Page 68 of Endgame

“Like us,” King replied. Because she was it for him.

“Oh yeah? You think we’re endgame, huh?” She curled a strand of her hair around her finger.

“I don’t think. I know.”

They looked at each other for a long moment and then raced inside, ending up in their bathroom, shed clothes strewn everywhere as the shower was turned on and began to steam as they loved each other frantically under the warm spray.

After, King watched as a still-naked Lila brushed through the length of her freshly dried hair, his desire to care for her almost overwhelming.

“Can I?” King asked as he approached from behind, making eye contact with her reflection in the mirror. He felt suddenly shy but pushed it aside. Because he wanted to be vulnerable and open with Lila, always.

Lila’s expression wrinkled in confusion for just the briefest of seconds, and then understanding lit up her face. Instead of turning around, she reached for his hand and then placed the brush in it, holding his gaze the entire time. The moment King began to slide the brush bristles through her long strands, she sighed contentedly.

“I love your hair,” King gritted out as he felt his body respond to her sounds, to the thrumming, constant desire he felt for her.

“It loves you right back.” Lila’s expression morphed from satisfied to smug as she felt his arousal nudging at her from behind. “I’ll even teach you how to braid it sometime if you want.” She leaned back into him, slowly grinding her ass against his hard length. “But right now…”

King set the brush down and grabbed Lila by the hips. “Right now, we have more important things to do,” he growled softly into the shell of her ear.

She shivered and nodded her agreement then gasped and gripped the counter of the bathroom vanity as he slid inside her, all hair brushing–related activities temporarily forgotten.

Chapter 37

King smiled at the fan section that Lila, Knight, Wren, and Lila’s family had created. It was the last game of their fall season, and the Alexanders were repping in head-to-toe Bradley U soccer gear. Even Wren had made a point to dress in school colors, which meant more to King than he could actually verbalize. In the weeks she’d been home, he’d gotten to know her on a whole new level and had been able to see how good she was for Knight. He sometimes felt the need to pinch himself because he’d never imagined living a life filled with so much love. A life filled with…family.

Notably absent was King’s mother, who still wasn’t speaking to him. And though Solomon wasn’t visible from the field, King had the feeling that he was lurking somewhere in the wings, ready to pounce. But for the first time ever, that prospect didn’t faze him at all. He had found his own family, and their ties were thicker than any blood connection could ever be. Because they’d chosen each other.

King dribbled the ball around a defender and sliced it over to Will, who was waiting at the wing. Will headed it towards the goal, and the ball slipped past the keeper, cementing their lead by another goal. They fist bumped as they ran back to prepare for the opposing team to kick off.

The rest of the game flew by, and King managed to score a goal in the second half, much to the delight of Lila’s brothers, who started a chant and the wave in their section of seats. He gave them a couple of claps above his head in salute as he ran past, and Lance and Landon acted like it was the best thing they’d ever seen.

As soon as the referee’s whistle signaled the end of the game, he made a beeline over to his woman. She jumped over the cement barrier, and he caught her in his arms as she attack-hugged him and then wrapped her legs around his waist. Then he kissed the shit out of her, to the supreme delight of their small audience. “Love you, La.”

“Love you, my King.”

Just as he was prepared to take her mouth again, the sound of a clearing throat interrupted them. Coach Klopp stood there, looking as grumpy as ever, even though everybody knew he was secretly a teddy bear inside.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I need you in the locker room right now, Spencer.”

King nodded and set Lila down before lifting her back up and over the cement partition. “See you soon?”

Lila nodded and pecked him on the mouth quickly. “We’ll wait here.”

King followed his coach into the locker room, where most of his other teammates had gathered. But, instead of stopping, they walked straight through to Klopp’s office, where his coach motioned for him to sit down.

“Good work out there, son,” Coach Klopp remarked gruffly. “I just wanted you to know that I’ve been contacted by scouts from Europe, notably from La Liga and the Premier League. They’ve got their eyes on you.”

“That’s… Wow” was all King managed to say.

“I’m not surprised. You’re probably the best forward I’ve ever worked with. I know that MLS has been following you too. But I think you should sincerely consider playing abroad. You’re definitely talented enough to be competitive, even if you are getting a later start than some of the European players.”

“I appreciate the advice, Coach,” King said, his mind reeling. Playing soccer professionally at all would be a dream. But in Europe? It would be phenomenal.

What about Lila?

He knew he couldn’t expect her to follow him wherever he went; she had plans too. But the thought of them being separated for any amount of time made his chest tighten. Luckily, they still had months to figure things out. Hell, he still had half of a season to play. But this information definitely changed things.

Thanking his coach, King grabbed a quick shower and then headed out to greet Lila and her family. Knight and Wren had gone ahead to grab a table at the local pizza place, where they’d all decided to eat afterwards.

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