by Eva Luxe
She took a deep breath.
“I’m pregnant,” she said.
Brian blinked at her for a moment while the news sank in. Then, he grabbed her and kissed her.
“Did you hear that?” he asked the rest of the table. “Sadie is pregnant!”
The only two that didn’t know were Jacob and Hanson, but everyone cheered, and Sadie laughed, blushing. She really did have the best friends, and judging by the way Brian was talking animatedly, never letting go of her hand, she knew she had been a fool to doubt if he would be happy about the news. He was an amazing husband, and now, they were going to be a family.
And suddenly, she couldn’t wait.
Lacey watched her friends and their husbands. They were both radiant with their pregnancies, and both men were so taken with their women, it was beautiful. She remembered when Hanson had been like that with her. And the feeling that she’d never felt before, the baby fever that she’d believed she would never get, crept up on her.
She reached for Hanson, putting her hand on his thigh and squeezing.
“Someone’s in a mood,” he said, leaning in and whispering in her ear.
“In the mood to have a baby,” Lacey said.
Hanson blinked at her. “Really?”
Lacey smiled and nodded. “Everyone around me is pregnant. I want to have another baby. I want them all to grow up together and be friends the way we are. With so many babies and pregnant women around, I’m getting baby fever. I want to do this with you.”
Hanson grinned before he pulled Lacey to him and kissed her.
“Have I told you how much I love you?” he asked her.
“Only once a day,” Lacey said, laughing.
“Then I haven’t told you nearly enough.”
He kissed her again.
The three couples were beautiful together, smiling and laughing and in love. No matter what came their way, Lacey knew they would get through it. Kina and Sadie were talking about being pregnant, and the men were joking about trading beer bottles for milk bottles. It felt to her like they all went through the same things at the same time–whether it was fights or pregnancies–and because of it, they could be there for each other in a way no one else could.
It made her happy to have a group like this, and proud to be a football wife.
Sure, it was horrible when the men were away playing games on the road, and none of the women could go with them to spend time with the men. Yes, it was a hard life, never knowing if your man would be injured in the next game.
But while the men were gone, doing what they loved, Lacey, Kina and Sadie were home waiting for them. They had each other, through thick and thin, and they would for a long time to come. Lacey had a glimpse into the future, their children being into sports as well, the six of them–seven with Lauren, perhaps eight if she started dating–more of a family than just friends.
And it was beautiful. They each had amazing relationships with children and husbands that loved them, and they had a great group of friends that were there for each other, no matter what.
Could life be any better?
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Don’t Come Around Here: A Bad Boy Next Door Romance
Copyright © 2018 by Juliana Conners and Eva Luxe; All Rights Reserved.
Published by Sizzling Hot Reads Press.
Chapter 1 – Carly
Six years ago
No one was home. It was one of those rare moments where Brad and I were totally alone, and we could do whatever we wanted to do.
Which, right now, was making out. His tongue was in my mouth, his hand was on my ass, and I was getting hot for him. I was always hot for him, but this was different. This time, we were alone, and I loved him more than I thought I could ever love anyone.
“How long will your mom be out?” I asked through our kisses.
“Long enough,” Brad said, and my stomach twisted into the good kind of knots, as I thought about where we were headed and what we would do.
We had done it once before. We’d had sex, but it hadn’t been the way I’d thought it would be. It had been awkward and uncomfortable. But it had made us stronger, and this time, I knew what to expect. I knew what he would feel like and how I would respond. This time, it would be magic.
Brad reached for the hem of my shirt and worked it slowly up my body. I was glad I’d put on the pink bra. It pushed my boobs up perfectly.
“God, you’re so hot, Carly,” Brad mumbled against my lips. “You’re my gorgeous princess.”
I smiled through our kisses. Brad paused to pull off his shirt as well before he lay down next to me and pushed the length of his body against mine. I could feel his hard cock up against me, and I shivered.
I would never get used to the feel of his arousal for me. It was such a thrill, a new world that had opened up to me. And Brad was the boy I wanted to share it all with.
Graduation was around the corner, and school would be over. We would go to college together. Our futures were pointed in the same direction. We hadn’t spoken about more than going to college together, but that was enough for me for now.
Brad’s hand slid down my thigh, and when he brought it back up, palm on my bare skin, he was under my skirt. My breath hitched in my throat when he put his hands on my ass again, fingers going farther between my legs than I’d expected.
“You have no idea how much I want you,” he said.
I nodded. “I think I have an idea.”
I ran my hand down his body, cupping his erection through his jeans.
Brad smiled at me with that cocky grin that I loved so much. It was different than the smile he flashed everyone else as one of the popular guys at school, the hot football player that everyone wanted. This smile was just for me.
I put my hand on his cheek and studied his face. I dreamed about this face, the golden flecks in his green eyes that danced when he laughed, the triangle of freckles just below his right eye, his nose, straight as an arrow. The way his blond hair was always perfectly messy. And his lips, perfect for kissing; not too thick and not too thin. Just right.
