So there he was, in the back of JT’s with his cousin and brothers. He was trying to relax and have a good time, but he really wanted to be with Deanna. The thought of going home tonight and sleeping alone didn’t feel right. It had been bad enough when she’d been working, but now that she was at home, it felt wrong to not be with her.
Sadly, she’d made it very clear that she didn’t want company tonight. Which he understood. It wasn’t like she’d gone into her seventy-two-hour shift having a lot of reserve in her sleep tank. He’d basically depleted that sucker dry. If they were measuring sex tanks, then that would be another story. He’d filled that sucker up to the brim.
It wasn’t like he’d meant to keep her up night after night. She’d kept his dick up and Lucky had acted on his behalf.
Deanna was the worst kind of addiction, because he knew that he would never get enough of her. It was like every time they had sex, he wanted more. Not that he wasn’t satisfied—he was. In fact, she was his personal Snickers bar. Deanna really satisfied him.
But he was starting to see that he was never going to get enough of her. When he was around her, he couldn’t keep his hands to himself. She was just so damn cute and sexy that he found himself in a constant state of arousal.
An unfamiliar female voice snapped Lucky out of his haze. “Are you Lucky Dorsey?”
Turning, he saw a stunning redhead and a knockout brunette standing in the doorway of the pool room. They looked to be in their mid-twenties, and both were looking at him with hero worship in their eyes.
“That’s me.” Lucky smiled a friendly but not flirty smile.
The girls’ eyes both widened, and their smiles grew larger.
“Can we get your autograph?” the redhead asked.
“Sure.” He stepped closer to them.
The brunette took a pen out her purse and handed it to him.
Lucky waited for them to hand him a piece of paper or something. “What did you want me to sign?”
The brunette pulled her shirt down, exposing her white satin bra. “Can you sign here?”
This wasn’t the first time Lucky had been asked to sign a bra, and most likely, it wouldn’t be his last. He grinned as he scribbled his signature on the flimsy material. When he finished, the redhead had already unbuttoned her pants and pulled her panties up so there was a blank space of material for him to put his John Hancock.
After he signed both, the girls asked him if they could take pictures with him. He agreed. Then, after the selfie photo shoot, during which he’d learned that they were in Hope Falls for the week on a spur-of-the-minute “girls’ trip,” they handed him a piece of paper that had their names, phone numbers, and the address of where they were staying.
When they left, he crumbled it up and tossed it in the trashcan in the corner of the room. Then he turned to find Logan, Levi, and Adam all staring at him in total and complete disbelief.
“What?” he asked all three of them.
Levi was the first to speak. A knowing grin pulled at his big brother’s mouth. “You love her.” He wasn’t asking a question; he was stating a fact.
“You do,” Logan affirmed. “Those girls were hot and you didn’t even blink when they pulled out their underwear. You threw their phone numbers away. Not to mention you bid five Gs to spend, what? Like eight hours with Deanna?”
Lucky already knew all of that. “So?”
“What are you doing about it?” Adam asked, one eyebrow lifted.
Lucky wasn’t exactly irritated at the line of questioning, but he also wasn’t happy about it. Adam and Levi were both older than he was by a few years, but Logan was only older by a few minutes. Nevertheless, growing up, these three had made him feel like he was the little guy tagging along. Even now that they were all grown-ass men, he felt like they were reverting to that same pattern.
“I’m doing what I need to do.” Lucky didn’t owe them an explanation.
Leaning over the pool table, he broke. Two striped balls went in.
“Fine.” Levi raised his hands in mock surrender. “But we’re here if you need to talk.”
Oh, please. They might’ve thought they were The Three Relationship Wise Men, but they weren’t.
Lucky wanted to shoot a smartass response to his brother about how he’d only been with Shelby for a few months—the same with Adam and Jane. And, although Logan and Emma had known each other for years, they’d only taken their relationship to the next level about a month ago. But he held his tongue. If he did need advice, they would be there for him. That was more important than his getting his panties in a bunch because their offer and interest had sounded condescending to him.
