I see the smile in her eyes before it completely lights up her whole face. “If I did, I’d have to stop my sessions with Brandon.”
“Honestly,” I grin. “I think he’d prefer living with you than having to talk about his feelings all the time.”
She rolls her eyes. “He’d be reassigned with a new therapist,” she mumbles.
“Babe,” I demand. “Just answer the damn question.”
She squishes her face to mine and kisses me one last time. Her lips lift into a smile against mine. “I’d love too,” she finally says, making my heart explode inside my chest.
I hold her close to me as complete joy takes over me. “I fucking love you,” I tell her.
“I know,” she grins back at me. “But just so you know, you’re responsible for telling Cole.”
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
Epilogue
Imogen
12 Months Later
“Go, Brandon,” I scream as he pummels his fists into his opponent. He does a bit of that fancy ass footwork that Caden’s been teaching him and then stuns the crowd as he takes down his opponent with the stupid tornado kick that he’s been working his ass off learning.
The place is filled with people and I’m thrown back to my childhood when I used to be dragged along to all of Cole’s competitions.
I guess nothing has changed over the space of fifteen years. I used to stand with Caden then, and I’m standing with him now.
It’s been an absolute pleasure being Brandon’s foster mother over the past twelve months. After a few weeks of living with us, Brandon completely became a different person. He was no longer shy and jumpy, but an outgoing child ready to explore the world.
I knew that this was a part of his cheeky personality, but it seemed to only come out when he was with either me or Caden and now that it’s a permanent deal, he’s morphed into the child he should have always been had it not been for his disgraceful parents.
To our relief, they’ve never come searching for him and I know Brandon still thinks about and misses his mom from time to time, but it’s best this way. Maybe as he gets older he could search her out and possibly build a relationship with her one day, but for now, he’s good being our little side-kick. Well, little is an understatement. He had his twelfth birthday not long ago and he towers over me now. When I first met him, we were pretty evenly matched, but now, he’s a monster. I swear, it’s not natural for someone to grow so quickly, but Caden assures me it’s normal.
It’s strange how naturally Caden and I took to being Brandon’s foster parents. It happened almost instantly. I mean, sure, there were a few times where I was lost for words or had no idea how to handle a situation, but when I lacked, Caden was able to pick up. Say like… when I walked into the bathroom without knocking and saw something I really wish I could forget. I just have to keep reminding myself that it’s healthy for young boys to explore in that way.
The crowd cheer and I find myself jumping up and down with excitement as Brandon is declared the winner of his very first fight. I feel like a proud Mumma as I watch my boy celebrate in the middle of the ring.
“Fuck, babe,” Caden scolds as he protectively wraps his hands around my swollen stomach. “Stop jumping like that. You’re going to give my baby a headache.”
“I’m sorry,” I grin. “I can’t help it. I’m just so damn proud of him.”
The emotion is too much for me to bare and I break down into sobs as the tears stream down my face. “Shit,” I cry as I make a fool of myself while trying to fan my face to help keep the tears at bay, but it’s no use.
Caden can’t help but laugh as he pulls me into his side. I press my face into his chest and use his shirt to dry the tears off my face. His arm winds around my waist and holds onto my stomach as our little girl attempts to kick his hand away.
The day I found out I was pregnant was one of the scariest days of my life. I was terrified it was too soon for us to be having a baby. We’d only been living together for about four or five months and I completely freaked out, but naturally, Caden did his thing and helped me to see that this happened at a perfect time.
From that day on, I fell more and more in love with the little alien that’s been growing inside me, and now I’m desperate to meet her, and so is Brandon. He’s stoked to be getting a baby sister, but no one is readier than Caden. He tells me every day that he’s been waiting a lifetime for this moment with me and every time he does, it warms my heart like you’ll never know.
The way he loves me is something I’ll never tire of. It’s intoxicating and thrilling. It’s like a big fluffy blanket that you can’t help but sink into. It keeps you warm and protected and no matter what, you know you’ll always be safe with it.
I never thought I’d be able to tell a man that I loved him, but the second I did, I’ve never looked back. Letting those words out was like coming home and I couldn’t believe I’d waited so long to tell him. When I think back to the year we had of meaningless sex, I realize it wasn’t meaningless at all. I could never pinpoint when it happened, but I’d say I was in love with him a lot longer than I ever realized. Hell, I might have loved him since I was a kid. It’s something I’ll never know, but either way, I’m glad he forced me to see what was right in front of me.
My arms circle my baby as I feel her kicking and moving around. If it weren’t for this incredible man, I’d never know this kind of happiness. I’d never know that this is exactly what I needed to find that feeling of completeness. It’s incredible. My heart has never been so full and every day, it continues to grow.
Brandon comes running down from the ring and barrels into us. Caden catches him a moment before he squishes me and gently pulls him into us. “Congratulations,” Caden says as Brandon looks back up at him and beams.
“Thank you,” he says.
I wriggle out of Caden’s hold and wrap my arms around the kid who changed my life. “That tornado kick was badass,” I tell him.
