by Tessa Bailey
Too Close to Call
A Romancing the Clarksons Novella
By Tessa Bailey
1001 Dark Nights
Too Close to Call
A Romancing the Clarksons Novella
By Tessa Bailey
1001 Dark Nights
Copyright 2017 Tessa Bailey
ISBN: 978-1-9459-2042-4
Foreword: Copyright 2014 M. J. Rose
Published by Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.
Book Description
Too Close to Call
Romancing the Clarksons
By Tessa Bailey
All-American wide receiver Kyler Tate’s life is about to change. A fairytale college career skyrocketed him to the NFL draft. Adoration and opportunity are thrown in his direction wherever he goes, thanks to being chosen in the first round by the Los Angeles Rage.
None of the accolades mean anything, though, without his high school sweetheart, Bree Justice, by his side. Four years ago, she walked away from Kyler, choosing a quiet life over the flash and notoriety his career would someday bring.
Now he’s back in their Indiana hometown, refusing to leave for Los Angeles without her. Demanding she give their life together a shot. Her heart never stopped bleeding for the love of her life, but Bree’s decision was final. Too bad their wild attraction has only been amplified by their separation, and Kyler won’t quit until Bree is wearing his ring.
About Tessa Bailey
Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days. Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention. She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of ten years and five-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.
Also By Tessa Bailey
Click to purchase.
Baiting the Maid of Honor
Unfixable (New Adult)
Protecting What's Theirs (novella)
Staking His Claim
Asking For Trouble
Officer Off Limits
His Risk to Take
Protecting What's His
Owned by Fate
Exposed by Fate
Riskier Business
Risking It All (Crossing the Line 1)
Driven by Fate
Chase Me (Broke & Beautiful 1)
Need Me (Broke & Beautiful 2)
Off Base (novella)
Up in Smoke (Crossing the Line 2)
Make Me (Broke & Beautiful 3)
Crashed Out (Made in Jersey 1)
Boiling Point (Crossing the Line 3)
Rough Rhythm
Thrown Down (Made in Jersey 2)
Raw Redemption (Crossing the Line 4)
Worked Up (Made in Jersey 3)
Wound Tight (Made in Jersey 4)
Too Hot to Handle (Romancing the Clarksons 1)
Too Wild to Tame (Romancing the Clarksons 2)
Too Hard to Forget (Romancing the Clarksons 3)
Too Beautiful to Break (Romancing the Clarksons 4)
Too Close to Call: A Romancing the Clarksons Novella
Acknowledgments from the Author
Thank you so much to the 1001 Dark Nights team, including Liz Berry, MJ Rose, Jillian Greenfield Stein, and all the wonderful editors and designers. Thank you as well to Madeleine Colavita at Forever Romance, my family (especially my husband who watches the NFL Draft, which inspired this story) and as always, the readers. Love you all.
Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection One
Click here to explore
FOREVER WICKED by Shayla Black
CRIMSON TWILIGHT by Heather Graham
CAPTURED IN SURRENDER by Liliana Hart
SILENT BITE: A SCANGUARDS WEDDING by Tina Folsom
DUNGEON GAMES by Lexi Blake
AZAGOTH by Larissa Ione
NEED YOU NOW by Lisa Renee Jones
SHOW ME, BABY by Cherise Sinclair
ROPED IN by Lorelei James
TEMPTED BY MIDNIGHT by Lara Adrian
THE FLAME by Christopher Rice
CARESS OF DARKNESS by Julie Kenner
Also from 1001 Dark Nights
TAME ME by J. Kenner
Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Two
Click here to explore
WICKED WOLF by Carrie Ann Ryan
WHEN IRISH EYES ARE HAUNTING by Heather Graham
EASY WITH YOU by Kristen Proby
MASTER OF FREEDOM by Cherise Sinclair
CARESS OF PLEASURE by Julie Kenner
ADORED by Lexi Blake
HADES by Larissa Ione
RAVAGED by Elisabeth Naughton
DREAM OF YOU by Jennifer L. Armentrout
STRIPPED DOWN by Lorelei James
RAGE/KILLIAN by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright
DRAGON KING by Donna Grant
PURE WICKED by Shayla Black
HARD AS STEEL by Laura Kaye
STROKE OF MIDNIGHT by Lara Adrian
ALL HALLOWS EVE by Heather Graham
KISS THE FLAME by Christopher Rice
DARING HER LOVE by Melissa Foster
TEASED by Rebecca Zanetti
THE PROMISE OF SURRENDER by Liliana Hart
Also from 1001 Dark Nights
THE SURRENDER GATE By Christopher Rice
SERVICING THE TARGET By Cherise Sinclair
Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Three
Click here to explore
HIDDEN INK by Carrie Ann Ryan
BLOOD ON THE BAYOU by Heather Graham
SEARCHING FOR MINE by Jennifer Probst
DANCE OF DESIRE by Christopher Rice
ROUGH RHYTHM by Tessa Bailey
DEVOTED by Lexi Blake