“So, what’s going on with the next fight?” Adam asked.
“Contracts are signed. It’s happening.” Lucky didn’t tell them that Jessie and Jerry were riding him about his image, both saying that he needed to keep his reformed status intact. It seemed that Energysplash loved the “new and improved” Lucky Dorsey and not so much the “playboy” Lucky Dorsey.
It annoyed the shit out of him that Jerry or Jessie would actually think he gave a shit what some sponsor thought of his life. All they should care about was the amount of eyes he got on their product placement. He was no one’s puppet.
As he waited for his next turn, he was getting aggravated thinking about the fight, the sponsors, his image. But then Deanna’s face popped into his mind, and just like that, he relaxed. Just thinking of her smile, her eyes, and her voice immediately calmed him down.
Okay, so maybe he was someone’s puppet.
Chapter 22
‡
“Hi. Is this seat taken?” Logan’s fiancée, Emma, asked.
“No. Please sit.” Deanna scooted over so the pretty blonde wouldn’t have to climb over her in her form-fitting, midnight-blue dress.
Even though it was ridiculous, she was actually grateful to be sitting with someone she knew. There were plenty of familiar faces in the crowd, but quite a few weren’t. She probably could’ve snagged a seat with Nikki, Amy, or one of the other girls from Book Club, but they’d been running late thanks to Lucky ravishing her when he’d picked her up.
She’d opened the door, and within seconds, he’d had her inside, shut the door, and taken her up against it. It had been hot. Like raging-inferno, grease-fire hot. Maybe it was because they’d had to rush, or maybe it was because it’d been four days since they’d been together. Whatever the reason, it had been explosive.
“Thanks.” Emma smiled sweetly as she took her seat and motioned across the aisle to two boys who looked around ten. “My son ditched me to sit with his friend.”
Deanna had forgotten that Lucky had told her that Emma had a son. She looked so young. Plus, Deanna was still trying to process that Emma, the beautiful, humble mom sitting beside her, was Chelsea freakin’ Paige.
“Wow. It’s so pretty here,” Emma commented as she pulled a notebook out over the vista and started scribbling.
“Is that for a book?” Deanna asked.
“Not for any one in particular, but whenever I see things this breathtaking or unusual or just special, I guess, I try to jot down as much description as I can for future reference,” she explained before turning her attention back to the vista laid out before them. “And this view is…inspiring.”
Deanna nodded. It really was.
Adam and Jane’s wedding was being held at The Cove, an upscale restaurant above Hope Falls. The reception would be inside, but the wedding was on a bluff that overlooked the small town. The sun was setting in the backdrop, and the sky glowed with brilliant orange and purple streaks, giving the entire setting an ethereal feel.
When a buzzing sounded, Emma and Deanna froze then spoke at the same time, “I forgot to turn my phone off.”
Both women laughed as they reached for their individual devices. Once Deanna had seen her message was from Lucky, she smiled.
Did I mention that you look beautiful tonight?
Lucky had mentioned that
—several times, in fact—since he’d picked her up.
Yes.
Then she silenced her phone. She was in the process of putting it back in her purse when the screen lit up.
Did I tell you that I missed you?
Her smile grew even larger as she replied again the same way. He’d told her that several times also. She’d missed him, too. It had only been four days since she’d seen Lucky when he had picked her up for the wedding this evening, but it had felt like four months. When she’d opened the door and seen him standing on her porch, emotions she couldn’t name had flooded through her.
She’d wanted to tell him what she was feeling. She’d wanted to throw her arms around him and tell him that she had missed him so much. But she hadn’t. Something had held her back. Then Eli’s warning had flashed in her head.
“If you love him, don’t let your pride or fear, or whatever, mess it up. Because, I promise you, you will live the rest of your life regretting it.”
Since leaving Mountain Ridge yesterday, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the ominous conversation she’d had with Eli. When Lucky had texted to say that he wanted to see her, she’d told him that she was calling it an early night.
