Christine, who’d already won over Evie and vice versa, shocked everyone by bringing a date, Edward Madison, a businessman who she’d met at a game last year.
“Mom, Edward, this is a surprise,” Damon said, Evie by his side, holding his hand. And when he glanced down, he noticed his mother’s and Edward’s hands were also entwined.
“Well, we wanted to see what we had in common before we went public,” she explained.
“And we discovered we’re extremely compatible.” Edward, who had dark blond hair and brown eyes, smiled at Damon’s mother in a way Damon would want someone to look at her, and the twisting in his stomach eased.
Still, he had to take a mental step back and decide how he felt about his mom in a relationship after all this time and realized all he wanted was for her to be happy. Studying her glow as she looked at Edward, he approved.
“Thanks for the party,” Evie said with a bright smile. Ever since her ex had pled guilty, her entire demeanor and mood had been lighter.
“You’re welcome. It’s completely my pleasure. Welcome to the family. You’re going to fit right in. Now you two go mingle.” His mom shooed them away to enjoy their party.
Instead of finding friends or family to talk to, Damon snuck Evie into a hallway where they could have a few minutes alone.
Bracing his hands on her hips, he pulled her to him. “Don’t get me wrong. I love you in jeans and tight tanks and tee shirts, but every once in a while, seeing you in a dress and fuck-me heels works, too.”
She treated him to a sexy grin. “Kind of like the difference between me seeing you in your tight-ass jeans and your football uniform. Either view works for me.” She rose up and kissed him, but he wasn’t content with a peck on the lips.
Hooking his arm around her waist, he yanked her against him and turned her light kiss into a soul-deep melding of minds and hearts. He slid his hands into her long hair and tugged her neck into the position he wanted her. Then he tangled his tongue with hers and lost himself in everything he’d never known he wanted but now couldn’t live without. He didn’t know how long they remained hidden, making out like teenagers, and he didn’t care.
“Hey, you two. Either go to a bedroom or come hang with everyone celebrating your engagement,” Jaxon called out, deliberately walking over and interrupting them.
Damon took his time extricating himself from Evie and then stepped in front of her, giving her time to pull herself together.
He studied his brother, whose eyes were red-rimmed and his hair long, probably because he was in the off-season. His baseball team demanded a haircut above the collar and no facial hair. Left to his own devices, Jaxon would look a lot more raggedy.
“Hey, man. Are you hungover?” It was a rhetorical question. Damon knew his brother liked to party.
Jaxon rubbed his eyes. “Just a late night,” he said, his lips lifting in an I got some grin.
Damon shook his head and chuckled. “Okay, who was she?”
Evie stepped out from behind Damon, her hair still messed, but he knew his girl. She wouldn’t care.
“Yeah, Jaxon. Who’s the lucky lady this time?” Evie teased. Because everyone knew Jaxon wouldn’t settle down with just one woman. He’d been burned in the past and hadn’t let it go.
“Just a chick I met at Allstars last night,” Jaxon said.
Damon understood why Jaxon would choose the upscale bar instead of a place where he’d be surrounded by groupies.
Damon put a hand on the back of his brother’s neck and pushed him forward. “Well, let’s go get you some caffeine, bro. You look like you could use some.” He loved his brother even if they were very different.
Grinning, Evie walked along beside them. They almost bumped into Bri and her friend Macy as they reentered the main room.
“Hi,” Macy said, champagne in hand. Her gaze encompassed the three of them.
Bri looked everyone over, his big sister curious as ever.
“Hi, ladies,” Jaxon said. “You’re looking good, Macy. White enhances your tan. Hot.” He’d perked up at the sight of her.
Damon raised his eyebrows at Evie, who merely shrugged. Obviously she didn’t know any more about Jaxon and Macy than he did. Then again, his brother could just be acting like his normal flirtatious self, which all the Prescott men did or had done in their single days.
“Thanks, Jaxon.” Macy didn’t even blush at the compliment.
