Hard Man: A Secret Baby Sports Romance (Bad Ballers Book 1)

by S. J. Bishop

  "Where am I? Am I okay?"

  He took my hand and softly brushed his lips over mine.

  "Oh my God! She's awake!" My sister's voice screeched loudly through the air as Treena burst into the room, flinging herself over me. She glared at Lars.

  "You were supposed to call me the second she woke up."

  "She just opened her eyes," he said defensively. "I swear!" Treena took my other hand, and I suddenly felt like the center of some strange private art show. They were both staring at me as if I were the most beautiful, most wonderful thing they had ever seen in their lives.

  "Um," I said. "So...is someone gonna tell me what's going on? Am I okay?" My eyes bugged out of my head, and I looked down at my stomach. "Is... is...?" I looked from Treena to Lars.

  "It's okay," Treena said, rolling her eyes. "I know all about what Mr. Muscles here did to you. He confessed everything to me after I beat it out of him."

  I looked at Lars, who blushed furiously. "I already told you I was gonna take care of it," he murmured out of one side of his mouth.

  "What are you talking about?" I asked. "Take care of what? Is the baby okay or—"

  "The baby's fine," Lars interjected. "Both of you are just fine." I breathed a sigh of relief.

  "What about Dad?"

  "You can ask him yourself when he gets back."

  "Gets back? You mean he's awake?"

  Treena nodded her head toward the empty bed next to mine. "Since yesterday. He's still kind of out of it. He's in the bed next to yours. Lars arranged it so you two could be roommates. I told him I wasn't sure that was the greatest idea, but he was determined."

  I beamed at him and leaned up to kiss him, realizing for the first time that my arm was in some sort of cast.

  "It was a clean wound," Lars said, pushing me back against the pillow as he leaned down to kiss me again.

  "How long have I been in here?"

  "Three days."

  I couldn't believe I'd been asleep for three days. It made my head spin. "Who are you texting?" I asked Lars when he picked up his phone.

  "Maddie. I promised her I'd let her know when you woke up. She can let Tony know then too."

  "Your friend Tony?"

  He nodded.

  "Yeah, they've been pretty tight the last few days. When the cops hauled Angelo off, they tried to grab Tony too. She came to his rescue, so to speak. Let the cops have a piece of her mind."

  "So Angelo's in jail?"

  "Yep, and he's not getting out for a long time."

  Suddenly, I felt like Rip Van Winkle. I'd fallen asleep and the world had changed all around me. I closed my eyes, suddenly very tired. Minutes passed without a sound, then Treena started whispering to Lars.

  "We should let her sleep," Treena said.

  "I will," Lars whispered back, "but I'm still not leaving."

  "What about the ring?"

  "My mom brought it over last night. It was my grandmother's. It's the only family heirloom we have. I can't believe my mom actually let me have it. Do you think she'll like it?" I heard rustling and then Treena's gasp. I opened my eyes.

  "What did you just say?" My eyes were still bleary but not so bleary I didn't see the wide-eyed look Lars shot to Treena, who started grinning like a kid on Halloween.

  "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" she cried.

  "Treena!" Lars snapped at her, looking irritated but also a little excited himself. He turned his attention back to me. "You have a real bad habit of eavesdropping on people, you know that? I thought you were asleep."

  "Well, you thought wrong," I said. A nurse suddenly appeared outside the door, pushing a man in a wheelchair. "Dad!" I shouted when he came in.

  "Hey! Look who's awake!"

  "Me? What about you?" He rolled himself over to my bed, and we hugged each other awkwardly as IV needles and tubes poked out of each of us.

  "Ahem," Treena said. "Something important was happening here."

  My dad looked from Treena to me? "What's that?" he asked.

  Treena and I both looked at Lars, who turned a bright shade of red. Slowly, he withdrew something from his pocket. It was a small white velvet box. He knelt down beside the bed as my heart sped up.

  "I can't see you on the floor!" I cried out as my eyes began to water. "This bed's too high." I tried to peer over the edge and would've rolled off the edge if the bars weren't there to stop me. Lars stood back up, shaking his head. My father watched us, a confused look on his face.

  "What's going on?" he asked.

  I looked back at Treena. "Don't worry, I'll wheel him around the hospital after this and explain it all to him. That way you and Lars can have some alone time."

  "Why would they need alone time?" my father asked, starting to look a little flushed.

  This time, Lars ignored the traditional part about kneeling—we weren't very traditional anyway—and opened the box.

  "Clarissa Walker, the first time I met you, I liked you. The second time I met you, I hated you."

  "No," I interjected. "You still liked me. I hated you."

  He grinned from ear to ear. "Nothing gets by you, does it? That's one of the things I love most about you. You're the whole package. You have the brains to match the beauty. I never thought I would want one woman to share the rest of my life with, but... I want you. If you'll have me? What do you think? Wanna grow old together?"

  He was still grinning as he opened the box and presented me with a magnificent emerald cut diamond on a gold band. It gleamed in the hospital lights, almost blinding me.