Which was true. But it wasn’t the whole story. Everything was happening so fast between Lucky and Deanna. Ever since the visit to the hospital, she’d felt like she’d been strapped into a roller coaster and the ride had taken turns, flips, and loop-de-loops she’d never expected.
First, the visit to the children’s hospital itself had been so unexpected. Then she’d been swarmed by paparazzi. Following that, she’d had assistance in getting rid of her headache—and every other ache she’d had—only to wake up to a media circus. Top that off with a week of hiding out, ignoring Lucky’s attempts to get in touch with her only to end up at his doorstep for a “game night” she might’ve won technically, but she’d definitely lost a lot in the process, like her sanity and her heart. You know, little, insignificant things like that.
This past week, she’d had no time to take a breath and just be. She was either with Lucky or at the firehouse. Now, adding to the kaleidoscope of emotions she was trying to make sense of, there’d been her totally out-of-the-blue chit-chat with Eli.
Yesterday, she had believed that taking the night for herself was the only way to get off the crazy ride and find some balance. Center herself. Unfortunately, the only thing she’d accomplished was getting more confused and missing the heck out of Lucky.
She was still staring at her phone, so, although it made no noise, not even a vibration, she saw it light up.
Did I tell you that I love you?
After responding yes, she pressed send and the next message popped up as music began playing. She needed to put her phone away, but when she saw what it said, she hesitated.
Did I ask you if you were wearing panties?
A small thrill ran through her. She’d been wearing underwear earlier, before their afternoon—or, rather, evening—delight. But, as soon as they’d finished, Lucky’s phone had rung and his cousin had asked him to go back to his house and get the rings. Adam had forgotten to pack them the night before when he’d had to vacate for tradition’s sake. In the rush, she’d forgotten one very vital piece of her ensemble: her panties.
She was just about to type back the shocking truth that, no, she was not when another message came through.
The answer is no, because I have them in my pocket.
As she sucked in a surprised breath, a flush rose on her cheeks. Sure, no one knew she wasn’t wearing underwear but her and Lucky, but it was still embarrassing. Embarrassing, yet, somehow kind of hot. Her fingers were poised to respond when a quiet murmur rolled through the crowd like the wave at a sporting event.
Gotta go, you’re getting me in trouble.
Lifting her eyes, she saw Adam, Levi, Logan, and Lucky taking their places in front of the guests. Lucky was putting his phone away as he walked, and when he took his place beside his brother, his eyes locked with hers and he winked.
A familiar fluttering began low in Deanna’s belly. It happened every time Lucky looked into her eyes. In fact, she’d even named the winged creature Lusty the Butterfly. Whenever Lucky looked at her, he woke up Lusty, who began flapping her wings.
“Wow,” Emma whispered.
For a moment, Deanna thought she’d missed the bride’s entrance, but one quick glance to her left and she saw that the wow had been inspired by the men standing in front of them. Or, more accurately one man, in Emma’s case.
The Dorsey men were all in suits, each one looking like he could be on the cover of GQ.
Or maybe GQ’s bad boy edition.
Deanna leaned over and whispered, “You may want to take notes, because that is all kinds of inspiring.”
*
Weddings had never really been Lucky’s scene.
Wedding receptions, however, were a different story. He’d always loved a good party.
Tonight had been different though. Tonight, as he’d stood up for his cousin, he’d pictured himself as the groom. Tonight, as Jane had walked down the aisle accompanied by her grandfather, he’d pictured Deanna walking towards him. Tonight, when the couple had read their vows to each other, he’d replaced their words with the ones he would say if he were marrying Deanna. Tonight, when the pastor had announced, “You may now kiss the bride,” the only thought in his mind was sealing his own vows with his green-eyed, brown-haired girl.
Everything had changed.
Lucky was no stranger to wanting more. He’d spent his entire life pushing himself towards his next goal. As much as he had told himself that he was fine with taking things slowly with Deanna, he wasn’t sure how long he could wait to make her his bride. He wanted forever with her. He wanted to be able to introduce her as his wife.
