THE END
Not read the first book in the Full Velocity series yet? Friction is the one that started it all. Meet Jared Kane and Paisley Nash. Be warned, that girl has SASS!
If you’ve devoured the series to date, and sports romance is your jam, have you discovered the Winning Ace series? Take one hot, rich, tennis ace, add a journalist ready for her big break, throw in a gigantic secret and kaboom! You have a series that’ll keep you up long past bedtime.
Download Winning Ace, book 1 in the series, or binge-read the entire Boxset now.
Bonus Material
For this boxset, I wanted to do something extra special, for you, the readers. A way of saying thank you for buying all these stories together in this special collection edition.
And so, After The Checkered Flag was born.
Three novellas… exclusively available only in this boxset.
Paisley & Jared
Madison & Tate
Reilley & Devon
I do hope you enjoy these additional novellas. I know I had enormous fun writing them.
PAISLEY & JARED
Paisley
No. No, no, no.
You have got to be shitting me!
I stared at the white plastic stick with those two blue lines mocking me as if to say “Ha! And you thought you’d been so careful.”
And we had. We had. I took the pill religiously. Every morning with my first cup of coffee. I never missed.
Except… oh god.
My mouth dried up and my legs wobbled. I sank into a nearby chair and grasped the edge of the table to steady me.
A few weeks ago, I’d had that stomach bug. I hadn’t even been able to keep water down for two days. Afterward, Jared and I didn’t use any additional protection.
For fuck’s sake, Paisley. The goddamn leaflet inside the contraceptive packet made it abundantly clear that if you missed one of those little suckers, or were ill, additional precautions to avoid unwanted pregnancy were a must. Yet it hadn’t even occurred to me, or to Jared. Not that I expected it to cross the mind of a man. But me… the woman… the one who’d have to carry the damn baby. It should have bloody well been at the forefront of my mind.
Instead, the only thing that I’d wanted to do was fuck Jared after a few days starved of my daily fix, without realizing the consequences of getting my pleasure on would last for the rest of my life.
I wasn’t averse to having kids. Far from it. But Jared and I had only been together three years, and I’d just passed my twenty-fifth birthday. Kids were way into the future, after Jared retired from racing, after I’d fulfilled my desire to be the best mechanic in Formula One. After we’d had more time together. Alone.
Yet now, I had this to deal with. And I didn’t know what to do.
My only saving grace? I’d taken the test alone. Jared had gone away for the weekend with his best friend, Noah, who was visiting from America. Noah had gone through a rough few years recovering from a terrible drug addiction, but he seemed to have come out the other side of it. They’d flown to southern Spain for a few rounds of winter golf. That meant I had until tomorrow evening to come to terms with this and find the right words to explain to Jared that he was going to be a father before we’d even discussed the idea of children.
What if he freaked out and broke things off? Lots of men lost their shit at the thought of screaming babies, shitty nappies, and projectile vomit.
No. This was Jared. He loved me. He wouldn’t abandon me over one little slip-up.
I laughed bitterly. Yeah, even I couldn’t sell this as a simple mistake. A mistake was putting sugar in your coffee when you’d given up for lent or adding too many chilis to the stir-fry and having to call the fire brigade to put out the fire in your mouth. I could hardly put falling pregnant in the “minor error” basket.
Mom. Yes! She’d have all the right answers.
I’d get dressed and head straight over to my parent’s place. At a time like this, a girl needed her mother.
I made toast and spread it liberally with my favorite strawberry jam, but when the time came to eat it, I couldn’t force it down. My throat was dry and scratchy, and my stomach churned, although I didn’t think that could count as morning sickness.
Could it?
Fuck, see, I knew nothing about pregnancy, or kids, or any of that shit. I liked getting my hands dirty by messing around with engines and grease, oil and brake fluid. Rebuilding cars after the drivers had crashed them into a wall. That was my bag, my dream, my desire.
