To Catch A Player (Second Chance)

by Piper Sullivan

  “Aunt Bette? What are you doing here?” I turned to Jackson, now beyond worried. “What is she doing here? She can’t leave without—”

  “Without written permission from a guardian,” Aunt Bette finished for me and I gasped. Took a step back and gasped again. “Or if I sign myself out using the proper paperwork. Which I did.” She flashed a familiar smile that brought tears to my eyes.

  I opened my arms and went to her right away. “Aunt Bette, it is so great to see you. To talk to you.”

  She laughed and I let the sound wash over me as I held her, probably too tight but she didn’t complain. And she held me back just as tight. “I’ve missed talking to you too, honey.”

  “But… how?” None of it made sense.

  Bette laughed again and looked up at Jackson’s adoring eyes as she placed a hand on his cotton-covered bicep. “This handsome boy came and picked me up. Told me I looked pretty, too,” she said, fluffing her hair.

  “You do,” both Jackson and I said at the same time.

  “Thank you. Both of you,” she smiled again, and I felt a tear slip from my eye. “You two talk, I’ll be over there with”—her eyes went wide—“Rafe Montgomery, you handsome devil, you. Aren’t you married yet?”

  Rafe coughed and I knew if I’d looked back, I would have seen him wearing a nervous grin and rubbing the back of his neck, the way he did when older women flirted with him. “No, ma’am. No woman makes a better lasagna than you, so how could I risk it?”

  I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t take my gaze off Jackson, not when he was standing there looking so handsome and so nervous and so… up to something. “What an excellent surprise, Jackson. Really.” He’d given me the one thing I could never give myself: another day with Aunt Bette.

  He shrugged causally, flashing that panty-melting grin. “Turns out I really like being the reason you smile.”

  I can’t say I’ve ever swooned before, but his words made my knees go weak and a little wobbly and my stomach clench as a million butterflies took flight. “Wow.”

  “Yeah, that’s kind of what I was going for.”

  “Mission accomplished.”

  Jackson held up a hand, still smiling. “Accomplished, maybe, but not quite complete.” He grabbed my wrist and tugged me toward the table where the stack of boxes stood ominously.

  “What’s all this?” The muscles in his arms and legs—and ass—bunched and flexed as he bent and lifted one box to set it on the table, then the second box and finally, the third. I watched every move, memorizing them. Desiring them. Fantasizing about them.

  “This is my do-over.”

  “Jackson,” I said in warning.

  “I know, I know. You don’t need a do-over, but maybe I need to give you one.”

  “Damn, the detective’s got game,” Ginger said, loud enough to be heard.

  Jackson smirked, but his gaze never left mine—and I knew that because I couldn’t look away from him, either, not when it felt like something monumental was about to happen.

  “I want you to know that I’m here, that I love you, Reese, because I don’t have a choice. When you’re not around, I wish you were. I want to call you up just to tell you about the corny joke Ty cracked during the morning briefing. I want to snap a crazy photo and share it with you because it’ll make you smile. I don’t like the world very much when you’re not around.”

  “Oh, Jackson.” More tears flowed and I stepped into his space and cupped his jaw. “That is… wow.”

  “Told ya I was good at the wow,” he said arrogantly and pressed a kiss to my forehead before he moved me beside the table. “I love you and I want you to be happy. With me. Forever.”

  “If Gwyneth’s head is in that box, I’m calling the Sheriff,” Rafe joked and Jackson smirked again.

  “I love you too, Jackson.”

  “Aww,” Ginger and Aunt Bette sang in chorus.

  “I know. I can’t believe you love me back, but you do, and I’m the luckiest bastard in town.”

  “Second luckiest,” I whispered, making him smile again.

  “No, babe. I’m the lucky one, and we both know it. And I know that I have some things to prove to you.”

  I stopped him with a shake of my head. “No, Jackson, you don’t. I believe you, and I’m taking you at your word. Because I love you.”

