“About to go down there now to meet my girl.”
“Is Willow with her?”
I pause. “Why?” Willow has become a little sister to me. How is she even on Coach’s radar to ask about?
“Answer the damn question.”
“Yeah.” I give, heading out of my room but not before I lock it and descend the stairs. I’m about to push him for an answer about why he’s inquiring about Willow, but I stop when he lets out a string of curses.
“Keep those frat boys away from her.” His words surprise me, but before I can respond, he hangs up. I pocket my phone when I see Zoey and Willow walking up the sidewalk. Willow is all done up for the party. Zoey is in jeans and one of our school’s shirts.
When she sees me, her face lights up. She runs toward me, and I catch her. My hands go to her ass as she drops a kiss on me.
“Well, well, well. Who do we have here? If it isn’t Reid Knight. The most loved man on campus who has women jumping into his arms.” She smirks at me thinking she’s being fucking cute by teasing me. Knowing that there will never be another woman besides her that will ever be in my arms. When Zoey and I became an us—or I guess when I informed her we were an us—she had some lingering fears. I got it. In fact, I got it too fucking much.
That shit drove me nuts. Not only because I know the only reason these other girls want me is because of football. It isn't for my charming personality, which includes my two-word responses or simple grunts. I can’t stand that they are trying to fuck with my Zoey because fucking with her is fucking with me. I’ll put anyone on their ass that tries to threaten what we have.
“You done?” I ask her.
“Nope.” She smiles bigger, dropping another kiss on me.
“How is the party?” Willow asks. She glances towards the front door, not looking like she wants to go in.
“Same shit.” I try to stay away from this place as much as possible. Sometimes I’ll stop in between classes to work on shit because it’s close by, but I always end up over at Zoey and Willow’s place. One day I’ll buy my girl her dream house. She tells me to stop thinking that far ahead. We have our whole lives. We’ll do the college thing and then we’ll do whatever is next.
“You want to go, don’t you?” Zoey wiggles in my arms. I let her go, putting her on her feet.
“Yep. I need to get out. Date?” She says it like she’s asking us if she should date.
“If you want.” I shrug. Dating sounds painful. “Hey, do you have any clue why Coach Grayson was asking if you were coming here tonight?” Her head jerks up from her phone.
“He what?” She looks around.
“He called me about five minutes ago and asked if you were coming to the party.”
“Actually, I think I’m going to go to the coffee shop instead.” She turns and starts to walk off.
“Right now?” Zoey shouts after her.
“You two kids have fun.” She walks faster.
“What the hell is that about?” Zoey gives me a puzzled look.
“All I care about is that it means we don’t have to go to the party.” Thank fuck.
“Whatever will we do with our time?” She bats her lashes at me. I waste no time throwing her over my shoulder. No one says shit as I walk across campus with Zoey laughing as she bats her little fists on my back, and I smack her ass in return.
They’re all used to seeing this; it’s nothing new. If you asked anyone on campus, they would shrug it off and say it’s just Reid being Reid when it comes to Zoey. They're all right. It’s only me showing everyone that Zoey is mine. She always has been and always will be the love of my life.
Epilogue
Many years later
How long have I been dreaming about this wedding? I’ve planned everything down to the smallest detail, and now I went and lost the bride. Actually, I think it’s more like she might be hiding from me. This is a bunch of bullshit. I think these two get off on hiding or something. I guess it’s their thing. I have to admit that they are pretty good at it.
“Why are you frowning?” Reid moves my hair off my neck. I drop my head to the side as he nuzzles my neck. I let myself melt into him and relax. I need to chill out, but I want this to be perfect for them. They deserve their happy ending. Both Reid’s dad and my mom gave so much of their lives to us. Even thinking they had to hide that they were in love. I want to celebrate this. I want the day to be all about them for once.
“I want today to be perfect.” I let out a sigh.
“It will be perfect. This place could burn down, and all you’d have to do is blurt out the fact that you’re knocked up and it will be the best day of your mom's and my dad’s life.” I spin around in his arms, putting my hand over his mouth. He licks the band on my wedding ring. I drop my hand and give him my most serious look.
“This is her day. I don’t want to make it about us. Everything is always about us.” From Willow and me writing a book about the importance of friendships and hitting the New York Times Bestseller List (I think most people wanted to get the inside details on our somewhat public love lives), to college graduations, weddings, NFL drafts and a million other small things along the way. It’s always about us. Today needs to be about our parents. The ones that guided us through our lives, cheering us along every step of the way.
“I get what you’re saying, and I agree. Thing is, they enjoy the hell out of the shit we do. I’m sure we’ll be the same.” We will. I put my hand on my stomach. I only took the test this morning. No one knows but Reid. Okay, Willow knows, but that goes without saying. When I hear a crash in the kitchen, I turn around, taking off.
“Find them!” I shout. I come to a sliding halt in the kitchen and let out a sigh of relief when I see it’s only a couple of broken glasses.
“Sorry,” a girl with a black apron says.
