"Mom, its six in the morning."

He blinked a few times. She was still lying just in front of him. His arm was still thrown across her body. But she was on the phone.

Carrie sighed. Harrison heard what seemed like her mother's voice say, "well you keep telling me you have to get up very early."

With his right hand, Harrison traced his fingers up her back, enjoying the feeling of her cool skin. While she looked at him, he placed a gentle kiss on the back of her shoulder.

"How's Harrison?" Her mom asked through the phone.

"He's doing really well," Carrie answered with a wide smile.

Her mom then said something he couldn't quite make out. Then she giggled. "Of course he did mom. He may tackle people for a living and seem all big and tough, but really he's a sweetheart. He's amazing."

Harrison smiled before pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. Carrie quickly held her hand against her phone. "You don't want my mom to find out what we did last night."

He propped his head up on his hand. "And why's that?"

"Because she would kill you. You haven't even met her yet and we already did that."

He shrugged. "It was worth it."

Carrie put the phone back up to her ear. "Yeah mom I'm still here. Sorry, Gary was hungry."

That was the lamest excuse he'd ever heard. And he made that clear by laughing right in her ear, earning himself a playful slap.

"Mom I have to go. I'll talk to you later."

She hung up and pushed him over onto his back. "Stop it."

He continued to laugh. "That was lame."

"I know it was lame. But you don't need to make fun of me for it."

"I like teasing you."

"I see that."

Carrie turned on her side and he pushed some of her hair behind her ears. "You think your mom would kill me? I mean, I'm obviously a pretty likable person."

"Oh yeah. She'd kill you big time if she found out we made love last night. The Panthers would have to find your replacement."

He smirked. "Okay then. Who would be my replacement?"

She pondered for a few moments before snapping her fingers. "Luke."

"What is it with you about Luke?"

"He's a very likable person," Carrie shot back with a smile.

Carrie had become good friends with a lot of his close teammates. Especially Luke and Cam. She'd done a few interviews with him and pretty soon she was calling him Lukas and he was calling her Cherri.

"You're jealous of Lukas aren't you?"

"Yes I am."

She often teased him about being jealous. The truth was, he was a little bit, but he knew she was just playing games with him.

Carrie quickly kissed him. "You don't have anything to be jealous about."

❺❾

They were chatting about the regular season schedule when she asked, "so we go to San Francisco first?"

Harrison nodded as he took another right. "Then it's back here against Buffalo," he said sourly. The city in New York left a sour taste in his mouth. It was because the idiots in the front office signed a criminal to a deal. And that he would have to step foot on the same field as that asshole. But Harrison planned to teach him a lesson.

"Harrison?"

"What?"

"Did you hear me?"

He didn't answer right away. He was too busy thinking about how to seek revenge on Alex to listen to her.

"Sorry."

"I was saying. Since we're going to be off to San Francisco in a few weeks, I was thinking we could stay a little later and go to Beverly Hills and you could meet my mom. Would you want to do that? She wants to meet you."

"I'd love too."

"And I could show you around my home a little bit."

"Let's do it."

❺❾

They arrived at training camp a few minutes later to be absolutely swarmed by reporters gawking at the two of them.

"Harrison!" Somebody shouted as he jumped out of his truck.

Someone's phone was shoved in his face. On that phone was a picture of him and Carrie, holding hands while walking the dogs after they went kayaking.

"Are you and Carrie together? How are you two doing?"

On the other side of the truck, a swarm of reporters was bugging Carrie as well. "What do you have to say about your new boyfriend?"

Someone else asked, "are you guys together yet? Are you going to get together?"

She pushed past them as he did the same. He met her at the front of his truck where she surprised both him and the media by pulling his face down for a passionate kiss. As they kissed, the couple could hear gasps and shutters clicking.

"There. They got their answer."