Page 70 of Meet Me in the Penalty Box

“I never once told you anything differently. That’s who I am, love. And where you’re concerned, I will always be protective and overly opinionated.”

She stared up at me as she hooked her legs around my lower back, pulling me flush against her. “You’re so unapologetically you and I love it.”

My face dipped down to hers. “Yeah, well, I love you.”

“Not as much as I love you,” she argued back with a smirk pulling on her lips.

“I beg to differ,” I chuckled before claiming her mouth with mine. I breathed her in, my tongue sliding along the seam of her lips. She parted them and let me in as our tongues tangled together. She was the only thing that mattered to me and I would spend the rest of my life showing her that. No matter what came our way, we would always find a way to make it work.

Abruptly, I pulled away from her. “Does this mean you’re going to move in with me now?”

Harper laughed and shook her head. “Nope.”

“Dammit,” I muttered, fighting the playful smirk that pulled on the corners of my lips. “What are your plans then?”

“I’m going to do my own thing,” she said quietly but her tone was filled with confidence. “'I’m officially starting my own photography business to do what I love. I have enough money saved up and I think I have enough clients to get things started. All I can do is try to build from here and hope it turns into a real career.”

I’d never felt more proud in my entire fucking life. Even the day I was drafted into the NHL didn’t compare to watching Harper blossom and grow.

“I’m so fucking proud of you, love. You are so fucking amazing and I know you will go far with this.”

She tilted her head to the side. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because I believe in you, Harper.”

She fell silent for a moment as she stared back at me. “How would you feel about maybe staying here with me more often? You know… since Giana is going to be staying at your place.”

My lips twitched. “Is this your way of asking me to move in with you without coming out and actually saying it?”

She shrugged and smiled shyly. “I don’t want to ask you to give up your place or anything. I was just thinking that if you were here, we would be able to spend more time together and not have to go back and forth.”

“Only if I can bring Ballsy with me.”

Her eyes widened as she lifted her eyebrows. “You’re kidding.”

I shook my head. “You’re not my only good luck charm. I need both of you in order to succeed.”

“I don’t know where we would put it. Can’t you just go back to your place to see it when you need to?”

I laughed out loud and shook my head. “You don’t understand how it works, do you?”

Harper stared at me. “You do whatever you need to do. If it needs to be here with you, then bring it along. I just thought if we stayed here, then your sister could have your place to herself.”

“You mean, so then I can fuck you on every surface of your apartment without someone walking in on us?”

She half choked, half laughed. “You’re bold.”

“I just know what I want, love,” I said matter-of-factly as my face dipped back down to hers. “And that’s you.”

EPILOGUE

NICO

One year later

As I walked out to the parking lot, I found Harper waiting for me by the VIP entrance. Since she didn’t work for the team as their photographer anymore, she was able to come along to my games with me and watch them from the stands. It was a pretty amazing feeling when I scanned the crowds for her.

There was just something about having her here to watch rather than working her own job that made it have a different feel. It was like a special moment I was able to share with her, even if she wasn’t able to be at the team level anymore like she used to be.

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