Cohen
After I slipped her shirt off, I took both of Ava's hands in mine and held them above her head. The filtered morning light cast a warm glow across her skin as I took a moment to take her in.
I love this woman.
After all this time, she was finally mine. Years of wanting her, and I finally got out of my own damn way. I finally got the girl.
Was I still scared?
Fucking terrified.
But I knew she was worth it. She always had been.
A mischievous smile tugged at Ava's lips as her navy eyes looked up at me, “Are you going to fuck your girlfriend,” she teased, “or just stare at her, CoJo?”
I smirked, this fucking girl. I leaned down and kissed her, pouring every ounce of myself into it.
I was hers. When I pulled away, she was breathless.
With my knee, I nudged her thighs apart and positioned myself between them.
One hand still holding her arms above her head, the other pumping my cock before I slid slowly inside of her.
Her eyes closed on a sigh as I took my time.
She felt so fucking good.
Ava shifted her hips up and wrapped her legs around me. We moved together, immediately finding our rhythm. Because it had always been this easy with us. I leaned down and brushed a kiss against her collarbone. "I love you," I whispered against her soft skin.
She sighed, her eyes closed as she picked up the pace—I could tell she was close.
Her pussy pulsing and clenching tightly around my cock.
I hooked an arm under her leg and changed the angle, giving her better friction against her clit.
Her moans intensified as I slammed into her, sending her into her third orgasm.
Ava slowly opened her eyes with a lazy smile.
I released her arms, her dark waves a mess around her.
Her mouth opened as if to say something, but I shifted down onto the bed, pulling her on top of me before she could get a word out.
I lifted her slightly, positioned her just right, and sank her back down onto my cock.
"Cohen—" she whimpered.
"Ride me, baby."
And fuck, did she. She rolled her hips agonizingly slow, and it felt in-fucking-credible. I gripped her hips, my knuckles turning white. I'd probably leave bruises… I didn't fucking care. She’s mine now.
Ava removed her hands from my chest and leaned back, placing her hands on the tops of my thighs as she continued her torture.
Her eyes hooded, locked on me. I leaned forward and pulled one of her perfect tits into my mouth.
I swirled my tongue around her nipple, rolling the other between my fingers, pulling a moan from her pretty lips.
If she kept making those goddamn noises, I wasn’t going to last much longer.
I leaned back and let her take the lead. Let her take what she wanted. I was hers; she had complete control. My hands closed around her hips again, and I met her thrust for thrust until we unraveled together.
Once we both came down and caught our breath, a small cry came over the monitor sitting on the nightstand. I picked it up as a small laugh escaped. "Right on time." Our daughter reminding us that the real world still existed.
Ava rolled out of bed, giving me a fantastic view of her round ass before she grabbed a robe and threw it on.
"I've got all of five minutes to get ready for work.
" She walked back over to the bed and leaned down, placing a kiss on my mouth.
"Totally worth it," she murmured against my lips.
"When do you plan to let Boston down easy?
" she threw over her shoulder as she entered her bathroom.
“I turned them down yesterday,” I said, my head propped in my hand as I absently picked at a loose thread on her comforter.
Ava peeked her head back out from the bathroom. "You what?"
"Scott told them yesterday and talked with the Aviators last night." I watched Ellie roll around in her crib, kicking her little legs that were trapped inside her sleep sack. I pushed up out of the bed. "I'll go grab Ellie."
Ava was still frozen in place, as if she couldn't quite process what I had just told her. I walked up to her and grabbed her chin, tilting her face up to look at me. "Hey, Ava?" I spoke softly before giving her a quick kiss.
"Hmm?" Her eyes drifted up to mine.
“I love you.”
Her mouth curved into a soft smile, her eyes bright.
“I love you too.”
Those words. Coming from her mouth? Yeah. They would never get old.
Best choice I ever made.
Now that the Aviators had officially announced they'd secured me for another four years, much to Boston's annoyance, the whole team knew.
And would not stop giving me shit about it.
We were gearing up to leave for spring training in a couple of weeks, so the team was at the field getting our final practices in before we left for Florida. I lifted my hat off my head, running a hand through my hair before placing it back on when Beckham called my name from third.
"Hey Jordan."
I turned to face him.
"Glad you didn't sell out."
I barked a laugh. "Thanks, man."
Maddox walked in from centerfield to join the conversation. "Yeah, guess Boston wasn't pretty enough for him," he teased.
Drake stood up from behind the plate. "Can you girls quit gossiping and focus?
We need to run through some fielding drills.
I'd like to be done with practice sometime today.
" Since Walker retired last year, Drake had taken over as the clubhouse captain.
I told him it was just because he was old—he didn't find that funny.
After delivering the right amount of complaining and shit-talking, we did as we were told and finished up practice. We were all in the dugout, grabbing water, when Walker walked over with Shane and Hudson.
It was funny. Now that Ava and I were exclusive, Hudson didn't bother me anymore. I hated to admit it, but I almost liked the guy.
Shane thumbed at Walker behind him. "Your friend becoming your pitching coach? One out of ten. Do not recommend."