  "Will you marry me?" he asked.

  "Yes!" I screeched, almost jumping out of the bed. "I'll marry you!" Lars leaned down, restraining me so that I wouldn't fall, and kissed me. His lips were a soft summer wind carrying me with him to places I had never before dared to dream. With Lars beside me, I knew I'd never have to worry where the wind took me, as long as we were together.

  Epilogue

  Lars

  "Doesn't mommy look beautiful?" I whispered to Ashley before handing her off to Coach Walker. He'd told me to call him "Dad" a million times, but he would always be Coach to me.

  "Are you sure she's gonna be okay out there?" Clarissa asked worriedly. "She's not even two yet."

  "She's old enough to know her mommy when she sees her," Coach said, beaming.

  "Besides, if she gets too squirrely, one of us will take her out," I told her.

  "I'd be happy to watch her," my mom said. "Anything for my granddaughter."

  "Maria, I invited you here to watch the show, not be a babysitter," Clarissa said.

  "I know, but I never thought I'd get a granddaughter. I'm more than happy to help out."

  "Tell you what," Coach Walker said, "if this little girl acts up, we'll take her outside together. What do you say?"

  "I'd say deal," my mom said, smiling back at him. I wasn't sure I liked the overly friendly connection that seemed to be growing between my mom and Coach Walker, but I decided not to worry about it right now. I had enough to stress out about already. Besides, if things took a romantic turn between them, at least I knew Coach was a good guy. Like any son, I just didn't like the idea of my mom getting her freak on with any man, no matter who it was.

  There was a knock on the door. "Clarissa, five minutes."

  I could see her heart jump as she began pushing us out the door of her dressing room. "I'll see you all after the show," she said. She kissed me hard before shooing me out with everyone else. "I still can't believe it's finally happening," she said, taking a deep breath. "After all this time. The last year and a half has felt like ten to me."

  "You'll be wonderful," Coach told her, kissing her cheek.

  Tony grabbed Maddie's hand, and they headed out the door. "Break a leg," Maddie said. "By the way, have I told you how jealous I am that this is your second show with Phil?"

  "First," Clarissa corrected. "A Bride for My Father never happened. At least not with me."

  "Yeah, but you were still cast as the lead
, so it still counts!" Maddie laughed, and Clarissa hugged her.

  "I wish you'd taken that part. You would have been great."

  She blushed. "I couldn't. You know that. Not after everything that happened. Besides, my first show opens in two weeks, and I expect to see you there, even if that means your understudy has to go on."

  "I wouldn't miss it for anything," Clarissa told her before Tony tugged on Maddie's arm.

  "Come on," he said. "We've gotta get to our seats." Maddie grabbed his hand, and they ran off together.

  I took one last long look at Clarissa as her room emptied out. "Ring," I said, pointing at her finger.

  "Oh!" she looked flustered. "Thanks for reminding me." She took off her wedding ring and handed it to me.

  "I'll keep it safe," I promised, then kissed her quickly as they started calling places.

  In my seat with Ashley, I looked around and realized that finally, after all these years, I had a family. A real family. I finally got what Ash had been trying to tell me all those years ago when he'd first talked about getting out. Money didn't matter. Nothing mattered except the people in your life. The people you called family. Of course, the hundred million dollar contract I'd just signed didn't hurt. I wondered how Angelo had reacted in prison when he'd learned about my contract. Finally, I had the money to pay him. Too bad he'd never see the light of day again.

  The orchestra started, and the curtains opened. Clarissa's voice rang out, a low wail that carried through the theater and brought tears to every eye in the house. When she finished, the room erupted into applause. It was only her first song, and already the crowd loved her. Though I doubted anyone would ever love her more than I already did.

  Personal Note

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  CUFFS & BALLERS

  Bad Ballers Book 2

  SNEAK PREVIEW

  Prologue

  Treena

  I felt every eye in the room on us as Jax spun me around the dance floor. My red dress flared out, revealing long, trim legs, and the tan I'd been working on for the last two weeks. I still couldn't believe I was at Denver High's prom with the hottest guy at school. A slow song started, and Jax wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close. I pressed my face against his neck, inhaling every morsel of the scent I had come to know and love—green grass and sunshine. When I was a freshman, I never would have believed that sunshine had a scent, but as a junior, I could smell it on Jax as certainly as I could feel the muscles in his chest twitching through the thin fabric of my dress.

  "I'm glad I beat you at skee-ball last week," I purred, resting my head against his shoulder. "Winning that bet was the only way I was ever gonna get you out on the dance floor."

  "I've got a secret," he whispered back to me. "I let you win."

  My head shot up, and a smirk lighted my face. "No one loses at skee-ball that badly on purpose."

  He grinned back at me. "I'm ready for a rematch any time you are."

  "You're on. I'll wipe the floor with you next time too," I grinned. I lightly pressed my mouth to his. The soft, gentle kiss I'd been going for turned long and passionate. We stopped dancing. We stood with our arms wrapped around each other, neither one of us wanting to let go.

