The words remind me of our first night together, and desire coils low in my belly. Which is so not appropriate when I’m about to introduce the man candy to my mom. Fortunately, Austin takes the lead, giving me a moment to get my ovaries under control.
“Mrs. Carter,” he says, extending his hand to my mom and flashing a thousand-watt smile. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”
“Austin.” She looks him over from head to toe as if assessing him for flaws. Good luck. The man has none that I’ve been able to find. And I’ve explored every inch of his rock-hard body. “I was starting to think you weren’t going to make it.”
“You and me both. The glitter took a little longer to dry than I expected.”
They laugh like old friends, and I look from Austin to my mom. “You knew about this?”
“Of course. Austin called me this morning while you were getting ready.” She reaches over and pats my arm. “Don’t worry, sweetie. I gave him the business for breaking my baby’s heart, but he sounded so contrite, I thought he might deserve one more chance.” She cuts her eyes at him. “But only one. Next time, I won’t be so forgiving.”
Dude, my mom is scary intimidating. Austin must think so too because he just says, “Yes, ma’am.”
“I’ll give you two a minute alone,” she says, backing away. “Just meet me at the car when you’re done.”
Mom retreats up the aisle, and I can’t help but wonder if Austin called her before or after I spilled my guts this morning. It doesn’t matter. I’m done holding on to the past. I want to move forward and focus on the future, a future I hope includes a national title, my dream job, and the cocky QB who’s stolen my heart.
It’s a tall order, but I’m a modern woman and you know what? I’m starting to think I really can have it all.
I lace my arms around Austin’s neck and pull him in close, inhaling the spicy scent of his cologne as he slips his arms around my waist. His hands rest just above my ass, and I’m pretty sure he’s teasing me on purpose, but I don’t mind because I know he’ll make good on his promise later. When he lowers his mouth to mine, the kiss is slow, sultry, and anything but chaste. It’s the kind of slow burn that could incinerate my panties—if I were wearing any—and I know without a doubt I’ve met my match. After all, if we can get through senior year, we can get through anything.
Epilogue
Austin
It’s draft day and I’m nervous as hell. All my life I’ve dreamed of hearing my name called and walking up on that stage to shake hands with the commissioner. I’ve imagined a lot of different teams over the years and a lot of different picks, but it doesn’t matter if I go number one or number ten, it’s a huge honor to be here.
Oh, who am I kidding? My ego totally wants to be drafted first overall. My heart wants to go number three.
My leg’s going a mile a minute under the table and it’s all I can do to keep a smile on my face. I’ve seen enough draft days to know there are cameras everywhere. Appearances and all that. My suit is custom-made, but that doesn’t make it any more comfortable. And my tie is so tight I can’t fucking breathe.
That’d be my luck. I’ll pass out before they even call my name.
Kennedy reaches over and takes my hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. She always looks great but today she’s wearing a sexy ivory dress that showcases her gorgeous legs. It looks like heaven against her sun-kissed skin. The damn thing is the definition of temptation. I kind of want to sling her over my shoulder and find an empty closet. Not a bad idea, actually. I’d much rather pass the time worshipping my woman than sitting here like a caged monkey.
“Almost showtime,” my father says, pride shining in his eyes. “I remember my draft day. Man, every minute felt like an hour.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
My old man snorts. “I don’t want to hear it. In my day we didn’t get to enjoy spring break in Cabo before the draft. You should be plenty relaxed.”
If he only knew. Kennedy and I spent most of the trip naked.
She must be thinking the same thing because there’s a flush in her cheeks. From embarrassment or arousal, I can’t tell. Then her foot finds mine under the table, and I’m certain it’s the latter.
God, I love this woman. The last five months have been incredible and if I have my way, it’s just the beginning. We haven’t talked much about what we’re going to do after graduation in May. There’s too much uncertainty for both of us. I have a decent idea of my top draft prospects, but there wasn’t much point making plans until we know for certain. Kennedy’s had a number of interviews, including a second interview with Gamut last week, but she’s still waiting to hear back.
“Here we go,” Dad says. We all sit up straighter and turn our attention to the screen where the NFL commissioner has taken the stage. I barely hear a word he says before the clock starts running on Cleveland. They’ve got a decent QB, but you never know what might happen in the draft. After weeks of mock drafts and pre-draft visits, I’m as uncertain as ever. This moment is the culmination of my life’s work. All the practices, the bowl games, the championship run. It’s all brought me here, to this moment.
Now it’s up to the football gods to decide where I go next.
My father’s been true to his word, remaining hands-off in the pre-draft maneuvering. In the months since my eligibility expired, I’ve visited
