Work Violation (Cook County Book 2)

by BJ Harvey

  And I’m the lucky son of a bitch who gets to say she’s mine.

  I rise up on the small step ladder in front of me and screw the last bulb in to the last light fitting—out of nearly fifty in the entire house—and with a loud cheer filling the air, the Dream House project is done.

  Getting back down, I turn to find my wife biting her lip as if trying to stop herself from laughing. Then I see Axel with his arms wrapped around her hips, and a shit-eating smirk on his face.

  I close the distance between us and lean in to kiss Ronnie but a low grumble from a certain eight-year-old stops me in my tracks. Then Ronnie loses it, dropping her forehead to my shoulder as she bursts out laughing.

  Shifting to her side, I wrap my arm around her shoulders and look down at my disgruntled nephew. “Hey Ax.”

  “Ugh,” he says, glaring at me. “Why are you touching my Ronnie?”

  I open my mouth to say something but Ronnie bends down, giving me pause.

  “What’s wrong, Ax?” she asks.

  “Mommy said that me and Gran are going to give her away to Jamie at the wedding.”

  She nods. “That’s right.”

  “But I didn’t get to give you away.”

  Damn. This kid feels everything.

  Ronnie puts her hands on Axel’s shoulders and looks him dead in the eye. “Ax, you can’t give me away because you’re stuck with me. Forever.”

  His little face brightens instantly. “Really?”

  “Of course. There’s no way you’re ever getting rid of me.”

  “That’s good, because Cohen said I might have to punch Jax in the nuts to save you from him.”

  My head snaps up toward my soon-to-be-a-eunuch baby brother. Ronnie’s snort and subsequent giggle cuts through that thought. When I look back down, Axel’s wide smirk as he looks between my junk and Ronnie’s face has my hands instinctively moving to protect myself.

  “Nah,” she says. “Cohen was only joking. You don’t want to hurt Jax.” Axel looks up and narrows his eyes at me as if considering the truth in that statement before returning his gaze to our girl. “Besides,” she continues, “no matter what happens, you’re always going to be my little guy.”

  “What about when I grow up?”

  “Then you’ll be my big boy.”

  “And what will Jax be?”

  I’ll still be the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet.

  Ronnie glances up and winks at me. “He’ll always be my husband.”

  Damn straight.

  “Okay then. I won’t punch Uncle Jax in the nuts,” Ax says.

  I breathe a sigh of relief. “Hey, Ax. Maybe you should go do it to Uncle Cohen instead?” All’s fair in love and war, after all. “But first, give me a high five,” I say, holding my palm up. After smacking his hand against mine, he turns and moves away.

  Ronnie stands, laughing with me as we watch Axel walk across the room to Cohen and, without any warning at all, give him a well-aimed slam dunk to the junk.

  I turn her toward me, resting my hands on her hips as she lifts hers to my chest. Her blue eyes are bright, and her beautiful face is a picture of happiness.

  “So what happens when we get our own little guy?” I ask, pulling her in against me.

  She tilts her head, her lips quirking up on one side. “A mini Ken heathen?”

  “Or a mini Barbie diva,” I reply with huge smirk.

  “I’m not sure you could handle a mini-me.”

  I shake my head and chuckle. “I can barely handle you.”

  “That’s true,” she sighs. “But you do the best you can.”

  “And I always will.” Then, before she can say anything else, I dip my head and kiss my wife. I may have taken my sweet-ass time making Ronnie Nelson mine, but now I’ve got her, I’m never letting go.

  “Mooooom, Jax and Ronnie are kissing again,” Axel yells, gaining our attention. We both turn our heads toward the little cock-blocker as he moves to where his parents are.

  “Dammit, you’re kissing too,” he says when he catches April and Jamie sharing their own moment of celebration.

  “Don’t say dammit,” we all say in unison.

  His eyes go wide before Axel does what Axel does best. Make us laugh.

  “Well, shit.”

  The End

  Keep reading for an exclusive sneak peek of Working Back (Cook County #3)—Bryant and Faith’s story. Read to the end for an extra special bonus scene from Axel’s point of view.

  To be notified of future Cook brother book news including release dates, preorders, and cover reveals, please sign up for email alerts HERE.

  Working Back (Cook County #3)

  October/November 2019

  Girls weren’t on Bryant Cook’s radar until the day he moved next door to the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. Fortunately for him, Faith Baker fell just as hard that first day as well.

  From age eight to twenty-two, it was the ‘Faith and Bryant’ show, and their happily forever after seemed certain. Until it wasn’t.

  Now she’s back after twelve years and she wants what they had.

  That’s when Bryant issues a challenge. One Faith can’t resist. After all, her future—their future—is riding on it.

  She said she’d do anything, she just didn’t think he meant that...

  Working Back (Cook County #3)

  Chapter 1

  Bryant

  My nerves are shot. It’s partly for Jamie, who is pacing the room behind me, watching the minutes tick down until we need to leave for the church. However, the biggest reason is that sometime during today’s proceedings, I’ll see her. Twelve years ago, I left California with a biology degree and a broken heart, Faith Baker having successfully obliterated it when she left without even saying goodbye.

