The Revenge Pact (Kings of Football #1) - Ilsa Madden-Mills Page 0,107

her name as I shout my release to the universe.

Much later, we end up on the floor in front of the crackling fireplace with a quilt underneath us and a fur blanket on top of us. She lies facing me, we can’t stop staring, and my arm is around her waist, my leg tucked in between hers. She runs her hands over my face, humming as she traces my eyebrows, the lines of my jaw, my lips. I nip at her with my teeth and she giggles.

“I wasn’t bullshitting about sex meaning more when you care about someone. It’s never been like that for me,” I say quietly.

Color rushes up her face. “Same. Pent-up feelings finally released after a year?”

“Mhmm.” After a lingering kiss, I ease up to sitting, grab a pair of underwear, and slide them on.

She arches a brow. “We’re done?”

I laugh. “Baby girl, hold your horses. This revenge hottie isn’t going far.”

She throws a pillow at me and I dodge it, then grab it and throw it back. It pops her in the face. She huffs as she gets up, wraps the blanket around her, and makes a dash for me. She collides into my chest, and I stumble and sail back, hitting the bed with her on top of me. We dissolve into laughter.

“I tackled the football player!” She fist-pumps the air.

I flip her over and tickle her until she’s gasping and squirming. “Stop…please… I’m sorry…”

I laugh and lean back. “Okay. Pause for a sec.”

“Okay,” she says sweetly—and then throws a pillow at my back. I whip around and give her a look.

“You’ll pay for that.”

She rolls her eyes.

I dig through my suitcase and pull out what I need.

I plop back down on the bed and set the package in front of her with light hands, but inside, nerves fly…

She bites her bottom lip. “This is wrapped in Christmas paper. River… I didn’t know we were doing gifts. I didn’t have time to get you anything…”

“Nah, it’s not about that. I’ve had part of this for a while anyway.” I nudge it toward her. “We won’t see each other for a while and…” it’s killing me “…I wanted you to have something you could look at over the holidays.”

She gives me a lingering look, then opens the rectangular box with careful hands, slowly pulling back the silver string around it. She pulls out the book and flips it over to read the title. “River, oh my gosh…The Outsiders…in hardback, too, and signed to me.” Her eyes glitter with emotion.

I lie down next to her. “Mhmm. I figured since you gave me yours, and I kind of wore it out and wrote in it, I’d order you a new one off the author’s website.”

“You’ve had this?” She clutches it to her chest, her smile huge.

“After I finished the book, I started looking for a new copy for you.” I pause. “There’s something inside.”

She opens it and a piece of paper flutters onto the bed. Dipping her head, she picks it up and scans it, her lashes fluttering against her cheeks. “You wrote a note?”

“Mhmm. I typed it. Can’t write worth a damn.”

She rolls over to me and fits herself to me, snuggling her back to my chest. My arm goes around her as she reads it.

I know exactly what it says.

I called Lila while Anastasia was in class on Friday, then went to her apartment to see the original note I dictated to Donovan. Lila knew exactly where it was, in her nightstand, and I took a picture of it then went home to get to work. I sat at my desk for two hours, checking my spelling over and over, before she came over to help me pack.

* * *

‘You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.’

Let me introduce myself. I’m River. I’m your current boyfriend. Cross my heart and hope to die—not really, but you know what I mean.

There are three things about you that caught my attention:

First, you’re smart, too smart for me, but for some reason, you don’t care.

Two, if you had wings, they’d be the colors of the rainbow.

Three, you touch me, and I have peace. You’re a River-whisperer. Dad told me to take care of Mom, be a good brother to Rae, and wait for Anastasia. He somehow knew you were mine.

Where are you from?

Apparently, everywhere. Do you know how cool I think you are? Growing up moving around must have been hard, but it created a