Touchdowns and Tiaras: The Complete Boxed Set

by Frost, Sosie

  “But—”

  “Let’s not regret it, Cole. I never will.”

  I stayed silent as she slipped away from me, taking the baby upstairs. I sunk onto the couch.

  I already regretted everything.

  Piper had wanted a night of passion, but I gave her a mounting instead. I proved just how monstrous I truly was, how primal and brutal my desires could be. I’d regret it forever because nothing had ever felt as right as when I held her in my arms.

  After all the shit I did in my life, all the isolation and violence, aggression and rage, the last thing I deserved was the princess, her baby, and the fairy tale.

  I wasn’t her happily ever after.

  Even if she was the only one who might have tamed this beast.

  14

  Piper

  I could handle my baby’s one-hundred-degree fever and negotiate an endorsement deal at the same time.

  It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t pretty. And it sure as hell wasn’t quiet, but at the end of the day, sometimes being an agent meant more than forcing a player into a trade he didn’t want. Sometimes it meant flirting with a popular video game’s marketing board. I scored him one of the four available spots on the cover of their 2017 PlayStation and X-Box title, and I did it in the pediatrician’s office.

  Not a bad day’s work.

  But I didn’t have a chance to talk to my client. Mondays were usually quiet for Cole. The team met in the afternoon to watch the film from Sunday’s game, but this evening he’d stayed late at the facility.

  I rocked Rose on my lap, waiting for that blessed moment she’d fall asleep. Nothing yet, and I was running out of hope. I pulled out my phone.

  “I should text him,” I said to her. “Right?”

  “Circle why-angle six.” She always gave good advice. “Ayayaya.”

  “It’s good news. He’d like to hear it.”

  “Bunny!” Rose pitched the bunny across the room, watched him fall, and burst into tears. “Mamamamama.”

  This was probably my least favorite game. I stood, groaned, picked up the bunny, and settled us all back into the chair. Rose grabbed my phone before I could take it away from her. She threw it too.

  “Uh-oh!” She giggled.

  Not an uh-oh. My little girl did me a favor. I might have been a coward, but I wasn’t texting Cole about the endorsement. After all, I needed something to talk about with him once he got home. Anything but the toe-curling sex that changed my life.

  I’d gone to Cole for something fun and wild, and I meant it to be a one-night indiscretion. But, when he came home yesterday after the game, he was…different. He cared about me, about the baby, about the stuffed animal stowaway in his bag.

  Cole Hawthorne was supposed to be some selfish, angry, monstrous loner.

  No one warned me that he might have been a good man.

  Sure, he’d panicked when Rose snuggled against his chest, but their hug was the most heart-warming and heart-breaking moment of my life.

  My baby liked Cole, but he didn’t know it yet. He didn’t realize how comforting a hug could be, and how much it meant to a little girl who never knew what it was like to have a kind man in her life, even for the briefest of moments.

  Rose threw Bumpybottom again and instantly pouted. It was definitely time for bed.

  Unfortunately, we had been going to bed for the past two hours. It was almost nine o’clock, I was still in my dress and panty-hose, and Rose staged a bed-time coup.

  She still wasn’t feeling well. This meant her brand-new crib transformed into a jail and the mattress became a prisoner to curb-stomp in the yard. She yelled, flailed, and yawned. She was too damn tired to sleep, but I had no idea what she wanted to do instead.

  “How about one night-night story?”

  It was a bribe, and it worked.

  We returned to the rocking chair, the only remaining piece of beat-up furniture left. I didn’t ask Cole to order the new crib, dresser, and changing table, and he kept the order a secret until the moment I signed for the delivery.

  I’d nearly burst into tears as the company unloaded furniture fit for a princess into Rose’s nursery. He wouldn’t even let me say thank you, just said that she deserved it.

  “Mamamama.” Rose simultaneously cuddled and tried to escape. “Book!”

  She was definitely my child—in love with any book she could chew on. Unfortunately, she loved them a little too much. One fairy tale became two. Two unsuccessful bedtimes in the crib became three.

