“Okay, plumber girl, let’s get you home.” Coop draped an arm around my shoulders, guiding me away.
“Plumber girl?” Sebastian asked with a raised brow.
“Don’t ask.” Marlee answered and Cooper gave me a smug, I knew you’d tell them kind of smirk.
“Blame Xavi. He ratted me out,” I giggled as Coop guided us to the exit, murmuring low-key promises about what he was going to do to me the moment we got home - things that had me nearly sprinting to the car.
Epilogue
COOPER
Six months and four days later
“Why do you always have to do things in fours?” Evy whined and a smile exploded across my face. My little superstitious numerophile was always at me about the number four being her life number. And so, of course I always did things in and on fours to try and show her she could find luck with that number.
“It’s not in fours, it’sthefourth. What other fours have I done lately?” I added, knowing she probably had hundreds of examples where I had intentionally gone out of my way to ensure the number four was memorable on any given day.
“You literally woke me up at 4:00am,” she said, looking at me like I’d dug my own grave.
“You weren’t complaining,” I replied, grinning like a damn fool.
“You didn’t really give me an opportunity to speak,” she parried, as laughter bloomed at the corners of my mouth.
“Oh, come here,” I pulled her into me, planting four quick kisses to her cheeks.
“Give me another one right now,” she demanded, and my chuckle broke across the kitchen. “And hurry, everyone is waiting to eat.”
“Let them wait,” I grumbled, “I’m enjoying time with my fiancée. Myrealfiancée.” I spoke into her neck, a satisfied warmth spreading through me as I felt her body arch into me, her need my favourite thing.
Leaving a trail of kisses down her neck, I slid a hand up her shirt, running a thumb across her taut nipple. I was already aching in my pants, ready to take her again for the fourth time that day. It didn’t matter how many times I heard her moan my name, how many times I tasted her sweetness, it was never enough. Having her beside me every day, and especially after I’d asked her to be my wife this morning and she’d agreed, had increased my hunger. That ring I had designed for her, now worn on the correct finger and for real.
“It’s your birthday party,” she tried to argue, but it sounded more like a gasp than defiance as her hands tugged on my hair in the way I fucking loved. “God, Coop, you need to stop,” she whispered, thrusting herself into my hard cock.
“You need to stop,” I growled back, knowing I was about two seconds from taking her to the bedroom.
“You both need to stop!” Felicity snapped, waltzing into the room all bright eyed, clearly clocking what she’d interrupted and not minding one bit.
“You’re lucky,” I whispered into Eva’s ear, before tapping her on the backside and opening the fridge as if the cold air could help the raging hard-on go away faster.
“If this is what I’ve been missing, maybe I am ready to date again.” She said to Eva, straightening the glasses which sat askew on Eva’s adorably flushed face.
“My fiancé was just grabbing more beers for the boys.” Eva replied, shooting me a look which screamed trouble.
Giving her a wink, I took a couple of six packs out of the fridge and headed for the back door.
“Jay’s here, Flick, but you won’t be able to kill him because Violet’s here too.” I smiled, knowingly. We all knew what made her tick. That fire in her eyes wasn’t anger and I knew that because it was a familiar shield I’d also yielded in my plight to ignore my feelings for Evangeline. It was want, cleverly disguised as disinterest and Jay played the same game with her. Only now, things were a little messier.
“The infamous daughter. I can’t wait to meet her,” Flick said with a genuine smile. “Winter says she’s wild and keeps him on her toes. Sounds like my kind of kid.” Eva and I both laughed as the girls followed me outside where everyone else was chatting and drinking. Everybody I loved and cared about in the same place. For me. Here to celebrate my birthday. The first party I’d ever had.
“Happy birthday, brother,” Seb drawled, an arm thrown over my shoulder.
“Thanks, man,” I said, clinking my drink against his.
“About time we were allowed to celebrate your birthday,” Andy called from where he sat with Arna and Marlee.
“You should be focusing on pre-season,” I replied, nodding towards the beer in his hand before flicking my head towards Jack and Jay who were sitting with Winter and Violet. “Coach won’t be happy.”
“Especially now he has been appointed head coach!” Andy said, and just like that, silence dropped. The kind of silence that lingers while everyone races to catch up, before Violet broke the spell.