  "Are you ready to get out of here?" he whispered. I could feel his hot breath blow softly against my ear, warming me from my head to my toes.

  "If you are..." I said, my heart palpitating wildly in my chest. I hoped Jax couldn't read how nervous I was.

  "Treena," he said, putting his hand under my chin and tipping my head back so that my eyes met his, "we don't have to do anything tonight that you don't want to. There's no rush."

  A slow smile spread across my face, impossible to hide. "Don't you dare try to back out now," I teased. "I'm ready," I felt my cheeks color. He leaned in and kissed my forehead, his soft lips lingering close to my face for just an instant before I caught a look from Mrs. O'Hara, who was chaperoning with about a dozen other teachers. I pulled back and took his hand in mine, swinging our arms as we walked toward the exit of the Colorado Hotel ballroom our school had rented out for the prom.

  "Besides," I teased, "you're leaving in a few days. I want to make sure you remember me when you're surrounded by pretty college girls."

  "Hey," he said, stopping just outside the entryway to the ballroom. "I won't forget you, whether we have sex tonight or not. You're the only one I want, Treena Walker. Now or ever. I meant what I said. I want this to be special. I don't want you to sleep with me because you feel like you have to."

  My heart skipped a beat, and I lost my breath. If there was one thing Jax was, it was a gentleman. I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him, pressing my five-foot-five-inch frame against his hulking six-foot-four one. My lips just touched his, and I instantly felt that shudder I’d been coming to equate with a deep, primal urge. The kind that could only be satisfied with something more than kissing.

  My body was on red alert as Jax escorted me up to the room he'd booked for the night. I sent my dad a quick text and told him I was alright, that I was out with Jax and our friends at a Denny's, eating midnight breakfast. I knew Clarissa would be waiting up for me when I got home. Even at fifteen, my younger sister had eyes like a hawk when it came to matters of the heart. The second I walked into the room we shared, she'd know something was different.

  Our hotel room, average to anyone else, seemed magical to me as Jax closed the door behind us. It was as if it had been created by a fairy godmother especially for Jax and me on this special night. The bed sat in the middle of the room, ready and waiting. This was the only time since Jax had first asked me out when I was in seventh grade and he was in eighth, that we were alone together in a hotel room. I set my purse aside and spun to face him.

  Jax's blue eyes glimmered across the dim light of the room, searching mine. I tried to send him a signal the way women in movies always did, conveying lust and love and willingness all in a single, simple glance, but I think all I managed to convey was my nervousness. Jax stepped close enough that I could feel his breath on my face and unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt. My breath caught in my throat, forcing a small cough. Jax reached down, taking my hand in his. He raised it to his bare chest and placed my open palm over his heart. It was beating just as frantically as mine.

  Thank God—he's nervous too.

  "Don't forget that you're not alone here," he told me.

  I couldn't help the teasing glint in my eye. "I should hope not. That might be a bit awkward if I was, don't you think?"

  He laughed, and I felt his hand shake. "That's not what I meant," he said.

  "I know." A giggle bubbled up out of me.

  "What's so funny?" Jax asked.

  "Two virgins alone in a hotel room... whatever will we do?" I knew it was nerves making me laugh now. Jax shattered them with the soft stroke of his fingertips over my cheek as he brushed some hair from my eyes. I took a deep breath.

  We leaned into each other at the same time. His lips brushed delicately against mine, sending a shiver up and down my spine. I kissed him back, harder, our tongues twirling together as his large hand lightly pressed against the s
mall of my back. I broke away from him for just a second, our noses still touching as I whispered, "Promise me that when you're at Penn State, surrounded by all those cheerleaders and girls throwing themselves at your feet—"

  "Treena, that's not gonna happen."

  "—promise me that you'll remember this moment. That... that tonight, at least, we were one person." God, it sounded so corny now that I'd said it out loud. I blushed furiously. Jax kissed me lightly and met my eyes with his.

  "Treena, I promise you that I will never forget you. I will never leave you. I will always love you."

  For some reason, a chill ran across my skin just then, making me break out in goosebumps. Jax held me tighter to him.

  "I love you, too," I told him.

  He kissed me, and I felt the chill fade away, replaced with a burning desire that went straight to my core. I sent one last prayer out to the fates or God or whatever it was that guided young lovers, that whatever might happen, Jax and I would always be together. Then we sank to the bed and forgot about the outside world.

  1

  Jax

  I took a step and threw the ball to Mason. He missed catching it by more than a foot, and I silently cursed myself. That was my fault, not his. My head throbbed as I began to fidget, planting my feet deeper into the grass. For one brief second, I wished I was at a bar instead of at practice for the New York Jets. Then Mason threw his helmet down and stomped toward me, and the image of a bar vanished.

  "Damn it, Jax! What the hell is the matter with you?" Mason yelled. His face was red and pinched and sweat gleamed across his forehead in the hot sun. He was no bigger than me, but he had a temper I couldn't afford for him to lose. Not after last season.