Consider Me (Playing For Keeps, #1)

by Becka Mack

So, I guess I need to work on changing her mind, give her a reason to trust me, even if it’s slow and takes me all damn year. I’ll be her friend first, and I’ll be good. For Olivia.

“I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. Never, Ollie. I just want you to consider … consider giving me a shot. Consider me. That’s all I want, Ol. A chance with you.”

“Can I keep you?” he asks. “Yes.”

“Don’t get used to it,” Carter mumbles, but— “Hang on.” I lift the tablet off the coffee table, and as I flip through the books in Hank’s audio library, I wonder if I’ve just found my new best friend. “Hank,” I murmur, turning to him. “Oh no,” Carter whispers, eyes flicking to the tablet. “What is it?” Hank asks, head moving between us. Carter swallows. “Olivia just found your smut collection.”

“You’re such an ass,” she mutters as she snuggles into my chest. “Yeah, but I’m your ass.”

“I haven’t been with anyone but you, Ollie. It’s just you for me. Nobody else.” Her hand settles on my cheek. “There’s nobody but you, Carter.”

“You’re enough, Ollie. So enough you leave me overflowing. And I don’t think a good measure of confidence is whether you compare yourself to others. It’s only natural. I think it’s about showing each other what we mean to the other and being confident in what we have together. That’s where that feeling of enough comes from.”

Fucking shit, I’m dead. Gone, deceased, six feet under. What the fucking fuck? Is this the result of her reading smutty books? Because o-fucking-kay, I’ll buy her the whole damn romance section and turn a room into a library for her.

“I see the fire in your eyes and all I wanna do is fuel it. Light me up, set my soul on fire. I’m yours.”

“Carter’s still coming to terms with the fact that he loves someone more than himself and Oreos. Ollie’s struggling to admit to herself that she’s in love with the world’s most arrogant, controlling, annoying man. It would be impossible for anybody to wrap their head around such a mind-blowing scenario.”

“If I had to choose between you and Oreos for the rest of my life, I’d choose you every day, always.” “Such a loaded statement.” His nose trails my jaw. “You know how much I love Oreos.” “I found six boxes in your pantry tonight.”

“Can I ask you something, Ollie? What did you say? To my dad? When you knelt down …” “Thank you.” “Thank you?” “I thanked him for bringing me another family, trusting me with loving them. I thanked him for raising the man I love, and for bringing him to me.” Her hand glides along my jaw. “I thanked him for you, Carter.”

“True love doesn’t wait for anything and it sure as hell doesn’t follow a timeline.” My teeth find my bottom lip and I squash the urge to gnaw on it. “I never thought about marriage before Olivia.” “But you think about it now. With her.” Yeah. I do. All the time. “I can’t imagine my world without her in it.” “That sounds a whole lot like a soon to me, son.” Real soon.

“For making me feel like everything is within my reach if I work hard enough. This is amazing. Everything I dreamed of as a kid. But it’s you who makes my world complete.” He touches his lips to mine. “I love you.”

I can’t ever be done, Ollie, not with you. But I can’t let your pictures get out either. You’ll lose your job, and I won’t let you be exposed that way. I need to keep you safe, and I’ve already failed by letting someone get their hands on your pictures.” “I love my job, Carter, but nothing in this life is worth risking you. I would trade all of it for a happily ever after with you.”

“Carter, son, I know the day we met … well, I know it was probably the worst day of your life. And gosh, how I wish we could’ve met under better circumstances. But, well, meeting you was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I truly believe that Ireland set us on a path to meet, and your dad, too, and I’m grateful every damn day for that. Ireland and I couldn’t have kids, and I may not have met you until I was halfway out the door, but the second you walked into my life I knew you were special. You filled a hole in my heart that nobody else could, and I know for damn sure that my Ireland would’ve loved you, and that your dad is looking down on you today, proud as all hell of the man you’ve become. Olivia … my God. I’m glad I can’t see. I can hear you sobbing, and seeing that would break my old heart.”

“I knew the second I heard the news that Carter asked a lady to dance at a bar that he’d found the one. Knew right away. The two eyes on my face might not work so well, but the third eye right here—” he taps the space between his brows, “—works mighty fine. That boy’s been enthralled with you ever since you walked into his life. I’ve never known a pair more perfectly suited to each other. The way you work so hard to make yourselves better, to be better together, a true team, it’s inspiring. I don’t have to wish you all the happiness in the world, because I know you’ve already found it.” Hank lifts his glass. “To a love that only grows stronger with age and never ends.”