Pride rips across his face as he looks at me. “You saw that?”
“Of course,” I laugh. “I’d say it was the best damn tornado kick I’ve ever seen.”
“Whoa,” a familiar voice cuts in at my right. I look across to see Cole scowling at my comments while he presses his hands to my stomach. I don’t even think he realizes he’s doing it by this stage. He’s just so damn excited to be an uncle. I almost feel sorry for the little girl inside me. She’s going to be surrounded by all these strong men, she’ll never get a chance to fall in love, but then, maybe I don’t want a man taking her away from me. “You mean, best tornado kick you ever saw, right after mine, of course?” Cole grins.
“Sorry,” I laugh. “Brandon’s got you on this one.”
At that, Brandon snickers and grins like it’s the funniest thing in the world. “And me?” Xander questions, shoving his body in between the crowd to get to us.
“Yep, you too,” I tell him with absolute confidence.
Our teasing banter has Brandon’s face lighting up and the look pulls at my heartstrings. Even more so when Cole and Xander congratulate him and have him fangirling over them.
As the boys talk, Caden can’t help but pull me back into his side. “You’re going to be an incredible mommy,” he tells me.
I stretch up onto my tippy-toes and press my lips to his. “I wouldn’t if it wasn’t for you teaching me what to do.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he says, repeating the silly argument we’ve had since the day I became pregnant.
‘I’m not being ridiculous,” I tell him. “Without you, I never would have had the chance to become a foster mother to Brandon. I never would have learned what it was all about, and without you, I’d never get the chance to meet this beautiful little girl inside me. You’ve given me everything I never knew that I wanted and I’ve never been so happy.”
“Do you have any idea how good it feels to hear you say that?” he murmurs against my lips.
“Yeah,” I gri
n. “I bet it feels just as good as when you tell me you love me.”
He smiles against my lips before really kissing me. “Ugh,” Brandon complains. “Not again.”
“Yeah,” Cole grunts with a scrunched-up face. “I’m with the kid. Knock it off.”
I can’t help but laugh. With my baby kicking and the loves of my life surrounding me. I’m in heaven. All that’s left for me to do, is watch my man be an incredible father to our little girl while I fall in love with him over and over again.
The End.
Luke – Book 3
Rebels Advocate
Introduction
Lexi
All I planned on doing was flipping the house and selling it.
How could I have known that the neighbor was going to be an ass?
How could I have known that he would go out of his way just to annoy me?
How could I have known that the man next door would stir feelings in me that I never knew existed?
How could I have known that the day I moved in next door, my life would never be the same?
Luke
She’s the most infuriating woman I’ve ever met and it’s just my luck that she lives next door.
She’s hellbent on driving me insane every damn morning.
She needs to be taught a lesson and I’m more than happy to give it to her.
If she wants to play hardball, then it’s game on.
I never expected her to be so damn radiant.
I never expected her to make me forget.
WARNING: Luke is a steamy romance with a HEA and NO CLIFFHANGER. It contains sexual content and coarse language. It is recommended for mature readers. Please be aware that some scenes may cause stress for some readers.
The Rebels Advocate series is made up of standalone novels, however, for maximum enjoyment, it is recommended that readers start with the Kings of Denver series.
Chapter 1
Lexi
I stand before the house that’s going to become my home for the foreseeable future, and it’s a pile of shit.
What the hell possessed me to buy this crap? I’ve been flipping houses for the past four years, and usually, I go for something that just needs a facelift, but this? This needs to be completely gutted and rebuilt.
I don’t know what I was thinking when I took on such a big project. My last few projects only needed new kitchens, new bathrooms, new carpets in the bedrooms, and fancy ass flooring in the living spaces. Then after a fresh coat of paint, they looked incredible and I made a shitload of money on it.
I would spend a bit of time demolishing all the old crap I didn’t like and then hire a carpenter to get the room ready. Then it’s as easy as going down to the store, picking out what I like and getting them to come and install it.
As I look up at this disaster, I know I’m going to have to get my hands dirty. Hell, I’ll probably break a few nails in the process, too. It will probably cost me a fortune to renovate, but it’s on a great street with parks and a school. It’s perfect for a young family, and I know once it’s done, it will be worth it.
I walk up the cracked concrete pathway that leads to the front door and start taking note of all the things that need to be fixed. I’ll need new light fixtures out on the porch. New windows and doors and a crap load of landscaping.
I pull the keys out of my pocket which I just picked up from the realtor and unlock the door. As I push it open, the first thing that hits me is the god awful smell wafting out of the carpets. I groan as I step through the threshold. The place is damp and has been locked up for, who knows how long, making the smell seem so much worse.
Before I even look through the rest of the house, I crack every single window in the house and slide them right open to hopefully dull the stench that wafts up from the stained carpets. I mean, how the hell do people let their homes get so bad?
My mental note of things to do keeps growing to the point I dash back outside to my truck and grab a notepad and pen. I instantly start jotting things down. I head back inside and continue making my way around the house and by the time I’ve made it the whole way around, I have a complete plan in mind. Unfortunately, it’s going to cost a lot of money.