And now, everything I’d worked so hard for could disappear in a nanosecond.
Because of this… this… thing.
Okay, that made me sound like a cold-hearted bitch. I was carrying Jared’s baby. Jared’s baby. And as soon as I’d gotten over the shock and come to terms with the fact this was happening, I’d be thrilled.
Or at least pleased.
Mildly pleased.
But right this second with panic roaring through my bloodstream, the selfish me pushed their way to the front of the line. I wasn’t ready for motherhood. Hell, I could barely take care of myself.
I still laughed when Jared helicoptered his dick to cheer me up after a particularly bad day.
Rather than rushing to help, I chuckled when people fell over in the street.
I purposely bagged my groceries slowly when the prat behind me at the checkout huffed because he thought I was taking too long.
See, childish. And I liked that ‘who gives a shit’ part of me. I wasn’t ready to give her up yet. There was plenty of time to grow up.
Except now, there wasn’t.
A quick check out the window had me reaching for a warm coat, a scarf, and thick, insulated gloves. A few flakes of snow fluttered in the air, but it wouldn’t settle. The ground was far too wet after a week of constant rain.
Bundled up, I jogged down the stairs… while I still could. In a few months I’d be waddling around like Donald bloody Duck. The howling wind bit at any exposed skin it discovered. I shoved my gloved hands deep into my pockets and bowed my head, then sprinted for the car, cursing the timing of maintenance in our underground parking lot. Our building management company had negotiated spaces for the residents across the street. What possessed them to decide to resurface during the winter months was beyond me.
As I drew near, the car automatically unlocked. I loved new technology. As long as the keys were somewhere in my possession, there was no need to go rummaging through my purse trying to find the damn things. I dived into the car and slammed the door, closing myself off from the elements. Pressing the start button, I checked all around, then reversed.
Now I had something to do, an activity to take my mind off the unexpected—and unwelcome—news, I’d calmed down somewhat. Everything would be fine. I wasn’t the first woman to get knocked up accidentally, and I wouldn’t be the last.
It just made me look like a total fool, that was all. I mean, I wasn’t a teenager. I knew better, yet I’d still allowed my out-of-control libido to crowd out a dose of common sense. I blamed Jared. The damned man was too fucking hot for his own good. I couldn’t get enough.
I laughed bitterly. A baby would put paid to those shenanigans.
And what if he went off me when I got fat and ended up with bloated ankles and incontinence?
Oh God. I feel sick.
An hour after leaving London, I turned into my parents’ driveway. Parking behind Dad’s Range Rover, I cut the engine and climbed out. Gravel crunched beneath my feet, bringing a grin to my face, the first one since I’d peed on that stupid stick this morning. The gravel had been Mum’s idea. Dad had returned home at the end of the season to find his smooth, tarmac replaced by stone chips that damaged the paintwork on his beloved SUV. Mum had been unrepentant. Dad? Apoplectic.
But in the end, he’d forgiven her, because he’d forgive her anything. He loved her that much.
Just like Jared loved me.
I could only hope he felt the same way when I
broke the news.
“Paisley, darling.”
Mum came out to greet me. She must have seen me pull up from the family living room at the front of the house.
“You didn’t say you were coming.” She wrapped her arms around me. “Come inside, quickly. It’s freezing out here.”
“I’m not surprised you’re cold,” I said, taking in her thin sweater and jeans ensemble, not to mention the slippers on her feet. Typical Mum. I linked my arm through hers and we wandered inside.
“Dad about?” I asked, glancing through to his ground floor study.
“He’s upstairs unpacking.”
I rolled my eyes. The season finished two weeks ago, and Dad hadn’t unpacked yet. “How many hours of nagging did that take?”
“None,” Mum replied with a mischievous glint in her eye. “I told him if he didn’t do it by the end of the day, I was giving the whole lot away to charity.” She winked. “I haven’t seen him move that fast in years.”
I laughed. “Poor Dad.”