On a personal-life level, he’d never felt more fulfilled and focused. On a professional-life level, he still felt like he was lost with no GPS.
“Hey, man! I wasn’t expecting to see your ugly mug here today.”
Lucky turned and saw Billy Marshall. Billy had been a title-holding badass boxer until last year, when he’d retired suddenly. Or maybe it wasn’t as “suddenly” as Lucky had thought. He didn’t know Billy all that well. Maybe Billy had been contemplating retirement for a while, just like Lucky had.
“Hey! Good to see you!” Lucky pulled Billy in for a one-arm, man-hug; patting him on the back the traditional two times before stepping back. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Jane’s my cousin,” Billy explained.
“Oh, so, does that make us cousins-in-law?” Lucky took a sip of his beer.
“Maybe,” Billy grinned. “Like once removed or something.”
“How have things been? How’s retirement?” Lucky hadn’t really heard anything about what Billy had been up to since his announcement to retire.
“Good. Things are good. I’m working for Elite Protection. It’s challenging, and there’s a lot less of a chance that I’ll end up with brain damage. Well, worse than I already have.” Billy laughed, and even though Lucky knew he was joking, it was based in the truth.
Lucky hadn’t talked to any other fighter who’d left at the top of their game. Since that was exactly what he was thinking about doing, he figured he would take advantage of this opportunity.
“Is that why you got out?”
“Yeah, man.” Billy rubbed the back of his neck as he let out a breath. “Well, that and my heart just wasn’t in it. The last couple of matches, I was phoning it in. I just didn’t have that fire in me anymore. When I woke up every day and went to bed every night thinking about boxing, when that’s what I ate, slept, and breathed, then any sacrifices or risks that I had to make were worth it. But, once that was no longer the case, I was done. If I wasn’t all in, I knew I had no business being in that ring.”
“I know what you mean.” Lucky took another swig of his beer.
Billy had just reinforced everything he’
d been telling himself. Everything he had already known to be true.
Billy’s eyes narrowed. “You thinking about getting out?”
Lucky hadn’t told anyone other than Levi, Charlie, and Deanna what he’d been considering. He had to keep it quiet—at least until he made a firm decision. If word got out, he could mess his sponsorship up.
“I’m just making conversation,” Lucky replied.
Billy leaned against the bar, resting his elbows on the bar top. He and Lucky looked out over the crowd that was dancing, talking, and sitting at tables sprinkled around the banquet hall.
“Damn, there are so many hot women up here,” Billy observed. “Is there something in the water?”
Lucky and Alder had actually had the same conversation. There was a better-than-average ratio of really good-looking people in Hope Falls. And not just women, either. Both sexes were well represented.
He guessed the cards were slightly stacked in Hope Falls’ favor, because a handful of people who lived there had graced People Magazine’s Most Beautiful list. Nikki’s husband, Mike Gowan, was a senator who’d made the list. Then there was Karina Black. The singer had made the list several times, if memory served. Not to mention Samantha Holt. He remembered that the year she had gone to the Olympics, she’d been on the list. And then, of course, there was international movie star Kyle Austen Reed. He, from what Lucky understood, didn’t technically live in Hope Falls, but he visited so often that the town had adopted him as their own. He’d made the list more than anyone else in history.
An eclectic and talented group of people lived in this odd town. When his older brother had moved here, Lucky had thought he was crazy. But now, he was definitely seeing the appeal. In the short time he’d been there, he’d started thinking of it as home. Which was strange because he’d never had that feeling.
His gaze landed on Deanna. She was sitting at their table, talking to Casey and Chris. Her chestnut hair fell loosely around her shoulders, framing her face like the masterpiece it was. Candles were lit in the center of all of the tables, and the light illuminated her face. It perfectly highlighted her defined cheekbones (which he now knew she’d gotten from her mother), her full lips, and her emerald-green eyes. His heart constricted as he realized that it wasn’t Hope Falls he thought of as his home—it was her.
Lucky Kiss Page 23
