Endurance (Harris Brothers, #2)

by Amy Daws

“No more fake dating. No more bullshit. You’re mine. I’m yours. We walk back in there and we act like it. But this time, it’s not an act.”

“That we don’t need to discuss,” I grumble, my face twisting in disgust as I contemplate how hard it would be to kill every other man who’s ever touched Belle Ryan.

But once you have someone that you don’t want to let go, it makes you wish you never would have taken hold of anyone else.

“Don’t be ridiculous. That boy can’t possibly intend to keep it in his pants for you. He’s a footballer, Belle. He can have any woman he wants. A different girl every night if he’d like, which from the looks of it, he does. If you think you have a chance with this man, you’re dumber than I thought.”

“First, and most important, is how they make you feel about yourself. Are they good to you? Do they accept you for your flaws? See the best in you? The second is how they feel about themselves. Do they take pride in what they do? Do they strive to become more? Do they love themselves? And the third tier is…” She pauses and pushes her glasses up on her nose. Then she pins me to the chaise lounge with her eyes, showing me she’s one hundred percent serious. “Do you inspire each other?”

So when I crack my eyes open to the light of day on the morning of my first match after my suspension and the first thing that crosses my mind is Belle, I know that everything has changed.

Reality being that I love Belle Ryan. I love her more than I’ve ever loved anything in this world.

“You’re my kind of crazy, and I am crazy in love with you!”

“I don’t care what you came from or who you didn’t have to lean on. Lean on me. Love me. Because I fucking love you, Belle. Your free spirit is what draws me to you. Your soul matches mine.”

“I don’t just want to love you, Belle. I want to marry you.” FLASH.

“When you don’t know what to do, you should sit still. I know exactly what I want to do…I want to marry you. Soon. I don’t want to wait. I want to embrace our fucking crazy and do what feels right. Love is an action. You either jump or fall. Jump with me, Belle. Marry me.”

Tanner takes in the screen and then waggles his brows at me. “That one’s a keeper. We could make porn I think.”

But it feels…right. I have no barriers with Tanner anymore. He’s erased every line between us and has embraced all of me…bare…open.

“I want to marry you, Belle, and if you need to hear that in the light of day, then hear this. I would go to the Register Office right now if you gave me the green light.” My eyes fly wide. “You’re crazy!” “Pot, meet kettle,” he retorts.

“I like the idea of having a family with you…down the road. We don’t need a baker’s dozen or anything. But I quite think one or two would be nice.” I think I ovulate on the spot.

“She said yes.” Vi is the first to break the silence. “She did?” Her eyes blink wide with disbelief. “Yes!” I exclaim defensively. “Is that so hard to believe?” “I’d say,” Gareth’s deep voice booms. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing, Belle?”

A glossiness shimmers in his gaze and he frowns, clearing his throat. “What is it?” I ask. He shakes his head. “I proposed to your mother after only two weeks. Seeing your face today is bringing back memories.”

She’s wanting to get married on a beach, just the two of us, which in girl talk means Indie and Cam can come, too.

I gaze into his eyes. “I’m crazy in love with you, Big Spoon.” “I’m crazy in love with you, Little Spoon.”

I stride over to Belle at the table. She’s just finished registering DeWalt, who gives me a polite nod. The prat wasn’t invited to the wedding.

On the night of our wedding, Belle and I got matching tattoos. Mine is scrawling text perfectly entwined in my sleeve that says, “Love her but leave her wild.” Belle had her ink cherry popped with, “Love him but leave him wild.”

Okay, I’ll admit, this idea is ridiculous. But first of all, I would do just about anything for my wife. And second of all, when Belle told me the amount of money we could make with a viral YouTube video, I suddenly became a lot less embarrassed.

She stands on her tiptoes to whisper in my ear, “Is it completely mad that I’m turned on thinking about what you’re wearing under your clothes right now?”

But I see my wife laughing so hard with Indie that she has tears streaming down her face. God, I love seeing her laugh.

Then, we—the four Harris Brothers—lead the pack, proving to everyone that there is absolutely nothing we wouldn’t do for each other. However, what I would do for Belle tops even them. And that is something I never realised was a possibility in my life.