  And like that, my sixteen-month-old daughter held me hostage against my own hunger, exhaustion, and bladder.

  A funny thing happened on the cusp of insanity—a person negotiated with a toddler for the chance to fulfill their basic emotional and physical needs.

  “One more story and then momma really needs to go potty.”

  Rose disagreed. “No!”

  “Momma doesn’t get to wear a diaper like some lucky people.”

  “No!” She slapped the book and kicked. Her heel dug into my side, striking dead-center on my bladder.

  “Not cool,” I groaned.

  Rose squirmed against me, nearly doing a somersault in my lap. We were both quickly approaching our limit. So I started the last story of the night, and I meant it. I opened the book.

  “Rosie, once upon a time there was a princess…see the princess? And a lot of things happened to her…like she really had to go to the bathroom and it had been fourteen hours since her last meal. Yes! There’s a bunny! So a fairy godmother turned a pumpkin into a babysitter and brought the princess a sandwich. And it had ham and cheese and some potato chips on the side. Then the princess lived happily ever after because her thoracic cavity wasn’t filling with urine.” I kissed her forehead. “And look, there’s the picture of a frog. Wasn’t that a nice story?”

  “I’ve heard better.”

  Rose screeched in utter joy as Cole leaned against the doorway, binding his hair into a ponytail. A wise move when sharing a space with Rose.

  “You think you could do better?” I asked.

  “Hell no.”

  “Ever try?”

  “Try what? Telling a kid a bedtime story?” He laughed, hard. “Do you think I’ve ever uttered the words true love’s first kiss? Hell, when I was a kid I got a fist to the back of the head when my old man decided I should go to sleep, and it worked.”

  I stopped rocking, and Cole’s smirk faded. He hadn’t meant to be quite so honest, and he changed the subject before I could ask any invasive questions.

  “I, uh…” He picked up a present he had hidden outside the room. “I got something…for the baby.”

  He didn’t open the box all the way, just flashed me the contents on the sly. I grinned.

  “You bought another Mr. Bunny Bumpybottom?”

  “Three of ‘em. A whole Rumpleass family in case she loses him again.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “Really.”

  Rose kicked again, grabbing for the book. I squirmed and hissed a harsh breath.

  “You all right?” Cole asked. “You’re dancing.”

  “If I ask you for a major favor—”

  I came on too strong. He saw through it. “No.”

  “Please?”

  “No.”

  “I’m about to burst, Cole.”

  “Whatever it is…no. I know that look. You want me to do something—”

  “Watch the baby for a minute?”

  “You should have told me you were out of your damn mind before we slept together.”

  I stood, a risky endeavor. I regretted the skirt as I crossed my legs. “It’s really easy. You come here...”

  “Nope.”

  “And sit in the chair.”

  “This has to be a breach of our contract.”

  I pushed him to the rocker. “Please. I only need five minutes.”

  He might have said no to me, but Rose looked up at him with big eyes and a bigger smile. She reached for him with grabby hands.

&n
bsp; “Beautiful…” He swallowed. Was he that scared of a little baby? “I’m not good with kids.”

  “That’s because you haven’t been around them much.”

  “I tend to avoid breakables, and I could accidentally crush a kid.”

  “I don’t believe it.”

  “That makes one of us.”

  “Babies are simple,” I said. “All you gotta do is hold ‘em close before they grow up—and that happens too quick.”

  He was ready to fight me, but he sighed instead. “Are you going downstairs?”

  “I could.”

  “Bring me a soda and we got a deal.”

  “You still can’t open the fridge?”

  “Damn it, woman. Do you want me to watch your baby or not?”

  “Soda it is.”

  Cole didn’t fit in the rocking chair, but he tried. The old wooden frame creaked, and he squeezed as best he could into the seat. It couldn’t have been comfortable, but nothing collapsed.

  “Hold her on your lap.” I set Rose against his leg. Cole froze, as if just breathing would somehow hurt the kid. She crawled against him and babbled. “See? Easy.”