Z by Larissa Ione
FALLING UNDER YOU by Laurelin Paige
EASY FOR KEEPS by Kristen Proby
UNCHAINED by Elisabeth Naughton
HARD TO SERVE by Laura Kaye
DRAGON FEVER by Donna Grant
KAYDEN/SIMON by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright
STRUNG UP by Lorelei James
MIDNIGHT UNTAMED by Lara Adrian
TRICKED by Rebecca Zanetti
DIRTY WICKED by Shayla Black
THE ONLY ONE by Lauren Blakely
SWEET SURRENDER by Liliana Hart
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Table of Contents
Book Description
About Tessa Bailey
Also by Tessa Bailey
Acknowledgments from the Author
Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection One
Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Two
Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Three
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
Epilogue
Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Four
Discover the World of 1001 Dark Nights
Discover More Tessa Bailey
An excerpt from Too Hard to Forget by Tessa Bailey
Special Thanks
One Thousand and One Dark Nights
Once upon a time, in the future…
I was a student fascinated with stories and learning.
I studied philosophy, poetry, history, the occult, and
the art and science of love and magic. I had a vast
library at my father’s home and collected thousands
of volumes of fantastic tales.
I learned all about ancient races and bygone
times. About myths and legends and dreams of all
people through the millennium. And the more I read
the stronger my imagination grew until I discovered
that I was able to travel into the stories... to actually
become part of them.
I wish I could say that I listened to my teacher
and respected my gift, as I ought to have. If I had, I
would not be telling you this tale now.
But I was foolhardy and confused, showing off
with bravery.
One afternoon, curious about the myth of the
Arabian Nights, I traveled back to ancient Persia to
see for myself if it was true that every day Shahryar
(Persian: شهريار, “king”) married a new virgin, and then
sent yesterday's wife to be beheaded. It was written
and I had read, that by the time he met Scheherazade,
the vizier's daughter, he’d killed one thousand
women.
Something went wrong with my efforts. I arrived
in the midst of the story and somehow exchanged
places with Scheherazade – a phenomena that had
never occurred before and that still to this day, I
cannot explain.
Now I am trapped in that ancient past. I have
taken on Scheherazade’s life and the only way I can
protect myself and stay alive is to do what she did to
protect herself and stay alive.
Every night the King calls for me and listens as I spin tales.
And when the evening ends and dawn breaks, I stop at a
point that leaves him breathless and yearning for more.
And so the King spares my life for one more day, so that
he might hear the rest of my dark tale.
As soon as I finish a story... I begin a new
one... like the one that you, dear reader, have before
you now.
Chapter One
Draft Day was nothing like Kyler had pictured.
“With the ninth pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rage select…” Kyler Tate’s parents sucked in breaths on either side of him. “Kyler Tate, receiver, University of Cincinnati.”
The tense atmosphere inside the event hall exploded with wild cheers, exclamations, and boos. His shoulders were slapped by thousands of hands, kisses landing on his cheeks. Like falling out of a kayak into a rushing current, bashing into rocks on the way toward a waterfall, Kyler stood, put his head down, and proceeded toward the stage. Cell phones rang at every table he passed, terse conversations taking place as the deadline timer for the next announcement started. Players he’d faced on the gridiron sweated in their suits, mothers fussed, water glasses were refilled.
This was it. Years of training, icing down injuries, two-a-day practices, glory, pain, and mental fatigue. All for this moment.
And it was…utterly fucking incomplete.
Before he could reach the stage, panic set in. Set in real good, like claws digging into fertile ground. A moment earlier, everyone in the room had looked familiar, but they were strangers now, spinning in a kaleidoscope. Sweat popped up on his forehead. His shoulder blades tightened, a harsh sound puffed from between his lips. From behind the podium, the announcer gave him a strange look, the Rage jersey lowering in his grip. Are you okay?
The man’s mouthed words barely penetrated over the sudden rushing stream of images. Of her. Bree Justice.
