17. Everly

CHAPTER 17

EVERLY

U rban's mouth on me felt better than anything else.

We'd had sex several times, but that had always been a fast push toward our releases. That wasn't to say we hadn't taken our time to make sure we'd both gotten to where we'd needed to be. But this felt different.

The two of us were standing just inside his front door. His hand slid around my neck until he could grasp the back of it. And hold on tight he did. His mouth was so gentle while his tongue was demanding. I'd give whatever he wanted to take.

I slid my hands up his chest until I reached his shoulders. As he kissed me, I used the leverage to jump. He caught me under the ass as I wrapped my legs around his waist. Then we were moving. To the bedroom, I assumed, but I didn't open my eyes, instead choosing to trust him.

That was what this whole thing was about, anyway. Trust. I'd do it until he gave me a reason not to, but my heart was so guarded, it wouldn't take much to break that trust.

Instead of focusing on what might go wrong, I decided I'd focus on the beautiful man before me.

Urban set me on the bed on my knees. I could still reach to pull at his shirt. That was when he finally broke away from me so he could yank that white T-shirt over his head. Then my shirt went. And my bra.

He kissed down my neck, over my collarbone, then over the swell of my breast before licking my nipple and taking it into his mouth. My head dropped back and I moaned as he scraped his teeth over it. I was so sensitive, so ready, so fucking needy for him.

I didn't think I'd ever been this needy for anyone in my life, and I was determined not to be afraid of it.

Urban slipped his hands into the back of my shorts and squeezed my ass while I let my fingers walk slowly down his chest and abdomen until reaching the button on his pants. There was something about this moment. I wanted him inside me.

Finally, though not quick enough for me, we were both naked. I moved off the bed and pointed to it. "Lie down," I told him.

He furrowed his brows but did what I'd instructed.

"Condom?" I asked.

"Wouldn't you rather use your own?"

A moment of pause went through me like ice water in my veins. He was right. I always carried some with me for moments like this, but right now… there weren't any in my purse.

"Trust, right?" I asked. His thick cock jumped and hit his belly lightly.

"Right here." He slid open the nightstand drawer and pulled a condom out.

When he went to rip it open, I lunged and slapped his hand away. "I'll do it," I told him.

He lay back, letting his hands fall against the pillow. The moment I touched him, his eyes darkened. As quickly as I could, I slid the condom down then climbed on top of him and impaled myself on his cock. He grabbed my hips tightly.

"Everly," he rasped out. "You didn't—"

"I will. "

Every time we'd been together, Urban had given me an orgasm before we'd gotten here. Today, I was in control.

"I needed you inside of me," I told him.

Air sucked in between his teeth, but his grip loosed just a little. This was his way of making sure he didn't try to control my actions.

I pushed my hips forward and back. Since I was sitting up straight, I wouldn't have been able to take another inch of him. I was as full as I could be. Urban's hands roamed my body. He cupped my breasts, his thumbs running over my hard nipples.

Though I was ready to stay right here, suddenly, Urban pulled out, flipped me over onto my back, and slammed into me. My head fell back.

Fuck, that felt good.

He made just enough room to reach his hand between us and press against my clit. He didn't have to do it too many times before my legs clamped down on his hips. It did nothing to stop him. Once I'd met my release, he followed right after.

It would take a minute for me to catch my breath.

"Shit," I said. It sounded like I'd just run a four-minute mile. Something I absolutely couldn't do .

"No kidding." At least he sounded winded too. "Sorry I took over. Couldn't help it."

A slow grin formed on my lips. "I don't mind at all."

He reached over, cupping my cheek, and kissed me again. This was slow and deep. There was so much behind it that I had to remind myself he'd said he was going to wait for me before declaring anything.

But I kind of felt like he just had.

"You should use the bathroom first," he told me. My skin felt warm all over, and there were some muscles that would be sore tomorrow, especially in my legs.

"Why?"

He rolled to his side and pushed some of my hair off my shoulder before kissing my left breast softly. "Because I don't want to come out of there with you dressed and ready to leave."

I snorted. That was my fault. "I'll go first." I pushed off the mattress and swung my legs over the side. "But I can always get dressed after."

He closed his eyes and groaned so he didn't see me snag his T-shirt off the floor as I made my way to the bathroom. When I came out, Urban was still lying on the top of his blanket, completely naked, with his arms folded behind his head. His T-shirt hung to my mid-thigh and was loose. Perfectly comfortable to sleep in.