  Twelve years of anger, sadness, what ifs and if onlys.

  Twelve years of wondering whether I’d ever find another woman who I’d let get in there so completely with me that they’d never want to leave—and I’d never want to let them go. Yet I knew the answer all along. I always have.

  Twelve years of being an idiot and not extinguishing that burning ember deep inside.

  A knock at the door breaks the silence, and in the reflection of the floor-length mirror in front of me, I watch Jamie cross the room and turn the handle.

  “Hi.”

  I go completely still. That voice—the one I fell in love with at twelve years old before I even knew what love was.

  “Is he in there?”

  Why can’t I move?

  “Yeah. I’ll give you guys the room. I’ll be back, Bry,” Jamie says, stepping out of sight, the void being replaced by a beauty still so bright, the imprint sears my soul.

  Snap out of it, Cook. I won’t get through this without a clear head.

  The click of the door closing echoes around the room, those bright green eyes of hers boring into mine. We stand just like that for what seems like forever, silence stretching between us.

  Despite knowing for almost two months that this moment was coming, nothing could prepare me for the sucker punch of having her standing in front of me again.

  I close my eyes and take a deep breath before turning to face her.

  “Hey,” I say roughly. I look down and clear my throat, fidgeting with the cuff of my shirt as I will my heart to stop racing. I’ve waited too long to stuff it up now.

  “You look good, Bry,” she says softly.

  I pause and run my gaze from her heel-clad feet, up and along the tanned bronze leg poking through a knee-high split in her ankle-length purple dress. It skims her body up to her hips before clinging to her chest, the fabric knitted together in a series of twists and weaves that wrap around her torso and gather on one shoulder. Her hair is lighter now, copper streaks scattered through soft dark brown waves. She’s head-to-toe gorgeous.

  As if on instinct, my focus falls to her left-hand ring finger, knowing Ezra or Mom would have told me if she was married or engaged but feeling compelled t
o check regardless. Everything would’ve been in vain if she was otherwise involved.

  “You look…” Beautiful. Radiant. Not mine even though I still want you to be.

  Her lips twitch, drawing my attention to them. I really need to stop checking her out.

  “How have you been?” she asks, breaking the awkward silence between us.

  “Good.” Nervous. On edge. Stuck.

  “That’s goo—” she says, but stops herself. Is this really what it’s come down to? Forced, polite conversation, like we’re strangers?

  That’s because we are.

  She sighs, shaking her head, her lips curving up in a half-hearted smile. “Okay, so I think one of us has to just come out and say it.”

  “What’s there to say, Faith?”

  “I missed—I miss you.”

  “After twelve years, that’s what you want to say to me?”

  “It’s the most important, so I figured that’s what I should lead off with if you didn’t kick me out.”

  “I still could…” Her brows lift up. “Kick you out, I mean,” I continue.

  “I’m willing to take my chances,” she says, stepping closer. The first time I see her in twelve years and she still has me tied up in knots.

  I should stop this, but I don’t want to.

  I should want her far away, but I want her as close as can be.

  How is it possible that this woman—the girl I’ve loved for more than twenty years—still has me wanting her after everything she did?

  Is it because when she was far away, it was easier to push her out of the forefront of my mind? Is it because a part of me always knew—hoped—that when she finally came back, she’d still feel the same about me as I obviously will always feel about her?

  Get it together, dumbass.

  “You’re the first boy I ever loved. You were my everything—”

  That hits the spot, that unhealed sore spot I need to focus on. “Until I wasn’t.”

  She gasps, her eyes misting over, her hand lifting to cover her mouth. “Is that what you think?” she says, her voice breaking.

  Yes, this is exactly what I needed. I grab hold of the anger, frustration, and wounded ego that’s never gone away and run with it.

  “It’s what I know.” My words are strong, flat, unequivocal.

  Then I catch it—a change in the way she holds herself. She squares her shoulders and lifts her chin, her eyes narrowing on mine. I should ask her to leave, because now is not the time to be rehashing the events of twelve years ago or trying to process anything other than the fact my brother is getting married in a few hours. Today is supposed to be about celebrating love, not thinking about how this could’ve been the two of us getting married. Building a life together. Renovating our own dilapidated relocated farmhouse, rather than me doing it with my brothers.

  “Faith, we need to talk, but not on my brother’s wedding day.”

  That’s when I see a spark, a flash in her eyes that used to make me rock hard whenever I saw it. It would be when she’d punch Jamie in the stomach if he was being a dick to me, or when Missy Gregory was flirting a little too much with me for Faith’s liking and she bitch-slapped that girl into submission. It’s a look that screams determination. It’s telling me she’s not about to let this go easily, kind of like how I’ve never been able to let what we had go either.

  It’s then I make my decision. The one thing I know will scare her off if she’s not really invested in this. I need her to put up or shut up.

  “Are you staying in Chicago?” I ask.

