Between Commitment and Betrayal (Hardy Billionaire Brothers, #1)(112)

I noticed that she didn’t even look over at Dom, didn’t say hi, and almost acted like he didn’t exist.

“I’m not doing that.” I wrinkled my nose but rubbed my belly, not able to avoid her infectious joy about the baby. “Our kid is going to be so spoiled.”

Dom hovered over the table of food and said, “Damn right. That’s next gen right there. Did you eat anything today? Make sure you’re not eating any of this deli meat. Why is it even in here? Don’t they know—”

“Oh, it’s for everyone else,” I cut him off, my eyes darting to Clara who wide-eyed me and then spun around to walk over to the window of the skybox like she wanted to disappear. “Have you tried the macaroons? They’re amazing.”

I saw how Dom’s gaze drifted over to Clara as he said softly but firmly, “I don’t indulge in desserts when I can have a real meal, Evie.”

I saw how Clara whipped her head around to glare at him, how their gazes met, and the tension crackled through the room. It was a tension I’d started to think they needed to work out. “Well, there’s tons of great food here. I’ll leave you both to it for a few while I go appease my husband.”

I didn’t wait for either of them to object. I beelined it out of there and made my way down to the field.

Unfortunately, Wes was the one to meet me by the fifty-yard line after security waved me through. “So, Evie, you couldn’t wear the jersey I gave you?” He sneered at me because the man was trying to rile Declan. And he knew exactly how to do it. “Where is it?”

“I fucked her out of it the night you gave it to her, and now it’s in the trash where it belongs,” Declan growled as he walked up and shoved Wes before pulling himself into the stands and then he hauled me in close. “Should I kill him out there today for you?”

“Not for me.” I stared up at him, trying my best not to melt into a puddle as the world around us melted away. His hair curled at the tips from sweat; his face was already dirty, like he’d been rolling around in the damn mud down in the field, and still he smelled like the ocean and my man mixed together. “You’re about to push each other around for three hours just to stroke your own egos.”

“I’m doing this for all the kids!” He tilted his head toward the skyboxes that I knew were filled with them.

“Mm-hmm,” I hummed.

“Well that and I want my kid to remember that his daddy still can take down anyone who disrespected his mom.”

“Wes isn’t worth it,” I pointed out, glancing behind Declan to see that Wes had walked off but now there were cameras around us everywhere. Security was forming too, making sure no one bothered us.

“He’s not, but you are.” He rubbed his hand over my belly softly. Slowly. Taking his time like he the world could wait for this game to start. “Our baby is.”

I was just a few months away from delivering our little boy and Declan seemed to think everything was worth it when it came to him. He got the best crib, the best car seat, the best sneakers. Declan even had a whole team come in to childproof electrical outlets and the fencing around the pool. Then, he’d panicked and asked me if I wanted to move because he wasn’t sure this was our home and if I wanted to move back to my hometown.

Yet, HEAT Health and Fitness was where I could still spar with anyone who would take on a pregnant woman. Spoiler alert: no one did because Declan literally followed me around everywhere.

I needed a spot, he was there.

I needed to do squats, he was behind me saying in a low voice, “Good girl. Perfect form, baby. One more for me.” It was foreplay that led to way too much workplace sex.

I needed a sparring partner, he stood in the ring and laughed his ass off saying, “No way in hell I’m coming at you while you’re carrying our child. You can lay me out all you like.” And I did.

Declan Hardy wasn’t simply going to be the perfect husband for me, he was the perfect family man, and was going to be the perfect father.

Even when he was over-the-top.

“You’re making a scene, Declan,” I whispered to him as he leaned down, his eyes locked on my lips.

“That’s the point. The world needs to remember why I’m here in the first place.” He turned to the cameras. “Can you believe I’m doing this for my girl? I thought retirement looked good on me, but she’d rather have me on the field making sure I’m showing these kids how to play ball.”

The man had every publicist and photographer laughing and screaming at him. They all knew this game was making the kids’ schools millions, and it wasn’t only about playing football, but they ate it up. Then, they were telling us to kiss and asking if Declan was going to ruin Wes on the field today. “Is that why you’re playing defense rather than offense? You only did that in college,” one of them shouted.

Declan smiled big enough that his dimples showed before he kissed me senseless and told me to go back up to the skybox, that he’d gotten the good luck kiss he needed.

When I got back to our suite, the game had begun, and I winced at the sound of men flying into each other at catastrophic speeds.

Declan tackled Wes within the first couple of plays.

One tackle. He pointed to me and mouthed, “For my love.”

Another tackle. He held up his hand and pointed to the black string he still wore on his wrist and mouthed, “For my wife.”