Page 19 of The Goalie

“I’m the king of the world!” a voice shouts out.

We both turn and spot Austin and Norah down below on the bow of the ship reenacting the iconic scene from Titanic. Norah is standing on the lower railing with her arms out as Austin holds onto her from behind.

“Oh my god,” I whisper as I watch them switch places. Austin steps onto the railing and puts his arms out as Norah holds him.

“I’m the king of the world!” he hollers as the wind blows through his hair.

“They’re cute,” Grace says as she watches them with a smile. “Before tonight, seeing that would have made me jealous.”

“Jealous?” I say with a laugh. “Of that?”

“They belong together,” she says. “They’re soulmates. Just like my parents. My dad may seem like a ball buster to you, but to my mom, he’s a total sweetheart. He’s always leaving love notes around the house for her, dancing around the kitchen, and holding her hand. They’re adorable together. I always wanted to find someone like that for me.”

I’ll be that for her. I’ll be everything she needs and more.

“I think the search is over,” I whisper as I put a hand in her hair, feeling her silky locks. I step forward, towering over her. She holds her breath as she looks up at my mouth.

A whizzing sound rips through the air and then explodes with a pop. Beautiful fireworks burst in the night sky all around us, colorful sparkles rippling down to the dark sea. They’re coming from the yacht.

Grace looks at them for a long moment and then turns back to me. I can see the bright exploding colors reflecting in her eyes. She puts her hand on my chest. I slide my hand around her head and pull her mouth to mine.

She moans as I kiss her.

Her soft wet lips part and I slide my tongue into her mouth with a hungry groan. She slides her arms around my neck and presses her soft round breasts against my chest.

If there was any doubt before, it’s gone now. This is the beginning of something real. Something intense.

My heart pounds. The butterflies… The weakness in my knees… This woman is the one. The only one for me.

I wrap my possessive arms around her and pull her against me. We kiss and taste one another while the fireworks burst over our heads like magic. It’s an epically romantic moment. A perfectly fitting one for a love affair that will never end.

I’ll make damn sure of that.

CHAPTER SIX

Grace

“And the winner of the helicopter,” the announcer says into the microphone, “with a very generous bid of 2.3 million is Stan Washburn.”

Everyone claps as Stan nods his head.

I stand on my toes to whisper in Nolan’s ear. “He doesn’t look very happy.”

He chuckles as he watches the sullen old man grimacing. “Maybe he wanted it in blue?”

I’m still kind of lightheaded as they announce more winners. I just had the kiss of a lifetime. The kind that songs are written about and epic tales are told over generations. It was magical.

My mouth is still watering. My body is still humming. I can’t believe I kissed this man.

I’m holding Nolan’s hand and stroking his arm, feeling his hard muscles under his soft suit. He looks down at me with a smile.

I can’t wait to tell my mom about this. She’s going to freak out. My dad would freak out too, but in a different kind of way.

“And now for a month-long stay in a luxurious villa in Santorini, Greece,” the announcer says. I look up at Nolan with excitement buzzing in my chest. “The winner is… Nolan Barlowe!”

The whole Hyenas team cheers as Nolan goes onto the stage to claim his prize.

He’s booked for this summer after the playoffs are over. I wonder who he’s going to take…

---