Chapter 32
thirty-two
. . .
Lincoln
I strolled into the hotel after going to grab a late lunch down the street with the guys, and the finest ass I’d ever laid eyes on beckoned me from the front desk.
A pull so strong that my head whipped in her direction.
I’d know that perfect peach-shaped backside anywhere.
I’d also recognize that voice, which was currently expressing her displeasure with the woman standing in front of her. She was yelling about women being held to different standards and going on and on about the injustice in the world.
The corners of my lips turned up.
“Mr. Jack Sparrow is going to be furious that you wouldn’t give me a room key,” Brinkley hissed.
“She’s correct about that. Mrs. Jack Sparrow is listed on my room reservation.” I stepped up behind Brinkley and wrapped my arms around her. My chin rested on her shoulder as I breathed her in.
Lavender and honey.
I nipped at her earlobe.
“I’m so sorry about that, Mr. Sparrow. I’ll give her a key now.”
“Hey. Aren’t you going to ask for his identification?” Brinkley asked as she turned around to face me, wrapping her arms around my neck with a wicked grin on her face.
“I, um, oh my gosh. You are…” the front desk lady sputtered as recognition set in, and she whispered. “Lincoln Hendrix.”
I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my wallet, handing her my fake ID. “Captain Jack Sparrow, ma’am.”
Brinkley gaped, and I handed her the other ID. She looked down at it.
“Sweetheart Sparrow?” she said over a fit of laughter.
“You left before I was able to give it to you.” I winked as the woman behind the front desk handed me back my ID, along with the room key for Brinkley.
“I’m sorry about all that,” she said, winking at my girl. “Power of the woman, Mrs. Sparrow.”
“That’s Sweetheart to you, Bailey.” Brinkley chuckled, and I intertwined my fingers with hers and led her down a hallway a few feet away.
I pressed her up against the wall. “I missed you, Mrs. Sparrow.”
“I missed you, too.”
My hand found the side of her neck, my thumb tracing along her jaw. “You here to stay this time?”
“I am.” A tear ran down her cheek. “I’m sorry for leaving. I just needed some time to figure everything out. I was embarrassed and humiliated by what you saw that day. But I shouldn’t have run.”
“Nothing to be embarrassed about, baby. I love everything about you, aside from your stubborn ass.”
“This ass?” she asked, pointing toward her backside.
“That’s the one.”
She tugged me down, and my mouth covered hers. Her lips parted in invitation, and my tongue slipped in.
Goddamn, I missed everything about her.
Our breaths were coming hard and fast, and I pulled back, my forehead resting against hers.
“Come on. I want you to tell me everything. Let’s go upstairs.”
Easier said than done. We were alone in the elevator, and my mouth was on hers once again. Once I got her into the room, I pulled her onto my lap as I sat down on the couch.
“Wow. This room is much nicer than mine,” she said as her gaze moved around the large suite.
“You have a fucking room here?”
“Well, I flew in late last night. I’m staying at a dump up the street. But it’s my dump, and I like it.” She raised a brow. “Not really. I hate it. I was trying to be independent. I had things I needed to do before I came here today.”
“Tell me.”
“Well, for starters, that dick weasel, Lou Colson, called me—well, he called Bailey Reynolds.” She rolled her eyes.
“He had a change of heart and was suddenly willing to do whatever it took to hire me. It was all a ploy to get to you. I shut that guy down so fast. I shouldn’t have taken out my frustration on you. ”
I wrapped my arms around her as she told me everything.
How she’d spent the last few days on the shore, figuring out what she wanted out of life.
How she went to the interview today and killed it.
How she’d sold my story to Football Live because it was the right fit for that story but not for her.
Strive Forward magazine felt right. She’d made her own rules, and they’d respected them.
And then she told me about the rules she’d laid out for them.
“Wait. So, you aren’t ever going to interview me again?” I pouted as she ran her fingers through my hair.
“Nope. And I also spoke on your behalf and told Sports Today that you would never do an interview with them again.” She shrugged; she was so fucking adorable. “You see, I really am the boss sometimes, Captain.”
“Yeah? I mean, you are Mrs. Sparrow. Obviously, you’re a badass.”
Her teeth sank into her bottom lip. “Yep. So, I want to go over the contract with you tonight.”