  Rafe groaned and though Jackson and I smiled to each other, we chose to ignore him. Together.

  “I love you even more for saying that, but I have to do this, for me. I want to show you that I don’t just love you Reese. I don’t just want you, but make no mistake, I do want you. But I also want to support you and, when necessary, give you a push in the right direction.”

  “A push?” I arched a brow and folded my arms over my chest, drawing a deep sexy laugh from him.

  “Okay, maybe a nudge. Just remember I love you and I support you.” He flashed a cheeky grin, but those hazel eyes were filled with so much love that it left me momentarily speechless. The words I wanted to say to him were caught in my throat as more tears poured down my cheeks.

  “Okay,” I told him around a watery laugh.

  “Okay,” he said again and pulled out a switchblade that he used to split one of the boxes open and gave me a physical nudge toward it. “Go on, look inside.”

  I took a step closer and lifted up on my toes while I pushed the box flaps down and peered inside. “Jackson!” The word came out on a shocked gasp as I stared into the box. Staring back up at me was a cartoon version of myself, dressed in my chef whites with a wooden spoon in my hand that dripped with barbecue sauce. Like a marquee, I was in the center, my logo at the top and bottom with one distinct difference. “Reese’s Famous BBQ Sauce.” I turned to him, a smile forming on my lips even as tears continued to slide down my cheeks. “Jackson, this is… I don’t know what to say.”

  “Don’t say anything, just fill them up and watch them fly off the shelves,” he said with a cocky smile that only made me love him more. How could I not, when he had more confidence in me than I had in myself?

  “So sure of me?”

  “More than you even know,” he said with a smile, stepping in close as his strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me into him. “Don’t worry, Reese, I plan to make sure you know exactly how amazing I think you are and how much I love you,” he whispered the words sweetly in my ear. Just for me. “When you go to bed every night, even if you’re not in my arms, you’ll know that I love you. That I want you. That you’re mine.”

  Mine. That sounded pretty damn good. “Mmm, yes, please.”

  He chuckled and the sound resonated against my chest, deep and rich and so damn welcome I held on to him as tightly as I could. “That’s more like it. I love you, Reese.”

  “That’s good to hear, Detective, because I think I’ll enjoy loving a real-life Hometown Hero.”

  He groaned at the reminder, but his hands never let me go. “I’ll forgive you for that, but only because I also bought Reese’s Famous BBQ Sauce dot com, and I know it means more work for you.”

  I gasped, but before I could say or do anything, Jackson yanked me against his chest and pressed his lips to mine, making damn sure I knew exactly how he felt.

  I did, because I felt it, too.

  I felt loved.

  Cherished.

  Appreciated.

  Supported.

  So, I held on tight and kissed my very own Hometown Hero like he was just that—a hero and a knight and a sexy cop, all rolled up into one hot, sweet package.

  And that package was all mine.

  THE END.

  Excerpt: Misters of Pleasure

  Wanting Ms Wrong

  "How did I end up like my own single Mom? Pregnant and alone, with a Baby Daddy?"

  Audrey

  I’ve known Walker almost my whole life, and I've loved him for just as long.

  One night of passion, that’s what we shared before he ghosted me.

  Like I was nothing.

  It took
some time, but I got over it. Over him.

  Until it happened again.

  And again.

  Now our sizzling encounters has left me with more than a crush.

  I have something that’s a part of him…

  Walker

  Audrey was always my best friend’s kid sister, nothing more.

  Until our paths crossed far away from our small town.

  She was all grown up, and in way that made my heart race and parts of me throb.

  But Audrey was all wrong for me, she didn’t meet any of my criteria for a future wife.

  But still, I wanted her.

  She saw me as just her brother's best friend, and even that didn’t matter.

  I wanted her.

  She doesn’t believe me, and I don’t blame her.

  But I’m determined to make Audrey see that we could be more than a dirty little secret.

  We could be everything.

