“I said a lot of things earlier,” he murmurs, his voice this deep, delicious rumble in his chest.
“When you said you were…” I pause and swallow hard. “That you were falling in love with me.” If he denies it I will die. Just wither away and turn to dust right in this bed.
He stiffens the slightest bit beneath me. “Yeah,” he says huskily, without hesitation. “I meant it.”
We say nothing for a moment and my mind is racing. So is my heart. I can’t believe it. I seriously cannot believe Shep is falling in love with me but then again…I shouldn’t be surprised. I’ve been falling in love with him too.
I’m crazy about him.
“Does that bother you?” he finally asks.
I lift up so I’m leaning on my elbow. Our gazes meet, his full of trepidation. Silly man. “Of course, it doesn’t bother me.”
He studies me, turning on his side so he’s facing me more fully. “This is the moment where you confess you feel the same way,” he whispers.
Smiling, I lean in and press my mouth to his. “Hey guess what? I feel the same way,” I murmur against his lips.
He smiles in return. I can feel his lips stretch against mine. “Really?”
“Really. Don’t sound so surprised.” I kiss him again and then shift away from his big, hot body. Sleeping with him is like sleeping with a furnace, I swear. “Can I confess something else to you?”
“Yeah. Sure.”
I roll over so I’m lying on my back, staring up at the ceiling. “I talked to my mom a while ago and she told me that she sold our house. And that she was staying with her new boyfriend while she looked for a new place to buy. Which meant I had nowhere to go for the summer and I was really worried about it.”
“Wait a minute. When did this conversation happen?”
“Monday,” I admit. I can feel him staring at me but I don’t look his way. I feel too stupid. I should’ve told him. I don’t know why I held it back but I did, like an idiot.
“Jade.” He’s touching me, his hands gentle in my hair as he pushes it away from my face. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I didn’t want to burden you with my problems.” I sigh and turn to look at him. “Kelli said I was being stupid.”
“You sort of were.”
I shove at him and he grunts. “Give me a break. I was unsure about…everything. I didn’t know how you really felt about me. It was happening so fast and I was trying to find a roommate all this week and failing miserably. I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
“And all this time I was trying to work up the nerve to ask you to stay with me. That would’ve solved your problem in an instant. Crazy.” He runs his finger down my nose. “Why didn’t you ask if you could stay with me?”
“I already told you. I didn’t want to burden you with my problems.”
He drops a kiss on the tip of my nose. “Your problems are my problems. We’re in this together, baby. Can’t you see that?”
I blink up at him, noting the sincerity in his dark gaze. How did I get so lucky that this man is mine? I remember how he drove me crazy when we first met. Now I can’t imagine my world without him. “You mean it?”
“Cross my heart, hope to die.” He kisses me, warm and sweet, his arm curling around my waist so he can bring me flush against him. “I love you, Jade.”
Oh God. Just hearing him say the words makes my heart feel like it could swell to three times its size. “I-I love you too, Shep.”
I wrap my arms around his neck as I drown in his kiss, the assured way his lips move against mine, the delicious sweep of his tongue within my mouth. “This is going to be the best summer ever,” he whispers against my lips after he breaks the kiss.
Now I’m feeling a little shy. I mean really? What in the world is wrong with me? “Do you want me to help pay rent? Enid is moving me up to fulltime for just the summer.”
He pulls away from me slightly. “Are you fucking kidding me? No, you’re not paying rent. You won’t have to pay a dime, just make me cookies and get me fat. That’ll be your payment.”
“I can’t do that,” I say, laughing. “I’ll get just as fat.”
“At least we’ll be fat and happy together.” His smile fades and his expression turns serious. “I want you to go back to Enid and tell her you don’t have to work fulltime after all.”
“But…” I start to protest and he places his index finger against my lips.
“I want to spend as much time with you this summer as possible,” he explains, his gaze locked on mine. “I know you need to work and I get that. But I want to be with you, Jade. As much as I can, before the fall semester starts back up and we’re busy.”
I nod slowly. “Okay,” I whisper against his finger. “I’ll see what can be arranged.”
He smiles and removes his finger from my lips before he kisses me again. “You do that.”
* * *
Shep
* * *
“You look way too fucking happy,” Tristan groans as I walk into the kitchen.
Smiling, I grab a mug from the cabinet and pour myself a cup of coffee. “That’s because I am.”
Gabe is sitting at the island, wearing a pair of tropical print swim trunks and nothing else. “I’m hanging out at your pool today,” he declares as a greeting.
