Urban

 

“So, what do you think?” I pulled Everly around until I was able to press her into my side and rest my hand on her lower back.

 

“The house is beautiful.” She looked around the kitchen again. “It’s huge, though. Do you need this much space?”

 

“Need?” I shrugged. “Probably not, but I assume I’ll grow into it.”

 

She ran her hand over the countertop while strolling away from me. “Are you planning on having roommates?” she asked.

 

“Because I can’t see how you’d grow into this thing.”

​

Sure, it was a large house, but it wasn’t the size of my parents’ house. That thing was massive. This was a newly built, few thousand square foot house. Lots of bedrooms. Lots of bathrooms.

 

“The basement’s finished,” I reminded her. “I can put a full gym down there, which means I could do my workouts at home instead of at the field.” That needed to sink in. I hadn’t said what I really meant yet, but I also didn’t want to freak her out. “If I build it myself, then I can get exactly what I need.”

 

“It sounds like you love this place.”

 

“I love you,” I told her, following her until her back was pressed against the countertop. Then I grabbed her hips and lifted until she was on top, and I could push between her legs.

 

I cupped Everly’s cheese and then pressed my lips to hers. Everly tasted like strawberries and… vanilla. It took me a second to place the flavor. If I didn’t stop kissing her now, we’d be breaking in the kitchen in two minutes.

 

“But I want you to love it too,” I told her.

 

“Because I’ll be here a lot? It’s your house, Urban.” She ran her tongue over her bottom lip, and just that had me hardening in my jeans.

 

“Because…” Pinching her chin between my thumb and forefinger, I raised it so she’d look at me. “I want you to move in here, too.”

 

Her eyes widened. “Urban… We’ve only been together, what? Weeks? I can’t move in with you.”

I took a small step back. “Why not?”

 

“It’s too soon.”

 

“Says who?” I asked. “Who gets to determine how much time needs to pass before it’s appropriate?” I raised an eyebrow. “I do, and I’ve already decided. And you do. Is it too soon for you, or do you just think it’s too soon?”

She sunk her teeth into her bottom lip as she thought over what I’d just said. “I have an amazing knack for picking the wrong guy,” she said quietly.

 

“Do you think I’m the wrong guy?” I already knew the answer to this, but something I’d learned about Everly in the last couple of weeks was that sometimes, she needed to come to her own conclusions.

 

“No.”

 

I kissed her softly before saying, “I’m not going to fuck anyone else, and I’m sure as hell not going to try to sell all your things.” I yanked her hips so she’d be closer to me. “I just want you here. I want you in my space. I just… fucking want you.”

 

Everly pushed her fingers into my dark hair, which was a little too long. The feel of her hands on me was better than anything I’d ever felt. Even the small touches. The ones not meant to lead anywhere. They were the most intimate.

 

“You have me,” she said, then kissed me. These kisses were little, nothings yet somehow might’ve meant the most. “People are going to think we’re crazy.”

 

I shrugged. “Fuck people.”

 

She dropped her head back with a laugh, giving me the perfect opening. I pushed my face right into her neck and began dropping wet kisses.

 

“This feels like a bribe,” she said, only the humor was gone from her voice, and her words came out breathy.

 

“If that’s what you want to call it,” I mumbled against her neck.

 

She sighed, then pushed me back. Once she was looking me in the eye, she said, “Are you sure? Like, really sure you want me to live here?”

 

“I’ve literally never been more sure of anything ever.”

 

She took a deep breath and then said, “OK.”

 

The grin that spread across my face was probably goofy as shit, but I didn’t care.

 

Everly said yes, and that was all that mattered. She didn’t know that I would’ve married that girl right then and there. Taken her to Vegas on the off day and put a ring on it.

 

But I needed to move more slowly with her, or I’d scare her away. She wasn’t one to trust people quickly. If I told her I’d marry her today, she’d probably bolt, and I’d never see her again.

 

Two weeks later, we were moving things into the house. Including everything from Everly’s apartment.

 

I didn’t give a fuck if she still had time on her lease. I told her I’d buy it out. She, of course, rejected that and said she’d buy it out herself. Luckily, the apartments she lived in had a waiting list, so the manager didn’t balk at the idea of her ending the lease early. And she only had to pay half of what was left on it.

 

I had almost thought to move in. Some things had been in storage at Brooks’ from Florida, but all the furniture had to be bought new because I left all that down there. The old team had donated it all for me.

 

Everly and I had made a list of everything we thought we’d need, and she spent time shopping then narrowing it down. Then she took me. I hated that I didn’t have the time to go with her and shop slowly like most couples, but that was the way of my job.

 

“What about the gym?” she asked.

 

“I’ve got a guy coming Friday to put it together. You’ll be here, right?” There was no way I’d have time to do that until the off-season and part of wanting it now was so that I could do my shit at home. Spend more time here with Everly.

 

“Right. Yes. I’ll be here.”

 

Everly looked around the kitchen at the utter mess we’d created. There were boxes, new things, and stuff from her apartment, as well as bags and bags. The fridge was stocked because we’d gotten a grocery order yesterday.

 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to hire someone to unpack?” I leaned against the wall near where it led into the living room.

 

She held up a hand. “No. I’ve got this. We’ve got this.” She turned to me. Those green eyes with the gold flecks that I’d come to love. “I want everything where it makes sense to us. We can do this. I know I’ll be doing most of it because you have a game tomorrow.”

 

“And a road trip Friday.”

 

“I know.” She smiled. “Maybe if we have it done by then, I’ll let Camden talk me into going on that road trip.”

 

Well, that wasn’t something I could ignore.

​

I hurried over to her, shoved my shoulder into her belly, and lifted so that I was carrying her caveman style.

 

“What’re you doing?” she screeched.

 

“Camden’s not going to convince you to come on the road trip.” I slapped her ass gently. “I am.”

 

“Put me down.” She tried to sound so serious, but that only made it funnier. “You’re going to drop me.”

 

“The fuck I am.” I took the stairs quickly as if she wasn’t even there over my shoulder and didn’t stop until I was in the bedroom. The new bed was there, but there weren’t any sheets.

 

That wouldn’t stop me from using every tool in my toolbox to come on that road trip.

In the end, I won.

 

It didn’t even take much.