  “Whatever you say.”

  I handed him a book. “Don’t tell me The Beast is afraid of a little baby?”

  “You should be afraid because I’m holding your little baby.”

  “Nothing scares me about you.”

  It was the truth. The only thing I feared was my own pounding heart. This gorgeous, brooding, unbelievably powerful man held my baby so gently. And together they looked…perfect.

  Rose gripped his hands as he opened the first page of the book. She settled in against him, pointing to a drawing of a little bunny.

  “Bunny!” She squealed and pointed to the pictures. “One. Twoof!”

  Cole stared in amazement at her, like she did calculus to add up the number of rabbits on the page.

  “Damn. Those are two bunnies. Smart kid!”

  I left them with the story, but five minutes of peace went quick. I used the bathroom, brushed my hair and teeth, and felt like a normal human again. I returned with a soda, but I waited outside the room as Cole read to Rose.

  “Yeah…I don’t know why his fish is being such a little bitc—downer. This cat just wants to throw the kids a party.”

  I smiled. Great. He was teaching my baby it was okay to trash the house with wayward cats in various forms of apparel.

  Rose cooed at him, babbling something cute and indecipherable. Cole went along with it.

  “Yeah, I didn’t like that book either. Uh…you want another story?” He couldn’t reach the bookshelf, and I doubted he trusted himself to walk with her in his arms. He sighed. “Let’s make one up, okay?”

  “Kay.”

  “All right. Um, once upon a time there was a prince. Or a linebacker. Whatever.”

  “Back-per!”

  “Close enough. So this guy did good. He was all-pro. Used to chase all the evil dragons all over the field to protect his castle. He was the strongest and best linebacker prince guy ever. Just ever.”

  Rose agreed, but her words were quieter now.

  “But some of the peasants didn’t like him much. They said he was too good at defending his castle. They wanted to kick him out of the kingdom. So this prince—uh, linebacker, whatever—paid some gold to the kingdom every time he chased the dragons out. But they still wanted him gone.”

  “Bunny.”

  “Okay. He’s got a bunny too. But the linebacker prince said he didn’t want to leave the kingdom. Not if there was a little princess around who needed a better bedtime story than some prick cat making a mess in a stranger’s house. Bet your momma likes that story though, huh?”

  I watched from the entry, my heart melting. Rose didn’t answer. She was out, cuddled against his arms, blissfully asleep.

  “Good job,” I said.

  Cole didn’t move. He stared at the baby, asleep in his arms. “I didn’t know my story was that boring.”

  “She likes your voice.”

  His eyes shifted from her to the crib. “How do I…?”

  “Pick her up.”

  “I don’t think—”

  “You won’t wake her up.”

  “I’m not worried about waking her. Worried about…” He shrugged. “She’s a tiny thing.”

  “You really should trust yourself.”

  “And maybe you shouldn’t.”

  Cole hesitated, but he wrapped his arms over Rose, nearly losing her in the mountain of muscles that were his biceps and chest.

  He moved slow, one shuffled, non-jarring step at a time until he reached the crib. He lowered Rose onto the mattress. He didn’t breathe, but he silently swore as his hands were trapped under her. He held his breath, rocked his palms, then freed himself.

  He retreated as sweat beaded his brow.

  “There. She’s sleeping.”

  I tucked a blanket over her. “She likes you, Cole.”

  “Yeah.”

  “How’s the story end?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “I’m invested.”

  He exhaled. “How else? The princess and her bunny live happily ever after.”

  “And the linebacker prince guy? Does he get a happy ending?”

  Cole didn’t answer. He avoided my question and left the room. I grabbed Rose’s baby monitor and followed.

  He wasn’t in any mood to talk. Neither was I. But I grabbed his hand before he escaped and tugged him into my bedroom. I shut the door behind us.

  “What are you doing, beautiful?” His voice lowered into a warning. “Don’t tempt me.”

  “I’m not tempting. I’m offering.”

  He tensed, staring at me, my curves my lips. “We never talked about the other night.”

