by Joanna Blake
GO LONG
Joanna Blake
There's a cardinal rule in football that you never break. You don't mess around with a player's girl and you don't touch the coach's daughter. Well, I've never been good at following the rules.
Belinda Carmichael is uptight, prissy and the hottest girl I've seen in my life. She's also the head coach's precious baby girl. And she's entirely off limits.
The trouble is, I didn't know who she was. And she had no idea I was her daddy's newest player. It was her job to show me around campus, and I showed her a lot more than that. But we fumbled the ball- she never told a soul that I was the one who got her pregnant.
Not even me, the baby daddy.
As the quarterback I'm not supposed to date the coach's daughter. I'm definitely not supposed to knock her up. Well, too bad. I don't just want to date her. I don't just want her in my bed. I want score the ultimate, game-winning touchdown.
Her heart.
Copyright © 2016 Joanna Blake
All rights reserved.
I'm so lucky to have a group of authors, bloggers and loyal readers who give me feedback, guide me and push me to go further with each book. You are more than coworkers and friends. You are family.
Thank you.
Chapters
Preface - Dangerous
Chapter One - Curious
Chapter Two - Delirious
Chapter Three - Focus
Chapter Four - Tempestuous
Chapter Five - Serendipitous
Chapter Six - Duplicitous
Chapter Seven - Cantankerous
Chapter Eight - Infectious
Chapter Nine - Illustrious
Chapter Ten - Incredulous
Chapter Eleven - Nefarious
Chapter Twelve - Anxious
Chapter Thirteen - Ambitious
Chapter Fourteen - Obvious
Chapter Fifteen - Delicious
Chapter Sixteen - Treacherous
Chapter Seventeen - Gluttonous
Chapter Eighteen - Hellacious
Chapter Nineteen - Solicitous
Chapter Twenty - Voluptuous
Chapter Twenty-One - Scrumptious
Chapter Twenty-Two - Desirous
Chapter Twenty-Three - Glorious
Chapter Twenty-Four - Ferocious
Chapter Twenty-Five - Glamorous
Chapter Twenty-Six - Ludicrous
Chapter Twenty-Seven - Impetuous
Chapter Twenty-Eight - Momentous
Six Months Later - Lustrous
Note from author
HEAT - bonus book
BRO' - bonus book
PLAYER excerpt
GRIND excerpt
Bound To Me excerpt
Preface
Dust clouded my vision. It was everywhere, hanging in the air like smoke. I squinted, struggling to see. I spat and my saliva was practically solid.
I fucking hated the dust.
Everyone complained about the heat, the flies, the fucking insurgents who looked like they could be anyone, and often were. Little kids, women, it was impossible to tell. They complained about missing their families, their girls, the food.
But we had a job to do. Protect the local civilians from the terrorists. Protect the U.S. of A.
That was a pretty fucking important job.
Personally, I didn't mind any of that. I didn't bitch about shit. I just hated the dust.
I really, really fucking hated it.
"Thick, what are you going to do when you get home?"
Kenneth sounded wistful. I got that. I was out soon. He wasn't. It was going to suck leaving my guys behind, but that was part of the deal. I'd been in longer. I'd served my time. I was out.
I grinned, ignoring the feeling of the caked on dust that cracked when I smiled.
"The first thing I'm going to get is a burger and a beer."
"Hmmm... beer. Sounds good."
"Ice cold beer. Then I'm going to find me a sweet, clean American girl and give her the business."
"Fucking A, Sergeant Thick."
"Fucking A, Private."
Shots fired, interrupting the silence and we crouched a little lower. We couldn't hit the ground completely and still observe the situation. But we could try and avoid getting our heads blown off.
"Sergeant Thick?"
"Uh huh."
I turned my head. Kenneth was batting his eyes at me with his hands clasped together. He looked like a cartoon Southern belle. All he needed was a Goddamn bow in his hair.
"Take me with you."
I laughed and stared into my scope, scanning the area.
"If only I could, Kenny. You come and see me as soon as you get out though, alright?"
"Fucking A."
Chapter One
Kyle
The student center was huge. It was circular which made every damn sound in the place echo. After being in the service you would think nothing would unnerve me. I'd seen plenty of action for God's sake.
But things had been orderly in the Marines. Well, not in combat, but there was always a procedure to follow. A best course of action.
This was something entirely different.
People milled around everywhere. Students sat on benches, hunched over laptops. Some even sat on the floor. There were tables with information, security guards, kiosks selling University themed t-shirts and tote bags.
It was chaos. And the semester hadn't even started yet.
Yeah, college was going to take some getting used to.
I had no choice but to get used to it though. This was the whole damn point of the last four years. I'd gone into the military to pay for school, at least at first. I'd grown to love it though. Way more than I'd ever expected. The guys I'd served with were the family I'd never had, the dirty bastards.
I fucking missed them already.