"Well, I like the look of that," he told me as he watched me cross the room and climb up onto his bed.

He reached over to pull me into him, but I didn't let him. "Ew. No. Gross. You have a used condom hanging off you." Then I used both hands to push him. He barely moved. "Go take care of it."

Urban swung his legs off the bed, then stopped and turned to me. It didn't take much to know exactly what he was thinking.

"I'll be here when you get back," I assured him. Those times that I'd basically kicked him out or when I'd left his apartment had left their mark.

I wouldn't have said he was scared. It was concern I'd seen on him.

So after pulling my panties back on, I yanked his blanket and top sheet back and settled myself into his cloud from the sky. Seriously. That was the only explanation as to why his bed was so damn comfortable.

Or wait… this wasn't his bed, was it?

My mind started to run with several scenarios of what others had gotten up to in this very place, but thankfully, Urban came out before I could get too far.

He snatched his boxer briefs off the floor, pulled them on, then climbed in beside me. After he wrapped his arms around me tightly with his cheek to my back, he kissed the side of my head. His arms were like pillars of steel holding me to the bed, and there wasn't anywhere else I'd rather be right now.

Surprisingly, I was able to keep any panic away. I believed it when Urban said he wouldn't hurt me, but I didn't think two of the three previous douchebags had intended to hurt me from the get-go. For them, it had been more that temptation had presented itself, and they couldn't fight it. Still made them douchebags, of course.

But who had more temptation than Urban Briggs? Other than his fellow teammates.

No. That was something I was going to have to deal with. Unfortunately for him, that meant I'd probably spook at the first sign of something shady.

Maybe I shouldn't say unfortunately for him , given that he shouldn't be doing anything that would make me second-guess what he was doing.

At least those thoughts didn't haunt me all night and I was able to fall asleep relatively easily. Even if it was in his bed. A place I'd sworn I'd never be for more than a romp.

My body had an internal clock that woke me early enough to get home and ready for camp without being late.

I was putting my shoes on by the door when Urban walked out in his boxer briefs with his hair messy from sleep.

"Where are you going?" His voice was deep and it sounded like he'd run sandpaper lightly over it. A sexy sound that would likely go away after his first drink of water.

"Home."

He scowled and came to a stop right in front of me. So close that if I moved too quickly, I'd fall backward into the door.

"What?" I asked.

"I thought you weren't going anywhere." His jaw tightened and as sexy as this man was first thing in the morning, I didn't want him looking at me that way.

"I said that last night."

"Exactly. It's fucking early and you're sneaking out." He put his hands on his hips, like he was expecting me to fight him on that.

I wouldn't because I was leaving. "Yeah," I told him. "To go home and change then go to work. Some of us work fucking early."

All that tension left his face, only to be replaced with regret. "I'm sorry," he said. "I thought you were sneaking out."

I placed each of my hands on an arm and squeezed. "I told you I wasn't going to do that. You're going to have to trust that the way I have to trust that you're not going to break my heart."

"You're right." He wrapped his arms around my back and pulled me to him. His body was still warm from sleep. "I am. I shouldn't have assumed."

"No, you shouldn't." I sighed and leaned my head against his chest. Suddenly, I was surrounded by the smell of Urban. I didn't know if it was his soap, his location, or just him, but it was definitely Urban. A cross between summer and Earth.

I was getting so fucking weird.

"But," I continued as I pulled away, "I am the one who gave you reason to think that I'd ditch you after sex like that, so I'll just have to prove to you I won't from now on."

"So work?" he asked as I put on my other shoe. "Why not play hooky?"

I scrunched up my face at him. "Several reasons, actually. It'd be irresponsible of me to call in, and I like this job. Your family might not like me calling in to hang out with you. Not to mention, you have to be at camp today, too."

He chuckled. "I promise they won't fire you."

"You can't make that promise."

He cocked his head to the side and smirked. "I think I can."

I shook my head then pushed up onto my toes to give him a quick kiss. "I don't want you pulling any strings."

"All right. After, then?"

Definitely after.

And that was how it went. I headed off to work that day then met him after. This time, I planned to stay at his apartment. We didn't go out. When he didn't have a game, we were there on his couch, eating whatever takeout we'd gotten that day, or if I happened to cook, talking about all things we were supposed to talk about.