  “What’s to talk about? You did everything I asked.”

  “And now?”

  “I’m asking again.”

  “Why?”

  Because he put my daughter to bed.

  Because my child felt safe and comforted in his arms.

  Because when she fell asleep against his chest she proved what I had denied since the first moment I met Cole.

  He wasn’t all beast. Something better was hidden deep inside him. Something gentle, compassionate, and kind. And I just had to find it.

  I damned the consequences. My body superheated in an instant, shivering under his stare.

  “Fuck me,” I whispered. “Here. Now. I want you to take me.”

  Cole hardened. His jeans tightened around a growing bulge, but he didn’t try to free it. His words rasped hard, and every sound sizzled through my core.

  “Are you sure?” he whispered.

  “Are you interested?”

  His smile was the warning of a prowling wolf. “You want to get fucked?”

  “Yes.”

  “How do you want me?”

  “You don’t want me to make that choice.”

  “Yes, I do.” His expression twisted. “No. I don’t. Fuck, beautiful, I want to destroy you as much as I want to worship you. You have no idea what you do to me.”

  He gripped my arms, striking me against the wall. I gasped as he hauled me up and coiled my legs around his waist. I should have taken the panty hose off, but he ripped them apart anyway with a harsh profanity.

  A delicious shudder tore through me. God, he was strong. He held me steady, pinned, waiting for his desire.

  Cole freed his monster cock and teased me with the thick, pulsing head over my slick folds. His words bound me in place. The dark and secret fantasies twisted in my core.

  “I want to make you come…and I want to make you scream.”

  His thickness pushed against me, pressing hard and slipping into my pussy. My eyes widened, but he didn’t let me make a sound. His kiss silenced me as he forced another inch within me.

  “I want you bent over and rutted…and I want to worship you from my knees.”

  Deeper. I stretched over his cock. My head f
ell back, delirious with the throbbing heat.

  “I want to fuck you until you beg for mercy…and I want to pleasure you until you beg for more.”

  He sunk into me, claiming the entirety of my body with a single, punishing thrust. I gasped as our bodies met. So big. Too big. I groaned through parted lips and ached in shock.

  “But more than anything, beautiful?” Cole whispered his delicious threat. “I want to make you mine.”

  I clung to him as his cock pierced me. Nothing compared to his touch, his taking, his claiming. He fucked me as hard and furious as he’d promised.

  This wouldn’t be gentle, but I wasn’t looking for anything sensual. I needed him. I wanted him. Nothing would stop us from tangling in mistake and lust.

  Cole slammed into me, and I was sure I would bruise by morning. Nothing in this world would make me regret it.

  I tightened over him. His uncompromising thrust ground him harder against my folds. The rough denim of his jeans rubbed my sensitive slickness. Too rough. It should have hurt, but I loved the wild, uncompromising intensity.

  I surrendered to his strength and welcomed his cock deep. The mounting, furious tension bound me to his arms. The pleasure silenced my moans, choking me in shivered agony.

  I clutched him as he grunted and sweated. A dark desire filled us both, and I submitted in his kiss. He bottomed out in me, forcing me to take the entirety of his cock if I wanted to come.

  And I did.

  Hard.

  The primal instinct surged through me, and I arched as the shock ripped through my core. This wasn’t a gentle, patient tingle of excitement. The crest pushed me to the edge, kicked me over, mowed me down, and crashed through me with wave after wave of crippling desire. I panted and wept and came again and again with him, on him, because of him.

  He came inside me, filling me with his heat. I lost myself in his crazed kiss.

  Something perfect existed in his touch. Rough and gentle. Fierce and consuming. Even his kiss was a contradiction. Just as passionate as any fairy tale declaration, but every bit the devouring bite of a monster.

  It didn’t matter. As long as I kissed him, as long as I touched him, I existed in a moment of perfection.

  After a minute, he lowered me to the floor, but my legs couldn’t support my weight. I leaned against the wall, amazed and ashamed and absolutely satisfied.