Pants On Fire

by Lacey Black

  Pants On Fire

  By Lacey Black

  Copyright © 2020 Lacey Black

  Cover Design by Melissa Gill Designs

  Editing by Kara Hildebrand

  Proofreading by Joanne Thompson

  Format by Brenda Wright, Formatting Done Wright

  This book is a work of fiction. Any reference to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the prior written permission of the author.

  All rights reserved.

  Index

  Also by Lacey Black

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Also by Lacey Black

  Rivers Edge series

  Trust Me, Rivers Edge book 1 (Maddox and Avery) – FREE at all retailers

  ~ #1 Bestseller in Contemporary Romance

  Fight Me, Rivers Edge book 2 (Jake and Erin)

  Expect Me, Rivers Edge book 3 (Travis and Josselyn)

  Promise Me: A Novella, Rivers Edge book 3.5 (Jase and Holly)

  Protect Me, Rivers Edge book 4 (Nate and Lia)

  Boss Me, Rivers Edge book 5 (Will and Carmen)

  Trust Us: A Rivers Edge Christmas Novella (Maddox and Avery)

  ~ This novella was originally part of the Christmas Miracles Anthology

  With Me, a Rivers Edge Christmas Novella

  BOX SET – contains all 5 novels, 2 novellas, and a BONUS short story

  Bound Together series

  Submerged, Bound Together book 1 (Blake and Carly)

  ~ An International Bestseller

  Profited, Bound Together book 2 (Reid and Dani)

  ~A Bestseller, reaching Top 100 on 2 e-retailers

  Entwined, Bound Together book 3 (Luke and Sidney)

  Summer Sisters series

  My Kinda Kisses, Summer Sisters book 1 (Jaime and Ryan)

  ~A Bestseller, reaching Top 100 on 2 e-retailers

  My Kinda Night, Summer Sisters book 2 (Payton and Dean)

  My Kinda Song, Summer Sisters book 3 (Abby and Levi)

  My Kinda Mess, Summer Sisters book 4 (Lexi and Linkin)

  My Kinda Player, Summer Sisters book 5 (AJ and Sawyer)

  My Kinda Player, Summer Sisters book 6 (Meghan and Nick)

  My Kinda Wedding, A Summer Sisters Novella book 7 (Meghan and Nick)

  Rockland Falls series

  Love and Pancakes, Rockland Falls book 1

  Love and Lingerie, Rockland Falls book 2

  Love and Landscape, Rockland Falls book 3

  Standalone

  Music Notes, a sexy contemporary romance standalone

  A Place To Call Home, a Memorial Day novella

  Exes and Ho Ho Ho’s, a sexy contemporary romance standalone novella

  Co-Written with NYT Bestselling Author, Kaylee Ryan

  It’s Not Over

  Just Getting Started

  *Coming Soon from Lacey Black

  Love and Neckties, Book 4 in the Rockland Falls series

  Can’t Fight It, Fair Lakes Book 3 with Kaylee Ryan

  Prologue

  Cricket

  10 years ago

  They say that nothing can bring you down on the happiest day of your life, right? Well, that’s total crap. Truth be told, a cocky playboy with a charming smile and twinkling blue eyes can bring you down faster than a lead balloon any day of the week, especially on your happiest. All it takes is a few ill-fated words and everything comes crashing down. Those plans you spent countless hours making? Ruined. The money you’ve already shelled out for an overpriced studio apartment in a neighborhood you can’t afford? Gone. The stupid cocky playboy that you want to punch in the face for dropping a bomb in your well-planned, happy little life?

  You see where this is going, right?

  We need to talk.

  My happiest day started with a text as I was getting ready for my college graduation. My entire family was in town, anxious to see the first Hill go to college and actually finish with a degree instead of a baby. Three generations of Hill women, all knocked up before their expected graduation day. My older sister barely made it through her first semester before she was with child. My mom? Pregnant with my sister her sophomore year. And my grandma was expecting sometime during her third year of school and didn’t finish.

  But not me. I was determined not to fall into the same young mama rut that my sister, mom, and grandma all fell into. Sure, they’re all happy with their decisions for early motherhood, but I knew I didn’t want that. I wanted to get out of Carbondale. I wanted out of Illinois. Away from the brutal midwestern winters. The moment I was handed my diploma, Danny and I were loading up the car and heading for California.

  At least that’s what I thought.

  My fingers fly over the phone screen.

  Me: What’s up?

  Danny: I think we should break up.

  I stare down at the screen, waiting for the LOL or the JK. But neither appear. Instead, the bouncing bubbles on the phone reveal his next piece of word vomit.

  Danny: I just don’t see us going anywhere.

  Me: Don’t see us going anywhere? We’re leaving tomorrow for California, Danny!

  Danny: I’m still going, but alone. I need to find myself. I need to set out on my own path of self-discovery, Cricket.

