Page 93 of Goal Line

“I can’t believe you have our memories inked all over your body.”

“It shouldn’t surprise you in the least,” he says, shaking his head.

“It shouldn’t surprise menow. But you got those tattoos over the last several years—putting permanent reminders of me on your skin, without knowing that we’d ever be here.”

“I think somewhere deep down, I always knew we’d end up here.”

My cheeks push up as my smile spreads, suddenly feeling warm all over. “Did you now?”

“Well, I hoped you’d finally come to your senses and see what was right in front of you.”

I know he’s teasing, but in a way, he’s right. Whether it was my pregnancy or him living in Boston now, or something else, things shifted between us this summer. And the man who I’d been telling myself my whole life I couldn’t have was suddenly looking at me like he wanted me too.

“Good thing I’m nothing if not sensible,” I say.

“I’m glad to hear it, because I’d really like you to not kill me when I tell you what I’ve done.”

I lift an eyebrow. “What have you done that’s going to warrant murder, exactly?”

“Uhhh...” He pauses, then bends to grab the T-shirt he’s left hanging off the bench behind him. “Maybe I better show you instead?”

“Ominous,” I say playfully, but I follow as he starts walking toward the door while pulling his shirt over his head. He stops at the elevators, but when we get in, he doesn’t press the 60 that would take us to our floor. Instead,he presses the P2 button at the bottom, and we head down to the parking garage.

As we step out into the underground garage, I’m about to ask him if we’re going somewhere, but then a shiny black mid-size SUV—wrapped in a thick red ribbon and parked right next to Luke’s car—catches my eye.

“Please don’t be mad,” he says as he leads me toward it and presses a key fob into my hand.

“You...” A thrill runs through me as I stare at the gorgeous car. “You bought me a BMW?”

“I wanted you to have something safe, that you could easily get an infant seat in and out of, and would handle well in the snow but not be too big for city driving.”

“Listen to you being all practical while I stand here drooling over this car. You really didn’t have to do this. I could have waited until my convertible sold and then bought something...more modest.”

Maybe I don’t dream big enough, because never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be driving a car like this. It’s so much nicer than anything I’ve ever owned that I’m almost afraid to touch it.

He wraps his arm behind my back and pulls me to his side so we’re hip to hip. There’s amusement in his voice when he says, “Evie, what’s the point of having money if you can’t spoil the people you love?”

I rest my head against him, thinking how easy it is to forget he’s so wealthy, given how down to Earth he is. “You don’t have to spoil me, Luke. Just being with you is enough.”

Turning to face me, his cool blue eyes are dark in the low light. His lips turn up in a small smile, and the look he’s giving me tells me I’m cherished. “I know I don’t have to, butI want to. And when have you ever known me not to get what I want?”

I click my tongue at him and shake my head, but I can’t hold in my smile. “So cocky.”

“Just confident. You’re my future, Evie, and despite everything I might already have, you’re all I ever really wanted.”

I close my eyes, trying to capture the feel of this moment as he leans in and presses his lips to my forehead. But then my stomach rumbles so loud it’s almost like someone started an engine. “You know what Ireallywant?”

“Besides me?” he says, his voice husky like he’s trying to remind me that not five minutes ago I was about to jump him in the private gym in our building.

“Always you,” I say. “But first, ice cream. I hear there’s a hidden gem on the South Shore where you can get huge lobster rolls and fries with four types of dipping sauces, followed by amazing soft serve flavors. They have all these different twist combinations?—”

“Say less,” he says with a chuckle as he guides me to the driver’s side of my new car, before reaching to the roof and pulling off the enormous red bow. “We need to make sure Baby Squash is well-versed in ice cream flavors. Let’s go.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

EVA

“Is it my imagination, or have you gotten stronger?” Lynette calls out to me when Christopher and I safely land our twist lift.