nest out of my hair that’s a byproduct of falling asleep while it was still soaking wet.

Here’s hoping it helps, and when we both wake up in a few hours, I don’t look awful. When I changed out of my wet clothes earlier, I hung Brady’s jersey on the back of the bathroom door. It’s dry now, so I slip it over my head and go back to the bed.

Brady hasn’t moved a muscle, so I try to slip back under his arms. He wakes up just the slightest bit. Muttering, “Come here, baby,” he lifts his arms, and I slide back into him.

This time I lay with my head on his chest, wrapped in his arms. I kiss his chest once, and he groans and holds me tighter.

It takes me longer to get back to sleep because I keep replaying the moments of the night over in my mind.

The kiss in the parking lot.

Landon calling me Brady’s girlfriend.

Everything that happened in my room tonight.

Holy hotness, everything that happened in my room tonight. Thoughts play out in my head like an old home movie, and I fall back to sleep, smiling at my images.

* * *

Waking up the next morning, I realize two things: I am still tucked in Brady’s arms, and I smell coffee. I slowly open up my eyes, and Brady is awake, smiling down at me. “Morning, Sweetheart.” His tan skin glows against my white blankets.

“Mmm. Good morning, handsome. How long have you been awake?”

“A little bit. I heard people moving around downstairs. Then smelled the coffee, and, I think, bacon. Guessing Murphy spent the night and is making breakfast.”

“What time is it”

“I don’t know. My phone is in my jeans, on the floor. I didn’t want to move you so that I could reach it.”

“You could have moved me. I wouldn’t have minded.”

I stretch out and move to stand up, but Brady tightens his hold. “Just lie here for another minute. You were honest with me last night, and I need to be honest with you now.”

“Well, that sounds ominous.”

“No, not at all. I just want to make sure that we are on the same page. I’m a hundred percent in this, Nat. I want you to be mine, and I want to be yours—no one else. I’ve never done the whole relationship thing before and have no idea what I’m doing. Be patient with me. I promise not to lie to you, and I’ll never do anything to hurt you. But if something is happening and you don’t like it, please come talk to me. I don’t want to fuck this up.”

“This is new for me too. But I like the way that sounds. I’m already yours. I think I have been since the night we met.” Leaning back into him, I rest my head on his strong shoulder and look up at his eyes. They look golden in the hazy morning light. “Out of curiosity, does that give me permission to shove Aria’s pom-poms down her throat?”

“Ignore her. She’s nothing. She will never be you, and it’s killing her.” He kisses my lips, and I pull away, not wanting him to smell my morning breath.

“Let me go brush my teeth, and then we can go downstairs.” I swing my legs over the edge of the bed but hear the rustle of the sheets a moment before a muscular arm goes around my waist.

Then his lips go to the back of my neck. “Did I tell you what seeing you in this jersey did to me last night?” He moves my hair over one shoulder and kisses me again.

“I think you got the point across to everyone in the parking lot.”

“Just in case you weren’t sure, I fucking love it.”

I pull away and stand up, turning to face him. “Mission accomplished then. I’ll be right out. Why don’t you head down first, so we ease my brother into this?”

I hear his laughter behind me as I shut the door.

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