The Keeper (Playing to Win, #1)

by Bella Matthews

Somewhere along the way, she became my girl. Not that I said it. Not that she knew it. But she fucking felt like it.

He presses his lips to my forehead, and I’m pretty sure I melt into a puddle of goo, right here on the thousand-count Egyptian cotton sheets on the massive hotel bed.

🫠 forehead kisses!

“Wanna tell me why I have a wedding ring on my finger, Easton Hayes?” “Pretty sure because you’re my wife, Madeline Hayes.”

“See you soon, wife.”

him calling her wife is so 🥰

Madeline Kingston is my wife. And I don’t care what anyone else in this family thinks about that.

“It’s always been her, Becks.”

That’s when I notice her platinum wedding rings shining bright enough to blind me. She’s wearing them. Ho-ly shit. She’s wearing them.

i love that he's so excited about her wearing her rings

“Thank you.” She lifts up and kisses my cheek. “I’ll see you at home.” Jace growls, and I smile like I’m king of the fucking world. She’s wearing my rings, and she’ll see me at home.

he's so fucking gone for her 😭

“It’s always been you. The answer to all those questions is you, Madeline Kingston. It was you when we were too young for me to admit it was you. It was still you when I wasn’t a good enough man for it to be you.

“Fine. I want him. I’ve always wanted him. But not like this.” “Then how do you want it, princess?”

the way i squealed with all of them 🤣

“You’ve been mine since the day I chose your life over mine, baby. All mine. Always mine. Even if you didn’t know it yet.”

“I love you, Madeline Kingston,” he whispers, a quiet prayer from his lips. “You’re not allowed to die until we’re old and gray and lying in bed together. And then you have to wait until I’ve been dead for at least ten minutes, so I never need to know a world without you in it.”

“I promise to love you until we’re old and gray and surrounded by grandbabies who love to skate,”

“I’m so fucking tired of acting like I’m just your friend, princess.”

“Tired of acting like you’re not my girl.”

“Like I don’t want you. Like I haven’t always fucking wanted you.”

“Tell me you feel this too. Tell me it’s not one-sided and I didn’t just make a fool out of myself.”

“It’s you. It’s always been you, and it’s going to always be you. I have loved you . . . God, I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember. I want to be old and gray and sitting on our porch one day a million years from now, surrounded by all our grandchildren who love to skate.”

“Damn, you’re one sexy man, Easton Hayes. You’ve got this whole insanely hot balance of growly dominance and supportive strength going on, and I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen anything more seductive in my life.”

i 1000% agree

“Did I ever tell you that night, after the cops left and we were all at Hudson and Maddie’s house . . . you and me and Easton were in the family room, while your mom was in the kitchen with the others. The doctor had given you a sedative, and you fell asleep on the couch. Your head was leaning against Easton’s chest. And I swear, I don’t think he even took a deep breath because he didn’t want to wake you up. We were down there for fucking hours, and he wouldn’t let anybody move you. When Ashlyn wanted to put you to bed, I stood up to pick you up, but he wouldn’t let you go and carried you to one of the bedrooms himself. He was nineteen, Lindy, and I think we all knew then that nothing would ever be the same between you two.”