The Lawson Brothers: Love So Perfect Part 19

"I'm going home. I made a mistake coming here." She pulled away, leaving him standing there with a shocked look on his face. "I'm sorry, but... you... I... I just can't."

"Please, Harper. I'd really like to talk to you after the game. It's important."

"Too important for a phone call or text?"

He nodded. "Yeah, it's about us... our relationship. Finley discovered some things that I tried to keep private, but-"

"Oh my G.o.d. Please tell me we don't have s.e.x tapes." She practically screeched the last word, making those closest turn and stare. "Oh c.r.a.p. Sorry."

A glimmer of laughter entered his eyes. "We don't have s.e.x tapes. Pretty sure you would have noticed if I broke out my phone in the middle of s.e.x."

"Then what?"

He held up his hands. "Promise me you'll wait until after the game and I'll explain everything. It won't take long. They won't allow us to play more than one period due to potential injuries."

"Injuries?" Her eyes got huge, and she started to worry for him. She shouldn't be worrying for him at all. He wasn't hers to worry after.

He touched her face, caressing her cheek. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Guys are paid to protect me."

"I'm not worried," she said, but he'd already walked too far ahead of her to hear.

Suddenly, he turned around and stalked to her, taking her by the wrist. "f.u.c.k the scrimmage."

"Where are we going?"

"Some place private." He practically dragged her the entire way, and she had to run to keep up. Finally, they arrived at a locker room. It was a lot cleaner than she expected, and it didn't smell like old gym socks.

"What did you have to say?" she asked seconds before his mouth came down on hers.

Something inside of her snapped and she was tearing at his clothes, trying to get his ridiculous equipment off while he easily pushed her dress up to her waist.

He swatted her hands away and unlaced his pants, taking out the cup and then his c.o.c.k. Spreading her legs with his thigh, he pushed inside of her with one hard thrust. She held on for dear life as he took her hard and fast against a locker.

Her head banged against the old-school metal, but she didn't care.

"I missed you," she gasped as he hit a sensitive spot. Her toes curled and her thigh tightened around him.

"Miss you too." He grabbed her hips, his grip punishing, but she welcomed it. Welcomed him. "Missed this."

Reaching between them, he rubbed her c.l.i.t and made her see stars. She went over the edge, her body fragmenting into tiny pieces. Vaguely, she heard him shout her name, felt him his o.r.g.a.s.m pour into her as his body slowly stopped moving.

"I came here for closure," she weakly said.

"I came in here to f.u.c.k you." He kissed her again, a rough kiss that was possessive. "Came here to get you to see things my way."

He didn't slide out of her like she expected. Instead, he stayed firmly lodged inside of her, his jersey half off with one shoulder pad sticking out. His hair was disheveled and his grin was wicked. Triumphant.

"Just because we had s.e.x does not mean I'm yours again."

"You've been mine since the first day I laid eyes on you," he countered. "Don't care what anyone says. It was kismet, serendipity... fate, you name it. I didn't plan on you, but it's the unexpected things in life that make it worth living."

Her mouth dropped. "Why are you saying that?"

"Because it's the truth. I love you." He gazed into her eyes, but she looked away. Gently grabbing her chin, he forced her to face him. "I, Austin Spencer Lawson, love you, Harper Maple Bell."

"You love me?"

"h.e.l.l yes, I love you. I've been miserable without you. I can't stand not having you by my side. Yeah, I pulled a d.i.c.k move by not being up front with you from the start, and I fully take responsibility for that. However, that's not going to stop me from attempting to make it up to you... or from doing this."

Leaning over, he opened the locker beside them and grabbed a blue box, popping it open with his thumb. "I had a dinner planned, candlelight, and permission from your parents to ask you"

"My parents?"

"Yeah... I knew Finley invited you, but since you didn't RSVP, I had no idea you would actually be here."

"I don't know what to say."

"That's because my perfect plan went straight to h.e.l.l, but I don't give a d.a.m.n. You're here, and I refuse to wait. Marry me, Harper."

Her gaze bounced from the diamond in his hand to his face. "Are you serious?"