  Wanting Ms Wrong

  Walker

  Damn, but Audrey was walking fast as hell. I should probably take the hint. Should, but I wouldn’t.

  “Audrey!”

  That time, I caught it—the little pause at the sound of her name. Until she recognized my voice, anyway. It gave me enough time to catch up with her on the next block.

  “Is this how it’ll be between us from now on?” It couldn’t be this awkward forever—not when I practically grew up in her house. Not when her brother was my best friend. Her mother had been my surrogate mother while my own parents had traveled the globe, healing the sick and saving the world.

  She turned as I walked up beside her, blank violet eyes staring through me and lush lips pulled into a tight line. “It isn’t any way between us, Walker. You’re my brother’s friend, and that’s all.” Then, she moved away, putting more distance between us. Luckily, my legs were a lot longer than hers and I caught up to her easily, keeping stride right alongside her.

  “So, we’re not even friends?”

  “No, we’re not.” The answer came so fast it was hard to imagine she didn’t mean it. Audrey wasn’t a hard-to-get kind of girl; she didn’t play the game, which explained why I felt so anxious.

  “That was fast.”

  She shrugged, still almost running to get away from me. “Truth is easy to remember.”

  “Slow down, dammit.”

  “Go back to your dinner, Walker.” She shook her head, like I was some kind of pest she needed to get rid of.

  “You’ve been drinking.” It wasn’t what I’d intended to say, but it got her to stop. And glare at me. “It’s dark out.”

  “I can take care of myself, Walker. Thanks for your concern.” She spat out the last word like I couldn’t possibly have any concern for her. With me distracted, Audrey took off, giving me a good long look at the curve of her ass. She was so petite and soft, with feminine curves in all the right places. But I knew from experience she was no shrinking violet. No, Audrey was strong and capable of a good, hard fuck.

  “Dammit,” I growled and caught up with her once again. “I’ll walk you home.”

  “Not necessary.”

  Stubborn ass woman. “I wish you would just call me an asshole so we could fight about this and get over it.” I knew it was the wrong thing to say the moment the words were out of my mouth, and I braced myself for the fallout.

  “I’m sure you would. That way you could feel better about your behavior. No, thanks. Not interested. Good night, Walker.”

  She wasn’t getting rid of me that fast. I walked beside her for two and a half more blocks, until we arrived at the little farm-style house she bought or rented—not even Will knew which.

  “I’m not a bad guy.”

  “Never said you were,” she replied and climbed the stairs quickly, turning back to me with her arms crossed. “You can go now.”

  “When you’re inside, I will.”

  She let out a growl and the sound shot straight to my dick, like she’d struck a match on my zipper. It was sexy and adorable—it was a good thing I wasn’t looking for adorable.

  “Goodbye, Walker.” Her words were final as she pushed in the key and turned the knob, but I couldn’t let her say goodbye. Could I?

  Hell no. I took the short stairs two at a time until I was on her doorstep, staring down into almond-shaped eyes the color of amethyst. “Not goodbye,” I murmured and grabbed her face, lowering my mouth to hers and watching the play of emotion in her eyes. Wariness and confusion swam together, but underneath was lust—and that was what gave me the confidence to act.

  Just like last time, Audrey was incredibly responsive, melting into me as her hands clung to my shoulders—the same way she had when I’d thrust into her and made her come twenty floors above Manhattan. I swallowed her moan and when her hands slid down my abs slowly, my muscles jumped in response. Her knuckles brushed over my cock and I jumped back. She gasped, looking up at me with wide, shocked eyes. Then, she slammed the door in my face.

  I smiled. Audrey might not want to deal with me, but she clearly wanted me, and I could work with that. As soon as I found a way to get back to my car without being arrested for the concealed weapon in my pants.

  Still, as I retraced my path, the smile never left my face.

  Read the rest of Wanting Ms Wrong HERE

  Undesired

  I should have known better. The quiet girl doesn’t get the hot, popular guy.

  Because my life isn’t a high school rom com.