Since middle school, he’d been imagining this day. Late at night, his head nestled into the pillow of his childhood bedroom, staring up at a poster of T.Y. Hilton on his ceiling, he’d heard the announcer saying his name. But in every single one of his dreams, he’d leaned over to kiss Bree before making his way to the stage.
Bree wasn’t there, though. She was a thousand miles away in Indiana, same place she’d been since he left for college. Same place she’d been since breaking up with him the night before he climbed aboard the Cincinnati-bound train and sped off, doubtful he would make it one day without her.
In a way, he hadn’t.
A vivid memory swept into the chaos of Kyler’s mind. Another time he’d climbed a stage what felt like a million years ago…and he was powerless to do anything but let it play out.
“Bloomfield High! It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Your votes have been counted!” The smiling cheerleader bounced up and down on the stage, a microphone in one hand, two gold sashes dangling in the other. “Your pick for prom queen is…” She squeaked and did a little dance. “My friend and yours, the incredible Hailey Faye! Congratulations, Hailey!” Kyler smiled and pulled Bree tighter against his side. Lord Jesus, he couldn’t tear his eyes off her tonight. Any night, really. But in the ice blue dress that brushed her knees, all that curly black hair twisted up into some fancy style, she was even more beautiful than usual. His heart hadn’t stopped beating triple time since Bree floated down the stairs, her father watching with hawk eyes as he pinned on the corsage.
In the back of the gymnasium, they were surrounded by a mixture of Kyler’s teammates—most of them sneaking sips of vodka from flasks stowed in their jackets—and Bree’s Animal Care Club friends. It was an odd mix, to be sure, but ever since Kyler and Bree had gotten together in middle school after being randomly paired for a science class presentation, they’d proceeded as if the eclectic blend was normal. So everyone had followed suit.
Years later, they all traveled in a pack, meeting at Nelson’s Diner on Friday nights, sneaking out to the creek that ran through the town woods on summer Saturdays. On a monthly basis, couples were formed or dissolved within the group, but Kyler and Bree stuck together like glue through it all.
Kyler loved Bree. Bree loved Kyler. Nothing would ever change that.
The applause was beginning to die down from the prom queen announcement and Kyler’s teammates began nudging him between the shoulder blades, making wise cracks about how pretty he looked, how adorable it was that his tie matched Bree’s dress. He merely shot them the bird. “Your choice for king should come as no surprise,” called the cheerleader from the stage, rolling her eyes good-naturedly.
Everyone turned to look at Kyler and he forced himself to smile, nodding politely. Earlier that year, he’d captained the team and led them to the state championships. In a football town like Bloomfield, title winning touchdowns, like the one he’d scored, tended to remain fresh in their mi
nds. News of his full-ride scholarship to the University of Cincinnati had blown through the town like wildfire this week, making it impossible to walk two feet without receiving the kind of effusive praise he’d learned early to be thankful for.
At one time, he might’ve wished for a football helmet to tug down over his head to escape the scrutiny, but he kept his chin up in the face of the attention now. The people of Bloomfield drove to his games every week, made signs, chanted his name—a fact he still couldn’t believe—and he wouldn’t hide from that type of kindness.
Bree slipped her hand into Kyler’s and went up on her toes, whispering in his ear. “I’ll meet you out back after your dance.”
“You don’t want to stick around and see my oversized head in a crown?”
“I’ll see you in it later.” Her slow wink sent warmth sliding into his belly. “But everyone is going to stare at me while you’re out there, wondering how I feel about you dancing with another girl.” She shivered. “You know I don’t like the attention.”
“I do know that.” His mouth started to curve with the secret he was keeping, so he planted a kiss on her forehead to hide it. “Or maybe I forgot. Again.”
Suspicion snuck into her expression. “Kyler Joseph Tate—”
“You know what? I’m not even going to announce his name,” said the cheerleader on stage, sending laughter rippling through the crowd of dressed up high school students. “I’ll just say this. It’s a well-known fact that Kyler Tate doesn’t dance with anyone but Bree Justice. No matter how hard all us ladies have wished he would.” Laughter, sighs, gagging noises, and camera flashes went off around them, but Kyler kept his gaze trained on Bree, his pulse hammering as she tried to hide beneath his arm. “So we’re bucking tradition tonight. Your queen is going to dance with her man. And Kyler is going to dance with his Bree. Everyone clear a path to the dance floor. DJ? Drop that slow jam.”