But we avoided the topic of him leaving at the end of the summer because with each passing day, I didn't want to think about it. Sure, Urban said he was already changing his mind, that didn't mean his mind was changed.

Each day he had a game, I met Camden or Amity and went to the ballpark. I was actually learning a few things and could see the appeal of the sport, even if I wasn't ever going to be a die-hard fan.

Die hard for Urban, but probably never the game.

Unfortunately, the week passed quickly and they were headed out onto the road. He stayed at my apartment the night before he left. Already had his bag in the car. I thought about asking if I should take him to the stadium, but I didn't want any public goodbye. Not like he was going off to war or anything. This was going to be the first night we were spending apart since deciding to be together.

It'd be weird.

It was surprising how quickly I'd gotten used to sharing a bed with him.

"I'll let you know when we get there," he told me. For a guy who hadn't done the girlfriend thing in a while, he was pretty good at it.

"And call after the games so you can tell me what was good and bad," I said. He snorted while I shook my head at him. "It's the only way I'm going to learn."

"Yeah. After the game, too."

When he kissed me goodbye, his hand cupped my ass and lifted so that I'd have no choice but to wrap my legs around his waist. Then I hugged him with everything I had, hoping it'd be enough to remind him that he had someone back home who lo—cared about him.

Camden again had wanted me to come—at least for part of the trip. But there was no way. I had work. She reminded me that I could request days off. It wasn't like I was an indentured servant, but alas, I was going to work. This was too short of notice to take off.

She told me I was going on one of the road trips, and somehow, it sounded like a thinly veiled threat.

It was the second night of the road trip and the Knights were playing in Charlotte. It seemed to be going as normal. Of course, what did I know about baseball? Instead of a commercial break, one of the sports casters was on the screen. He was standing at the ballpark where Urban was playing.

"Sad news out of Knights nation." Which was what I'd learned the fans and entire organization was lovingly referred to as. "The Knight's owner, Silas Whitlock, current GM AnnMarie Briggs's father, has had a stroke." I slapped a hand over my mouth. "There's not much information on the eighty-two-year-old's current condition, but we do know he's under the care of the best doctors. We'll keep you up to date as we learn more."

The camera flashed to one of the guys who announced the game. I couldn't remember his name right then if my life depended on it. "What does that mean for tonight's game?" he asked.

As if that mattered.

The camera went back to the original guy. "I'm told that all three of the Briggs on the team have been notified. They've decided to finish the game and head back to Michigan after it's done."

The regular announcer said, "Our thoughts will be with the family through this difficult time."

And then they just cut back to the regular commercial, as if nothing else had happened.

At first, I sat there. I couldn't call Urban. He was on the field somewhere. So I did the next best thing.

I grabbed my phone so quickly that I almost dropped it. Once I had it in hand, I chose Camden's contact. She'd know what was going on.

"Hello," she said, sounding out of breath. Last I'd known, she'd been at the game, but it sure didn't sound like it.

"Camden, how are you? How is your grandpa? "

She sighed. "He's… I don't know. They don't really know yet. Just that he had a stroke."

"I'm watching the game and they just announced it. Are you there? The guys are still playing?"

A door in the background shut and I heard voices behind her. It didn't sound like a game at all. "I'm here. In Kalamazoo. I came back last night because Grandpa wasn't feeling good and Mom was going over there. I wanted to go too." Her voice sounded watery, like she had just been crying or was about to start. Then she blew a breath against the phone. "The guys know. They decided to finish the game, then they'll head back here. It's a short flight and this gives Mom the time to get the jet there so they won't have to fly commercial and deal with that."

"Are they… OK? Are you?" When I glanced at the screen, the game was back and the camera zoomed in on each of the Briggs' faces. They were hard, stoic—looked like they always did during a game. "They're on TV now and they look… the same."

"Yeah, well, baseball players spend years learning how not to show emotion. That way, the other team doesn't see a weakness. They're coming back on bereavement, so they'll be here a few days."

My stomach turned. I knew that as much as Urban didn't like his father, he loved his grandpa. "Isn't that just for… a death?"

"No. They can take it for illness. Listen, the doctor is talking to Mom, so I'm going to go. I'll text you when I know more."

Then the line went dead.

Maybe once I knew when they were coming, I could pick the guys up at the airport or something.

All I knew was that I couldn't just sit here twiddling my thumbs.