I sat on the stoop of the cottage and held the fresh cup of coffee between my hands. I ran to the office to pick up one for Natalia while she slept. I didn’t want to wake her, so I waited here instead and watched the birds fly over the lake.

The lake was peaceful in the morning. We needed this time together. Time before we announced our engagement. Time before Natalia began rehearsals with the troupe. And for me, time before I had to start spring training. It was only a few weeks away.

I took another sip and thought about what was in front of us. I thought about my season and how far I’d come with the Wranglers. We may not have won back-to-back titles, but I had outperformed my rookie statistics. If it hadn’t been for Natalia though, I don’t know if it would have happened.

Maddie had screwed me over. I was convinced that I’d never date another woman during football season because of her. That was until I met Natalia. She was patient with me when no one else would have put up with my shit.

She shared herself so willingly, so easily, that I trusted her. It was the trust I needed to get over the fear that she’d leave. I was terrified she’d walk out like Maddie did. And it was the fear that got in my head—not the woman. It was the fear that distracted me. The fear that kept me off focus. I was a fucking idiot. I had trust issues and didn’t know it. I could have lost the best thing that happened to me because of it.

I heard the door creak and I turned around.

“Good morning.” She smiled. The sheet was draped around her shoulders. Fuck. She was still naked. “Can I join you?”

I scooted to the side. “I got coffee for you.” I handed her the cup as she settled in next to me.

“Thank you.” I watched as she inhaled the steam. “It’s so quiet this morning.”

“The opposite of last night.” I winked.

She whipped around. “Holy shit.”

“What?” I followed her eyes.

“Our windows were open?”

“Yeah. I wanted to hear the lake. I might need to jog back to the office for a refill.”

“The entire time? The windows were open since we got here?”

“So I aired out the place? It was stuffy. There’s not a single person here. And you’re the one sitting outside practically naked.”

“No one except the little old couple in the office.”

I laughed loudly. “Now you’re modest?”

She smacked me on the chest. “Do you think they heard us?”

“Have you tried to have a conversation with them? They both wear hearing aids. I think your double sex life is still safe.” I winked at her.

“It’s not a double life.” She pursed her lips together.

I kissed her on the cheek. She was cute when she was pissed at me. “So, how does the rock feel this morning?”

She extended her hand and her frown was replaced with a beautiful smile. “Unreal.”

“I’ve had that ring for two months, trying to decide when the right time to propose was.”

“Two months?” She studied the rainbows bouncing around the porch.

“I thought it might be at the Super Bowl.” I didn’t want to think about what a punch to the gut our season was. “But I knew that wasn’t the right time, even if we had made it.”

“And how did you know yesterday was it? What if they had rejected me and I was a crying mess? Would you have still done it?”

“That wasn’t going to happen. There was no way they weren’t going to offer you the position. I’ve seen how hard you’ve worked the past few months. You’ve thrown everything into ballet. You were meant for this, Natalia.”

She pressed a sweet kiss to my mouth. “I think I was meant for something else too.”

My eyebrows rose.

“For you. I’m meant for you.”

There was an instant pang between my ribs. I had done a lot of wrong things in my life. I’d made some shitty decisions and paid the price. But I didn’t know what I did to deserve this woman. This woman who could take me to my knees and then send me higher than a fucking kite. This woman who made dirty seem right, and love seem even better.

I had gone down on one knee yesterday, praying like a little kid that she’d say yes. That she’d join me in this crazy life I had. That she’d put up with my bad habits and my insane schedule. That she’d overlook the microscope I lived under as a celebrity. That she’d embrace my culture and realize we’d never live in Paris. That more than anything she would accept how much I loved her and wanted to protect her. I’d never had instincts like this to cherish someone. It felt natural to want to keep her close. I wanted her to be safe and happy, and nothing was more important.

She sighed over my shoulder. “How long do we get to stay this time?” she asked.

“I might have checked with the troupe ahead of time.”

“Oh?”

I nodded. “Sure did. And you have about ten days before they need you in Austin. So what if we spend three or four days here?”

“Are you serious?”

“Sound good?” I already knew the answer before she said anything. Her face was elated.

“It’s the best engagement present ever.”

“It gives us some time before everyone finds out. Before the media circus begins.” I was dreading that part, but it came with the territory of being a professional athlete.

“I thought maybe when everyone found out we were dating the fascination would have been over.”

I shook my head. “Have you seen you?” I eyed the dip at her breasts where the sheet was starting to come undone. “They will never want to stop taking pictures of you. I don’t think they care about me so much anymore.”

She giggled. “Not true. I see how the girls look at you.”

“Jealous?”

She chewed on her bottom lip. “Maybe a little.”

I grabbed the edge of the sheet to test how tightly she was holding. It fell off her shoulders.

“Sam,” she warned me.

I licked my lips. I wasn’t going to stop there. Natalia was mine. My fiancée. My love. My life. And soon she would be my wife. I had to make the most of this honeymoon preview.

“If you don’t want that little couple to see what I do to make those sounds come from your gorgeous lips, you better get inside.”

“You wouldn’t.” She looked incredulous.

“Wouldn’t I?” I winked.

She scampered up the stairs, gathering the sheet around her waist, and ran inside with laughter. I dropped my coffee and pounced after her.

Natalia had taught me something the first night we met and it was a lesson I wouldn’t forget. No matter what—never let her get away.

* * *