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“Have fun, Cooper. Don’t forget, babies grow up in eighteen years, but herpes lasts forever!”
“Damn, you are beautiful when you smile, Natalie.”
“Oh, Nat. There are so many things I want to show you.”
“I’ve got him, QB. Go change your shirt before your girl comes back downstairs. It’s got blood on it, and she doesn’t need to see that shit anymore tonight.” Murphy gawks at Bash like he sprouted another head. “His girl?” Bash opens the door but turns his head back. “Yeah. His girl. Pay attention, Murph.” Then he walks outside. “What the hell is he talking about, man?” Murph’s question is directed at me, but I’m already halfway up the stairs and don’t bother answering. Bash is right. That girl is mine, and I’m a fucking idiot for not realizing it sooner.
“Yes, she’s tall, and she’s pretty. But I have a newfound need for someone who’s short and gorgeous. Someone who looks like a pixie. Someone whose brother I was planning on talking to tonight before all hell broke loose. I need to talk to him so he doesn’t kill me when I kiss his sister.”
“Tell me how to fix this, Nattie, please. I need to fix this for you,” Coop pleads with me.
Brady fills both mugs and hands one to me. He leans back on the counter and might as well shine a spotlight on the perfectly sculptured V his shorts hang off of. I internally groan while I imagine licking every ridge of his chest. If I lick it, is it mine?
“Because I don’t plan on hiding how I feel about you for anyone’s sake. Not once you realize you’re already mine. And make no mistake, sweetheart. You’re mine.”
“What you didn’t see when that happened was the look on your face. You also didn’t see it last night when you took care of her before you even considered yourself. You could have ended your season with that hit last night, QB. You know that, right? Of course, you fucking know that. The consequences could have been fucking catastrophic if you broke your hand while breaking his face, but you didn’t hesitate to protect my sister. There aren’t a whole lot of people I trust. “People usually try to use me to get to my dad. You, Bash, and Murph aren’t like that. Don’t fucking hurt her. Don’t fuck her
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Pretty sure I’d do anything to make her smile and would get you to help me bury the body of anybody that tried to hurt her.”
“Nope. And I didn’t even pay her. The moral of the story is: Stick with me, and I promise not to lick anyone else.” “You’re terrible.” “Yeah, that was pretty bad.”
“Oh, man. I do hate to see her leave, but I sure do like to watch her go.” The fucker laughs at himself.
That’s when it clicks. At that moment, with my name on her back, I decide she’s going to be the girl who wears my jersey for the rest of her life.
By the time I finally see the guys heading in our direction, my nerves are shot. I expected to see Brady smiling and laughing like Murphy, Bash, and Cooper. I wasn’t expecting Serious Brady, but the look on his face is almost scary. He walks toward us like a man on a mission.
“Tell me, Natalie. Tell me now.” “Tell you what?” I ask nervously. “Why are you wearing my jersey?” he growls. Shocked and more than a little turned-on, I stare up at him. “Should I not have worn it?” “No, sweetheart. I fucking love seeing my name on you. But I need to know why. I need to know what it means.”
“You told me I had to let you know when I was ready for more, Brady. This is me telling you I’m ready for everything.” He’s on me instantly. This isn’t a sweet kiss. This is a claiming. His hands are on my ass, and his tongue is in my mouth.
“Do you have any idea how much I want you, Nat? I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since the first night you came to town. I saw you standing in the kitchen and knew you were different. I had no idea you were going to change my entire world. But I think I knew that night you’d change it.” I lean in and brush my lips over hers.
“Oh God. I’ve never had sex. Rounded the bases. How detailed do you need me to be here? How about if I say I want you to be my first with all the fun things, Brady Ryan? And I want all of the fun things.”
“Natalie, I want to be your first everything. I’m pretty fucking sure I want to be your only everything.”
I want to worship this girl. Protect her. Possess her. I want to give her everything.
“I have no idea how this happened, but I’m completely positive you won’t treat me like that, because I have to believe that you feel the same way I do. I know it’s too early to be in love, Brady, and just uttering that word probably scares you, but I feel like my soul knows yours. It recognizes you. I could feel you watching me the night we met. I know when you’ve walked into a room before I ever set my eyes on you.”
“Nat, when I saw you at the game last night, saw my jersey on you, I pictured you wearing my jersey years from now. It didn’t scare me. I never thought I’d feel like this now. Maybe ten years from now but not my senior year in high school. It doesn’t matter, though, because you’re here. I found you, but as much as I don’t want to let you go, I also don’t want to hurt you.”
“I want to give you everything, Nat. Today, tomorrow, next year. I want to give you the world, sweetheart.”
All of a sudden, an image pops into my mind. I can see it clear as day. It’s Natalie, a little older, dressed exactly like she is now. She’s holding the hand of a mini-version of herself. A tiny little ballerina with blonde hair and baby blue eyes that own my heart, and they’re both smiling at me.
“All due respect, sir, I know we’re young and this is new, but I plan to be with your daughter for as long as she’ll let me. I’m hoping that’s a long time, sir. I respect you, and I respect Cooper, but my relationship with Natalie has nothing to do with what either of you could do for me. You being her father has absolutely nothing to do with why I’m with her. You have my word that I’ll protect her and take care of her. I have no intention of hurting your daughter, sir.”
“Mine, Nattie. God, you’re all fucking mine.” Thrust. “Mine to fuck.” Thrust. “Mine to protect.” Thrust. “Mine to love.”