  I blink down at his words. Self-discovery? Are you freaking kidding me right now? The man can’t even cook mac and cheese from a box without needing adult supervision. I’m the one who landed him the interview with Good Morning, San Francisco. I’m the one who found and secured our tiny studio apartment, footing the entire first and last month’s rent, mind you. I’m the one who bought and ironed the clothes he’s wearing right now, God knows where, while he tries to break up with me via text message.

  Me: Danny, where are you?

  I set the phone down on the counter, hair completely forgotten and eyes glued to the screen.

  Danny: It doesn’t matter. I’m gone.

  My heart skids to a stop in my chest.

  Me: Gone?

  Danny: I left this morning.

  Me: For Cali? With my fucking car?

  Danny: Our car, darling.

  Me: Don’t you darling me, Daniel James Ohara. You know damn good and well that I paid every fucking payment on that fucking car. You bring it back right now!

  Danny: Can’t. I’ll wire you the money when I start my new job.

  Are you fucking kidding me right now? This is seriously my life?

  Me: Danny, explain to me how I’m supposed to get to California to start MY new job if you’ve already left with the car?

  Danny: You’re starting to cut out.

  Me: We’re not on the phone, asshole. Get back here now with my car!
r />   Danny: You’re breaking up. I better let you go.

  I pick back up the phone, my fingers flying over the screen.

  Me: Danny!

  Me: Daniel!

  Me: Motherfucking jerkward!

  No response. Typical.

  Danny Ohara was, as my grandma called him, the big man on campus. The boy with the pretty smile and the charming personality, who played college football and received straight A’s. Everybody wanted to date him, even if it was only for a night or two. His reputation for being a playboy preceded him, and the last thing I wanted was to be anywhere near his radar.

  I was, however, the one he zeroed in on at the beginning of our junior year. I went to one football game. One. And that was only because his roommate, Rueben, begged me. We had a math class together, both of us needing that single semester credit to finish our respective degrees. Rueben was sweet and maybe even a little shy, with his wire-rimmed glasses and his straight, white smile. I finally agreed to go and did something I’d swore I’d never do.

  Swoon over a damn football player.

  Danny was spectacular. He was quick, catching almost every ball thrown at him, including the game-winning touchdown. After the game, he came running up to his friend for a victory bro-hug, and the moment his eyes met mine, I was a goner. Of course, I didn’t agree to go out with him right away. No, I played hard to get. After a few weeks though, I was putty in his hands, just like the rest of the female population at Southern Illinois University. We dated straight through junior year, and when it came time to set up housing for my final year at Southern, I agreed to live with him.

  Over the last year, we planned everything. His job as a television news anchor for a small station in San Francisco, and mine behind the scenes in the production studio. We both landed a job at the same station, which I never expected to happen, but since it’s small, apparently everyone uses it as a stepping stone until they can land their dream job at a bigger network. Positions open up all the time.

  And now what? I’m just supposed to drive myself out to San Francisco, in the car I no longer have, and work right next to the man who pretty much just threw our future in the trash with yesterday’s takeout?

  Fuck that.

  Fuck him.

  There’s a pounding at the door that pulls my attention. Anger sweeps through me like a tsunami as I stomp toward the doorway, praying it’s the jerk of all jerks on the other side. I disengage the lock and throw open the door, mouth open and ready to let my anger fly, when I find Rueben standing at the threshold.

  “Hey, Crick,” he says, giving me a sheepish grin. If I wasn’t so pissed off, I’d find it a little comforting. But I don’t.

  “Did you know? Did he tell you he was planning this?” I demand, my hands flying around like jet airplanes as I talk. I’ve always been a talker with my hands, which is a big reason why I’ve never really wanted to be on-screen. Behind the scenes is more my thing.

  He holds up his hands in surrender. “He didn’t, I swear.”

  “Liar. You’d do anything for him,” I mumble, taking a step back and allowing him to enter the apartment. There are boxes everywhere, pretty much all of our earthly possessions ready for the trek out west.

  The door slams behind him, though I don’t think it’s intentional. “Not true. I’d never purposely hurt you to protect him.” I stop in the kitchen and turn to face him. Rueben pushes his familiar glasses back up his nose, a motion I’m pretty sure he does without even realizing, and focuses those dark brown eyes on me. “I had no clue, I swear. He just called me from Kansas City, asked me to come over and, uh, well, get his stuff.”

  Rage burns the tips of my ears. “Get his stuff? Tell that thoughtless jerk I want my damn car!” I huff, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring at his best friend.

  Rueben clears his throat, his eyes dropping to where my arms are crossed. He quickly averts them, focusing on the floor in front of him like it’s the most interesting floor in the world. “You look nice, by the way,” he mumbles.

  Glancing down, I see what our friend is seeing for the first time. Well, besides the fact that I’m pushing my boobs up and almost out of the V neckline of my navy-blue dress. It hits just below the knee, the satiny material wrapping around my abdomen like a second skin. For someone who doesn’t usually wear many dresses, it was a no-brainer, perfect for my graduation ceremony.

