Challenge (43 page)
“What are you doing?” she asked, staring up at me as I closed the space between us and cupped her face in my hands.
“Kissing my best goal on the lips.”
“I think you mean best girl, you show-boating footballer—”
I pressed my lips to hers.
Scoring my first goal as a Gunner felt like a million pounds.
Realising I love Indie Porter…felt like a billion.
T
HE DELICIOUS SCENT OF COFFEE
invades my sleep, rousing me in the way only a fresh cup can. I crack my eyes open and see a very sexy hand holding a very cute mug in my face. I smile and sit up.
“What’s this?” I ask, taking the pink mug from Camden and eyeing the thick black text on the side that says:
These Glasses Make Me Look Sexy
.
He sits down beside my legs as I lean back against the headboard. Waking up with Camden still gives me butterflies. Seeing him almost every day still makes me smile. Snuggling him in bed doesn’t make me uncomfortable anymore. It makes me happy.
The more time I spend with him, the more comfortable I become with this whole lack-of-space business. Any time I feel myself pulling away, Camden has an uncanny way of turning things dirty and making me forget all about that separation I thought I needed.
Cuddling isn’t so bad when you just let yourself enjoy it instead of mentally freaking out over the after effects. And since I no longer care about my Penis List plan, I’ve realised that Cam gives me all the Tequila Sunrise life experiences I could ever want.
We’ve even got his little
ritual
down for the mornings he has to go to practise or matches. Apparently it was a solo job before I came along, but Cam says making me a part of his visualisation technique is sure to make him the best striker Arsenal has ever seen. I don’t mind, even if he does like to shout “Goal!” after he comes.
God, he really is a pig.
I smirk around a sip of the coffee he brought me and eye him appreciatively propped on the edge of the bed. He’s dressed in a soft white cotton T-shirt that he seems to have an endless supply of and a pair of jersey shorts that reveal his muscular thighs.
“Didn’t like me using the standard black coffee mug anymore?” I ask.
“I thought it was time you had your own,” he exhales heavily. “We’ve been together for three months now, you know.”
“Three months? When did you start counting?”
“You were mine the day of my injury, Specs. You just didn’t know it yet.” He leans over and kisses my forehead, sliding his fingers through my hair as he drops more kisses all the way down to my neck. “You look good with my coffee in your hand.”
I frown. “You’re so weird about coffee. The first time I came here and your sister gave me some, I thought your head was going to explode.”
He squints at me thoughtfully for a moment before standing up and striding over to his dresser. When he returns, he’s holding an intricately carved keepsake box. He opens it up and sifts through several sheets of loose leaf paper until he finds the one he wants.
Holding it out to me with a nervous twinge in his eyes, he murmurs, “It’s a poem my mum wrote.” My eyes fall to the paper scribed with carefully written words by a woman he knew very little before she died. “Read it,” he instructs.
Your Favourite Girl’s Cuppa
When you handed me that cup,
you handed me your heart.
When you inhaled that roast,
you inhaled our first start.
When you laughed around a sip,
you soared into my mind.
When you poured me some more,
I gave you all the love I could find.
Coffee is more than a cup of caffeine.
Coffee is the drink you sip from for dreams.
Coffee makes moments more than a scene.
Coffee makes love become everything.
When you have true love in your heart,
coffee in bed is the best place to start.
When I look up, I can’t hide the tears in my eyes. “Camden,” I croak and he half smiles.
“I love you a latte, Indie,” he rushes out anxiously. The dopey look on his face makes my heart swoon. “I just wanted you to know that.”
The words fall down on me in the most delicious way possible. The scent of coffee all around us makes an instant memory fold in my mind. He watches me, nervously awaiting my reply.
Because I promised never to hold back from him, I inhale deeply and answer, “Well, I love you from my head tomatoes.”
His gaze narrows, having to think it through for a bit and then he laughs. Really laughs. It’s a great laugh. It’s a laugh that zings you right in the knickers and makes you laugh along with him.
His mock impressed face nods before he replies, “You’ve been sitting on that one for a while now, haven’t you?”
I giggle. “Maybe.”
His face grows serious, but that smile stays in his eyes. “I love you,” he says, cupping my face and pressing a soft kiss to my lips.
“I love you,” I repeat. “And there’s nothing punny about that.”
THE END
There’s more Harris Brothers Love coming!
Be sure to
email me
or post a review of
Challenge
and cast your vote for which brother’s story you want next! And sign up for my newsletter to be notified of the next Harris Brothers release date.
