Page 41 of Stopping Short

As much as I’d love to have her by my side, I don’t blame her if she doesn’t want to go. These are her friends and she’s barely seen them over the past four years. While I think she’ll get along with the other wives and girlfriends, I’m sure she’d rather hang out with Sophia, Emma, and Bella.

The other wives and girlfriends.

The thought makes me smile. I want to make her part of that group as soon as possible. I just don’t know how to go from where we are now to changing our relationship to something more.

We’ve both told each other how we feel, yet nothing else has been done. Maybe I just need to take the risk and kiss her.

“Ok. I’d love to hang out here and figure out my job. It will make me feel better knowing what’s expected of me.”

“Sounds good. Do you want to sit in the box with Sophia and Peck, or do you want me to get you seats closer to the field?”

“Oh, she’s sitting with us.” Emma plants her hands on her hips, daring us to argue with her. “The box is so much better than the stadium seating.” She rolls her eyes.

“No, it’s not. I love the stadium seating. I want to be right there in the middle of the action! I hate having to sit in the box.” Sophia sticks her bottom lip out in a pout.

“Yeah, normal women would rather not have to deal with idiot fans and the potential of having beer spilled on them. Plus, having to stand up every time someone wants to get to their seat or leave their seat? No thank you.” Emma shakes her head.

“Whatever. I think it’s more fun.” Sophia shrugs. “We need to get those cookies in the oven if we want them done before the game.”

“Alright. We’re going! See you later, Jackson!” Bella waves as the girls disappear into the kitchen. She peeks her head back out a moment later. “Come back here when you’re done, Harper.”

“Ok.”

As soon as we’re alone, I tug Harper into my arms and rest my hands on her lower back. She instantly threads her fingers through the hair at the nape of my neck and smiles.

“Why does it feel like we were never apart?” She whispers.

“Because even when we weren’t together, we’d think about each other. And lots of phone calls and texts.”

“True.”

“You were always on my mind, baby.”

“You too.”

I glance at her lips before returning my eyes to hers. Her chest rises and falls a little faster as she waits to see what I'm going to do.

“I never could stop thinking about kissing you for the first time,” I murmur.

“Yeah?”

“Nonstop.”

I lean in and press my lips against hers. She doesn’t hesitate even for a second. She moves her lips against mine and when I tilt my head to the side to deepen our kiss, she follows my lead.

She feels perfect in my arms. Like I was made to hold her. Like our lips were made for each other and no one else.

Kissing her is unlike kissing anyone else. It’s like my world just exploded in colors and I’ll never be able to go back to seeing black and white again. It just feels right. Perfect. Like a dream come true.

I pull back and rest my forehead against hers. I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to go to work and play our game, I just want to take her home and cuddle on the couch. Anything to keep her in my arms.

“Wow,” Harper whispers.

“That was pretty amazing,” I chuckle.

“That’s an understatement. Now I don’t want you to leave without me. I think I’d rather be by your side so we can kiss again and again.”

“I don’t want to leave you here either, but you already told them you’re staying. So, I’ll give you one more kiss, then I’ll get out of here so you can hang out with them.”