End of Regulation - final book in the Love Misconduct series

 ~Prologue~

~Three years later~

The snow is softly falling on a December night in downtown Denver. The lights of the city shine off of the snow that is resting on the ground, making it sparkle like glitter. The air is crisp and cold; cold enough to see your breath.

I tighten my scarf around my neck as Gabe and I take a stroll through Washington Park. Our arms are linked together as our hands are shoved into our pockets. I'm not sure why Gabe decided to go for a walk, especially when it is this late and this cold outside. I feel my cheeks freeze and turn a deep shade of red, thinking how great a cup of hot chocolate would warm my bones right about now.

"Isn't it beautiful out here, Megs?" Gabe asks as we keep walking.

"I would have chosen the word 'freezing,' but whatever floats your boat, Landeskog." I shiver as I pull up the hood of my coat, hoping it would shield the cold air from my face. It didn't.

Gabe throws his head back and laughs like a little kid at my response. He pulls me closer towards him after he's done snickering, and immediately brings warmth to my body. There was nothing better than being in the arms of the one you love; and the one I love is him. Gabriel Landeskog.

"Are you that cold, sweetheart?" he asks as he raises his eyebrow while looking down at me.

"You're from Sweden," I reply, zipping up my coat a little more. "You're used to this."

"You should be, too." Gabe chuckles. "After all, you're from Colorado."

He leads me to a small coffee shop across the street from the park where we were walking. When we enter the building, the heat from inside hits my face and I smile, letting the smell of the coffee fill my senses. We sit down at a table near the fireplace, and as far as I can tell, we're the only costumers in the shop. I take my hands out of my pockets and I slowly peel the gloves off, soon rubbing them together to warm them up. 

I look up at Gabe and I see his crystal blue eyes staring through me. A smile spreads across his face as he places his hands on the table, soon grabbing my freezing ones and closing them into his warm, soft hands. He pulls our hands up towards his mouth as he blows his hot breath on them, warming mine up instantly. After he's done, he softly kisses my hands with his soft, pink lips, then places our hands back onto the table.

Soon a waiter comes up to us and takes our order. We both order a cup of hot chocolate with extra whipped cream. Gabe then moves to the chair next to mine, instead of sitting across from me like he previously was. He wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me closer towards his body, letting the scent of his cologne fill my lungs as he does so.

Our hot chocolate is served to us as the waiter places the mugs in front of us on the table. I swipe my finger across the whipped cream and I put a dollop on Gabe's nose. He tries licking it off, but fails to do so. I lean in closer and I kiss it off his nose, watching a smile spread across his face.

"Megs, I have a question for you." Gabe's voice shakes as he shoves his hands into his pockets.

"What is it, babe?" I ask as I take another sip of my hot chocolate.

I look over and I see him pull a velvet box out of his coat pocket, soon opening it and revealing a diamond ring. My hand covers my mouth in shock as I look at him, then at the ring. I feel tears form in my eyes and I try pushing them back, but it doesn't work as a lone tear falls down my cheek.

"Meghan Noelle Lawrence, will you marry me?" he asks as he looks deep into my eyes and wipes away the falling tear.

I wrap my arms around his neck and I kiss him passionately, making our lips move in a similar motion. My fingers find their way to his hair and I softly grip his blond, gelled locks. He slowly pulls away and he presses his forehead up against mine.

"Does that mean yes?" he asks out of breath.

I nod my head in confirmation before I kiss him again.

"Yes."

A/N - Hey, everyone! This is just the prologue to the final book in the "Love Misconduct" series. Tell me what you think so far! :) - Meghan