  She stills, tilting her head and studying me. I almost detect the briefest hint of annoyance in her tone. “Of course I am. I came back for you, Bry. For us.”

  “Right. So if you really came back for that, then you’d be willing to do absolutely anything to prove it.”

  She furrows her brows. “Of course. I know I stayed away too long but we were too close, too much, too—”

  “Yeah, you said all that after making sure we were done.”

  “And I’m so sorry, Bry. I had to.”

  “And now?” I ask harshly. I’m not this guy, except apparently when faced with the love of my life who I can’t—don’t want to—ever get over.

  I can’t entertain the idea with certainty. I’m a man who never leaves things to chance. I’m a planner, a thinker. I have to know all of the components, the possible outcomes—positive and negative—and need a level of control over a situation. Jax calls me the yin to his yang. He’s the more impulsive, fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants twin. I’ve always been a little envious of him because of that. I’m the more measured, analytical one out of the two of us. That’s why everything I’ve worked toward has led to a moment like this.

  “Now,” Faith says, taking a tentative step toward me. “I’m back, and I’m staying. I’m here for the long haul, Bry. I’ve come back for you… for us… to rebuild what I broke and fix it. I’m going to stay with Ez until I find my own place, and I’m here now, to find out if there’s even a chance.” There’s always been a chance with you.

  Everything in my head scrambles together. I look down and adjust my shirtsleeves again, my fingers twisting the silver cuff links Jamie gave each of us with our initials on them.

  I never expected her to be so open and upfront about what she wanted. I didn’t anticipate her just laying it all out there. But if she wants it, then I want it all. It’s all I ever wanted. No uncertainty, no maybes. No running away when life gets hard or confusing or too much.

  There’s only one possible solution to this. A controlled situation. A certain situation. One final experiment. She’ll either go for it or prove to me she’s not fully invested—again.

  I take a deep breath and lift my head, my palms sweating, my heart jumping into my throat. This is it. This is the moment I find out whether my soulmate is all talk or not. It may make no sense to anyone else but if I ever want to know for sure, it’s time for me to risk it all—again.

  “Okay,” I say with a shrug.

  Her head jerks back, her eyes wide. “What?”

  “We can work on this—us—on one condition.”

  “Anything, Bry. You name it, and I’ll do it. I really want to make this work. I want to make it up to you. I just want you.”

  “We enjoy today. No drama and tension. I don’t want anyone feeling like they have to walk on eggshells around either of us.”

  Her gaze turns skeptically cautious, her eyes narrowing on mine ever so slightly. “That sounds great and all, Bry, but what’s the catch?”

  “You do still know me.”

  “Of course,” she replies, still not sounding so sure. “But what is it? What hoops do I need to jump through? What mountains do I have to climb? Because I’ll do it, whatever it takes.”

  “It’s pretty simple. You want to get back together and I need certainty.”

  “I’m sure, Bryant. I’ve never been more sure about anything in my entire life.”

  “Prove it.”

  She leans closer, her eyes shining with hope, a look that morphs into something else entirely when I say the two words I’m expecting will be the deal breaker and prove once and for all that—yet again—Faith Baker truly has no idea what she wants and who she wants it with.

  “Marry me.”

  For an extra special bonus scene from Axel CLICK HERE

  Want to know more about Abi and Cade?

  From the USA Today bestselling author of the Bliss series comes a new spin off series featuring your favorite Bliss series characters who are yet to meet their match. Now it’s Cade and Abi’s turn.

  How do you know when fake turns real?

  Abi Cook lives her life by her own rules. She works hard, plays hard, and knows who she is and where she wants to be.

  Following a repeat one-night stand with the dashing Dr. Cade Carsen, Cade asks Abi for a favor: be the fake girlfriend on his arm for the duration of his father’s mayoral campaign.

  Never one to turn down a chall
enge, she doesn’t hesitate. I mean, who wouldn’t when all that’s involved is a little fake girlfriending with a side of hot sex, and with Doctor Hottie no less?

  But like any Game, there are always twists and turns, unexpected players, villains, heroes and ultimately, winners and losers.

  Game Saver is the story of what happens when two happily single people try for something less, but end up with something so much more.

  Get Game Saver here

  BJ Harvey is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Bliss Series. She also regards herself as a smut peddler, suspense conjurer and a funny romance thinker upper. An avid music fan, you will always find her singing some hit song badly but loving every minute of it. She’s a wife, a mom to two beautiful girls, and hails from the best country in the world—New Zealand—but currently lives in Perth, Australia.

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  Bliss Series (Interconnected Standalones)

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  True Bliss (Bliss #2)

  Blissful Surrender (Bliss #3)

  Permanent Bliss (Bliss #4)

  Finding Bliss (Bliss #5)

  The Game Series (Bliss Series Spin Off)

  Game Player (Game #1)

  Game Maker (Game #2)

  Game Saver (Game #3)

  Game Ender (Game #4)

  Game Breaker (Game #5)

  Game Planner (Game #6)

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  Stranded (Christmas novella with a Bliss Series connection)

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  Lost For You (Lost #2)

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