Hail Mary (Red Zone Rivals, #4)

by Kandi Steiner

It was an abyss created by a girl years ago, an endless hole left in the very center of who I was after the one and only person I’d ever felt a genuine connection to in my life ghosted me. And I didn’t even know her name.

I used to think I loved him. But that was before I hated him.

“Yeah, no, thanks. I don’t want to know the smutty book scenes that couch has been used to reenact.”

But something soft about me that I wouldn’t admit to anyone other than my mother was that I needed to feel a connection to a woman before I wanted to fuck her.

One day, I’d wake up and not even think of her at all. One day, I’d meet someone new, someone who made me feel the way she did, but stronger.

Until then, I had football. That was all I needed.

“Where are you off to?” I asked. “I’m sorry, are you my daddy now?” “In every single one of my dreams.”

I wasn’t just doing a tattoo that had been done a hundred times on a hundred different people. I was leaving a piece of me, of my art, on someone else.

“As long as it’s okay with you, Daddy.” Kyle and Braden exchanged looks, and Leo grinned. “I’ll allow it, since you’ve been such a good girl.”

As I rinsed my mug and set it in the top rack of the dishwasher, I heard Kyle say, “Maybe we should call her daddy.”

“You can either wear this sweater or I’ll use it to tie you down and warm you up with my body heat, instead.”

I turned just in time for him to open a huge jacket and wrap it around me from behind. Not just a jacket. His letterman. I froze when the weighted fabric cloaked me, my heart pounding in my ears.

“What are you doing?” I thought I heard myself ask. I glanced up at Leo, who only shrugged and tucked the jacket tighter around me. “Making dreams come true.”

I tried to smile, tried to assure her with one look that everything was going to be fine. But inside, all I could think was that I was completely fucked. Because within the week, that girl would be in my bed.

And when I took her hand in mine, the piece of me I’d been missing for years quietly snapped into place.

I hope you realize what you’ve done, because now I want you to mark every last inch of my skin.”

She laughed at that, pulling out of my grip and walking back to her station to start cleaning up. “Tattoos are addicting.”

It was her who was the addiction.

I pressed a hand to where my heart thumped loudly under my rib cage, waiting for good sense to find me and give me some reason why I couldn’t have Leo, why I shouldn’t let him have me.

all I could think about was the past couple of months, about late nights with him and the guys, video games and parties, him cooking for me, the candles, the rooftop, the jacket, last night at the bar, today at the tattoo shop.

He’d offered me a place to stay when I had nowhere to go. He’d given up his bed for me without thinking twice.

“You have consumed me for months,” Leo breathed against my neck, maneuvering my head so he could kiss along the column of my throat before working his way back to my mouth. “Por años.” A bruising kiss punctuated that anguished confession before he pressed his forehead to mine, our breaths hot and frantic between us. “I couldn’t sleep one more night without making you mine.”

“If you think I’m going to fuck you without worshipping this perfect fucking body first, you don’t know me at all.”

“I’ve played by your rules all summer,” he growled. “Tonight — you play by mine.”

“Te ves tan bonita en mi cama,”

“You look so fucking pretty in my bed.”

“You don’t own me,” I said, trying to scoff even as I writhed beneath him. “Oh, but I do, cariño,” he said, and his eyes stayed locked on mine as he swept his tongue up the length of me. “And you own me, too.”

I’d seen the outline of him through his sweatpants and shorts around the house. I knew he was packing, but I thought it was in the normal way, in the that’s a nice dick kind of way.

I was not expecting a fucking anaconda under those pants.

And I kissed the back of her neck knowing I was ruined for anyone else.

“See?! I haven’t read more than a page since I finished that Elsie Silver cowboy romance two weeks ago.” She pouted. “I’m ruined.”

“Jesus, Giana. You really do read too much smut.”

“You are the most beautiful, the most entrancing woman I have ever laid eyes on. And you’re witty, and smart, and talented, and creative, and brave.”

“I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m so, so fucking sorry. But I’m here. And I want you, Mary, you. All of you. Exclusive. No bullshit, no wondering what’s next, no games.” I looked at her again. “I’ve never felt anything for anyone else but you — even when I didn’t know it was you all along. You’re fucking it for me.”

“This is the real thing, Stig. You and me, right here, right now. I want it. I want us.”

Leo: Only had to run ten laps. Proceeded to have the best practice of my life afterward. Me: Hmm… sounds like I should be part of your training program. Leo: Deep in you, and then deep in the end zone? I like the sound of that.

I was proud of that octopus, of my first big piece on human skin. I loved even more that it was on Leo.

“If fate is what brought you to me, I’m not only a believer — I’m a worshiper.”

“I don’t think my story will be as light as yours.” “So, let me sit in the darkness with you.”

Just before the ball was snapped, I looked back up to Mary in the stands. She had my number on her chest. And my heart in her hands.

“Wait, what the fuck?” someone said. “Why is our running back jetting down the field without the ball?” “Fuck, O-line is crumbling. He’s going to get sacked!” “Wait!” “Oh shit, it’s a Hail Mary!”

“You can take anything out on me because you know what? I can handle it. I can take it. I can go to war for you, or with you, if it’s what you need.”

“That’s all I need. Stay, and I promise, no matter what happens, I’ll make it right.”

“I love you,” she said. My chest squeezed, heart throbbing inside it. “Fuck, I love to hear that.” “I love you,”

“Te amo, cariño,”

“Mi amor, mi cariño, mi cielo,” I whispered against her neck between soft kisses. “I love you.” “I love you,” she whispered back.

I promised to do everything in my power to always make her stay, even when things got rough.

Mary Silver was finally mine. It was the sweetest win of my life.

I had everything I’d ever wanted. All because I begged my parents to buy me Halo.