But I had worked hard and now I was here, fulfilling the promise I'd made when I was twelve years-old. Not to mention the promise I'd made to myself. My secret ambition. I wanted something more than just a degree out of this place.
After all, it was the top ranked football school in all of California.
This was the kind of place I'd only dreamed about back home in Virginia. Home. Where the men had coal or grease under their fingernails and the women's hands were raw from housework. The only ambition you had there was to toe the line, make your day's wages, and lose yourself in oblivion at the Rusty Nail at night.
Now, this place was a far cry from the local community college. Shiny new buildings, beautiful trees, clean cut and good-looking students everywhere. I'd been headed to community college before I signed up, which was a series of small buildings outside of town that had a parking lot full of potholes.
If I hadn't gotten money from the GI bill I'd be there, or working. My plan was to get the bare minimum and set up my own shop. I would have gone into carpentry. I was good with my hands.
But now everything was different. Now, I had a chance at a better life. Just like my mama wanted for me. She knew the path that was ahead. She knew it was much easier just to fall in line with the rest of the local boys and stay put. She wanted more for me, though, and her ambition had been contagious.
Without that promise, I would have probably just skipped school, gotten a job at the mine and drank beer and bourbon like my daddy. Gotten some girl knocked up and then just worked myself into the ground. Just sit every night and drink, until you died.
But I'd promised my mama on her deathbed that I'd get a college degree, so here I was.
I was a 21 year-old freshman. Not that much older than the average student. But to me, these kids looked so young. Even the upperclassmen. Hell, even the grad students looked like kids to me.
They were civilians. They were green.
To be honest, I felt like a hawk in a room full of canaries.
I looked up in time to see a sweet ass redhead walk into the room. Hell, everybody stopped what they were doing to stare at her. She had long legs, wrapped in tight, worn in jeans. Her platform sandals were sexy without being over the top. Her soft pink camisole hugged her curves, skimming over her delicate collarbone, caressing her outrageous tatas and down to a tiny waist I could grip with my hands.
Oh yeah, the body was tight.
The face was something else all together.
The girl was heart-stompingly beautiful. The best I'd ever seen. Her creamy skin was faintly flushed, as though she'd been running. Juicy, plump pink lips and a pert nose competed with the biggest green eyes I'd seen in my life.
Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, they did. Her hair was red. Flaming, silky, long and glorious red.
I heard Kenneth's voice in my head. I would have grinned but I felt frozen to the spot. My entire body focused on getting a good look at her. Memorizing her. You know, for later. My alone time.
Fucking A.
The American Teen Dream was heading right for me. She seemed to float through the place. Like a Goddess among mortals.
She was coming straight for me. She smiled tentatively and I felt all the blood in my body travel right for my sac. Maybe I was going to like college even more than I'd thought. Maybe Grade A tail like this was just going to fall into my lap...
"Kyle?"
I nodded, almost dumbstruck by how good-looking she was. Hell, maybe it had been too long since I had a woman. But it hadn't been that long.
She was just off the charts hot.
"Hi, I'm Belinda. I'm here to show you around."
She smiled shyly and held out her hand. I took it, getting a thrill from the feel of her soft, delicate hand. She felt so fragile, I felt instantly protective of her. She pulled back and handed me a folder. I saw her glance at me. Her huge eyes were filled with curiosity.
"That's your housing information. We don't usually get freshman students this early before the start of the semester."
I didn't answer. I didn't want to get into my ambition to try out for the team. Not yet.
I just wanted to get into her pants.
I flashed my smile. The one that made panties drop. She blinked at me, confused rather than charmed. Damn, it looked like her panties were staying on.
For now anyway.
"Do you work here?"
She nodded.
"I'm a student. But I work here, too."
"Are all the girls here as pretty as you?"
She stiffened up and gave me a sharp glance.
"I don't really think a person's appearance has anything to do with academics."
Oh man, she was a tight-ass little prissy one. Didn't matter. I was going to love fucking with her. And more, if I played my cards right. It wasn't going to be easy, but I was always up for a challenge.
It just made the victory that much sweeter.
"I wasn't talking about academics. I was talking about you."
She blushed and I grinned at her.
"Come on, I'll show you to your dorm."
"I can't wait."
I let her lead the way. That was so I could watch her ass when she walked. She glared at me over her shoulder and I smiled wider. She knew what I was doing.
Oh yeah, college was going to be fun.
Belinda
Why did they have to send someone so good looking? He was so arrogant too! I should have been irritate that he kept mentioning my looks, and I was. But for some reason I was fascinated. I literally could not look away. I was having trouble remembering that I wanted to get back to work asap.
This was supposed to be an easy part of my job. I had so much to do. I was working on an independent study about the bee epidemic that was my ticket to grad school. Environmental studies were getting harder and harder to get into now that it was a hot field.
