by Kaylee Ryan
“You’re really mine, you’ll come with me?” He swallows hard. “You’ll marry me?” he asks softly.
I nod. I can’t speak over the lump in my throat.
“I’ll give you the perfect proposal, but just knowing you want a future with me, forever with me, you’ve made me the happiest man alive. I love you, Allison,” he says as he draws me tight against him, and we fall asleep in each other’s arms.
I’m jolted awake at seven by Liam’s alarm clock screeching with its annoying beeps. I reach over and turn it off, then roll over to wake Liam up. “Liam, it’s time to get up, babe.”
He grumbles, “I’m awake,” as he moves me back against his chest. “Good morning, beautiful,” he whispers huskily in my ear. I snuggle back into his arms, seeking his warmth. “Do you remember last night?” he questions me. “Do you have any regrets in the light of day?”
I roll over so that I’m facing him. “No regrets, you’re stuck with me, MacCoy.”
“Allie, I promise to make all of your dreams come true,” he says as he kisses me. I thought about protesting, since I haven’t brushed my teeth, yet, but I know he doesn’t care. Every morning I’ve tried to warn him, he acts as though I’m crazy. Going as far as to tell me he’ll take me anyway he can get me. “As much as I wish we could lie here all day, I need to get up and get moving because we have to be at the field at nine. The game starts at noon, are you and Hales still coming with my parents?” he asks me.
“Yes, they’re picking us up here, and we’re all headed to their house for dinner afterward. Your mom made a huge meal just to wrap it up and put it in the fridge.” I smile, thinking about Mrs. MacCoy going through so much trouble, so Liam and I could spend Thanksgiving with Gran. “I really appreciate her delaying dinner, so we could go to Gran’s yesterday,” I tell him.
“Baby, she loves you, just like I do. This works out great, so we can all be there to celebrate today’s win.” He winks.
I giggle at his cockiness. “That’s the most beautiful sound,” he says, kissing me quickly and rolling out of bed.
I slip on a pair of his sweats and head to the kitchen to make breakfast before they have to leave.
I’m standing at the stove, flipping pancakes, when I feel Liam step behind me and place his hands on my hips. “Can I help, baby?”
I look over my shoulder at him. “No, you just relax. You have a big game today.”
He rests his head on my shoulder and guides my hips back against his. I continue making pancakes while he holds me close.
“Mornin’,” Aiden mumbles as he slides into a chair at the table. “Ash, I just want to say you being with Liam, which leads to you being here all the time, which leads to you feeding us, has to be the best chain of events ever.”
Liam and I laugh as I serve them their breakfast and place the extra batter in the fridge for when Hailey wakes up. “You look rough, man,” Liam says as he slides into his chair next to me.
“I slept on the couch,” Aiden replies with his mouth full.
“Why?” Liam asks him, perplexed that he would sleep on the couch when he has a perfectly comfortable bed just down the hall.
Aiden shrugs his shoulders. I have a feeling it has something to do with Hailey. He’s very protective of her and he’s always watching her. I think Hailey has a thing for him as well. Every time I try to talk to her about Aiden, she changes the subject. I make a mental note to keep an eye out for more clues from these two. Liam and Aiden scarf down their food. They have to be at the field at nine. I hear Hailey moving around in the living room, so I get up to start on her pancakes.
Liam removes the batter from my hands and sets it on the counter. He then picks me up and sets me on the counter beside it. He steps in between my legs and cups my face in the palm of his hands. “Thank you for breakfast.” He kisses me. “I bought you a new hoodie to wear to the games, since it’s getting colder. It’s hanging in our closet.” He winks at me. He’s always referring to it as our room, our closet. I guess after last night and the decisions we made about our future, I should stop arguing the fact and embrace it. He kisses me again and it’s a good thing I’m sitting, he literally makes me weak in the knees. He rests his forehead against mine. “I love you, beautiful girl. I’ll see you at the game.”