"While I can't think all that well with us like this... I am serious. Seriously in love with an elementary school teacher who is the kindest, smartest, and most beautiful woman I know-inside and out."

Her heart fluttered, and while she couldn't think all that well either, she knew he was serious. She could see it in his eyes, just like Apple had said.

"I love you," she whispered as tears gathered in her throat. "And even though it scares me to death to admit it, I want marry you too."

"I'll do everything I can to show you how much I love you, Harper. I swear it." He slid the ring on her finger and tossed the box to the side. "Come live with me in Charlotte. I'll take such good care of you."

His hips nudged forward, making her gasp. "Yes."

"Yes to moving or yes to this?" He moved against her again.

She smiled. "Yes to everything."

Epilogue.

Three years later "Hey, Coach," a baby-faced kid called out. "Has practiced started?"

Austin glanced at the roster for Jessamine High School Varsity football team, searching for an unfamiliar name. Two years ago, he made the decision to retire from football and raise a family with Harper back in Jessamine. It was a decision he still didn't regret.

"You Evan Rogers?"

"Yes, sir."

"You're late."

The kid's head hung. "Sorry. We only have one car and my mom's at work, so I had to walk."

If the kid was dedicated enough that he would walk to school during the heat of August to practice before cla.s.ses started, there was no way Austin could bench him for the first game.

"Next time, you text me, and I'll pick you up."

Evan's head jerked up, and his eyes went wide. "Really?"

Austin nodded. "Yes, really. Now go suit up and then get your tail back here to run laps."

Evan started running. "Yes, Coach. Be right back, Coach."

A pair of arms slid around him, and he smiled. "Mrs. Lawson. I thought you were supposed to be at home resting?"

"Walking's good for us," she said, coming to stand in front of him.

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he placed his hands on her belly. "How's my girl in there?"

"She's sa.s.sy and happy," Harper said, the glow of her second pregnancy making her even more beautiful. Her freckles practically shined like gold against her skin.

"Daddy! 'Prise!" Peyton, their two-year-old daughter, wrapped her entire body around his leg.

"You scared me!" he joked, bending down to pick her up and throw her in the air. Squealing, she threw her hands out and trusted him to catch her.

As soon as she landed safely in his arms, she wrapped hers around his neck. It was the best d.a.m.n feeling in the world. "Want to stay and help Daddy coach?"

Peyton nodded happily. "Move it!"

Harper laughed, kissing them both on the cheek. "I didn't bring her up here so she could stay with you. I really was out walking around the track."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I love having Peyton with me? You, too. And when Scarlett gets here, I'll strap her to my chest, just like I did with Peyton. My girls will know their way around a football," he said with a smile. "Even if their momma is still trying to figure out the difference between a fourth down and fourth period."

His wife shook her head, a bemused expression on her face. "You are the world's best daddy."

"World's luckiest husband with the world's hottest wife."

She blushed. He loved that he could still make her do that. Loved that he could still make her sigh his name.

"I love you, Harper."

"I would say that you don't have to tell me all the time, but I like hearing it."

He bent down to whisper in her ear, "Tonight, I'll show you how much I love you."

"Promise?" Her pretty grey eyes sparkled.

"You know it." Gently, he smacked her cute a.s.s. "Go rest. Coach's orders."

"I'm going. I'm going." She turned around and blew him a kiss. "You'd better rest up too, Coach."

"Ooooh."

Rolling his eyes, Austin turned to face his team. "What's wrong, you punks? Never seen a man in love with his own wife?"

A couple of his players nudged one another. They were used to his public displays of affection.

"Suicides. On the line." He handed his whistle to Peyton. "Three, two..."

Peyton blew the whistle.

"Good job, baby girl."

While quite a few of his old teammates had given him s.h.i.t about retiring at twenty-six, he didn't give a d.a.m.n. Having a family with Harper was better than any Super Bowl he'd ever won.

And that was the d.a.m.n truth.

Thank you for reading LOVE SO PERFECT. If you enjoyed Harper and Austin's story, please consider leaving a review to let others know. If you'd like to be notified of my newest releases, sales, cover reveals, and giveaways, please sign up for my newsletter!.

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