Mum snorted. “There’s nothing poor about your father. He lives a charmed life.” She pottered over to the bottom of the stairs and shouted, “Jack! Paisley’s here”, then returned to the kitchen and flicked the kettle on. “Cup of coffee, love? And then you can tell me what’s wrong.”
“What makes you think anything is wrong?”
She narrowed her eyes and gave me one of her special “Pur-lease” stares.
“Darling, really? You can’t hide anything from me.”
I plunked my butt on a stool at the breakfast bar and leaned on my elbows, my hands resting beneath my chin as Mum busied about pouring hot water onto instant coffee granules. She joined me holding two steaming mugs in one hand and a plate of chocolate biscuits in the other. She set them down on the counter and took a seat beside me.
And said nothing.
I sipped my coffee and nibbled on a biscuit. “I’m pregnant.”
Mum’s eyes widened, and then her whole face lit up, as if I’d given her the best news possible. “Oh, Paisley. That’s marvelous. Just wonderful. You’ll make a brilliant mother.”
I snorted. “Mum, I can barely put shoes on the right feet, let alone take care of another human being. Just ask Jared.”
Mum arched an eyebrow, her surprise at my attitude evident. She must have expected me to be all glowing and shit.
“What does Jared think?”
“He doesn’t know. I only took the test this morning.”
Mum reached out a hand and squeezed my wrist. “Unplanned then?”
“Yep.” My eyes filled with tears, and I blinked rapidly. “Oh, Mum. What have I done?”
“Hey, Princess,” Dad said, blundering blind into an unknown situation. He frowned when he noticed my glistening eyes. “What’s with the tears? Has Jared upset you? Because if he has, he’ll have me to deal with.”
Mum shot Dad an irritated glare. “Stand down, Jack.” She turned her gaze to me, her eyebrow arched. I nodded.
“Paisley has some rather unexpected news. She and Jared are expecting a baby.”
I’d imagine every father winced when they heard the news their daughter was pregnant because it shone a light on the fact their precious offspring was having sex. Dad, to his credit, grinned broadly.
“So, I’m going to be a gramps? Fantastic.”
He earned a second annoyed look from Mum. “Can’t you see Paisley is upset?”
I found myself enveloped in my mother’s warm embrace while Dad patted my shoulder. Words weren’t necessary for me to feel their support, their love.
After a minute or so, Mum released me and fondly stroked my hair. “I get it, darling. It’s scary. Every woman feels like that at first. It’s a big thing. Remember what I was like, Jack?”
“Do I ever,” Dad said, reaching for a chocolate biscuit and biting off half in one go. “We both panicked like crazy, but then we realized how enriched our lives would be. And they have been, Princess. We wouldn’t change a thing.”
Mum nodded in agreement. “I won’t lie, darling. Everything is about to alter, significantly.”
“Mum,” I exclaimed. “You’re supposed to be helping.”
“If you let me finish, I will help.”
She reached out a palm and placed it over my flat abdomen.
Not fucking flat for long
“Your life is about to be filled with more happiness than I can expect you to understand right now. But trust me, once you hold your baby in your arms, all the fear will disappear, and your heart will expand so wide, you’ll think it’s going to burst.”
“But how will I work? I can’t exactly rebuild a car with a baby strapped to my back.” I glanced at Dad as if I expected him to have all the answers. “You know how much I love my job, Dad. I’ve worked damned hard to be taken seriously and then bam! The little woman has to give it all up to take care of the kid.”
Mum chuckled. “Oh, Paisley, you’ve always loved a bit of over-exaggeration. Lots of mother’s work. You’ll figure it out. Hire a nanny. It’s not like you don’t have the money—and for that you should be grateful. Plenty of other women have it much tougher.”
“I agree with your mum,” Dad said. “We’ll work it out. I’ve heard your boss is pretty flexible.” He waggled his eyebrows, bringing a watery smile to my face. I had to admit, Mum a point. A very valid one. But as I chewed on her wise words, the real reason for my over-the-top-reaction to my pregnancy bubbled to the surface.