I nod. “Sounds good.” Too bad Jade has to work this afternoon. I’d suggest we do the same thing. Not that I want to see these assholes catch a glimpse of Jade in a bikini but…
Damn. I need to get a hold of this possessive wave I feel every time I think of someone looking at my girl.
“What’s got your panties in a happy twist?” Tristan asks. “Hey, you never did tell us how dinner with your parents went last night.”
“Fucking awful,” I say cheerily, dumping a bunch of creamer in my cup. “My mom was a total bitch to Jade.”
“Ah, man. I could’ve predicted that,” Tristan says.
“Yeah, no thanks to you and your gossiping ways,” I mutter.
Tristan looks pained. “I already told you I’m sorry.”
And he did. I knew he was sorry. I just like to give him shit for it.
“It’s all good. We held our own and bailed early,” I explain as I take a sip from my coffee.
“Where is Jade? Is she here?” Gabe asks.
“Still in bed. My bed.” Sleeping and cute, all naked and mussed. I’m tempted to run back up to my room and fuck her one more time before she has to go to work but I’ll restrain myself.
Barely.
“So she’s moving in for the summer,” I announce. They both stare at me in quiet shock. “I’m in love with her. And she’s in love with me. We’re trying to make this work.”
“Seriously?” Gabe asks. “She’s moving in?”
“Seriously,” I confirm. “Just for the summer though.” Maybe longer if I can convince her.
“That is pretty fucking serious,” Tristan adds.
“I know.” I smile. “I can’t wait.”
“What are you going to do this summer besides play around with Jade?” Gabe asks.
“Probably officially join the soccer league again.” I’ll need to so I can keep the weight off from all the cookies Jade’s going to bake me. “Maybe take Jade on a trip or two for a couple of days. Nothing too far. She’s going to work through the summer.”
“Unbelievable.” Tristan shakes his head. “I never thought I’d see this day, especially not this soon.”
“What day?” I ask.
“The day that Shepard Prescott settles down with a girl. A normal, working girl he actually wants to be with.” Tristan smiles. “I’m happy for you, man.”
“Thanks,” I say, settling on the barstool right next to Gabe’s. “I’m happy too.”
“So no more one and done,” Gabe says. “You’re over that.”
“Totally.” I start to laugh. I forgot about the one and done thing. I can’t imagine being with Jade only once. I don’t think I’ll ever
get tired of her. “That stupid rule was definitely made to be broken.”
Epilogue
Shep
* * *
Early August
* * *
I stride into the house, polishing off the bottle of water I brought with me to soccer practice when I stop short at the view greeting me in the kitchen.
It’s Jade, bent over the oven with the door open as she peers inside, her perfect ass wagging in my direction. She’s wearing a brightly printed bikini with a little white coverup skirt over it and she looks like something out of a dream.
A particularly dirty one.
Quietly I sneak up on her, careful not to pounce when the oven door is still open. She closes it and resets the timer, then turns to approach the counter opposite where she stands when she spots me.
And smiles.
“Hey, sweaty man,” she greets, a coy smile curling her perfect lips. Her skin is tinged with pink, her hair is pulled up in to a high ponytail and I’d bet big money she just spent some leisure time out by the pool. That bikini barely covers her goods and my hands itch to touch all that bared skin. “How was practice?”
“Exhausting. Hot like the depths of hell.” All true. I approach her, drawing her into my arms and holding her close. She pretends to protest, like she hates it when I’m shirtless and sweaty after a particularly hard soccer practice, but I know she’s full of it.
She loves me like this. I don’t know how many times I’ve pulled her into my sweaty arms and the next thing I know she’s attacking me. Yanking off my shorts and grabbing my cock and trying her best to get me inside her as fast as possible.
My girl is dirty. Insatiable.
And I love it.
“Mmm, well I made cupcakes so that should make your day brighter,” she murmurs against my neck just before she kisses it.
I close my eyes and savor the feel of her in my arms. We’ve established a steady routine over the summer that’s worked out perfectly. I love having her living in my house, sharing my bed. She’s quite the cook, her skills not just limited to baking. We spend a lot of time by the pool, she works part-time at the candle shop and as every day passes, I realize I’m more and more in love with this girl.
Life couldn’t get any fucking better.
“Tell me you made homemade frosting,” I murmur against her hair.
She pulls away slightly to smile up at me. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“A woman after my own heart.” I lean in to kiss her but she dodges my lips.
“I thought I already owned your heart,” she teases, her fingers dancing across my chest.