Damon figured she had his brother and his behavior pegged and didn’t take him seriously. Good. He’d hate to see Jaxon hurt his sister’s friend. Not that Jaxon would do anything deliberately, but he was a player. A good man but one who liked women. Plural.
“So, what were you three whispering about?” Bri finally asked.
“Just asking Jaxon what he’s been doing,” Damon said.
“You mean who he’s been doing,” Bri said, a knowing smile on her lips and loud enough for them all to hear. “Come on, Macy. Let me introduce you to a few people from work. I think you’ll like Adam Martsoff.” She steered her friend away from Damon, Evie, and Jaxon.
“Something I said?” Jaxon asked.
Damon shook his head. “Just protecting her friend from your charms, bro.” Though Damon still hoped the right woman would straighten out his brother’s ass one day.
In the meantime, Damon would celebrate the fact that he’d found the woman of his dreams. The rest of the party passed with Damon and Evie accepting congratulations from their families and, at the end, saying goodbye to each grouping one by one.
Finally, they came to the last couple except for Damon’s family and a few friends who had remained behind.
Ian and his wife, Riley, walked over.
“Congratulations!” Riley, a bubbly brunette with curly brown hair pulled first Evie, then Damon into a hug.
“I wish you all the best,” Ian said. “And if your life is anything like mine, you’ll be one happy man.”
Riley laughed. “He’s happy because all the kids are home with a babysitter. He’s got time to breathe. Then he’ll go home and let them hang all over him and love every minute of it.”
“I’m happy for you as well,” Damon said. From what he understood of his boss and cousin, Ian Dare had become the man of the house when his father revealed he had another family, and as a result, Ian hadn’t believed in love. Then he’d met Riley and become a changed man.
Damon understood. Evie had altered him in every way.
From across the room, they heard yelling, and everyone turned to see what was going on. “We’re going to get going and let you deal with that,” Ian said, gesturing to where Jaxon and Bri were in a heated discussion that had grown loud enough to cause people to look their way.
“Thanks for coming.” Damon shook Ian’s hand.
Then he and Evie headed toward the commotion. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Ask Jaxon.” Bri folded her arms across her chest and glared at their brother.
Macy, who hadn’t left, stood beside Bri and watched in obvious shock and wonder.
Jaxon flushed a healthy shade of red. As Damon glanced around, he saw his mother looking concerned, Edward comforting her, Austin obviously gritting his teeth while Quinn, baby in her arms, tried to talk him down.
Damon turned to Evie. “Let me talk to him.” He gestured to Jaxon.
She nodded and headed to Damon’s mother, no doubt to help soothe her.
“Come on, let’s go have a talk,” Damon said to his sibling.
Bri shook her head. “You’re not leaving me out of this. I’m his publicist and he’s damn well going to need one.”
“Why?” Damon asked, feeling protective of Jaxon.
Jaxon opened his mouth to explain, when Bri chimed in first. “You know that chick he met at Allstars last night?” she asked, using air quotes.
“Yes?” Damon asked warily.
“It turns out she’s his general manager’s daughter, home from college for a long weekend.”
Damon’s
eyes opened wide. “Dude!” Even he was surprised at his brother’s behavior.
“She’s twenty-one and legal!”
“That doesn’t make Brett Majors any happier with you,” Austin said, coming up beside them. “Someone caught you two on a cell phone video grinding away while making out in the back hall of Allstars. And despite the fact that the owner demands discretion and privacy, the person leaked the video.”
Macy gasped, caught herself, blushed, and took a step back. If she held any interest in Jaxon, this ought to douse her attraction, Damon thought.
“And to say the video has gone viral is an understatement.” Bri glared at Jaxon, whose behavior had finally caught up with him.
He rubbed the back of his neck, his stress obvious.
Damon, who had just been in the basement with his own team, albeit through no fault of his own, knew what kind of trouble Jaxon was in and felt for him, putting a hand on his brother’s shoulder.