“What if Jared leaves me?”
Dad snorted. “He better hadn’t if he wants to live.”
Mum’s response was much more measured. She inclined her head, then reached out and tenderly cupped my cheek. “My darling girl, that will never happen. He adores you.”
“Yeah, me. Adores me. Not me plus one.” I pushed my bangs out of my eyes. “We haven’t even discussed having kids. What if he’s furious that I wasn’t more careful?”
Mum arched a brow. “Because birth control is the woman’s job, yes?”
I blew out a breath. “I didn’t say that.”
“Good, because I brought you up better than that. You and Jared are solid. Talk to him. He’ll understand. I bet he won’t be able to contain his excitement.”
“Of course he’ll understand,” Dad said with an edge to his tone that made it clear Jared could lose a very important part of his anatomy if his reaction was anything other than delighted.
I hoped they were right.
Jared
“I swear your swing is getting worse, not better.”
Noah showed me the finger, then lined up his six-iron ready to take his shot. He misfired, sending the golf ball sailing into the nearby lake.
“I fucking hate this game,” he said, slamming the golf club into his bag while I struggled to suppress my laughter at his apoplexy.
“No, you don’t. You love it. You’re the reason we’re here. I’d have been perfectly happy to go lie on a beach in Marbella and drink beer.”
“And eye up the ladies,” he said, waggling his eyebrows.
I shook my head. “Not for me. I already live with the most beautiful woman in the world.”
Noah made a pretense of shoving his fingers down his throat, but I knew he was faking it. He adored Paisley, and she fiercely loved and protected him like the brother she never had.
I threw my arm around his shoulder. “How about we go get a drink?”
Noah grinned. “First sensible thing you’ve said all weekend.”
We packed up our clubs and jumped in the buggy. Ten minutes later we arrived at the clubhouse. I bought a round of drinks and left Noah checking his phone to slip off and call Paisley. I’d enjoyed this weekend, and I loved spending time with my best friend, especially as I didn’t see a lot of him, but I missed my girl. Our professional lives were so entwined that we rarely spent time apart, and I was feeling the pull. I couldn’t wait to fly home in the morning.
I found a quiet part of the lounge and put in the call.
“Hey, Pixie Ley,” I said when she answered, brightening the second I heard her voice. “Christ, I’ve missed you. Everything okay?”
“Yes.” Her breath hitched and I could have sworn a sob escaped from her throat. “No. Can you please come home?”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, my skin prickling, and a sense of doom spread through my chest and abdomen.
“Baby, what’s the matter?”
“I can’t tell you over the phone. Not like this. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say anything until I saw you. Please tell Noah I’m sorry for dragging you back early.”
“Paise, are you sick?”
A pause, one that caused a great hole to bore through my stomach. She’d been perfectly fine when I left on Friday—forty-eight hours ago. What could have gone wrong so quickly?
She drew in a ragged breath. “No, I’m not sick.”
The line fell silent. All I could hear was her steady breathing. “Talk to me, baby, please,” I said softly. “You’re scaring the shit out of me.”
“Just come home,” she said, her voice barely audible.
“Okay. Hang tight. I’m on my way. I love you.”
She didn’t say it back, just whispered, “Bye”, and cut the call.
Fuck. I had a real bad feeling about this. Paisley was a force of nature. Nothing got her down. I’d sensed a note of despair in her tone, and that worried me more than I wanted to admit.
It was going to be a long flight home.
“Noah,” I barked, cocking my head. “We’ve gotta go.”
I spun on my heel and strode into the parking lot. By the time Noah had caught up, I’d already got the engine on our rental car started.
“What the fuck’s the matter?”
I reversed out of the space and floored the gas, the back end of the car fishtailing as I joined the roadway.
The Full Velocity Series Box Set Page 58