Page 15 of Announcing Love (Sporting Pride #5)

After a hot shower, they donned matching pjs, which was a hilarious coincidence.

It was just red plaid pajama pants and a white t-shirt, but they had laughed at the sight of each other.

Tip felt better the later the night got.

They moved around the kitchen together, making dinner.

It was peaceful. It was the life Tip wanted.

“Not to bring up a bad topic again, but I’m surprised your phone hasn’t been blowing up.”

“Shit. That reminds me.” He grabbed his phone and sent Artem an I love you text. “I stopped by the store before I picked you up this morning and changed my number. I just sent you a text so you’ll have the new one.”

“Dang. You really came here determined.”

Tip nodded. He tossed chopped bell pepper in the frying pan. “I also let Quince know we were coming and to be prepared for drama. He’s my foreman, but he’s somewhat of a bodyguard. That’s what he did in a former life.”

“Wow. It’s crazy, but you seem more at home here. When we first met, I would’ve sworn your huge house on the edge of the bay was totally you. Now, not so much.”

“Hey. I love that house. All I have to do is step out the back door and be on my boat.” Artem wasn’t wrong, though.

As much as he loved his other place, this house was the one he always thought he would choose for retirement.

It was smaller, and he had his horses. Tip just always assumed he would travel back and forth as the mood struck. It wasn’t that long of a drive.

“Funny. I didn’t even notice a boat.”

The confession pulled a loud laugh from Tip. “You tend to fixate on small details and tune out everything else.”

Artem’s sexy blue eyes swam with laughter. “Is that your way of saying my head is always in the clouds? It’s okay if you are. I’ve heard it my whole life.”

“No. It’s more like you’re memorizing details of whatever has your attention.”

Artem focused on him in a way that almost had Tip walking away from dinner. “You have my attention.”

“I’ll try hard not to lose it.”

Artem closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around Tip.

He looked so serious, Tip couldn’t look away.

“I appreciate your willingness to always work at this. That means the world to me. But don’t work so hard on me that you forget about you.

I meant what I said. I love you. You matter. I want to see you thrive.”

“I really fucking love you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“Wow. You’ve accomplished a lot, so compliment received.”

Tip shook his head. His smile never wanted to budge with Artem in his life.

Artem kissed him. When he leaned away, a strange look passed over his face and he jumped backward. “Oh no. Holy shit. I never called Sacha to tell him what happened today at the gallery. Damn. He’s probably wondering why it’s taking hours.”

Tip kind of liked that he made Artem forget the rest of the world. “Go call him. I’ll finish this.”

With a nod, Artem grabbed his phone off the kitchen counter and headed toward the living room.

Tip focused on the frying pan and tried to keep his mind clear.

It had been a rollercoaster of a day. Artem wasn’t gone for two minutes when screaming and shouting from the next room had Tip dropping everything.

He ran to the living room. Tip’s feet froze to the ground at the sight that greeted him.

Kyle was on the floor, trying his damnedest to protect his face, while Artem beat the shit out of him with a bat.

“That’s a ten-thousand-dollar bat signed by Mickey Mantle!”

At Kyle’s shout, Artem paused and eyed the bat for a second. “Well, fuck. It was the closest thing.” He held it up like he intended to swing again. “If you’re so fucking worried about it, then don’t make me use it.”

Tip burst out laughing. He couldn’t help it.

His life had just been so goddamn exhausting before Artem.

Now this wild, feisty guy had taken over.

He didn’t even know what was happening. There was just so much goddamn relief in him to not be alone in his struggles.

While he had known Artem made his life better, the magnitude of happiness he brought truly landed on his shoulders, carrying away the pain he had kept hidden. He wanted to keep him.

“Why are you laughing? This guy probably broke my arm. I should sue.”

Artem readied himself to swing again. “For what? You breaking in? Move and I’ll give you a reason to bitch.”

He was sexy and amazing. “This is my brother-in-law, Kyle.”

Artem lowered the bat a hair. “I came in here just in time to catch him sneaking in through the window.”

“I came to plead my wife’s case. Damn. She loves you and doesn’t want to lose you.”

“Oh, be so fucking for real right now. People don’t break into people’s houses to plead their case.”

Tip didn’t have to do or say a thing. Artem had the entire situation under control. Tip just stood back and watched the show.

“Who are you to be questioning me? This isn’t your house.”

