King of Diamonds (All About the Diamond #2), стр. 36

“Okay, keep going.”

“My airfare for the away games could be a challenge for me when there are multiple away series during a month. I can’t afford the tickets where you want me to sit and I’ve come to terms with that. Going to the game is kind of us being on a date. Sounds crazy, but it really is like being on a date with you. I spend the whole time with you, right there watching the game and cheering for you and sharing the whole thing with you.”

“In my heart, what’s mine is yours. I want you to have anything and everything you want.”

I put my hand on his thigh, appreciating him and not wanting to get off track. “When I was waiting for you in Carter’s office, he was complaining about travel arrangements for the team. I want to offer him my services and handle travel for him. I can do it all for the same cost and make a profit. It should cover the expense of my airfare and make me some extra spending money. If it works out I can offer my services to other teams and make new contacts for doing stadium tours in the future. I don’t want to do anything you’re not comfortable with. What do you think?” He starts to talk and I add quickly, “I know you don’t think I need to work and think it will stop soon, but it’s not going to and it doesn’t take me that much time. Working with travel is fun for me. I like having my own thing. It’s not like I work for somebody else, on their schedule and can’t travel with you. I can do all of it.”

Diffused, “I don’t expect you to give up your business. I know you enjoy it. If you want to approach Carter, you should. Just tell me if you need money. I’m an expensive boyfriend.”

“That’s the other part, food is definitely more expensive traveling and feeding you at home. I figure the shared expenses are the mortgage, association fees, utilities, and food. I’m happy to keep paying all of it and I can afford it, since you pay when we go out to eat. But, you want to pay for everything, so how about we split the mortgage, I’ll pay association fees and utilities, and you cover food.”

“Does that make me paying less than half?”

“I’m not sure how much food will be. You’re probably paying more than half, but I figure it’s easier since all the utilities and everything are already in my name.”

“Mortgage? You aren’t renting there?”

“No. It’s my place. Does that make a difference?”

“No, I love it there.” He leans in close to my ear and speaks quietly, “We’ll want more room in the future, Elle will need her own room.” My whole body shivers and he holds me close, rubbing my arm. “Just thinking of the future, my queen. You said you wanted to have a plan.” He throws me off and I’ve lost focus. Luckily, our food shows up and I have time to recover while we eat.

Rick turns to me, “What if we pay it off?”

“No.”

“I know you like to save money and it would save a bunch of money that’s getting spent on interest.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“It’s my place and I’ve done it by myself.” I really need to check my filter, it might need cleaning or something.

Rick runs his hand over his face and takes a deep breath, “This conversation would be a lot easier if we were naked.”

“I chose to have it here on purpose. I want to be coherent and not distracted.”

“I live there, too. It’s our place. Don’t you want me there?”

“Yes! I want you there with me. It’s just… I don’t know how to explain this to you without you deciding I’m crazy.” I stop and breathe, “I managed to buy it on my own and that’s a big deal to me.”

Rick smiles, “I love that about you, my queen. The problem is you’re not on your own anymore. It’s not only you. I’m here and I don’t care how you want to say it, there’s a we or an us or partners or team—there are two of us. Two of us doing everything together and to quote a wonderful woman I know ‘we’re a team’.” Son of a bitch! That’s twice today he’s used my own words against me.

“I’d like to change my definite ‘No’ to ‘Not Yet’. Better?”

“It’s progress. Do you have an idea when?”

Pushy bastard. How do I tell him when we’re permanent without him being pressured, feeling like he needs to propose? Or thinking I don’t have faith in us? Then the tears start rolling again. Damn it! My mouth takes over and I need to get a filter replacement. “What if you get tired of me? Or, realize I have my own special brand of crazy? What if you meet someone you want more? Maybe you’d rather have someone easy. Someone who lets you pay for everything and take care of them? I mean there are…”

Rick cuts me off. “Sherry…” He stops, drops cash on the table and drags me out of the Yolk. He stops in the middle of the parking lot, “You make me crazy,” and pulls me to him, plastering my body to his while he kisses me passionately. He pulls back, holding my face so that I have to look at him and listen to him. “The only one of those things that’s even remotely true is that I want to take care of you and pay for things for you. I don’t want to do that for anybody else, only you. You’re the one who makes me crazy and makes me lose control. You’re the one who made me need you when all I’d done was touch your hand. You’re the only one who’s ever made it okay for me to be a baseball player. You want me