ROMANCE: SPORTS ROMANCE: Tight End (Bad Boy Football Romance) (New Adult Alpha Male Sports Romance)

by Carly White

  “Very much so.” He was walking towards her with a determined look that moved her away.

  “You don’t date. I know everything about you, remember?”

  “I didn’t date. Things change.”

  The foot of the bed stopped her from moving back any further and she looked down, unable to keep up the intensity in his eyes. “And you could be happy with just one woman?”

  “As long as that woman is you, yes. You make me very happy.”

  “We don’t even know each other Jesse.”

  One hand cupped her cheek, while another pulled her body forward to his. “You’re right Ashlea. There are some things that I haven’t told you. No one knows but a few.”

  She sat back a little, his hand moving off of her face. There was something different in his eyes, a pain that she had only seen in passing before. “Just tell me.”

  He took a deep breath, his eyes looking off in the distance, focusing on something out of sight. “That room I put you in, is my daughter Angela’s room.”

  “I didn’t know you had a daughter.”

  “I don’t. Not anymore.”

  His face tightened and she felt his pain seeping out into the room around them. Ashlea almost wanted to stop him, tell him that she didn’t need to know. It hurt her to see him like that, vulnerable in front of her. She waited for him to say more, hoping that if he did, it would somehow relieve his pain.

  “Angela was nine and since I was getting popular in the MMA, I wanted to keep her out of the spotlight. I wanted her to have a normal life, so she lived with her mother and I would see her as much as I could. Denise was milking me for child support and I finally told her that we would have to go to court. She stopped letting me see Angela and though I wanted to go to court, my manager insisted that it stay hushed. He was afraid it would ruin my reputation.” His lips lifted with a sardonic grin. Ashlea waited, holding her breath for what happened next.

  “Angela had an accident at home in the back yard pool. She was pronounced dead at the hospital and she was gone before I got there. I never got to see her alive again. The last time I seen her was in the Rose Room, right before I left for a match. That was a year before she died and I didn’t do anything, because of my reputation. My little girl would still be alive, if only I had fought for her. And now, I can’t bear to change the room. I keep it just the way it was before she left.”

  Ashlea was stunned, her arms going around his neck. She had never heard a wisp about any of it and she had so many questions, but it was not what he needed. What he needed was her touch and it seemed to almost have a healing effect on him. His body relaxed as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

  “I know enough that no matter what is behind you, it can never change the future I see ahead of us. I am sorry that you had to keep that in for so long. I can’t imagine it, but I am here now.”

  The moment of ardor was temporarily gone, but there was something else there in place of it. It was the intimacy that she had never imagined, the baring of ones soul in front of another and coming out of it stronger for it. They settled back against the pillows, her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat slow down. He calmed next to her and she snuggled in against him. All the other problems of the day seemed so tiny in the face of what he had endured. Ashlea started to realize that the drinking was to numb the pain and she knew that together, they could get passed it.

  THE END

  At His Demand

  An Alpha Billionaire Romance

  By: Carly White

  At His Demand

  Chapter 1

  “Tilly, will you get that customer for me please? I need to get that invoice number from this guy and he put me on hold again.”

  Tilly nodded and went from the back of the small bookstore. It was the only one in town that wasn’t a big box store, still small and intimate in the Chicago area. Most of the smaller bookstores had been closed down during the turn of the economy, but somehow she had kept the family store in business. It was no small feat, but it was their new focus on ancient texts that she gave the change to.

  With full time classes that she had to keep above a 3.5 gpa, it was not easy to keep up with everything. If it wasn’t for great employees like Marla that had been with the family for years, Tilly probably would have sold out to the developers years ago. But she hadn’t, so there she was on one of her two days off, trying to make sense of the invoices that all needed to be paid. The store was staying afloat, but just barely most of the time.

  Focusing on the boxes of books that had to be put up still, she made her way to the front and to the back of a man in a suit. “Hi, can I help you Sir?”

  “Took long enough.”

  He turned around, his dark eyes taking in the slight girl. “Wow that was rude. Would you like to start again?”

  His lips raised in a smile as his eyes took her in. She could feel the heat of his gaze and it made her blush slightly before she remembered herself. “What can I do for you?”

  Thomas was a little taken aback by the way the girl was talking to him. She couldn’t have been very old and his mind instantly went to today’s youth. “Does your boss know that you talk to potential customers that way? It doesn’t seem to be good business.”

  She shrugged. “Would you like to tell her?”

  He shook his head that he wouldn’t. “Good, you probably would like her even less.” Her eyes waited for him to say something. He seemed at a loss of words, but he was quite handsome in his own way, if he didn’t talk of course.

  “Yes, I hear that you have the best ancient book collection in the city, so I guess I am just here to look around.”

  Tilly smiled finally. If he was a customer, the least she could do was muster a semblance of politeness. “Right this way. I will show you where they are and if you are looking for anything in particular, I am sure that we can find it for you if we don’t have it. Or try anyways.”

  “Thank you….”

  “Tilly.”

