Page 63 of Red Zone

“Hey yourself,” she replied, her lips twitching into a small smile. “Congratulations, again. You were… incredible out there.”

The pride in her voice hit me harder than any tackle. “Thanks.” I took a step closer. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Without Lily.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but I couldn’t stop myself. “Come here,” I murmured, pulling her into a hug.

She melted against me, her arms circling my waist, and I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Skye, I know I said it before, but I’m not going anywhere. Not without you and Lily. Nothing else matters.” I cupped her face, tilting her chin so she would look at me. “Not with how I feel about you. About us.”

She didn’t respond with words, but the way her hands gripped my shirt told me enough. I leaned down, brushing my lips against hers, softly at first. The kiss deepened, her fingers tangling in my hair as I pressed her against the wall, the world narrowing to just her. My hands slid down to her waist, pulling her closer, and when she whispered my name, it was my undoing. We broke apart only when we were breathless, and I rested my forehead against hers.

“Okay, no more doubts. I’m fully in this with you.” Her smile was blinding as she rested her hand over my heart.

“I promise I’ll be here for you, Skye.” I meant every word. I knew how lucky I was to have a second chance with her. A chance with Lily. “Every step of the way.”

Her gaze flicked toward the hallway, a mischievous glint lighting her eyes. “You know,” she began softly, her lips curving into a sly smile, “Aunt Eileen has Lily. We have some time.”

It took me a second to catch her meaning, but when I did, heat flared low in my chest. “Yeah?” I murmured, my hand sliding to her hip. “Where exactly were you thinking we should go?”

She nodded toward the training room. “It’s empty.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. Taking her hand, I led her down the quiet corridor, slipping into the dimly lit room, shutting and locking the door behind us. The faint scent of antiseptic lingered in the air, but I couldn’t care less. All I could see, all I could feel, was her.

Skye leaned back against the counter, her hands pulling me closer, her gaze steady and unguarded. “You really meant what you said?” she asked, her voice soft but filled with certainty. “That nothing else matters?”

I stepped closer, framing her face with my hands, my thumbs brushing gently over her cheeks. “Nothing, Skye. Not the NFL,not football, not anything. You and Lily—you’re it for me. My life starts and ends with you two.”

Her lips parted slightly, her eyes searching mine, and I couldn’t hold back. The words that had been burning in my chest for weeks slipped out before I could second-guess myself.

“I love you, Skye. I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember, and I can’t imagine a single day without you and Lily in it. I don’t want to. We’ve talked about you both coming with me wherever I’m drafted, but that’s not enough. I want to give you everything—because you and Lily are my everything.”

Her breath hitched as I reached for her hand, clasping it tightly between mine. “I planned to do this better, to have a ring and make it perfect, but I can’t wait another second to ask you. Marry me, Skye. Be my family. Let me be yours.”

Her eyes shimmered with tears, a soft, radiant smile breaking across her face as she nodded. “Yes. I’ll marry you, Liam.”

Relief and joy crashed over me, leaving me breathless as she tugged me down to her, her lips pressing against mine in a kiss that held nothing but love. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her flush against me, my heart hammering as the moment sank in. She was mine. She had always been mine.

When we broke apart, her fingers traced along my jaw, her voice steady and full of emotion. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life, Liam. You and Lily—you’re everything I could ever want.”

I smiled, brushing my thumb along her cheek. “And you’re everything to me.”

She leaned up, capturing my lips in another kiss, and this time, it was full of promise. A future. A family. Us. Together. Forever.

Skye

Liam’s mouth moved possessively over mine, and I moaned into the kiss, molding myself to his body. He wound an arm around my waist, holding me against him as my knees buckled, the heat from his hands stirring a need I couldn’t resist. With him, it was easy to forget my surroundings. And watching him play today, there was something electric, promising. It had affected me so much that I couldn’t wait to be in his arms.

I buried my fingers in his hair, tilting my head for a better angle to deepen the kiss.

I needed more from him, more than words, more than promises. My hands slid from his hair, down the solid line of his shoulders, and I leaned back in his arms, searching his eyes. Every unspoken feeling between us burned there, and the weight of it left no room for doubt. When his lips brushed mine, soft at first, tentative, I was undone. I melted into him, my heart pounding in sync with his. Falling for him was inevitable, like gravity pulling me closer, holding me captive in the only place I ever wanted to be.

Heat sparked where his fingers trailed along my skin, spreading like wildfire through my body. He angled my head to deepen the kiss, his touch igniting every nerve ending with a breathless intensity. A soft gasp escaped me as I clung to his shirt, my fingers curling into the fabric like it was the only thing tethering me to reality. Letting him go wasn’t an option—maybe it never had been.

Without breaking the kiss, he scooped me into his arms, the motion fluid and effortless. My legs instinctively wrappedaround his waist, and I buried my face in his neck, the faint scent of him overwhelming my senses. He carried me across the room to one of the massage tables, lowering me gently onto the edge. The moment he pulled back, a soft whimper escaped my lips, the absence of his kiss a sharp ache I didn’t know how to endure.

He reached up, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers lingered as they traced the curve of my cheek. His thumb brushed over the pulse fluttering at the base of my throat, and I couldn’t look away from him. His touch, his gaze—it all felt inevitable, like it had been written in the stars long before either of us knew what we meant to each other.

“Skye,” he murmured, his voice low and rough, sending a shiver down my spine.

His thumb trailed over my bottom lip, and I exhaled shakily, nerve endings sparking to life under his touch. Time seemed to stand still. In his eyes, I saw everything—love, desire, certainty, all my emotions mirrored back at me. I didn’t just want him in the moment. I wanted every moment, every day, every lifetime with him.

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