  But I’ve had a crush on my best friend’s brother Will since we were teenagers.

  Will hadn’t noticed me then.

  Now, when I finally caught his eye, all hell broke loose.

  He rocked my world.

  He stole my heart.

  And tossed it away, unwanted.

  Undesired.

  Until I ended it.

  I should’ve stayed away from my sister’s best friend.

  What kind of man screwed around with the girl next door?

  The kind who found her innocence sexy, her sassy mouth alluring.

  What kind of man kept coming back when she told him not to?

  The kind who couldn’t get enough of her throaty laugh and sensual cries.

  What kind of man didn’t walk away when he wasn’t what she needed?

  The worst kind.

  I’m that man.

  Too selfish to let her go.

  And just desperate enough to do anything to get her to stay.

  Undesired

  Hope

  “What do you mean, you sprained your wrist dancing?” Suddenly, I had a hint of what Big Mama must have felt like all those years, raising me and my three brothers and sisters—in that moment, I very much felt like the adult. “Were you breakdancing?” That thought alone was enough to cause a heart attack, but the other alternative was unthinkable. As in, I absolutely refused to think about it.

  “I was just shakin’ my groove thang.” And she continued to shake said groove thang from her hospital bed in the ER. “The floor began to tilt and I stuck my hands out to break my fall and, wouldn’t ya know, that was the exact wrong thing to do?” Big Mama shook her head like she’d just taken a tumble and ruined her favorite pair of jeans.

  “I swear, you’re gonna give me premature gray hairs.” I was happy as hell to see that it wasn’t anything more serious than her wrist. “That phone call from Derek shaved at least ten years off my life.”

  She snorted. “Like you need it. Your skin is like milk—pale and creamy. I’d do terrible things to good people for skin like that.”

  “No, you wouldn’t, and we both know it. At least you weren’t twerking; I don’t think I could handle that.”

  “That’s it! That’s what it’s called. None of us could remember.”

  Kill me now. Why did I even open my mouth? “I’m going to pretend you’re kidding. How’s the pain?”

  “Just fine. That handsome Dr. Cahill gave me some of the good stuff. And he gave me hot pink!” She held up her cast, fac
e suddenly lit up like an over-eager ten-year-old. “Wanna sign it?”

  “You bet.” Inside the room, I took my time getting over to the bed, noticing every detail while my heart rate slowed to normal. The entire drive to the hospital, I’d gone over every worst-case scenario imaginable and it hadn’t been pretty. After a side of the road freak out, I saw for myself she was fine. I was just waiting for the rest of me to realize that. “There you are,” I said, handing the pen back to her.

  She read my words on her cast and grinned up at me. “Grounded for six whole weeks?”

  “Yep. After the cast is removed though.”

  Big Mama snorted. “I was never that tough on you.”

  “The student has become the teacher,” I told her with a smile, relieved she really was all right. A sprained wrist, I could deal with. It wasn’t ideal because it meant I’d have to put the lingerie on the backburner for a while, but it was manageable. “I’m sure Derek told you to take it easy?”

  She looked everywhere but at me until I bore a hole into the side of her face. “Yes, okay, Nosy Nancy? He said a few weeks.”

  The door opened and Derek Cahill, ER doctor, Hometown Hero, and total hottie walked into the room. “I said six weeks. At least.” He leveled Big Mama with a look that actually made her blush, and I made a note to learn that look right away. “Hope, how are you?”

  “Better, now that I can see for myself she’s all right. Is it really just a sprain?”

  He nodded and told me all about her injury and her restrictions.

  “It’s nothing serious but there are other health concerns, given her age, so let’s be extra careful.”

  “I won’t argue with you on that.”

  “Music to my ears.” His beautiful smile was truly spectacular. Heck, he was a spectacular-looking man, with big blue eyes and thick, wavy black hair—plus, those dimples. Good Lord, the man was a snack, but I had to admit there were zero sparks between us. “And that’s about it. Prescription and after-care instructions.”