“What? You want my opinion on the situation? That won’t be hurting your womanhood?” I teased.
“The only thing hurting my womanhood at the moment is the fact that I’ve been away from you for days.”
“Me, too, baby. And I’d love to look over your contract with you. Does this mean you’re going to be based here?”
“Yep. You and me in the Big Apple, Captain.”
“Fuck. I love the sound of that.”
“Me, too. Did you go see those houses?” she asked as her head settled in the crook of my neck.
“Hell no. I was not about to speak for you. I knew you’d figure out your shit. You just had to torture me in the interim. I told Jay that I’d call him when you were ready to schedule a tour. I want the house that we choose to be everything you want.”
“Damn, that was smooth, Mr. Sparrow.”
“Not as smooth as the feel of your pussy against my cock,” I whispered in her ear.
“Oh, my. I see the dirty talk is still on par.” She rotated so she was straddling me. “How about you have your way with me in this fancy room, and then you take me back to mine so we can grab my things?”
“If I can have you right now, I’ll do just about anything.”
“Good, because I’m here, and I’m all yours.”
“Damn straight, sweetheart. You’ve been mine since the day I met you.” I pushed to my feet, and her legs wrapped around my waist.
“Well, not the very first day. That day you were a jackass, and I wouldn’t have agreed to be yours if you’d begged me.”
“I’m never above begging, sweetheart.”
“That’s Sweetheart Sparrow to you.” Her head fell back in laughter as I dropped her onto the large bed.
I took a minute to look at her.
My girl.
Everything felt right in this moment, and I couldn’t wait to start our lives together out here.
Out of the bubble.
Just me and her.
“Wow. It’s pretty, but it’s a lot of house, don’t you think?” she asked as she walked from the kitchen to the dining room.
“You’ll grow into it,” Jay said.
“Can you give us a minute?” I asked our realtor. We’d toured several houses over the last few days, and this was the last one on our list.
“Of course. I’ll meet you outside.”
“Is this one not in the running?” I asked.
“Honestly, the only one that feels right is the one we saw yesterday morning. It’s not too far from your mom’s house, and it’s close to both the training field for you and my work,” Brinkley said.
“It was the smallest one we’ve seen. You don’t want to find something we can grow into?” I teased.
She moved closer to me. “I grew up with four siblings and two parents, and we always had a dog, a cat, or a turtle. That home is half the size of the one we saw yesterday, and there was plenty of room for all of us. We aren’t the type of couple to be in different rooms. I like having just one great room where we would hang out.
When I’m at home, I want to be with you.
And when we have kids, they’ll want to be with us.
We don’t need a cold mansion. We need a home. ”
I loved that she knew what she wanted. That she had a plan for us, and I wanted every part of it.
“Yeah? You don’t want a room you can run to when I aggravate you? You think you’re done being bothered by me, huh?”
“Oh, don’t get cocky. You aggravate me all the time. But I love it because I love you.” She pushed up on her tiptoes and kissed me. “Did you like the house that we saw yesterday?”
“I’ve lived in a high-rise for years, so all of these homes have been appealing to me. I like the idea of having a big yard. But all that matters to me is that I come home to you. That’s the house that I want.”
“I can see us there. I can picture you mowing the lawn and me working in the garden. I picture myself in that gorgeous kitchen, wearing your jersey with nothing beneath and cooking dinner for us.”
“Sold,” I said as I leaned down and kissed her.
“Let’s tell Jay and go write up an offer.
We need to get back to the hotel to pack.
Finn has texted me no less than a dozen times.
” We were flying out right after my practice in the morning to make it to his premiere in Los Angeles and be there to support him.
His production company was throwing a big party for him.
“He is so happy that you were able to sneak away to attend this event for him. He got you and all the guys some friendship bracelets.” She chuckled. “I don’t know if he’s ready for what’s about to happen to his life.”
“I don’t think anyone can prepare for it. He’ll be fine. He was born to shine, just like you were.” She tugged my head down again and kissed me hard.
“I love you. Now let’s go buy us a house.”
And that was exactly what we did.
We wrote up the offer, and they accepted it immediately.
Brinkley fought me about being on the deed, but I wasn’t buying this home without her.
It was me and her.
I’d start with the house, but I’d be putting a ring on that finger real soon.
One thing at a time.