Page 72 of The Hard Hitter

“What?”

He cocks his head playfully. “I’m not sure how I feel about you accepting my apology so readily.”

“Really?” I ask, confused, but I know he’s up to something by the mischievous grin on his face.

“You see, I came here ready to tie you to the bed and grovel until you forgave me.”

“Maybe there’s still a part of me that’s angry,” I tease.

He scoops me up and carries me to my room. Once inside, her sets me down and runs his knuckles over my cheek. “I love you, Sam.”

“Never have I ever loved anyone the way I love you, Zander.”

He presses his forehead to mine and blinks rapidly. His breath is coming a bit faster now. “Will you marry me, Sam? Will you be my wife, and Daisy’s stepmother?”

“No,” I say quickly.

His head jerks back, worry backlighting his gorgeous blue eyes. “No?”

“I don’t want to be Daisy’s stepmother.”

“I…I’m sorry. Yeah, maybe that was pushing it. I guess, ah…you’re not ready for that. You don’t want a ready-made family. I think…I—”

“Zander,” I say, and press my finger to his lips to quiet him. “I want to be your wife, and I want to be Daisy’s mother, not her stepmother. I want us to be a real family. I want to legally adopt her.”

He takes a shuttering breath, water pooling in his eyes. No longer able to hold back my own tears, I let them fall freely, and they slide down my cheeks and wet my T-shirt.

Zander sniffs and wipes at his face. “You’re killing me here, Sam.”

Laughing, I wrap my arms around him and kiss him deeply. “Now, what was this you were saying about tying me up?”

He picks me up, and I wrap my legs around him as he carries me to the bed. As he falls over me, kisses me with all the love and passion inside him—all the trust—it dawns on me that we didn’t get what we once had back…but what we have here now is so much better.

Afterword

Thank You!

* * *

Thank you so much for reading The Hard Hitter, book four in my Players on Ice series. I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I loved writing it. Please read on for an excerpt of His Obsession Next Door. Stay turned for more Players on Ice.

* * *

Interested in leaving a review? Please do! Reviews help readers connect with books that work for them. I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative.

* * *

Happy Reading,

Cathryn

22

His Obsession Next Door

“What’s gotten into the puppies tonight?” Veterinarian Gemma Matthews asked her assistant as she finished securing the last howling pooch into its kennel.

Victoria gave a mock shiver and shot a ne

---