Hailey walks into the kitchen, Aiden behind her. “Damn, make sure you clean the counter,” she scoffs. At that we all laugh. Liam kisses me one more time before setting me back on my feet, so he and Aiden can leave for the stadium.
When we arrive at the stadium, we find the seats the guys have reserved for us and their parents, front and center, right on the fifty-yard line. Of course, this also has us sitting right behind the team. Liam says he likes knowing I’m so close. I’m a little nervous for the game, we’re playing Duke, which means Liam and Aiden are playing against Todd and Jason. Neither Hailey nor I have heard anything from either one of them. I hope there’s no drama today in the game.
We win the coin toss. I feel the nerves in the pit of my stomach as I watch Liam and Aiden line up on the field. Both Todd and Jason are defensive lineman, so guess what that means. Yep, they take the field as well. Liam currently has the team in a huddle; I can only imagine what he’s saying to them about Todd and Jason.
At the snap, Liam shuffles his feet, throws his arm back, and launches the ball to Aiden. He catches it with ease, just before being smashed to the ground by two members of the opposing team. The hit is hard, and I stand waiting for him to get up. I feel a tight grip on my hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Hailey gnawing on her lip with worry all over her face. Aiden slowly gets to his feet and the crowd roars, as he throws his hand in the air waving. Aiden then points to our group and smiles. I relax, and Hailey releases the breath she was holding. There’s something definitely going on there.
The next two downs, Liam repeats the same play. He throws to Aiden who catches it, again with ease before being mauled to the ground. They’re now on the twenty-yard line, and Aiden’s getting the shit beat out of him. The line is doing a great job of protecting Liam, but I’m fearful for Aiden, he’s taken three hard ass hits. They break from the huddle and take the line. I watch, holding my breath, to see if we can get the first touchdown of the game. I watch as Liam swiftly hands the ball off to Aiden, who then starts to run. It’s at this point I realize they’re pulling a quarterback sneak and Liam still has the ball. I go psycho fan girl and begin to scream, “Run, Liam, you got this, baby!” That’s when others around me realize Liam still has the ball. The other coach yelling at his team to get the quarterback, but it’s too late. Liam glides into the end zone, touchdown! I grab Hailey. We’re jumping up and down and screaming. I belt out, “That’s my man!” Yeah, not exactly my finest moment, but hey, my man just scored a touchdown.
Hailey and I are still hugging and talking about how awesome the play was when I feel a tap on my shoulder. I look over to see Mrs. Mac smiling widely as she points toward the field. Liam is running toward the sideline ball tucked under one arm, helmet in the other. I watch him as he nears, but doesn’t stop, instead he by-passes his teammates and heads straight for me. I watch as he hands his helmet off to a photographer and scales the wall. He climbs over the side and grabs me with his free hand behind my neck and kisses me, hard. The kiss is brief, but doesn’t lack once ounce of the passion we share. Liam rests his forehead against mine. “I missed you, beautiful girl.” He pulls me in for a hug and kisses my temple. “See you in about an hour, baby,” he says as he jumps back over the wall, takes his helmet back from the photographer, and waltzes back to the bench, like nothing happened.
Mrs. Mac leans in and bumps her shoulder into mine. “You make him happy, Allison. It thrills me to see him this way.”
I smile at her, tears in my eyes. “I love him.” I realize what I said and slap my hand over my mouth. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not embarrassed of Liam or the love that we share, but holy shit I just blurted it out to his mom. I can feel my face heat with embarras
sment.
Mrs. Mac just laughs. “He loves you too, Allison.” She smiles and turns her attention back to the game.
Chapter 30
Liam
I take some ribbing from the guys on the team for my display with Allison. What they don’t realize is she’s my world. They can rib me all they want, but at the end of the day my girl is coming home with me, and they’re going home alone.
We end up winning the game thirty-six to twenty-two. Not only am I coming off a win, but that fuckstick Jason broke his arm and will be out of the rest of the season. Serves the fucker right for what he did to Allison. Karma is a bitch.