My skin tightens at her touch and my cock hardens beneath my shorts. Damn it. It’s like she looks at me wrong and I get a hard on. Not that it’s a bad thing. We always put my condition to good use.
“You do,” I whisper, taking her hand and placing it directly in the center of my chest. “You own every piece of me, baby. Just like I own every piece of you.”
Her eyes darken in that way they do when I know she’s aroused. I have all her tells figured out. When you spend as much time together as we do, that happens. And I love it. I love her. “I like it when you talk possessive.”
“Really? Because when I won you in that bet and I claimed you as my prize, you slapped my face. Hard,” I remind her.
She smiles and reaches up to cradle my cheek. “That’s before I knew better.”
“Knew better?” I reach for her ass and cup her cheeks, tempted to yank her bikini bottom offs and take her right here in the kitchen.
Wouldn’t be the first time.
“I had no idea that I was the one who was the real winner.” She smiles and pushes up on her tiptoes to press a lingering kiss to my lips. “I love you, Shep. Shepard. Sexy Shep. Man of my dreams. Owner of my heart,” she murmurs.
“I love you, too,” I whisper just before I deepen the kiss.
More than she’ll ever know.
Thank you so much for reading Fair Game! I hope you enjoyed Shep and Jade’s story.
* * *
Thank you for reading! 100% of the profits from this anthology will be given to the Live A Thousand Lives charity.
This charity donates audio players - equipped with hundreds of hours of classic stories - to low-to-no mobility patients in nursing facilities and hospitals.
The Live A Thousand Lives Project has been fueled by prolific Romance writers and unabashed book lovers who appreciate that audiobooks boost mental health, improve memory and stimulate the brain in ways that mirror reading printed text.
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Also by Monica Murphy
Standalone
Things I Wanted To Say (but never did)
College Years
The Freshman
The Sophomore
The Junior
The Senior
Dating Series
Save The Date
Fake Date
Holidate
Hate to Date You
Rate A Date
Wedding Date
* * *
Coming 10/19!
Blind Date
The Callahans
Close to Me
Falling For Her
Addicted To Him
Meant To Be
* * *
Coming 2/10/21!
Making Her Mine
Forever Yours Series
You Promised Me Forever
Thinking About You
Nothing Without You
Damaged Hearts Series
Her Defiant Heart
His Wasted Heart
Damaged Hearts
Friends Series
Just Friends
More Than Friends
Forever
The Never Duet
Never Tear Us Apart
Never Let You Go
The Rules Series
Fair Game
In The Dark
Slow Play
Safe Bet
The Fowler Sisters Series
Owning Violet
Stealing Rose
Taming Lily
Reverie Series
His Reverie
Her Destiny
Billionaire Bachelors Club Series
Crave
Torn
Savor
Intoxicated
One Week Girlfriend Series
One Week Girlfriend
Second Chance Boyfriend
Three Broken Promises
Drew + Fable Forever
Four Years Later
Five Days Until You
A Drew + Fable Christmas
Standalone YA Titles
Daring The Bad Boy
Saving It
Pretty Dead Girls
About the Author
Monica Murphy is a New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over two million copies worldwide. Both a traditionally published and independently published author, she writes young adult and new adult romance, as well as contemporary romance and women’s fiction. She’s also known as USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson.
Love, In English
By Karina Halle
For anyone who has ever taken a chance on uncertainty
Love knows not distance; it hath no continent; its eyes are for the stars
—Gilbert Parker
Prologue
My name is Vera Miles.
And in the story of my life, I am the villain.
How could I not be?
Wild hair.
Wild heart.
Tattoos and piercings.
I love food too much.
I love sex too much.
And I’ve had part in breaking up a marriage.
But I’m starting to think that most villains aren’t evil—they are just misunderstood.
Or victims of that most manipulative force: love.
Love causes war and causes death, breaks souls and breaks lives. It runs people into the ground, makes them behave like moronic, immoral beasts, before it dances off, leaving only destruction in its wake—hearts blown wide open for the whole world to see.
Love puts the blame on the poor souls who succumb to it.
Love, that ultimate villainess. She makes examples of us all.
And yet we still come back for more.
We keep playing the role she gives us.
For one more chance to feel alive.
Love has made me a villain. But at least now, I don’t have to be misunderstood.
This is my story…
Part One
Acantilado
Chapter 1
“Aí, assim meu amor!”
I had no idea what the hell the guy (was it Cristiano? Cristo?) was grunting loudly in my ear but given that my head was inches from smashing into the dorm room wall, I didn’t really care. He obviously liked what I was giving him and I couldn’t complain.
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