“Do you know how much I love you?” Brad asked. “You know this isn’t just about sex, right?”
“I know,” I said, and I meant it.
Everyone thought Brad was this playboy, the guy who pulled girls left, right, and center. When I’d met him, when I’d been a victim to his charms, I’d thought the same. This boy was trouble, everyone said.
But I knew the real Brad. I knew how kind and sensitive he could be. I knew sides of him that he would never show anyone else. I knew that he only acted big so that people didn’t mess with him.
And I knew that the girls wanted to date him because he was a bad ass, but I was dating him because he was the opposite— a total softie— at least with me. He liked Oreo frosting but threw away the cookie part.
He read forbidden books and liked going to parties full of strangers because then he didn’t have to worry about interacting with people one on one. He always said people thought he was an extrovert but it’s because he was good at putting on a fake face and performing in front of crowds.
When it came time to have an actual conversation with just one person, he turned shy— except with me. He’d rather stay home reading a book, although no one who saw him acting like a hero on the football field or like the life of the party on a Friday night would have believed that. That’s okay, though. Everything I knew and loved about him was everything no one else knew about him.
“I can’t wait to get out of here with you,” Brad said.
“As soon as we can, we’re out of here,” I agreed.
/>
I wanted to get away from this town, too— with him. Laramie, Wyoming was too small for our dreams.
“And then we can finally be together the way we were meant to be,” Brad said.
Everything about our relationship was a secret. Not because we couldn’t be together in front of all our friends, but because my dad was a grade-A asshole. He refused to let me date. I wasn’t even allowed to attend parties where there were boys.
That didn’t stop me from lying about it, sneaking out, and doing what I wanted, anyway. But it made it harder to be with Brad. My dad had said I wasn’t allowed to date until I graduated. Not from high school, but from college. There was no talking to him about it.
So, Brad and I had been keeping it under wraps. Only my closest friends knew. And he had barely told anyone because all the guys on his team have such big mouths. The fewer people that knew, the harder it was for our secret to come out.
The last thing I needed was for my dad to do something stupid, like forbidding me from ever seeing anyone again, grounding me for life, or worse: homeschooling me. He’d threatened it before for less major infractions, and I wouldn’t put it past him. It was like my dad had sat down and made a list of all the things that would ruin my life, and he was sticking to them religiously.
“I want an ocean view, somewhere, as long as I’m next to you, I don’t care,” Brad sang our song off tune, and I smiled. That was exactly how I felt. And I loved his voice even if he wasn’t the world’s best singer.
Brad kissed me again.
“I’ll fight for you,” Brad said. “No matter what happens. You’re my girl, Carly.”
I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck.
“Now, where were we?” he asked with a naughty grin, and my stomach twisted up in those pleasant knots again, thinking of how it would feel for us to have sex again. To have it be amazing this time. Brad pulled me against him and ground his hips, giving me a tease of what was to come.
The doorbell rang. Just one ring, then another. Whoever was outside was serious about it. The doorbell rang long and incessantly.
“What the fuck?” Brad asked and rolled onto his back.
“Who is that?”
“Beats me. But the cars are gone. If we pretend we’re not here, they’ll go away.”
We lay in silence. My heart pounded in my chest. Someone was out there, desperately looking for someone inside, and we were acting like we weren’t home. I told myself not to be scared, but I cuddled up to Brad, anyway.
“Open this door. I know you’re in there!” someone shouted from outside.
My blood ran cold.
“Brad, that’s—”
The door crashed open. We could hear it. We were both frozen as footsteps stomped through the house. Brad’s door flew open, and my dad charged into the room, rage, pure and raw, on his face.
Fuck.
Chapter 2 – Carly
“You piece of shit!” my dad shouted. Then he grabbed Brad off the bed.
“Dad, no!” I grabbed for Brad as if I would have been able to pull him back if I hadn’t missed and groped in thin air. “Stop it!”
My dad didn’t listen. He was blinded by rage, and he was a strong man even when he wasn’t angry. Brad was strong, too, and may have been a match for him had he tried, but he hung back, hesitating, looking at me as if he didn’t want to be violent with my dad. I appreciated the respect he was showing him even though it wasn’t being shown to him.
My dad pinned Brad up against the wall, his arm to his throat. Brad kicked his feet that were inches from the floor and clawed at my dad’s arm. I found my shirt and threw it on. I didn’t know if my dad had seen that I wasn’t wearing one, but there was no need to make it worse.
“Don’t you put your hands on her, again,” my dad threatened. “In fact, don’t come around here again, ever.”
It wasn’t a death threat, but it might as well have been.
Brad tried to say something, but his voice was strangled, and it only came out as a cough. My dad let go of him, and Brad dropped to the floor, sinking to his knees. His hand was massaging his throat, his breathing hard and heavy.