  Rueben is wearing black slacks with a dark gray button-down and black tie. The only spot of color on his entire body is the small American flag tie tack he received for Christmas last year from his older brother who serves in the Army. His entire family is here, including his older brother, to watch him receive his computer engineering degree. We’re supposed to all have dinner after the ceremony to celebrate today’s accomplishments. My family, Rueben’s family, and Danny’s.

  I feel the weight of my anger dissipate, my shoulders sagging where I stand. “What am I supposed to do?” I whisper to no one in particular.

  The next thing I know, I’m engulfed in strong arms, surrounded by the familiar scent of Abercrombie & Fitch cologne, and pressed against a warm chest. It’s familiar, yet so very foreign at the same time. All I know is he’s offering me comfort at a time when my entire world is turned upside down.

  Everything has changed.

  Decisions need to be made, and quick. I’m supposed to start my new job a week from Monday. Our apartment is ready, the keys waiting in San Francisco. We’re supposed to leave tomorrow to start our new life. There’s no way I’ll get any of my money back on the apartment and finding a new job, either in Carbondale or a surrounding town will be hard this late in the game. All of the post-graduation jobs were scooped up months ago. Never mind the fact that I don’t have a car. My entire life is in shambles, but now isn’t the time to fall apart. Now, I have a graduation ceremony to get through and a dinner with my family. With Danny’s family, as awkward as that will be.

  I can do this. I just need to take it step by step.

  “I don’t know, Crick. I just don’t know.” He places his warm lips against my forehead in an act of kindness and support and adds, “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

  Chapter One

  Cricket

  Present Day

  “This is Cricket Hill for Good Morning, San Francisco, reminding you all to have a safe weekend,” I say, smiling at the camera in front of me. The moment the red light turns off, I sag in my seat, relieved to be done with the craziness of this workweek.

  “And we’re off,” our producer, Cory, says. “Great job, everyone.”

  The usual round of chatter fills the studio as we finish this morning’s news broadcast. I sigh deeply and relax in my chair, anxious to get my earpiece out and this makeup off my face.

  “Great job, Cricket,” Todd, my co-host coos beside me. Todd is your typical pretty boy who thinks all women fall at his feet in orgasmic joy.

  “Thanks,” I mumble, ready to get away from Todd and his advances. I know what’s coming next, and I always do my best to heed it before it happens.

  “Big plans this weekend?” he asks, jumping up and essentially blocking my exit, as he leans a hip against the desk.

  “Yep. Catching a flight home,” I remind him, removing my mic and battery pack from my suit and setting it on the desktop.

  “Oh, that’s right. I almost forgot you’re heading home. Homecoming, right?” He offers me a big smile, one that says he knows more than I offered him last week. I had merely told him I was heading home for a visit. How he found out it’s homecoming weekend is beyond me. Actually, no that’s not true. The only person I’d classify a friend at work is the makeup artist, Penny, and she probably told him. One smile thrown her way and she’s practically dropping to her knees or peeling off her panties. Penny has a weakness for my cocky co-host, and all it would take is a few smiles or maybe a late-night sexcapade promise and my friend would accidentally spill all the details about my trip.

  Blinded by the promise of penis.<
br />
  Exhaling, I give him a tight smile. “Yep, homecoming weekend.”

  “That’ll be fun, right? You show up and remind everyone of how much of a success you are,” he croons, brushing a strand of long, dark hair off my shoulder. “Do you know what would make it even better?” he asks, taking a step forward and into my personal space.

  Reflexively, I step back. “No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me,” I mumble, already knowing I’m not going to like his suggestion.

  “If you showed up with a boyfriend. You know, one who’s a little more famous and more well-known than you?”

  I have to fight the eye roll hard. It’s right there, ready to be unleashed, but I somehow manage to reel it in. “Uh, no thanks, Todd,” I reply, stepping around him and heading toward my dressing room.

  “Hear me out, Cricket,” he says, catching up with me and escorting me down the hall. “Ratings are through the roof right now, and there’s that big online group on social media who are pushing for us to be together.”

  Probably started by him…

  “Anyway, you show up with me on your arm and you’ll be the bell of the homecoming ball. Plus, think of the photo op,” he adds, grinning from ear to ear. “If you play your cards right, I might even kiss you goodnight.” Then, he waggles his eyebrows suggestively, and my coffee from before the broadcast almost comes back up.

  “Oh, uh, yeah, that’s not necessary,” I assure him as I reach my door. Todd stands there, anxiously awaiting the invitation to come in, but it never comes. “Anyway, I need to get going. I have a flight to catch,” I add quickly before slipping through my doorway like a ninja on speed, and exhale loudly when I’m bathed in the blissful silence of my closet-sized dressing room.

  Until…

  “The offer stands, Cricket,” Todd says through the door. “If you get there and realize you need me, I’m just a call away. I’m sure Cory would give me some time off to come rescue you, especially if there’s paparazzi nearby to catch our exchanges. Ratings galore!”