Austin cleared his throat. “We are not doing this here. Not today. Today is Damon and Evie’s celebration,” he said, glancing at them before turning back to Jaxon. “I can guarantee you that you’re going to be called into a meeting with the owner, manager, and GM and it will not go well.” He shook his head. “Bri and I will figure out how the hell to fix this mess.”
Even Damon winced at the demand and anger in his oldest brother’s tone. This was sports agent Austin Prescott, not anyone’s big brother. And Jaxon was in serious trouble.
But Austin was right. Today was his and Evie’s day and Damon turned to his fiancée who had joied him. “What do you say we duck out and head home?” Where he knew exactly what he wanted to do with the woman he loved.
Her beautiful smile lit him up inside. “After we say goodbye and thank you. No ducking out,” she chided him, patting him on the cheek.
As usual and to Damon’s frustration, the last goodbyes took a while, but finally he found himself at home, naked with Evie in his bedroom, his body buried deep inside hers. Where he belonged.
Don’t miss the next DARE NATION series book DARE TO PLAY with Jaxon Prescott and Macy Walker. CLICK HERE to order!
DARE TO PLAY
He’s the bad boy of baseball who’s about to lose everything.
She needs a husband to get custody of her teenage sister.
Suddenly a marriage of convenience doesn’t look so bad.
Pitcher, Jaxon Prescott has a lot on his plate. Major league baseball. Reputation as a Player. And as of this morning? He’s on the verge of losing it all. He didn’t mean to sleep with his general manager’s daughter. Sometimes the paparazzi finds out who’s in your bed before you do. But a sizzling moment went viral and now everything he’s worked for is at risk.
What’s a bad boy to do? Marry his little sister’s best friend to save his image, even if it’s the opposite of everything he wants and believes in.
Macy Walker is the sole guardian of her step-sister until the girl’s mother returns and wants her daughter back. In order to win custody, Macy needs to provide stability and marrying someone would do the trick. Luckily for her, her best friend’s brother needs a wife.
They’re this close to getting exactly what they want—as long as they don’t fall in love.
Click HERE to order Dare to Play!
Read Excerpt for Dare to Play HERE.
Dare to Play
Dare Nation Novel #3
Chapter One
“There is a lot of testosterone in this room.” Macy Walker glanced around the living area of Christine Prescott’s home and let out a low whistle.
Most of the guests were jocks dressed up for Damon Prescott and Evie Wolfe’s engagement party, their asses tight and faces gorgeous. Macy had to admit she’d come up in the world since meeting Brianne Prescott at an exercise class and becoming fast friends.
“Eew.” Brianne wrinkled her nose in disgust at Macy’s comment. “Three of those men are my brothers you’re talking about.”
“Oh come on. Besides them. Look around you. You can’t deny the hotness.”
Brianne, a publicist at Dare Nation, a sports agency owned by her brother and uncle, was used to dealing with professional athletes while Macy had been taken out of her comfort zone. But going to football games and other PR events gave her a social life she wouldn’t otherwise have in between raising her fifteen year old sister, and for that she was grateful.
Champagne glass in hand, more for appearance sake because she needed to drive home and be sober, Macy looked around. She immediately caught sight of people heading towards them from the hallway. Damon, Evie and Jaxon Prescott, Bri’s Major League Baseball player sibling, the word player having more than one connotation in his case, were laughing as they approached.
Jaxon’s reputation for partying and sleeping around was legendary. Of all the Prescott brothers, Jaxon was the best looking, at least in Macy’s mind. Clean cut, jet black hair, chiseled features, full lips she wouldn’t mind kissing, and muscles galore, he’d tempt a saint.
But Macy didn’t take Jaxon’s occasional flirting seriously. She was his sister’s friend and regardless he was a ladies’ man in every sense of the word. Not that Macy had time for a relationship or even an affair, which put off most men. They didn’t have patience with the responsibilities that came with being a parent to her sister. Not that Macy resented it. She loved her troublemaking sibling and had been Emma’s primary caregiver even before their father died over six months ago.
As Damon, Evie and Jaxon stepped out of the hallway, they nearly collided with Macy and Bri.