Just freaking great. I really should have thought this through a little better, but my stupid need to take on impossible challenges keeps getting in the way.
Even with this daunting task ahead of me, I’ve never been so excited and I can’t wait to get started. I know I’ve only just walked through the door and it’s only ten past seven on a Monday morning, but I just don’t care. I want to get this show on the road.
First things first, I need to get one of those big dumpsters so I can strip this place down to its bones. I look around for somewhere to sit and decide nothing here is worthy for my ass to sit on just yet. I head back out to my truck and sit in the driver’s seat as I search through my phone for a local dumpster guy.
The second that’s ordered, I hop out of the truck and walk around the back, grinning as I look down at my trusty sledgehammer.
Hell yeah. There’s nothing better than demolition. You know, grabbing that sledgehammer and using all your might to tear something down. It just gives me this twisted sense of satisfaction and I don’t even care that it’s wrong. It’s fun and I love it.
I duck into my truck and grab my speakers out of the suitcase in my back seat before heading back into my rundown house. I plug in the speakers, thrilled that the electricity actually works, and I crank the music up as loud as it can go as I can’t possibly do this shit without it.
Now, the real challenge is figuring out where the hell to start. I guess it comes down to what’s more important. Bathroom. Bedroom. Kitchen.
Hmmm, I’ll start with the bedroom.
Taking my sledgehammer, I dump it in one of the four bedrooms and head back out to my truck to grab the heavy bag of tools I’ve collected over the past few years.
As I stand back in the bedroom, I take a deeper look around. It’s going to need a lot of work. The walls have holes and water stains which are probably from the bathroom in the adjoining room. The carpets are old, worn and stinky, and the room could probably use a closet.
With my plan in place, I swing the sledgehammer over my shoulder and go nuts. It comes down hard on the old walls, and ten minutes later, I’m pleased to see the framework underneath still looks pretty damn good. But, I’m even more pleased to find that the walls are coming down really quickly. Looks like this demo isn’t going to be so bad.
I’m busy shaking my ass to Demi’s ‘Cool for the Summer,’ when a voice behind me scares the living shit out of me. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Do you have any idea what fucking time it is?”
I spin around to face the man who stands in my bedroom doorway. “Excuse me?” I grunt in surprise while holding onto the sledgehammer. I mean, if he decides to take a step closer to me, I’m going to lay his ass out. Who the hell does he think he is waltzing on into my home without an invitation? The guy could be a killer for all I know.
I quickly take in the stranger and from the looks of him, maybe I might just let him take a step closer. Hell, a little fun with a perfect stranger would be a great way to celebrate my new project.
My eyes travel from his bare feet, up his strong body and wide chest all the way to his dark hair, and I’m not disappointed. The man is tall with the hottest stubble I’ve ever seen across his sharp jawline. He’s intimidating and from the way he holds his big body, I get a feeling he wants to be. Even with all his clothes on, I can tell he takes care of himself. This man is the real deal. He’s not the kind to mess around. He’s built solely on testosterone and doesn’t take no for an answer.
“You heard me,” he spits. “It’s seven thirty on a Monday morning and you’re waking up the whole fucking street with all this noise.”
Ahhh… so he must be one of my neighbors. Great. I’ve been here for less than half an hour and I’ve already managed to piss someone off. Good work, Lex. E
xcellent job.
In any other situation, I’d apologize and turn my music down. However, seeing as though this dickhead had the nerve to waltz on in here without bothering to knock, and use a tone only a jackass would use, I’m feeling like a big fuck off is coming his way.
I give him a sweet smile and find my most condescending tone which I usually reserve for when my husband hunts me down. “Where I’m from, it’s considered a dick move to barge into a woman’s home.” I change my tone to mimic a tour guide. “Now, if you look to your left, you’ll see a hallway that opens up into a wide space. Just to the right of that space is the exit. Thank you for visiting and please make sure to keep your arms and legs inside the carriage at all times.”
His eyebrows pull down as he gives me a confused look. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“With me?” I shriek at this strange man. “You’re the one with a problem. Who barges into someone else’s home without an invitation?”
“People like me who are pissed off with their inconsiderate neighbors,” he yells, making sure he’s heard over the music.
“Well, excuse me for not being a lazy slob. Now, how about you go find that exit?”
He doesn’t move, just stands there staring at me with his arms crossed over his big chest. “Turn your music down,” he demands.
“Get out of my house,” I throw back.
He narrows his eyes and I see nothing but a challenge. “Turn the music down,” he repeats.
“This isn’t a negotiation,” I tell him, wanting nothing more than to piss him off. “My music isn’t that loud and I have shit to do. So, if you’d like me to turn it down, a ‘please’ would go a long way. Hell, maybe you could come to the door, knock, and wait patiently like a regular human being, and I’m sure I’d be more than happy to help you. But because you decided to storm into my home like a raging bull, you can fuck off.”
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