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“Not so fast. He’s paid up until the end of spring semester. Just two three-hour sessions a week.”
“What the hell, Harper?” Exiting the car, I take her with me and let her down on her feet. I give myself a few seconds to chill and form the right words. Scanning her delicate face and hurt expression, I’m pissed at myself for ruining her gift. “It’s a nice thought, generous, really, but I can’t accept it. Too much.”
“It’s not, I assure you. I’m good with money, remember? I’m a wealthy woman already because of my penny-pinching Nana. And besides, if you’re so adamant about it, you can pay me back when you win your first big fight. Until then, you accept this as a birthday present.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
Palming my jaw, she pulls my face towards her. “Lance, listen, you just sweetened this surprise for me by telling me how you feel about boxing. You want this, a lot more than you think you do. It’s so easy to see. You need this. You deserve this. You owe it to yourself and your talent.”
“All you’ve seen me do is hit a bag.”
“I just have a gut feeling, and it’s a good gut. I know you will excel at this.”
“Harper, I can’t juggle ball, school, and boxing. Again, I appreciate it, but it’s too much.”
“No, it’s not.” Cold wind gusts through the parking lot, and Harper shivers, her eyes darting between mine.
&nb
sp; “I don’t want to add any more pressure to your plate, but what if…”
She trails off as I free a piece of hair from her lip gloss, my eyes intent on hers. “What if what?”
“What if football is your pastime?”
“You think the season’s going that bad, huh?” I joke, but she’s serious. More serious than I’ve ever seen her.
“I’m not wrong. You are good at this. You’ll be an exceptional boxer with the right trainer. And this guy, Tony, could be the right one. I’ve talked it over with him and he’s willing to work around your ball schedule. I’ll be with you the whole time. I’ll take you to and from, and we’ll do this thing, together.”
“You’ll get bored.”
“I won’t. I’ll love it. Every minute of it, because you’ll shine in that ring. I’ll know inside you’re excited, even with your resting bastard face, like I know you are now.”
I shake my head staring at the building behind her, adrenaline already pumping. She’s right. I want this.
“Lance, look at me.”
I do. I stare down at her as she gazes up at me, and the wind shifts, lifting blonde strands from her shoulders.
“Who cares how you got the opportunity if you’ve worked for it. Pride aside, just freaking take it. Please, take it.”
I cover my mouth with my hand and run it down my jaw, and she pulls it away, commanding my eyes.
“What if this moment, right here, is the moment that changes your life?”
I feel those words down to my core, penetrating further inside than any woman has ever gotten. It’s then I know I’m in deep with her. The way she looks at me, it’s trust, it’s belief, and if I’m honest, it’s more expectation. But I want it, and I want it from her.
Eyes dancing, she knows she’s gotten to me and that I’m on the edge of yes. “Damn it, woman, you’re so…”
“I’m so what?” She asks, a smile lighting up her face.
“Incredible,” I whisper, pulling her to me, before gently taking her lips. “Infuriating,” I murmur as she grips my shirt in her hands while I inhale her neck, “and I can’t wait to hear you calling my name tonight. All. Fucking. Night. Long.”
“Well, I have a cake for you, but that sounds a lot better, for me.”
“We’ll get to that cake.” I wink. “We’ll work it in.”
“Freak.”
