Page 34 of Stepping Up to the Plate

“They might be a little wobbly,” she admits with a blush. The fact that she can still be shy after what we just did is fucking precious.

I give her a smirk before sitting her down in my bed with one of my shirts in her hands and pulling on a pair of boxers.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

“Getting ready for bed. I’ve had a long day and we’ve both had a long night,” I answer.

“Oh,” she responds and moves to get up.

“Where do you think you’re going?” I question.

“Back to my apartment?”

“I don’t think so.”

“You don’t?” She hesitates. “Why not?”

“Because,” I state, “you’re staying with me.”

“But I live upstairs. There is no reason for me to stay here.”

“Yes, there is.”

“There is? What is it?”

“Because I want you here. In my bed. With me. There is no chance in hell I’m going to make love to you and then send you on your merry way back to your place. Even if all we did was make out like teenagers on my couch, I had every intention of you spending the night in my bed.”

“You did?”

“You always ask this many questions after sex?” I ask, smirking when she flushes.

“No, I just… I don’t have that much experience with casual. From what I understand, men enjoy their space. Don’t they usually only have women sleeping over because it would be rude to send them home?”

“One, this isn’tcasual. We’re dating. You may not be ready to label it, but this is not some casual friends with benefits situation,” I declare as I pull her into my lap.

“Two, I may enjoy my space, but I enjoy it even more with you in it. And three, you aren’t women. You’re you. We’ve been taking this slow, and we still can. But now that I’ve felt you come wrapped around my cock and tasted your sweet pussy, you’re staying in my bed as much as possible. You’ll be lucky if I ever let you leave.

“You recently got out of a serious relationship that ended on bad terms. I can appreciate that, but what we’ve got going here issomethingand I for one want to see where it goes. I plan to treat it as such. That means you sleep in my bed on nights I make you scream my name and any other nights you want. Any more questions?”

“Just one,” she replies. “You told me to call you Brady.”

“I did. And that isn’t a question.”

She rolls her eyes at that before clarifying. “Should I-do you want me to do that all the time? Even in front of people? Also, why don’t you want me to call you Miller?”

“That’s two questions, but I’ll let it slide,” I say, kissing her shoulder and skating my nose up to her neck to whisper in her ear. “I want you to call me Brady all the time. Even in front of people. Preferably, even when I’m not there. Miller is who I am to the rest of the world. You’re special to me and I want everyone to know it from how we treat each other to how we talk about each other. You’re my sweet girl and I’m your Brady – even if you aren’t ready to claim me yet. Now, get your ass into that shirt and under those covers so I can spoon you until we both pass out.”

“Okay, Brady,” she answers with a smile.

ChapterEighteen

• BRADY •

July

“Papa Bear,” I hear Kent singsong as I enter the locker room. “Don’t you look fresh as a daisy.”

“Fuck off, Dela Cruz,” I respond but there is no heat to it. Even these clowns can’t tamper my mood.

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