Dinner at my parents’ is great, as always, only this year I have a little something extra to be thankful for. I watch Allison as she helps my mom in the kitchen and talks to my dad about football. I can’t take my eyes off of her. She’s currently helping Mom and Hales wrap up the leftovers. Dad, Aiden, and I are in the living room talking about the game; only I’m not paying attention to the conversation, not when I can watch Allie.
“Liam,” my dad says with a smile as Aiden smacks me on the back of the head.
“Ow! What?” I bark at them. They’re both laughing at me.
“Aiden was telling me that the guy who landed Allison in the emergency room broke his arm tonight in the game,” Dad inquires.
I smile and say, “Karma,” as I turn to look at Allison again. The memories of that night rushing back. The night I stopped fighting what I feel for her and made her mine. Best day of my damn life.
I feel a strong hand on my shoulder, and I look over and see it’s my dad with a grin on his face. He nods his head toward the girls and Mom in the kitchen. “I remember when your mom and I first got together, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her either.”
I chuckle. “Dad, you still don’t take your eyes off of her.”
He’s grinning while watching my mom. “She’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
I nod. “I feel the same way about Allison, Dad. I love her with everything in me.”
“I know you do, son, she loves you too. She blurted it out to your mom at the game today.”
I try to control my grin, but it so isn’t happening, not when it comes to Allison. “Any words of wisdom?” I finally ask him.
“Never let a day go by that you don’t tell her what she means to you. Don’t let money or fame or anything else come between you and the ones you love.”
I nod, letting him know I understand. Nothing would ever be more important to me than her.
“I’m proud of you, son, you got a great girl there. Cherish her.”
“Always.”
Instead of driving back to the apartment, we stay at my parents’. Aiden’s staying in the guest room, like he always does, and Allison is trying to tell me she’s going to sleep in Hailey’s room with her. Yeah, not happening.
She’s concerned about disrespecting my parents. I hate to do it, but I finally have to bring Mom into the conversation.
“Mom, please tell Allison she can sleep with me.” I realize how it sounds as soon as I say it. Allison’s face goes red with embarrassment instantly. Aiden, Hailey, and my dad all bust up laughing.
Mom maintains her composure and smiles widely at us. “Allison, you and Liam are both adults and you love each other. We know this isn’t something the two of you take lightly. We’re fine with you sharing a room,” Mom says it much better than I do.
Allison nods, not wanting to discuss the matter any further. We all say goodnight and head off to bed. Once we are in my room, I lock the door to ensure we have privacy. I tug Allison into my arms to kiss her, but she turns her head. “I’m sorry I embarrassed you, but there’s no way I was going to have you sleeping with Hales and me sleep alone just across the hall.”
Allison has yet to look at me, she’s staring at the floor. I gently lift her chin. “I love you so much it kills me to be away from you. You’re the best beginning and end of my day, every damn day.” She’s looking at me, but not saying anything, so I continue. “Falling asleep with you in my arms each night and waking up with you next to me each day…” I shake my head. “You’re everything to me, my world revolves around you, and there’s no way I could’ve gotten any sleep without you in my arms, especially knowing you were across the damn hall with Hailey.” I rest my forehead against hers. “I’m sorry I embarrassed you, but I’m not sorry I fought for you. I’ll always fight for you, for us.” This time when I kiss her she kisses me back.
I lift her in my arms and gently set her on my bed. Without saying a word I lift her arms above her head and gently remove her sweatshirt. The sight of her takes my breath away as always. “Damn,” I murmur. I can’t believe she’s mine. She stands up and lifts my shirt over my head, and then she makes quick work of her jeans. I follow suit, not wanting to miss a moment of what is yet to come. Allison scoots back on the bed and pats the spot beside her. I climb in, lying beside her, my hands instantly travel to her hips, so I can bring her closer. She rests her hand against my cheek.
“Liam...” She’s trying to fight the emotion I can see filling her eyes. I wrap my arms around her and wait patiently for her to collect her thoughts. “You’ve changed my life so much. Thank you for all that you’ve given me. For loving me.” A single tear drips from her beautiful eyes. I kiss it away. “I love you so much,” she murmurs.