“Carly, we’re leaving,” my dad ordered.
“No,” I said.
My dad glared at me with eyes full of fire, and I fought the urge to cringe away. “I’m eighteen, Daddy. I can do what I want.”
“Not if you want a place to stay and someone to pay for your studies, you can’t. You’re not looking at another boy until you graduate. And if I find something like this again…” he paused, but his glare said more than enough.
Brad managed to stand up on his feet and was no longer trying to show respect to my dad— not that I blamed him, at this point. He barreled towards him, trying to talk although his vocal cords had just taken a beaten.
“Carly can do what she wants,” he started to say, through gasping breaths, but just then my dad took something out of his back pocket. A gun.
“Stay away from her,” he told Brad. “I could ruin your life.”
I wasn’t sure if he meant literally or figuratively. My dad was very powerful in our small town and could ruin Brad in multiple ways. But, since a gun was currently pointed on him, I thought perhaps my dad meant he would kill him. Suddenly I realized it wasn’t fair for Brad to have to go through all of this just to be with me.
“I’m sorry,” I said to Brad. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Brad said, breaking his stare from my dad’s gun to look at me.
At that, my dad barked a laugh. He took me by the arm and walked us to the door, while still aiming the gun at Brad. I tried to fight him, but he was strong, and I was just a teenage girl. There was no way I could get away from him.
“I’m so sorry,” I wailed to Brad. Tears ran down my cheeks. Brad still wouldn’t look at me. He sat on the floor now, his hand still on his throat, his face turned away.
My dad dragged me through Brad’s house and to the front door. The car was parked on the curb, askew, one tire on the road. My dad opened the passenger door and forced me in, and only then did he let me go. He marched to the driver’s side and got in.
“We’re going home,” he said and put the car in reverse, backing into the road. “I never want to hear that boy’s name again. Do you hear me?”
I didn’t answer him. I was still crying, but I didn’t want him to see it. I had my face turned to the window, watching Brad’s house slide from view as my dad drove away. I wasn’t going to be able to see the love of my life any more. We weren’t going to be able to have sex again after that first time that’s always so awkward.
And it was all because my dad was such a bully.
“How long have you been seeing him?” my dad asked.
I didn't answer him. I didn’t want anything to do with my dad. He had just destroyed the one thing that was most important to me.
“I’m talking to you. You’re in a hell of a lot of trouble. The last thing you want to do is make this worse. If you keep ignoring me…” he stopped, adding weight to his threat by not completing it.
I turned to him and put every bit of hate I felt for him into my expression, looking at him like he was the devil himself.
“You want me to talk? Fine. But this is the only thing I have to say to you.” He raised his eyebrows at me. “I will never forgive you for this.”
He shook his head, and I knew that he didn’t believe me. He thought it would just blow over. He thought I would eventually get over it, and we would go back to our perfect little father-daughter relationship.
He was wrong.
We drove in silence the rest of the way home. He didn’t have anything else to say. All his threats, his rage, seemed empty now. It was just me and him, the emotion sucked out of the car so that we sat in a void. There was nothing that tied us together anymore. Nothing but the small pieces of my heart shattered all over the car.
Chapter 3 – Brad
Present Day
I stepped off t
he plane at Denver International Airport and walked to the baggage claim carousel. Landing in Denver was different when I was on my way home. When I was with the team, traveling to whichever state we were going to play next, the airports were like hotels; nothing like home. This time, DIA was my last stop before Laramie. The last stop before I saw my mom.
My phone rang, and I smiled when my mom’s name flashed on the screen.
“The flight was perfectly on time, but you knew that,” I said with a grin after answering.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on the website,” my mom admitted.
I chuckled. “Baggage claim, rental car, and a two hour drive, and I’m home. Not long now. I’ll call you as soon as I leave.”
“Be safe. God knows those cars you rent are nothing but a temptation.”
I laughed. “See you soon, Mom. Love you.”
I hung up. She was right. The cars I rented were a temptation to speed and go mad. But I had the money, and I had the taste, so there was no reason not to get the best of the best. And I wanted something spectacular.
My bag was one of the first out on the carousel, and I picked it up. It was a nice change to travel without my football gear. I had a whole month off where I didn’t need to worry about anything. Football was on hold, and I could relax.
After landing a football scholarship at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, my whole life had changed. Football had always been my dream, but being a professional player for the Florida Sharks had given me a name that the world knew now.
I was Bradley Williams, tight end for the Sharks, and my future was bright. At least, that was what all the papers said about me. And I had learned a long time ago that the papers didn’t lie. They twisted the truth sometimes, they left out facts, but they didn’t lie.
So, it had to be true; I was a star.
The last six years had gone by in a blur, and I had seen so much of the country that I had never seen before. My life in Laramie before I had become “someone” was inconsequential now, nothing more than the route I had taken to get where I was now.