“It’s fine. I’m just glad no one is hurt.” I turn, almost running into a man wearing all black. His name badge lets me know he’s the bartender. Do we really need a bartender with a small wedding of thirty people? Probably not, but when it came to this wedding I’ve pretty much been a “yes” person to ninety percent of the wedding planner’s suggestions.
“Zoey.” He smirks down at me. He looks like he’s barely old enough to drink let alone make cocktails.
“Hello, Landon.” I give him a smile. “People should start showing up in an hour. Can you have champagne ready?”
“I can do anything you want, sugar.” A dimple forms in his cheek. I think he’s hitting on me, but maybe he’s just being nice.
“Two broken glasses is enough damage for today.” Our parents’ house is brand new and we’re having the wedding here. It took about four months to build once all the plans had been agreed on. The house looks ordinary from the outside, but the inside is another story. The kitchen is breathtaking and has all the small details that make a house look grand. You'd think you were in a mansion and not a medium-sized house.
Our parents didn't want some giant house. They only wanted to be close to us. With Reid’s first contract on the heels of some very nice endorsements, we bought our house on a giant plot of land and started building this place for them. It’s not even a half a mile away. We wanted to do something for them, and Reid loved the idea of them being close when he did have to travel for a game. Now Reid is in the process of building a giant garage for his dad.
“What?” His eyebrows pull together as a confused look takes over his face.
“Champagne.” I start to step around him, needing to find my mom. He reaches out, snagging me by my arm.
“How about we have a glass together? Have a drink before everyone gets here.” He looks right down the top of my dress. Before I can say a word, Landon is gone.
“Did you find them?” Reid gives me a look that would kill many. “Don’t kill him. I don’t have time for police reports.”
“Hey, man, aren't you Reid Knight?” Landon starts to get up from the floor. The shock of seeing Reid Knight in person makes h
im forget he was just tossed across the room like a ragdoll. Men.
“Run.” I grab my husband's arm before he can go for the kid again. Landon finally understands the danger he’s in and takes off. “You’re going to be bartending for the night if you murder him,” I inform him, letting go of his arm. I try to make my way upstairs, but I'm snagged around the waist and pulled off into the office. “Reid. We don’t have—” My words trail off when he pins me to the wall, dropping to his knees in front of me.
“There is always time to make my wife come and remind her she’s mine.”
“Trust me. I know I’m yours.” He’s got my dress up around my hips already. The man has quick hands on and off the field.
“Hold the dress,” he orders me. “I want to see your cunt.” His nose flares, and I realize he really is worked up. You’d think over time this crazy need Reid has to always know I belong to him, and for everyone else to know it as well, would fade some, but I think it’s only gotten worse. Not that I care. Not when he looks at me like I’m his everything. “Zoey. Don’t make me ask to see what belongs to me again.” I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that when he gets this way that it turns me on more than anything.
If we had more time, I would resist a little longer to give him a hard time. But I know the clock is ticking down until our parents walk down the aisle, so I lift my dress up, revealing myself to him.
“No fucking panties.” He growls against my clit before he sucks it into his mouth.
“Reid!” I let out a small scream. He isn't messing around. He works my clit. Reid knows my body better than I do. My Reid is soft and sweet with me, but when we’re like this, everything goes by Reid’s rules. Reid’s control. He can make me come in seconds, minutes, or hours.
“I want it now.” He growls, and my body does as he commends. I let go as pleasure hits me. The orgasm is so fast it knocks the air right out of my lungs. When I open my eyes, Reid is lifting me and thrusting deep inside of me. He’s relentless. “Mine. Mine. Mine,” he chants over and over as he thrusts in and out of me. My second orgasm is already pushing down on me.
“Yours,” I agree as my nails dig into his shoulders. He lets out a loud groan, my name on his lips that are still covered in me. I go over the edge with him. When Reid lifts his head to look at me, I kiss him.
“You calm?” he asks me. I nod my head. I am calm. He slowly puts me on my feet. I feel his cum all over the inside of my thighs. From the look on Reid's face, that was the whole point. Also to get us both to calm the hell down. This man always knows what I need.
“Let’s go give our parents the happily ever after they deserve.” I say as Reid fixes my dress for me. He pulls me into his side.
“I love you,” I tell him as we walk, causing him to lean down and give me a quick kiss.
“I love you too. Forever.”
We may have had some small bumps in the road on the journey to our happily ever after, but I always knew I was meant to be his.
Epilogue
Many many years later
I sit at my desk, staring at my computer screen but not really comprehending anything that’s on it. I had a restless night of sleep. I took Zoey so many times throughout the night, trying to calm myself down by getting lost in my wife, not sure I’m ready for life to change. Until she kicked me out of bed and said I needed to just accept that our little girl is growing up. I’ve been sitting in my office ever since.
I figured work would be the best way to take my mind off of everything. After I retired from the NFL, I volunteered at the local high school, coaching the football team. They insisted on paying me, so I donated the salary every year to improve the school. I wanted to give back since I have been so fortunate in life. Fine, I wanted to keep an eye on Izzy and make sure no little punks tried anything out of line. Having two girls hasn’t been easy. I know what kind of fuckheads are out there.