I'd been planning on shuffling the new student off to his housing as quickly as possible and getting back to my work. I'd imagined some pimply freshman who smelled like potato chips.
But this guy... this guy was something else.
He was big, huge really, but not overstuffed. An athlete for sure. He looked like a Greek God or a movie star. Or a movie star playing a Greek God.
Oh yeah, that was it exactly.
Plus, he seemed to be deliberately trying to make me uncomfortable. It was working. He kept flirting with me. I usually just made it clear I didn't want to flirt and that was that.
But this guy was not giving up. In fact, the more I evaded, the more he seemed to pick up speed. Kyle was way more persistent than any guy I'd ever encountered.
Not that I'd encountered all that many.
I walked him through campus, trying to hurry without being rude. I kept stealing glances at him. He was tall. Built like a truck. Basically, his muscles had muscles.
But it was his handsome face that had me forgetting what I was talking about. High cheekbones, a strong jaw and sensual lips. Light blue eyes that seemed to linger on my lips every time I glanced at him.
I was glancing a lot.
Then again, so was he.
"So, do you have a boyfriend?"
I forced myself to look away. He wasn't being too subtle was he? It was time to put my foot down. Make it clear that I wasn't interested.
Even if I kind of was.
"Me? No. I don't have time for that."
"That? You're a funny girl Belinda."
He laughed and the sound sent a strange thrill through my body. I felt hot and cold at the same time. Just from the way he was looking at me.
I shook my head mentally. I was here to study, not date. My father had been grinding that into me since junior high school.
Work now. Play later.
Well, play a little later.
He probably would be happy if I went into a nunnery. That's basically how I felt. I just 'prayed' at school and my nunnery was my parent's house.
Never mind that he'd met mom when they were in college. Nope. I wasn't allowed to date and since I still lived under his roof, I had to follow his rules.
I didn't mind though. Not usually. I was on the fast track to finish school in three years. Then straight into grad school. By then I'd have enough money saved to get my own place. Downtown in the art district maybe.
Then I could date whoever I wanted.
I could dress how I wanted. Eat and drink what I wanted. My parents wanted a say in almost everything I did. It was stifling, to say the least.
Oh yeah, I was definitely in a hurry to finish college.
I glanced at Kyle again.
Well, maybe I minded a little bit...
I showed him to his dorm, wondering how he'd swung a single. I pointed out the general lay of the land at rapid fire, including the best place to get pizza. Then I reached out my hand to shake goodbye.
I felt my knees buckle a little at the feel of his strong, calloused hand as it closed over mine. I'd felt it before when I first shook his hand. An electric current had passed between us. But now, I knew he wanted to go out with me.
He smiled at me, his gorgeous blue eyes crinkling.
"Would you like to get something to eat with me? Maybe a beer or two?"
"I'm sorry, I can't. I have work to do."
He tilted his head, looking at me with a challenging look in his eyes.
"Oh, so I was right. You are a goody two-shoes."
I sputtered in annoyance.
"I am not!"
He leaned forward, his eyes sliding over my body deliberately. I gasped and stood up straight, crossing my arms.
"Oh yes, you are."
"I'm not!"
He grinned disarmingly. He'd just been teasing me. I felt my insides flutter a little bit at the look on his face.
"Then prove it. Have a beer with me."
I was about to say no, with real regret, when I saw the dog tags hanging
around his neck. I hadn't noticed them before. I'd been too busy admiring... everything else.
"You were military?"
He grinned.
"Marine. Most people consider it a lifelong thing."
I nodded, embarrassed. I knew that. My dad was a Marine. I was caught off guard. Impressed. My dad had instilled a serious respect for the men and women who served in me early on, and it had stuck. The stories he told about basic training, and everything that happened after... well, they made an impression, to say the least.
"Oh, that's why you seem... older. For a freshman I mean."
"Yes, I am older than a typical freshman. I've been busy fighting the bad guys."
I swallowed. He seemed so powerful suddenly. And I owed him my respect for what he'd done for our country. That's why I agreed to get a drink with him, I thought as I waited for him to drop his bags off upstairs.
That and being sick and tired of the rules. Enough was enough. Getting a drink with a handsome guy was what girls my age were supposed to do. We were supposed to get kissed in the rain. Get tipsy and dance with our girlfriends.
None of which I'd ever done.
It hadn't seemed to matter until now.
But it did matter. It mattered a lot. I heard a tiny little voice inside me speak up.
She was me, but wilder. Me, but angrier.
Me, but freer.
And she said three little words.
Go for it.
Chapter Two
Kyle
I was trying not to stare at the beauty in front of me. It was hard to tear my hungry eyes off of her. And my gaze kept slipping lower... to her lips... her cleavage... wondering what she looked like naked. And when I was going find out for myself.
I groaned under my breath and adjusted my jock.
She sipped her beer daintily, looking around. I could tell she didn't go to bars much. Even though this was supposed to be the best rib joint in town.