I kiss her soft and slow, gently stroking her tongue with mine. Her confession has me choked up, so words aren’t really an option. If the guys thought I was whipped earlier, they should see me now. My man card would be revoked, no questions asked. I kiss her neck, her shoulders, making my way toward her breast, giving both equal attention. I shift, so I’m on top of her and her legs instantly fall open, inviting me in. I lace my fingers with hers and place our arms above her head as I gently enter her. Home. I continue to slowly slide in and out, making love to her. I watch Allison closely as she lies beneath me, eyes closed mouth open. I watch as she arches her back, and I can feel her tighten around me, I know she’s close. “Open your eyes, beautiful girl.” I wait for her to meet my gaze. “I want to watch you fall apart, I want you to see me lose myself inside of you.” I continue my slow deep thrusts until I know we’re right on the brink. “Come for me, beautiful.” She tugs on my hand and places it over her mouth, it’s then she falls apart, and I’m right there with her. I can feel her tighten around me, I can see her love for me in her eyes, and that’s my undoing. I release myself into her. Mine.
I gently remove myself from her and roll onto my side, placing her back tight against my chest. I kiss her shoulder. “I love you, Allison Shay Hagan. I can’t wait to spend forever with you.” Then I fall asleep holding my future.
The next few weeks leading up to Christmas are crazy busy. Aiden and I have three away games in a row, which means time away from Allison. This makes me cranky as fuck, and my teammates and best friend make a point to tell me frequently. Allison takes the opportunity to spend more time with her gran, she would drive up, spend the night, and they would watch the game on TV. I can tell she’s enjoying her time with Gran, so knowing she’s safe and happy eases my temper a little.
Allison and Hailey work it out, so we’ll spend Christmas Eve with Gran and Aiden’s parents, and then Christmas Day with Mom and Dad. Aiden’s parents are going on a cruise and leave Christmas Day. I don’t care either way as long as I get some Allison time. I’m missing my girl.
We arrived at Grans on the twenty-first, and I’m dreading not being able to sleep next to Allison. I’m not sure how Gran will feel about it, so I’ve been building myself up to accept the fact that I’m going to have to fall asleep without her. I’m not looking forward to this. Hales came with us, so I’m sure she’ll be sharing a room with Allison.
Aiden needs to finish his shopping, so he and I venture out to the mall, leaving the girls behind to hang with Gran. They plan on baking, just the thought of that makes my stomach growl. I’m done with my shopping. Hales and
I went in together and got Mom and Dad a weekend away at a bed and breakfast. Aiden got a gift card to have his car detailed inside and out, trust me, it needs it. Hales got a gift card to the mall, the way she loves to shop I know this will make her happy. Allison and I bought Aiden’s parents a gift card for a local steak house. For Gran, well, I convinced Allison we should get her a new flat screen TV. She doesn’t leave the house, so I figure this would be a good gift. Hailey agreed. As for Allison, well, let’s just say I did my best to spoil her. I bought her a Coach purse I heard her and Hales talking about. Hales, of course, helped me get the right one. I bought her a diamond heart necklace, because, well, the girl is my heart. I bought her new boots, a couple of outfits, and a day at the spa. Aiden also got this for Hales, so they can go together.
We end up in a jewelry store, so Aiden can pick up his mom’s gift from his dad. He’d ordered it a few weeks ago and just got the call today that it was in. His dad found out we were coming here and asked us to pick it up for him. I’m browsing around while we wait and end up at the case filled with engagement rings. I’d looked at them when I bought Allison’s necklace, but none of them were the right fit for my girl. I make my way to the end of the case, and that’s when I see it, the perfect ring for Allison. It’s a one carat princess cut diamond with baguettes interlaced down each side, tightly woven. I have been looking online for the last few weeks getting an idea of what’s out there and what I think Allie would like. I ask the sales lady, who has been hovering over me, if I can see it. I examine it in my hands, it’s perfect. I feel Aiden come up beside me, and he whistles.
