Page 125 of Between Commitment and Betrayal

I needed a spot, he was there.

I needed to do squats, he was behind me saying in a low voice, “Good girl. Perfect form, baby. One more for me.” It was foreplay that led to way too much workplace sex.

I needed a sparring partner, he stood in the ring and laughed his ass off saying, “No way in hell I’m coming at you while you’re carrying our child. You can lay me out all you like.” And I did.

Declan Hardy wasn’t simply going to be the perfect husband for me, he was the perfect family man, and was going to be the perfect father.

Even when he was over-the-top.

“You’re making a scene, Declan,” I whispered to him as he leaned down, his eyes locked on my lips.

“That’s the point. The world needs to remember why I’m here in the first place.” He turned to the cameras. “Can you believe I’m doing this for my girl? I thought retirement looked good on me, but she’d rather have me on the field making sure I’m showing these kids how to play ball.”

The man had every publicist and photographer laughing and screaming at him. They all knew this game was making the kids’ schools millions, and it wasn’t only about playing football, but they ate it up. Then, they were telling us to kiss and asking if Declan was going to ruin Wes on the field today. “Is that why you’re playing defense rather than offense? You only did that in college,” one of them shouted.

Declan smiled big enough that his dimples showed before he kissed me senseless and told me to go back up to the skybox, that he’d gotten the good luck kiss he needed.

When I got back to our suite, the game had begun, and I winced at the sound of men flying into each other at catastrophic speeds.

Declan tackled Wes within the first couple of plays.

One tackle. He pointed to me and mouthed, “For my love.”

Another tackle. He held up his hand and pointed to the black string he still wore on his wrist and mouthed, “For my wife.”

He did it over and over. “For my son.” “For my family.” He even did one for all his fans. “For HEAT.”

And the world got the point.

Our marriage may have been arranged at first, but he proved to the world down there that day that he’d deliver hell to anyone who disrespected what and who he loved.

He loved the game. He loved his family. He loved his empire. And he loved me.

Probably about as much as I loved him.

~THE FUCKING END~