Page 23 of It's Always Us

His thumb runs underneath the lace wrapped around my ribs as he trails kisses along my collarbone.

“I love you. I’ve never been able to stop,” I whisper, needing to say it. “I tried so hard, but I couldn’t.”

His kisses halt, and he presses up on one elbow, finding my eyes. “I love you, too. So much it hurts.” He presses his forehead to mine, a devilish grin that’s insanely familiar creeping across his face. “Baby, this is just the beginning. From now on, it’s you and me, always.”

Chapter 7

MARK

My buzzing phone pulls me from bliss, but the small, warm, soft body tucked beside mine reminds me that I finally have everything I need. She’s it, and she’s my wife.

My hand finds her bare hip as I push her hair away with my chin, placing a soft kiss on her neck. There’s no way I slept enough last night, but I will survive on stupid, happy adrenaline.

My phone vibrates again. I snatch it from the nightstand, seeing Rob, my agent’s name, which is strange for it to be so early and on a game day.

I carry it to the bathroom and accept the call, speaking softly so I don’t wake Lex.My wife.

I grin, peeking back at her blonde hair fanned over the pillow.

“Hey, Rob. What’s up?” I close the door as his voice fills my ear.

“Please tell me the rumors aren’t true.”

I rub a hand over my face, trying to sort through getting Lex to meet me back in New York. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

“Seriously. The buzz on social sites is that you got married last night. There are no pics but unnamed sources. The supposed Vegas chapel is listed, and details of the quick nuptials are making the rounds.”

I sit on the side of the tub, thinking through my response.

“I don’t like that you’re taking a minute to think about it.” He sighs, and I have no doubt my longtime agent is running a hand over his face. “What the hell is going on? You know how I feel about surprises, and part of our agreement is that you don’t do stupid things that end up making me look bad. Where are you?”

“Vegas.” That’s an easy answer.

“Shit. Are you with the team?”

“No.”

“Why the hell not?” His usual calm demeanor quickly turns to full-on irritation.

“I had an emergency.”

“The kind of emergency that involves a Vegas wedding chapel the night before a big game? Do I need to remind you that keeping your standing is critical for next season?”

“There’s nothing to worry about. I’ll be on my A-game.”

“Shit, Mark. You know there’s more to this than that. If you lose—”

“We won’t lose. I’m ready. I’m more ready than I’ve ever been.”

“Is that because you did something last night that I need to know about?”

I let out a breath, rubbing my temples while I think about what this all means. This is the part that I didn’t think about. The part where I don’t get to call all the shots on how things go in my life. The part where I have commitments and contracts and an overloaded schedule, and Lex . . . All I know is I need her with me.

“If I tell you, it stays between us.”

He mutters a few words I choose to ignore. “You know our deal, but that doesn’t mean I won’t kill you or move on when our contract ends.”

“You won’t leave me. You like me too much.” I try for charm, knowing it won’t work this time.

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