“Hi,” Macy said, gripping her champagne glass to prevent it from spilling. It took all her willpower to keep from staring at Jaxon and she smiled at the three of them together, her gaze not lingering on any one person.
“Hi, ladies,” Jaxon said, his gaze sliding over her, making Macy shiver. “You’re looking good, Macy. White looks great with your tan. Hot.”
She blinked, shocked he’d noticed the white halter dress she’d taken an hour to choose but she knew better than to take his words for more than they were. A throwaway compliment. Jaxon flirted with anything in a skirt. However she couldn’t deny that his comment had give her a light, fluttering feeling in her stomach. “Thanks, Jaxon.”
“So what were you three whispering about?” Bri finally asked.
“Just asking Jaxon what he’s been doing,” Damon said.
“You mean who he’s been doing,” Bri muttered.
Macy stifled a laugh and Jaxon narrowed his gaze at his sister. This was their usual dynamic, Bri calling him out, Jaxon getting not seriously annoyed but letting her know he didn’t appreciate the jab.
“Come on, Macy. Let me introduce you to a few people from work. I think you’ll like Adam Martsoff.” Bri ushered Macy away from her brother and she didn’t mind. It couldn’t hurt to meet a nice guy.
Unfortunately, she spent the next few minutes talking to a pleasant, if boring agent from Dare Nation, when her cell phone rang and she gratefully excused herself to take the call.
She saw her sister’s name on the screen. “Hi, Em. What’s up?”
“I’m bored at home. I want to go to the mall with Talia.”
Macy sighed. “You’re grounded, Em. You’re lucky I didn’t take away your laptop or phone. Then you’d really know what bored meant. Just sit tight.”
“You’re so unfair,” Emma whined.
Macy rolled her eyes at the teenage dramatics. “Next time don’t lie to me about where you are. I can’t talk now. I’ll be home in time for dinner. Bye.” Disconnecting the call, she closed her eyes and groaned.
It wasn’t easy raising a teenager alone and she really missed her dad, who’d been killed by a drunk driver on his way home from work. Although he hadn’t been a very hands-on parent, there had at least been two of them against a willful teen.
At the sound of yelling from across the room, she opened her eyes to see Bri and Jaxon mid-argument. Concerned, Macy headed across the room, stopping
short when family got there first.
“What’s wrong?” Damon asked them.
“Ask Jaxon.” Bri folded her arms across her chest, her glare one she used when in business mode.
A glance at Jaxon showed his face was flushed and Macy wondered what he’d done wrong.
“Let me talk to him,” Damon said and Evie immediately headed over to Damon’s mom, who stood with her gentleman friend.
“Come on, let’s go have a talk,” Damon said to his sibling but Bri shook her head.
“You’re not leaving me out of this. I’m his publicist and he’s damn well going to need one,” she insisted.
“Why?” Damon asked.
Jaxon opened his mouth to explain, when Bri chimed in first. “You know that chick he met at Allstars last night?”
“Yes?” Damon asked sounding wary.
Bri held up her phone and turned the screen towards Damon. “Look what just hit social media? It turns out she’s his general manager’s daughter, home from college for a long weekend.”
Oh my God, Macy thought. Jaxon had slept with his boss’ daughter. He was a partier and a player but she knew as a star pitcher, he cared about his career. What had he been thinking?
“Dude!” Damon shook his head in disbelief.
“She was twenty-one and legal!” Jaxon tried to justify his actions.
“That won’t make Brett Majors any happier with you,” Austin said, coming up beside them. Grabbing Bri’s cell, he watched the screen with a grimace. “Someone caught you two on a video grinding away while making out in the back hall of Allstars. And despite the fact that the owner demands discretion and privacy, the person leaked the video.”
Macy winced, actually feeling sorry for Jaxon and how he’d had his privacy invaded. True, he hadn’t been discreet but how awful must it be to have people watching your every move?
“And to say it has gone viral is an understatement. I’m getting notifications like crazy.” Bri continued to shoot daggers at her bad boy brother.
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