“Actually, it is,” Tip said, cutting in. He focused on Artem. “Stay.”

The bat dropped a little more. The way Artem’s face screwed up in confusion said it all. He had no fucking clue what Tip meant.

“Stay,” Tip repeated. “We’re exactly halfway between your brother and the art gallery.

It’s the perfect location and the ranch you always wanted.

Let’s just stay. I know how much I’m asking.

It sounds a hell of a lot like I’m asking you to choose between your family and me, but I’m still asking.

” Tip felt a little sick. He had never put everything on the line like this, especially with zero planning.

If Artem said no, not only would it demolish Tip, but he’d also get crushed in front of his piece of shit brother-in-law.

He didn’t know if his sanity would survive the blow.

To his absolute shock, Artem didn’t hesitate. “Yeah. Okay. My family will understand.”

A smile exploded across Tip’s face. “I love you.”

“This is sweet and all, but I think I might need an ambulance.”

Artem immediately flew back into protection mode. The bat was back in the air. “You’re lucky you don’t need a coroner. Don’t try me.”

Tip had to bite his lip to keep from laughing again. He would marry Artem the moment Artem relented. That was a vow.

Artem watched Tip sleep. His mind raced and his heart had taken up permanent residence in his throat.

Baba had said he would know. He hadn’t expected the choice to be so blatant.

It wasn’t as easy as he hoped he made it look.

Tip was right. This place and this man were all he had ever wanted for himself.

In one day, his every dream had come true.

Except now Artem had to tell Sacha, and his chest hurt just thinking about it.

He still hadn’t called. Sacha had texted him right after Tip had fallen asleep, and he had yet to respond.

He knew he needed to just do it but wow.

Artem hadn’t realized how tough it would be.

Unfortunately, there was no time like the present and Sacha might turn up at his door if he didn’t check in. His door. Damn.

Artem slipped from the bed and took his phone into the living room.

Tip needed his sleep. It had been a terrible day for him.

They’d gone to bed to cuddle, and Tip had been out like a light in under five minutes.

No doubt the stress had completely wiped him out.

Artem couldn’t sleep if his life depended upon it.

He swore the adrenaline still hadn’t stopped pumping from that little home invasion.

Thankfully, he hadn’t broken any bones, but Kyle wouldn’t likely be back.

With nothing left but to do it, Artem called Sacha. Sacha answered the phone on the first ring, sounding slightly panicked. “Artem? Are you okay?”

His guilt doubled. “Hey. Yeah, I’m sorry. This day has been wild as hell, but I should’ve checked in sooner.”

He heard Sacha take a calming breath. It was a familiar sound when Sacha dealt with him. “It’s okay, sweetie. You’re an adult. I shouldn’t have been so overbearing.”

Artem smiled. He really loved his brother. If given a choice, he would still choose Sacha to be his big brother. “Nah. Worrying about someone you love isn’t overbearing. But hey, listen to this. I signed a contract with the gallery.”

“Are you serious?” Sacha sounded every bit as excited as Artem felt.

“Yes. She wants to showcase my work with five paintings at a time to drum up interest for the next auction. She thinks they’ll go for a minimum of fifty thousand up to hundreds of thousands by their second showing.”

“Oh, my god! That’s amazing, Artem. Holy shit. I can’t even imagine how you must be feeling. How did you celebrate? What are you going to do first? I’m just so blown away on your behalf.”

Sacha reacted the way Artem should have, but he was still incapable of seeing any of those big dollar promises come true. People could hate his work. Maybe no one would even bid. So many things could still go wrong. He couldn’t let himself believe his dream was real until it actually happened.

He took a deep breath. “I’m feeling really torn, actually.”

“Why? What’s wrong? Talk it out with me.”

A sad smile pulled at his lips. This was exactly why he was so unsettled. There was no one better than Sacha, and Artem was abandoning him. “Tip asked me to stay here.”

“Okay.” Sacha dragged out the word, sounding confused.

“Permanently,” Artem clarified. “It’s so, so beautiful, Sacha. My horse is here, and it’s not so huge that I’m intimidated and—”

“You love him,” Sacha finished for him.

“I do.”

“Sounds like you’re staying.”

Artem chewed his bottom lip for a second before responding. “I am. Do you hate me? Am I abandoning you? I know Baba has full-time care now, but still. It feels like I’m leaving you.”