understand? You are it for me. You are my end.”
Tears blurred her eyes and streaked down her cheeks. “And you…you are my new beginning. I love you. I love you so much.”
And I kissed her.
Kissed her mad while activity moved around us.
A wet nose nuzzled my arm, and I pulled back just enough to gather up Gigi so I could hold her in the middle of us.
Tessa giggled through her tears.
“Forever,” I whispered at her lips.
“Forever,” she whispered back.
I was her beginning and she was my end.
A circle.
Endless.
And it was time for us to begin.
FOLLOW A.L. JACKSON
A.L. Jackson Newsletter: https://geni.us/BookBeautiesOP
A.L. Jackson Reader Hangout on Facebook: https://geni.us/AmysAngelsOP-
Text “aljackson” to 33222 to receive new release alerts only
Instagram: @aljacksonauthor
KICK OFF
* * *
The Harris Family Beginnings
AMY DAWS
VAUGHN HARRIS
ONE MORE STEP would mean certain death, I think as I stare at the striking woman sitting in a dingy East London pub. She’s a diamond in the rough of the strange assortment of people from all walks of life in here. My teammates and I usually try to find a local pub like this whenever we’re traveling for matches so we can drink without any fans disturbing us.
But right now, it’s not the football fans bothering me.
It’s this woman.
I’ve been watching her for the better part of three hours, and every time I consider approaching, I psych myself out. Which is ridiculous, because I’m a professional footballer—I’ve played in the most intense matches, against world-class athletes. On top of that, I’ve slept with countless women while traveling the world, and while they sweeten the night, they never linger in my thoughts.
But as I stare at this woman across this particular pub, the feeling building in my chest is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.
Certain death.
However, I’m quite certain that my internal debate will be halting soon, because ten minutes ago, some drunken arsehole slithered his way up to her, and I’ve had a death grip on my pint glass ever since.
The woman doesn’t look happy. But she doesn’t look like she needs saving, either…which only makes her more gorgeous. She’s tall with an elegant body that looks like it was made for dancing. However, her stance is strong and athletic. I imagine she can hold her own with some drunken arsehole.
Christ, she’s beautiful.
“Have you found your next conquest, Harris?” my teammate, Arthur, drunkenly croaks while ruffling my dark hair and slopping beer on the floor in front of us. His half-hooded eyes are glazed over as he stares at the blonde. “She looks like a rough tart in need of a hard shag.”
“Shut up, you,” I bark, and shove him into the rest of my teammates who are drinking behind us.
They look at me with confusion as Arthur straightens and licks the spilled beer off his hand. “Oi, no need to get your knickers in a twist. I’m just taking the piss.”
My nostrils flare. “You could be talking about my future wife.” I turn away from him and glance back at the blonde, my eyes narrowing with intensity when I see that same drunken idiot has now wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she does not look pleased.
The woman and I make eye contact for the hundredth time, and I decide then and there that death or not, I can’t stay away a moment longer.
I barrel across the pub, ignoring the cackling of my teammates behind me as I watch the man attempt to whisper in the woman’s ear. She folds in on herself and tries to politely pull out of his embrace. Her uncomfortable demeanour causes my blood pressure to skyrocket while the drum of my heartbeat echoes in my ears. This twat must be a complete imbecile, because he doesn’t take the hint.
I briefly consider how bad it could be for a professional footballer to assault a pub patron. Surely, that will end with me paying this arsehole a lot of money. But when I see his hand dip lower on her hip…I don’t give a fucking toss.
When I reach him, I clamp down on his shoulder, and when he turns to look at me, he jolts as if I’ve struck him, and his face contorts into pure agony. I glance down to see the woman’s knee has landed smartly in the arsehole’s crown jewels. I try to yank the man away from her, but before I can, he crumples to the filthy pub floor and begins to howl like an injured animal.
I swallow hard, barely stopping myself from cupping my own balls