Challenge
is a spin-off from the London Lovers Series.
Read on for the full reading order on this series of standalones or check out Hayden and Vi’s gripping love story sneak peek at the end.
MORE BOOKS BY AMY DAWS
The London Lovers/Lost in London Series:
Becoming Us
:
Finley’s Story Part 1 (prequel)
A Broken Us
:
Finley’s Story Part 2 (standalone)
London Bound
:
Leslie’s Story (standalone)
Not The One
:
Reyna’s Story (standalone)
That One Moment
:
Hayden & Vi’s Story (standalone)
One Wild Night
:
Julie’s Story…coming soon
The Harris Brothers Series:
A spin-off series featuring the football-playing Harris Brothers!
Challenge
: A British Sports Rom Com (standalone)
Pointe of Breaking
:
A College Dance Standalone by Amy Daws & Sarah J. Pepper
Chasing Hope
: A Mother’s
True
Story of Loss, Heartbreak,
and the Miracle of Hope.
AUDIBLE
The London Lovers/Lost in London Series:
Becoming Us
:
Finley’s Story Part 1 (prequel)
A Broken Us
:
Finley’s Story Part 2 (standalone)
London Bound
:
Leslie’s Story (standalone)
Not The One
:
Reyna’s Story (standalone)
That One Moment
:
Hayden & Vi’s Story (standalone)
One Wild Night
:
Julie’s Story…coming soon
The Harris Brothers Series:
A spin-off series featuring the football-playing Harris Brothers!
Challenge
: A British Sports Rom Com (standalone)
Pointe of Breaking:
A College Dance Standalone by Amy Daws & Sarah J. Pepper
Chasing Hope
: A Mother’s
True
Story of Loss, Heartbreak,
and the Miracle of Hope.
For retailer purchase links, visit:
Now that I’ve written my eighth book, I’m confident enough to realize that no book process for me is the same. If I could sum up what writing
Challenge
was like using one word besides “challenging” …it would be tumultuous. From moving into a new house to traveling to three different countries, I have learned that I am not Super Woman, and to try to write a book amongst all of that madness was simply that…madness!
But I made it and I’m happy…I think. Ask me over drinks to be sure.
Regardless of everything, I do truly love this story and these characters. They have the best banter I’ve ever written between a couple, and I loved dipping my toes into full-blown rom com.
And now I’m grateful to thank the people who helped get me here. Because there were a lot for this one.
First of all, my beta readers and proofers. I tortured them with this book. This is the first story that I have had to tell my beta readers they need to re-read before reviewing because the changes were so extensive. I sent them multiple updated files, I hounded them for feedback, I asked them to talk out characters with me, and I messaged them constantly. It was painful. But we made it. And it truly was something I couldn’t have done without them. So, thank you all for being there for me and for Cam and Indie!
Belinda! My footballer/British muse. You are the one who inspired these wacky Harris Brothers of mine back when I wrote
That One Moment
. Thank you for being my voice of fun for these boys and the wonderful sport of football.
My editor, Stephanie. Thank you for editing my book in the middle of Hurricane Hermine. Your roof was leaking, your power was going out, your lawn was flooded, and your potted plants were flying, but by George…you stuck with me. One of these days, I won’t have a painful deadline! That’s a lie, I probably always will.
I have to give a personal shout out to one of the most incredible authors I know, Staci Hart. Staci, I’ve never met anyone like you. I’ve never seen anyone find the people they want to surround themselves with in life, and then spend countless hours trying to raise them up as high as they can go. You work tirelessly to help others and ask for nothing in return. From beta reading, to helping me with my cover, to introducing me to your incredible author family, I’m overwhelmed. I can’t fathom how you see so much in me, but I am grateful. Thank you for being my biggest cheerleader with this book. I’m keeping you and your tribe forever. I want to be you when I grow up.
My hubby. The dude who doesn’t watch soccer (football). You may not have helped me with the technicalities of this sports romance book, but it’s you that holds the family together when I disappear into another story. Thank you for making meals, getting school supplies, buying the groceries, and not yelling at me too much for letting Lolo eat Lucky Charms in bed every morning.
Lolo. My daughter. My best friend. I’ve read articles about how you shouldn’t be best friends with your daughter because you need to be a mother and enforce discipline. Screw it. You’re mine and I don’t care what people say. Thank you for the hugs that you don’t even know how bad I needed and the snuggles that make all this hard work worth it. Thank you for asking the most thoughtful questions at bedtime every night. It’s probably my favorite thing about you.