Walker rolled his eyes and clapped Shane on the shoulder. "Don't be a little bitch, Witek."
"Dude, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to move the right side of my body tomorrow."
"Well, maybe you should throw your slider correctly the first time, and I wouldn't have to make you do so many reps."
That earned a laugh from Hudson and the rest of the pitching staff who made their way into the dugout.
I stayed seated on the bench as the rest of them filed out and headed back into the locker rooms. Walker hung back and settled down next to me. He bumped my shoulder, the same way he did all those years ago.
When I couldn’t get his sister out of my head.
Funny how some things never changed.
“You good, Jordan?”
I stared out at the field for a moment longer, taking it in. I’d lived in Austin and played for this team for ten years, but it only now felt like home. And I knew that had everything to do with Ava and Ellie.
“Yeah. I’m great, actually.” I glanced over at him. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”
He nodded. “What’s up?”
"Can I get your permission to ask your sister to move in with me?" I smirked.
Walker dropped his head forward, shaking it as he laughed. "You're such an asshole, you know that?"
I laughed right along with him. "But seriously. Thank you."
He tilted his head in confusion, brows drawn together. "For what?"
"For pulling my head out of my ass. For forcing me to really look at my life and decide what I wanted. To not be afraid of it."
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You really love her, huh?"
Without hesitation, I nodded and glanced back out at the empty field. "I do."
And I'd never been more sure of anything in my life.
I asked Ava to move in with me that night, and a week later, she and Ellie were officially moved into my penthouse. I was able to end her lease at my building early, and she gave up her old apartment.
Life was good.
I soaked in the final week with my girls before heading off to spring training.
We had slow mornings, afternoons in the park, and movie nights around my practice schedule.
Having Ava whenever I wanted was a new kind of high I'd never experienced before.
I couldn't get enough of her, and I wasn't sure I ever would.
Maybe we were making up for lost time, I wasn't sure, but we fucked like it was a goddamn sport.
I'm pretty sure I was more sore from our nightly activities than practice.
It was fantastic.
I was watching Ellie crawl toward a pile of her blocks on our living room floor when the elevator chimed, announcing Ava's return home from work. I heard her heels click against the hardwood and felt my heart rate kick up.
I was a pathetic, lovesick asshole.
"Hey." She leaned over the couch and planted a kiss on my lips. I breathed her in, lilac and peach, as she walked over toward Ellie. She lowered herself to the floor and placed a kiss on the top of our daughter's head.
"Hey, baby. Come sit, I have a surprise for you." I patted the spot next to me.
That got her attention. She perked up like a kid on Christmas, her navy eyes lit with excitement. "A surprise!?" She stood up and quickly sat down next to me.
I grabbed the folder I had lying on the other side of me and handed it to her. She opened it, her eyes scanning the first paper, and began flipping through the rest of the papers. A smile began to form. "What's all this, CoJo?"
"That’s the house I bought us."
Ava froze and slowly lifted her eyes to mine. "You bought a house?"
I smiled and nodded proudly, "I did."
She glanced back down at the paper. "In Primrose Hill?"
"Yup."
"Why? We both work in Austin."
I took the folder from her hands and placed it on the couch.
Then I pulled her into my lap, brushing a few strands of her hair that had escaped from her braid away from her face.
"Because I want Ellie to grow up surrounded by family.
I want her to have sleepovers with her grandparents.
I want her to learn from all of her badass aunts.
I want her to see her Uncle Walk get his ass kicked by her Uncle West. I want her to run around the barn and play in the dirt with her cousins.
I want her to ride horses like her mom. I want her to grow up the way you did.
I never had that, and I never realized how much I wanted that for her until I spent more time around your loud, chaotic, absolutely insane… incredible family."
Ava let out a laugh-sob.
I brushed my thumb across her cheek and continued.
"My career isn't forever. I'm retiring after this contract is up.
The Aviators allow the front office staff to work hybrid, and with the office having an on-site daycare, that makes it even easier.
I'll keep this penthouse in the city for times we don't want to commute, but I want our home base to be in Primrose Hill. With our family."
Tears formed in her eyes. "Our family," she echoed back before wrapping her arms around my neck in a tight hug.
Ellie squealed, dragging our attention to her, where she had pulled herself up against the couch. She had the folder containing the house listing grasped in her little hand, gnawing on the corner.
Ava laughed, taking the folder from Ellie and then placed her in her lap, nestling her between us. I used to think my world was baseball—that it always would be. Now my entire world fit into my lap.
Ten years ago, I met Ava James in Walker's penthouse over pizza. Now we were sitting on our couch with our daughter, planning a life together. Through all the uncertainty and fear, somewhere along the way, I built the life I actually wanted. It was crazy to think just a few weeks ago I’d been staring at a contract worth a hundred and thirty-five million dollars, wondering if walking away from it would be the biggest mistake of my career, when now I knew without a shadow of doubt walking away from her would have been the biggest mistake of my life.
I watched Ava tickle Ellie, making her giggle uncontrollably.
Yeah. Pretty sure I’d made the right call.