Page 50 of Scoring Position

“Yeah, well, I had to endure a very stern lecture from a six-year-old wielding a green crayon as a weapon before I could officially ask.”

He squeezes me tightly, pressing his lips to mine as he smiles against them. “I was made to be your boyfriend, Lark Dawson. I’m going to make you so happy.”

“You already have.”

THIRTY

ACE

“Admit it,”Lark says, popping a gummy bear into her mouth.

“I will do no such thing,” I reply sternly, shaking my head. Her jaw drops in shock as she points at the television, where the end credits are rolling up the screen. I’m off today, so we’ve been lounging around, watching movies and eating junk food in our pajamas. Well, I’m in pajamas—she’s in one of my oversized t-shirts, looking as sexy as ever with her hair in a messy bun on top of her head.

“You’re going to look me dead in the eye and say thatThe Sandlotis not a better movie thanRookie of the Year?”

I pause, pretending to think before giving her a tight nod. “Yeah.”

“I give us three months,” she mumbles, standing from the couch. I dart my arm out, wrapping it around her waist and hauling her back on top of me as she giggles loudly.

“What did you say?” I ask, tickling her sides as she squirms to get away. She continues laughing as I dig my fingertips into her soft flesh.

“I s-said…” she stutters between wheezes, “said I give us thr—” I cut her off with a chaste kiss, because if she repeats herself, I’m going to put her over my knee and turn her ass red.

“We’re forever,” I say, kissing down toward her neck. She tilts her head, giving me better access. “Say it.”

“Ace,” she moans as my lips warm against the heat of her silky skin.

“Say it,” I repeat, reaching up her shirt and pinching a peaked nipple between my thumb and forefinger, rolling it gently. She exhales a shaky breath, enjoying the onslaught of sensations a moment longer before she grants my request.

“We’re forever.” The words are barely a whisper, but she may as well be tattooing them on my heart with the way they make me feel. I’ve never been this happy in my entire life. Waking up next to her is a feeling that, even though I know I have so many amazing days ahead of me, can’t be topped. I’ll never tire of watching her pouty lips part as she snores softly, lost in what I hope are dreams of the future we’re going to build. The house with the big yard. Vacations in the mountains. Christmases in our home with as many babies as she wants to give me. I crave it all so badly that it causes a physical ache in my chest just thinking about it.

“That’s right, baby. You and me, no matter what.” I coast my hands along her body, earning the sweetest whimpers and moans as she squeezes her legs together for relief. Just as I’m about to part them with the back of my hand, a vibration rumbles against the wood of the coffee table. Ignoring it, I continue my descent, but she turns her head, sitting up abruptly.

“Wha—” I start to protest, but she leans forward, lifting my phone.

“It’s a notification from the university’s app. Your grade was updated.”

I sit up, pulling her into my lap. “Open it, Sweets.”

She hesitates, chewing the inside of her cheek nervously. We’ve been waiting over a week for these results, and the more time that went by, the more worried I became that I’d fucked it up. The last thing I want to do is let her down after all the work she put into helping me get through the semester.

“Look at me,” she says, cupping my face and capturing my attention.Fuck, she’s pretty. “Whatever happens, I’m proud of you. Your grandma is, too. I’m sure of it.” I blink back the tears that are threatening to fill my eyes, swallowing thickly. This is another one of those moments—where you feel everything shift. Where you know your life is about to change, and there’s nothing you can do but make the leap, hoping for a soft place to land. She’s that place for me. She has been since the first time I kissed her.

“I love you, Lark,” I whisper, losing the battle as a single tear falls down my cheek. I don’t know if it’s the nerves, the way she spoke for my grandma by saying they were proud of me, or just the magnitude of my confession, but I don’t want to hide the emotions as they flow through me. I want her to see all of it. Taking her hands in mine, I bring them to my chest so she can feel the way my heart beats wildly for her. “If I’ve learned anything in my life, it’s that you shouldn’t wait to tell someone what they mean to you. You should do it as often and as loudly as possible because you never know what tomorrow holds. I’ve loved you for a while now, and I wasted precious time that we’ll never be able to get back because I thought it was too soon. I was afraid you wouldn’t feel the same. If you’re not there yet, that’s okay. I’ll happily wait forever to hear you say it back if that’s how long it takes. I just couldn’t go another second without telling you that I’m in love with you.”

Anxiety washes over me as I wait for her reply, praying that my admission wasn’t too much. It’ll break me if she doesn’t feelthe same, but I need her to know where I’m at—that I’m all in on us.

Her eyes flutter closed, and she tilts her head to the sky as a smile blooms across her face. Inhaling deeply, she soaks in the moment for a few beats longer before finally returning her gaze to mine. She looks relieved, like the entire world has just been lifted off her shoulders, as she leans in and takes my lips in a soft kiss.

“I love you too. So, so much.” Her chin quivers, tears falling from her eyes as I cradle her cheeks and wipe them away with my thumbs. This is the only way I’ll ever make her cry—by overwhelming her with the love and support she’s deserved all her life. I’ll always be careful with her heart, knowing it’s the greatest gift I’ve ever received.

Suddenly, my test grade doesn’t exist—only Lark does. Lowering her back down to the couch, I fuse my lips to hers, licking at the seam until they go slack. I push my tongue inside, tangling it with hers as I settle between her soft thighs. She exhales a sharp breath as I grind my growing erection against her center, lifting her hips and creating the sweetest friction between us. I don’t stop kissing her, reaching down and pushing her panties to the side as I swipe my middle finger over her swollen clit.

“Fuuuuck,” I curse into her mouth as I press down, feeling her wetness coat my skin while I rub in tight circles. “Always such a good girl, getting wet and ready to take my fat cock.”

“Ace, please, I can’t—” she whines, sucking in a gasp as I sink two fingers into her tight heat. Pumping in and out slowly, I stroke her walls, leaking precum as she loosens enough to take me.

“You want it, baby?” I ask, removing my fingers and sucking them clean before I pull my pants and boxers down my legs. I rip her shirt and panties off, desperation fueling my actions as Ithrow them over the back of the couch. She’s braless, her nipples hardening as soon as they’re exposed to the cool air in the room. My mouth waters at the sight, and I lower down, enjoying the way they feel pressed against the firm muscles of my chest. Her hot, wet slit pulses against my bare shaft, and I have to grit my teeth so I don’t come all over her before I even get inside.

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