Page 143 of The Hardest Fall

When I made it back to the table, I found Chris and Zoe standing together, smiling and talking. As soon as I got back, I went another round with my mom and dad, and listened to them talk, still just as speechless as I’d been on the call with my coach. I couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel and see Mason and Amelia’s faces when they heard I was the second fucking overall pick. Mason was going to lose it.

Then it was just Zoe and me, resting our foreheads against each other and just breathing as I held her face in my hands. I tried to clear her tears with my thumbs, but I couldn’t keep up.

“We did it.”

She put her hands on my chest. “You did it, Dylan. This is all you and you’re amazing.”

“No. These last few months…you’ve been amazing, and it’s New York, baby! It’s where you wanted to live.”

“I’ll live anywhere with you, Dylan. I’ll go wherever you are.”

“Come with me.” Grabbing her hand, I dragged her behind me, dodging cameras and even more people. Breathless, she ran after me to keep up. If I could’ve kept my hands to myself for a little while, we would have heard that Chris had been picked by the Chicago Bears.

I stopped when we reached the bathrooms and pulled her in behind me, locking the door immediately.

I took a deep breath before I turned around to stare at her. She was leaning back against the sink, her beautiful smile soft and inviting.

“I can give you everything you want now. I know I couldn’t do much until now, but Flash, trust me, you’ll—”

“Shut up. I just want you, Dylan. Nothing else matters. We’ll figure everything out together, right?” I swallowed thickly. “Though I have to say, I can’t wait to see you wearing more suits from now on. You look so handsome.”

“You like it? You like me like this, Zoe?”

I went to her before she could answer and grabbed her waist to hoist her up. She locked her arms around my neck and hid her face in my throat, pulling me closer. I rested my head against her temple, just breathing, just the two of us, away from everything and all the noise.

“I love you. I’ve loved you for so long, I don’t even know when it started anymore,” she said quietly, so much emotion in her voice.

I drew back and looked into her watery eyes.

“You don’t know? The first time you saw me, you were grinning at my dick.”

She snorted then groaned to cover it up. “I did not fall in love with your dick, Dylan.”

“I think you did, but let’s go with your version. It’s a package deal anyway.” I started to drag her dress up her thighs and she let me. Wiggling her butt, she even let me remove her panties. Widening her legs, I yanked her toward me until we were perfectly aligned and I could feel her heat against my slacks. I didn’t even care if she gave me a wet spot. She moved closer, her arms already pulling me to her. “You could hardly look away,” I mumbled against her mouth, her breath already mingling with mine.

She took my lips in a heated kiss, her tongue pushing between them and demanding I give her what she liked. I kissed her and let her slowly unzip me with her sneaky fingers.

“Do you believe in love at first sight?”

“Not really,” she panted.

“I didn’t either, but then why would my eyes look for you in a crowd when I didn’t even know your name? Why would my pulse jump whenever I saw someone I thought was you?”

Moaning, her eyes closed and she played with my cock, making me hiss.

“You want me inside you?”

She nodded. “Always.”

I held my cock in my hand and parted her lips before slowly pushing in. She was slick with arousal, tight and ready for me, as always. My breaths were coming in harsh spurts when I gave her all my length, and her legs trembled around me.

“Will it always feel like this?” she asked, her eyes already unfocused, body restless.

“Always.”

“I love you so much,” she whispered. “I don’t know what to do with it all.”

“I love you too, Flash. On and off the field, you’re my hardest fall. No one has ever compared, and no one ever will. It was always going to be you for me.”

Epilogue

Six years later

“Oh,” Zoe gasped as her body tensed for a quick second then relaxed against my chest. I circled my arms around her waist before she could get away from me. “It’s you. I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Were you expecting someone else?”

I stared down at her as her head fell back against my chest and she looked up at me. “Nope.”

“Good answer.” I leaned down and dropped a quick kiss on her forehead.