  “Thank you Tilly, my name is Thomas Longhairn.”

  She nodded, but he looked at her expectantly, like she was supposed to know who he was. She didn’t, so she left him to it. He watched her leave, his dark eyes taking in the curve of her bottom as she walked away. He had not come there with any other intention but to check out the books. Now his mind was more on the smart-mouthed girl behind the counter.

  “Ms. Tilly, Carlos is on the phone. He wants to know if you are running the ad budget same as last month?”

  Tilly knew that she should, but unless they had a really good end of week, they would not have the money for it. “Go ahead and tell him that I will give him a call later. I need to go through the sales first to see.”

  Marla nodded and the older woman went back to the back and the newspaper rep on hold. The store had been running the same ad for twenty years, her mother before her. But it seemed that it may be the first month that they did not. That in and of itself, would be a big let-down to her. It was like it was going to be the beginning of the end. She needed to worry about her English test the next day, but all she could think about was Ripley’s Way.

  She went to the boxes in the back hallway, dragging one out so that she could fill in the front display. Tilly started to put them up, going to her knees to start from the bottom shelves. Her skirt was just over her knees to keep her from flashing anyone, but she still had to seat herself just so, so that didn’t happen. Thinking about all of the bills that still had to be paid, she sent a little pray heavenward, hoping for a good weekend of sales. There were a few flyers out, as well as posters for a ten percent off weekend, so she was hoping that it would drum up some extra business.

  “Tilly?”

  Surprised to hear the dark voice behind her, she looked up to see the man from before, Thomas she thought she remembered. “Did you need something?”

  There was a spark in his eyes and then it was gone. “Do you have baskets or something that I can put these in?”

  S
he noticed the large stack in his hands. “You want all of those?”

  “Yes and there are a few more, but I didn’t see any carts or anything.”

  “Well this isn’t really Wal-Mart. I don’t think most people buy like that. Here let me take them and I will put them up at the front.”

  She stood up and he still towered over her like when she was sitting down. He was just a very large man and he made her feel even shorter than her five foot, four inch height. Grabbing them out of his hands, she walked towards the register and set them down. Reading the spines as she went, she found his choices interesting. “Are you taking a trip to Peru soon?”

  “I am actually. How did you know?”

  “Well, all of those sights are in Peru, so I figured so. It is a place on my bucket list. When I finish school, I am planning on going out that way for a few months. Plus, you can’t beat the beaches in South America.”

  “You go to school?”

  “Yeah, the business school over by the museum.”

  “And you manage this place?”

  “Well I own it now, but yeah. It keeps me busy and away from tramping in the jungle like I want to. What do you do?”

  “I, um, well I run a business as well.”

  “Yeah you looked like one of those corporate sharks. Could see it in the suit as you walked in.”

  The very distain that she seemed to have for his type, made him want to say that he was someone else. He had never had the sensation before, always proud to be who he was and to come from one of the wealthiest families in Illinois. But to have her look at him in that way did not suit Thomas at well and he found himself lying.

  “I wish. I am a small business man. It is rented.”

  Why was he humbling himself for this woman? He didn’t know the answer to the silent question in his head, but he knew that he liked the softening of her features. “Good, because those types are what is wrong with America. Thank goodness, because you are too smart and good looking to be another mindless droll looking to make your next billion.”

  “You seem very…passionate about it.”

  “Well someone has to be.”

  It was as good an answer as any. He walked back to the section and grabbed the last couple of books that he had found on Machu Picchu. The woman was jarring to his senses and when he looked back, she was already back to her own work and he was out of her mind. It was not the type of reaction that he was used to getting from women. He had never been turned down by one yet, but he wondered if Tilly would. He kind of thought she would and for some reason the challenge made him want to anyways.

  Going back up to the front, he picked up one of her business cards and slid it into his pocket before she walked up behind him. “Did you find everything you were looking for?”

  “Almost.”

  “Anything I can help you find or maybe order?”

  “No I don’t think what I want can be ordered.”

  “You would be surprised what I can get my hands on.”

  Her innocent answers were almost as bad as the overwhelming need to kiss her full lips. What was wrong with him today, he thought to himself? “No, this will be all, thank you.” Thomas groaned at himself, he had the perfect opportunity and instead he passed it up. He was being lame like the young men that he made fun of that would be tongue-tied by a pretty girl. There was something about the curvy, little blonde that made him pause more than once.

  “Okay, well it seems you have enough to keep you busy for a while. You’ll have to come back in and tell me how it went. I still have another year and a half till I finish my Masters. It seems like forever right now.”

  “I will definitely be back.”

  He went to his wallet as she rang up his order. Thomas almost pulled out his black card, but instead, just paid the hefty bill in cash. It probably raised her eyebrow that he had several thousand in cash on him for books, but she didn’t say anything. The black card would have been worse, everyone knew what it meant and he was not supposed to be a corporate droll as she so aptly put it.

  “Do you ever get a day free with your busy schedule?”

  Tilly looked up. “Are you hitting on me?”