I try to concentrate on the running plays for this weekend's game, but every time I glance up, I see the picture of Izzy that sits on the corner of my desk. She’s probably five years old in it. We’re in the field out back, the sun is shining, and I’m twirling her around in a cloud full of bubbles that I’d blown for her. She’s laughing and looking at me as if I’m the only man she’ll ever love. I was until that little asshole showed up.
“He’s not an asshole.” I look up to see Zoey standing in the doorway of my office. I must have said the last words out loud. “You love Noah.”
“Love is a pretty strong word.” That gets me a giggle from Zoey. I watch as she walks over toward my desk. She’s more beautiful today than she was all those years ago when I fell in love with her. I turn around in my chair so that she can crawl into my lap. She does without hesitation. A sense of calm comes over me as it always has whenever she’s around. She nuzzles into my neck. “I’m not ready to let her go.”
“You’re not losing her. She’s a grown-up, Reid. She’s starting her life the same way you and I started ours. They’re in love.” She lifts her head to look into my eyes. Her fingers trace the hard line of my jaw. I know she’s right. Noah loves Izzy. He reminds me a lot of myself when I was younger. Always putting Izzy’s needs before his own. In saying that, I still don’t want to give him permission to marry my little girl.
“Feels as though I’m losing her.”
“You can’t think of it that way. You have to think of it as our family growing.” I know she’s right, but that doesn’t mean that I have to like it. “Don’t you want our little girl to have a love like ours?” That knocks me right on my fucking ass. I do want that. In fact, I know I want that so badly for her that I want to make sure that’s what this will be.
The alarm dings, letting me know that Noah is coming up the driveway now. The kid reminds me a little too much of myself sometimes. I do love the little shit. He and Izzy have been together since middle school. At least I think that’s when he got her to stop calling him her friend.
“Noah’s here.” My other daughter Riley says as she comes into my office. She drops down in the chair in front of my desk, kicking her feet up while staring at her phone. The thing is always glued to her freaking hand.
“I’ll get the door.” I stand, putting Zoey in my seat. When I make it to the top of the stairs I see Izzy has already let him in. I take a few steps down. Izzy is extra animated with her hands as she speaks with him.
“There is no reason to tell him,” I hear her say as I take a couple more steps down.
“I’m not lying to your father or anyone for that matter. He’ll find out anyways.”
“Find what out?” They both turn to look my way.
“Yeah, what?” Of course Riley is behind me. Riley is a brilliant girl, the top of her class, and gets test scores like her mother, but she’s nosy as shit. Sometimes I love that shit and sometimes I hate it. “You pregnant?”
“Riley!” Izzy shouts at her. “No,” she quickly adds.
“Not today,” Noah puts in. My body grows tight thinking about my little girl having a little one herself. I relax when my wife's hand rests on my back.
“Hi, Noah,” she says to him.
“Morning, Zoey,” he greets her. “Reid.” He gives me a nod before answering my question. “Find out that Izzy is moving in with me.” I’m actually a little surprised this hasn't happened sooner, but Noah kept his word when he promised me that he’d let her get through her freshman year in college. It might have been wrong for me to ask that of him because of my own history, but I did it anyway. Everyone knows that while Zoey and I both technically had our own places freshman year of college, we never spent a night apart. Freshman year is now over for Izzy, and it looks as though Noah is not willing to wait another second to be with her.
“Why don’t we move this conversation into the kitchen? I could use some coffee.” I put my hand on Zoey’s back to guide her down the stairs with me. Everyone heads toward the kitchen but not before I get Noah’s attention and motion toward the sitting room.
“I
love her,” he says before I can say anything.
“I know that.” It’s all over his face. A look that has always been there when it comes to Izzy. It’s one I know well because I’ve seen the same one every day for most of my life when I’m in front of a mirror.
“I kept my word.”
“You did.” I’m being hard on the kid, but it’s good for him. Me too, as a matter of fact. No matter how much I’m sure he wanted to tell me to go fuck myself last year when I made the request he do it, because more than wanting Izzy all to himself, he wanted her happy and put her first. Not wanting to start a fight with me that would hurt her. He puts her first and does what he thinks is best for her even if she gets pissed about it. Story of my life.
“You know I’m not here about the moving in shit, right?”
He shifts on his feet.
“Yeah, and it’s why I need another promise. One that tells me you’re in this forever. And that you’re going to love her until the end of time.”
“That is a promise I can keep.” He stands up a little straighter. “The only life I want is one with Izzy.”
“You have our blessing.” Noah lets out a breath, and I can see the tension leave his body. He asked me out of respect. Noah isn't letting Izzy go. He’d fight me on it—as he should if he truly wants to marry her. I pull him in for a hug, patting him on the back.
“Are you guys…” Izzy stops when she sees us. A smile lights up her whole face, making her look more like Zoey than usual.
“We’re coming.” I walk over to her, dropping a kiss on top of her head before heading into the kitchen. They linger behind.
“What’s up?” Riley asks when I enter the kitchen. Zoey hands me a mug of coffee. I take a sip before putting it down. “No one is dying or something, right?”
His Forever Girl Page 9
