Page 81 of Dump Tackle My Heart
And I can’t stop smiling.
I should be mad.
I should say something snarky.
But instead, I walk up to him, tug him down by the collar of his Henley, and kiss him stupid.
When I pull back, breathless, I murmur, “Just so we’re clear, I will say yes.”
His grin is pure fire. “Good to know.”
CHAPTER 27-TANK
The stars here are different.
Brighter, maybe. Closer.
Or maybe it’s just the way I feel, standing out in my mum’s backyard with Dani beside me, still glowing from Christmas dinner and the way my family fussed over her like she was already one of us.
She’s in this soft green dress that makes her eyes look like moonlit jade.
Her hair’s loose and curling over her shoulders, and I can’t stop staring.
“You okay?” she asks, glancing over at me with a smile.
“I’m great,” I murmur. “Just appreciating the view.”
She chuckles and looks back up.
“I still can’t believe it’s so warm. It’s Christmas, and I’m not freezing my ass off.”
“Yeah, it’s not quite a white Christmas here,” I say. “But I’d say it’s the best one I’ve ever had.”
She hums, content, and I take her hand.
Thread my fingers through hers.
There’s something I need to say.
Been meaning to for days, maybe weeks.
Hell, maybe since the moment I laid eyes on her.
I exhale and turn toward her, heart thumping like I’m about to take the hardest hit of my career.
“You know, there’s something I need to tell you, Dani.”
She turns to face me, one brow lifted, those gorgeous green eyes of hers catching the starlight.
Her expression is curious, open, beautiful.
The kind of look that makes a man forget how to breathe.
“What is it?” she asks, voice soft.
I exhale slowly, trying to find the words. My fingers tighten around hers.
I’ve taken bone-crunching hits from six-foot-five prop forwards and stood my ground in front of crowds big enough to fill stadiums—but right now, I’m shaking like a rookie.
