“I do. I have a place not far from here. It has two bedrooms, is fully furnished, and in a safer neighborhood. You can stay there as long as you want, and when I get back, we can talk more, figure shit out. Unless…”
“Unless what?” I ask.
“Unless you need to go back. We’re going to Texas and then on to Tampa Bay. I can stay in Tampa for a day longer.”
My heart swells knowing that he wants to see me when he’s off. “I can stay.”
“Okay, good.” He stands and moves over to the dresser and starts pulling out the rest of my clothes. “Go pack your bathroom. You’re coming home with me.”
I try not to act like a giddy schoolgirl but I can’t help it. Once inside the bathroom, I fist-pump and shimmy my hips until I come face-to-face with myself in the mirror. My eyes are bloodshot and dark lines coat my skin under my lower lid. My image reminds me not to look into anything too deeply with Cooper. He could be doing this because I’m carrying his child and it’s the responsible thing to do, not because he wants to be with me.
Chapter 31
Cooper
I don’t know what possessed me to bring Ainsley to my apartment, but I couldn’t let her stay in that shithole. Maybe I could turn that around on Wes and ask him what kind of father l
ets his pregnant daughter stay in a roach motel. That would only bait him into calling me out on more bullshit, though.
Ainsley is currently looking around my apartment, much like she did in Florida, although this place is much nicer. I’m happy she’s here, in my place again. I just don’t like the circumstances. I hadn’t thought much about a reunion with her. I imagine, if I did, it wouldn’t have been like this, with her pregnant.
I let her explore everywhere, even my bedroom, which honestly is where I’d like her to stay. I’m sure being with me is the last thing she wants. I know she said she missed me, but that can be simply because she’s been going through a tough time or the fact that we ended on a bad note.
“Your bathroom is huge.”
Her fingers run along the soaking tub. I thought I’d use it to quiet the ache in my overworked muscles after games, but I never have. “Feel free to use the tub if you want. You can sleep in here too while I’m gone. I think this bed is a little more comfortable than the one in the other room.”
“Thank you,” she says as she continues her exploration. Ainsley moves into the kitchen and opens the refrigerator. “Okay, I expected nothing but cheese and beer.”
“I’m not much of a drinker, plus I have a housekeeper who comes in every other day. She does my grocery shopping, laundry, and cleaning. Her name is Elaine.”
“Does she cook for you?” Ainsley asks as she leans on the counter.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “I honestly don’t cook a whole lot. Breakfast is usually the only meal I eat here. The rest are at the stadium.”
“What about when you’re off?”
I start to laugh. I wish we had days off. “Those are usually rare, except this month we have four. Usually we’re lucky to get one.”
Ainsley doesn’t say anything else and continues to wander through my place. I could stand here and watch her or be useful. And as much as I’d love to just gaze at her all day, I decide to carry her luggage into the guest room.
When I step in, it feels wrong. I can’t picture her sleeping here. I quickly turn around and take her stuff into my room, placing her suitcase on my bed.
“What are you doing?”
Turning at the sound of her voice, I feel a magnetic pull toward her. With three steps, I’m standing in front of her with her eyes searching my face for some sort of clue as to what’s going on in my head. I take her in, trying to memorize what she looks like with her strawberry blond hair longer than it was when I last saw her. Her stomach is plump and carrying a child that I helped create.
Every time my gaze meets hers, my heart turns over in response. Urging me to kiss her, hold her, to do anything except stand there. It took me months to get over her, to not hear her laughter, feel her presence, and dream that she was next to me in bed. My game suffered because of her, and I’m not sure I can afford another relapse. I step away, guarding my heart instead of following it. It’ll be safer that way.
“Don’t.” She reaches for me, taking hold of my shirt as it rests near the waistband of my shorts.
Ainsley watches me intently with longing in her eyes. Her cautious step forward is not lost on me. And neither is the sensation I feel as her fingers from her free hand play with the scruff on my cheeks.
“I won’t be able to stop,” I warn her. She’s the last person I had sex with, even though I’ve been dating. None of the women I’ve met have done anything for me. None of them really compared to Ainsley or made me feel like she did by simply being in the room with me.
“I don’t want you to stop.”
My lips crash down on hers with savage intensity. My tongue plunges into her mouth, desperate to taste her, to reconnect with her. Fingers are in my hair, grabbing and pulling, while my hands cup her ass, bringing her as close as possible.