She laughs.
“Up to going out with me today?”
“Are you asking me on a date, Noah Ramsey?” She grins.
“Are you accepting?”
“Yes.” She leans over to give me a quick kiss and gets up. “I’ll go shower.”
I stand to follow her. “I’ll join you.”
“I thought the sex was supposed to come after the date?”
“We’re an established couple, not some people just starting out. This means we can have sex before and after the date.”
Meredith laughs as we walk into the bathroom. She starts taking her clothes off while I turn the water on. Leo comes in and curls up on the rug in front of the sink. Damn dog can’t even let her shower alone. When hands reach out to grab my shirt, I turn my attention back to Meredith, who is now naked and trying to get me the same way.
“Guess what other kind of list I started,” she says once she’s pulled my shirt off. She lets her fingers dance along my chest while I work on my pushing my pants down.
“What?” I ask.
A spectacular grin appears. “A wedding to-do. There’s already something on it for you.”
I step out of my pants, now naked, and pull her flush against me. We’re probably going to be late to our date. I’m in the mood to take my sweet time with this body. “Is it to have sex with you every day?”
“No.” She steps away from me and into the shower.
I follow after and watch the water fall down her body. It’s always amazed me how Meredith has never been self-conscious around me. Even when we were in high school, she wasn’t shy about undressing in front of me. It was a huge turn on that she was so brazen, but now that we’re older, I think it’s simply because she trusts me with herself. I hope she’s always that way.
“You need to sta
rt looking for a house for us.”
My gaze snaps up to her. “I will, but I want us to hold off.”
Meredith’s hand freezes as she reaches for the soap. “Why?”
“As of right now, I don’t even know if I’ll be in Carolina next year. I just want us to wait and see what happens with my contract. We don’t need to buy a house to have to turn right around and sell it. That’s all I mean.”
“Well, that makes sense.”
“Of course it does.” She laughs, and I add, “Time for you to kiss me before I change my mind about this date.” That causes her to laugh again as she leans in to kiss me.
“I love you,” she whispers.
“I love you more.”
Her hands lower to wrap around me. Fuck, she feels good. She’ll feel even better once I’m inside her. I swat her hands away and grab the back of her thighs, which lock around my waist. This is my woman. The only woman I’ve ever loved, and she’ll be the only woman I’ll ever marry. She’ll be the only one I’ll have kids with. She’ll be the only one I share my life with, the only one I’ll put up with, and the only one I’ll love until the day I die. There’s nothing more I could ask for.
After our long shower where the water ran cold, I walk Leo while she finishes getting ready. Our first stop is the movies. No lie, the last time I went to the movies was with Meredith. Things have gotten more expensive in that time period, too. Meredith picks the movie, which ends up being a sad one where the love interest dies right after they’re finally happy. That’s apparently a good movie, according to Meredith.
Next stop is to the best pizza place in Raleigh. Mere takes a pic of us to post in her Insta-thing. She hasn’t been able to stop smiling since our shower, and it’s such a good sight to see. I don’t think she’s realized how she’s already transitioned into a life without her pro career. She’s found and is pursuing a new passion, she’s mostly adjusted to having more time in her schedule, and she’s dealing with it well.
“I was thinking of stopping by Ashley’s before Thanksgiving Day when I go home to see my parents,” Meredith says.
I raise an eyebrow. “Yeah? Think that’s a good idea?”
“Don’t look at me like that!” She playfully shoves my shoulder. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea, but I feel like I owe her an apology. Your whole family, really. I walked away from them and I hurt you. Maybe if I own up to my faults and apologize, it’ll help them like me sooner.”