His throat bobbed. “Are you kidding me?” He pushed his tongue into his cheek, his gaze sweeping over her chest. “Sweets, I’ll do anything you ask me to when you’re looking like this, wearing my jersey. How could I tell you no?”
Tears pressed at the corners of her eyes. “I have one more thing to tell you.” She paused, their lips so close that they brushed when she spoke. “I love you. And I’m sorry for everything. I doubted you when I shouldn’t have. And you’ve done nothing but go above and beyond. You’re Superman, if you haven’t noticed by now.”
He grinned against her, their mouths touching ever so lightly. “So I finally got my nickname.” He nuzzled his nose against hers. “Sweets and Superman. I like the sound of that.”
“Crime-fighting duo that can take over the world,” she confirmed and then finally dove in for a proper kiss. Maxwell grunted softly, his tongue pressing into her mouth like he’d been waiting to do it for too long. They kissed deeply, obscenely, until one of his teammates shouted for them to get a room.
“Jesus, Jill. That was the best kiss I’ve ever had.”
“I’ve got a few more where that came from.”
Maxwell grinned. “This is the best day of my life. I love you too, sweets. There’s nobody else I want to do this with. You hear me?”
Her smile got so big it strained her cheeks. She just enjoyed the view from there, wrapped up in his arms. This wasn’t the life she’d expected, but damn, it was the life she wanted now.
“Loud and clear, Superman.”
Because that’s how she intended to live life moving forward.
Not scared and avoiding pain.
No, with Maxwell, she wanted to live loud and clear.
Epilogue
SIX MONTHS LATER
“Maxwell! Jill! Over here!”
James waved them over across the yard. Between the two of them, they carried the three toddlers through Scooter’s back yard. Coach Scooter was hosting a preseason cookout at his place in order to set the tone for the new season. It was a family-friendly affair, which meant James was helping Maxwell and Jill find the appropriate play area for the kids in the backyard so they could find food and drinks and start enjoying themselves.
“I’m surprised they let you in,” Maxwell teased James as he set down Cameron and Kevin near the jungle gym. Jill let down Shelley, and all three bolted for the sand pit. “Now that you’re no longer a Sharks man.”
“Hey. I still retain all Sharks privileges,” James countered just as Daisy joined them. “With this woman here,” he added, pointing to her as she wrapped her arms around his waist.
“What did I miss?” she asked, looking up at him.
“Maxwell’s throwing your man shade for retiring,” Jill explained with a wry grin. “Per usual.”
“Hey.” James held up his hand, wiggling his fingers, which showcased the enormous gold ring on his fourth finger. The Super Bowl ring each member of the Sharks had earned that February. “I earned it.”
“Oh boy.” Mark appeared next, joining their conversation with Tessa and Angus at his side. He slung his arm around the shoulders of James and Maxwell. “I noticed the Super Bowl ring is out to play again. What’s going on over here?”
“I’m not sure Maxwell will ever stop being salty about losing his bestie from the team,” Jill murmured.
Maxwell laughed, pressing a kiss to Jill’s cheek. “Whose side are you on? Mine or theirs?”
“You know it’s yours, Superman,” she whispered before pressing up onto her toes and kissing him square on the mouth.
Daisy asked how their vacation to California had gone earlier in the summer, and Jill shared just how fun and chaotic the beach trip had been. The friends continued chatting as Maxwell looked around at the party. James’s daughter Emma had joined the triplets and Angus at the jungle gym, overseeing them like a protective big sister while they all played. The sun shone brightly, a hot July day in Savannah, but he barely noticed the humidity with how right everything felt in his life.
He had Jill. He had the kids. He had a damn Super Bowl ring.
What else could he want?
“Mark, go get the champagne,” Tessa said, jostling Maxwell out of his thoughts.
“What now?” Maxwell asked.
“They want to share some news,” Jill said, wrapping her arm around Maxwell’s waist. She wore the same SMITH jersey that she had the day they won the last playoff game. Whenever that jersey came out to play, he fell a little more in love with her. It was so much more than wearing his name or showing off the beautiful bronzed tops of her breasts. It represented a commitment. A promise. A blindfolded leap into a new chapter of their lives that scared the shit out of both of them for different reasons.
But it was a leap they’d both chosen. No, insisted on.
“We should share some news,” Maxwell said before brushing a kiss to her lips.
Jill chuckled. “What news?”
“Ummm…how about every time you wear this jersey I need to back you into the nearest corner and have my way with you?”
“That ain’t news, honey,” Jill said with a grin before delivering another kiss. “Why do you think I bust this shirt out so often?”
“Fine. How about…” He wracked his brain for an acceptable newsworthy item to share while Mark was retrieving the champagne flutes. “We tell them you’ve sold your condo and have officially moved in?”
Jill’s brow lifted. “Do you want that to be news?”
“I do.” Maxwell brushed a kiss against her lips. “I’m sick of you keeping your shit over there when you spend every night at my place anyway.”
“Hmm.” Her eyes brimmed with happiness. “Well, maybe we should call up the realtor again then.” Jill had recently closed on Wayne and Carmen’s house, putting all the proceeds into a trust fund for the triplets.
“We can do that. Together.”
They kissed again, breaking apart just as Mark and Tessa returned with handfuls of champagne flutes. Maxwell noticed that Tessa’s looked different as she passed them out, but he said nothing. Mark wrapped his arm around Tessa, beaming.
“Well, here’s the big news, folks. Angus is going to be a big brother before we head to the Super Bowl next year.”
Everyone cheered, glasses clinking as they celebrated.
“I thought you weren’t drinking alcohol last time we went out for dinner!” Jill shouted. “I knew it!”
Tessa laughed into her palm. “We wanted to wait to be sure before we announced. But I’m almost out of the first trimester.”
More whoops and hollers followed, the men clapping Mark on the back. Maxwell downed his champagne and set his glass aside on a nearby patio table.
“Are you guys planning any more?” James asked, nodding toward Maxwell and Jill.
“I think three is technically enough,” Jill answered.
“But you never know,” Maxwell added.
She smiled up at him, swatting at his chest. “Do you have plans I don’t know about?”
He leaned close so that he could whisper into her ear. “All bets are off when you wear my jersey.”