  “Definitely.”

  “Well, not really, but you are cute. You are just not really my type.”

  His smile was quick. He was right and the fact that she had turned him down made him want to chuckle. “Ouch. That was harsh. What is your type?”

  Tilly was not expecting the question. She had expected him to see it as the nice no that it was, but he was not reading through the lines. “I don’t know.”

  “Wow, even worse. Just not me huh?”

  She pushed the bags that had his books in it and smiled. “Look, I am sure you are really nice and all, but I don’t date men like you.”

  “Like me?”

  “You know, come in here with your suit that cost more than my old family house, buying up a couple grand in books. I mean, don’t get me wrong, you paid for my advertising for the month and for that I am grateful.”

  “But?”

  “But that doesn’t mean that I want to date a guy that throws money around so easily. I don’t know what you do, but I doubt it has anything to do with small. They don’t rent those kind of suits Sir.”

  Thomas couldn’t hold back his laughter. He was pegged but he would not concede to her. “Sometimes you have to look away from the routine, to find what you are really looking for.”

  “I suppose. Sounds like a fortune cookie to me.”

  “I will see you again Tilly. Have a great day.”

  He left the store feeling strangely invigorated. Looking down at his overstuffed bags, her words made a little sense. How many people would just go buy all the books on one subject, just because they could? Shaking his head, he tried to forget about the quick-witted girl in the bookstore that had a tongue sharper than his.

  ***

  While Tilly had tried to appear not afflicted by the encounter, it was hard to when he left. She could feel her palms partly sweaty and her heart still beat hard in her chest. It was a good thing that all of that could be hidden, because it would have been embarrassing if he would have known. What a strange day it was turning out to be.

  “Marla?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Call Carlos back and tell him to put up the usual. I will send him a check later this evening.”

  “Okay.”

  Yes, what a strange day indeed.

  Chapter 2

  Her day got a little better after such a large sale and she was able to take off a little early to get some studying in. While her roommate Bree was getting ready for a party, she was stuck reading literature from hundreds of years ago, trying to memorize as much as possible for the test in the morning. She was stressed out about school, the bookstore okay for the moment. If it wasn’t one thing it was another.

  “Why don’t you come with? You don’t have to stay all night. You can come for an hour and then come back here to study. You have to have some fun in college because before you know it, you are doing nothing else but working anyways.”

  Tilly laughed. “After college I will still work, but won’t have classes. I will probably have more time.”

  “Fine, don’t go. I am just saying, your body is only going to look that way for so long. Why waste it?”

  Tilly giggled again. “You’re right. Give me a few minutes and I will come down for a bit. Only a couple of drinks though. Not going crazy like New Years. I wouldn’t even make it to class for the test.”

  Bree smiled and pushed the short black hair out of her face. She wasn’t ready either, so she went back to the bathroom. Tilly was a lot less of a primper, so she merely changed into a short dress and shoes, brushed her hair and slid some lip gloss over her soft lips and she was done. It was she that had to wait for Bree to finish with her third coat of spackle. “Are you about done?”

  “Almost.”

  “Don’t you think that is false advertising?”


  Bree stopped what she was doing and looked at her in the mirror. “You say the craziest things, you know that right?”

  “What? I am just saying Bree. You are gorgeous without all that craziness. I just don’t have time for it.”

  “Yeah and you don’t have time for sex either, so obviously your priorities are way off.”

  Laughing, she agreed. “Obviously.”

  ***

  The party was much like she expected from a college party. Tilly swore that graduates partied harder than most of the four-years did. When she got there, most of the people were already three sheets to the wind. She looked around and found the kitchen. She grabbed a beer out of the fridge and turned around to her roommate gone. She had already took off and left her. Tilly cursed her under her breath but it wasn’t like she didn’t figure she would anyways. Bree couldn’t be bothered once she had her eye on something. When she finally found her in the crowd, it appeared that a man had pulled her from her friend. Sighing, she looked around for other familiar faces.

  Seeing a few friends from her Law class, Tilly talked to them for a while. A couple of guys asked if she wanted to dance, but she just politely turned them down. If she was going to turn down a hot, rich guy like Thomas from before, she certainly did not have time for a half-drunk pair of goons.

  After telling them no nicely a few times, she had to get more firm and they eventually went away with a comment about her being a bitch. It wasn’t the first time she had heard it. There was also the names of prude and tease, but it was only because she was not as willing as most of her school mates to hook up with some guy right after meeting them. It wasn’t like she was still a virgin, but Tilly seen sex as more than just a physical moment. It could be transcending, but only when it was the right person. She just didn’t have time for anything less and what she wanted was a tall order to fill.

  She searched the moving throng of people and didn’t see Bree’s bright red top. She had probably taken off with the guy she had just met. Tilly never judged her friend, she even wished she could be so free-spirited at times, but instead of staying around, Tilly found herself out in the cool night air, walking back towards the small house she rented with Bree. She knew her friend would be along after a while, so she didn’t worry too much about her.