by Ava Walsh
“I wanted to have a chat. Congratulations. I heard you topped your business class.” Bryan suddenly stuck out his hand towards her and Margie looked at it with her face scrunched up.
“Are you kidding me? You can’t have stopped me in my tracks to congratulate me. If you don’t tell me what you want, I’m going to walk away.” Margie was about to plug the earphone back in when Bryan put his arm across in front of her, a dramatic gesture to ensure that she didn’t walk away.
“No. No. Okay. I wanted to apologize,” he said, and Margie raised her eyebrows.
“For what?” she asked, crossing her arms in front of her.
“For what I was saying that day at the game. I know you heard me. And I just wanted to let you know that I’m sorry for spreading those things about you and Lance,” he said, hanging his head low. Margie could barely believe it.
“Are you serious? What is making you apologize to me? You don't strike me as the kind of person who spends every day counting their sins.” Margie pulled out her other earplug as well and Bryan let a short laugh escape his lips.
“I’m apologizing because Lance told me the truth.” Bryan looked up again and Margie shook her head in further surprise.
“Truth?” she asked.
“About his relationship with you. I’m sorry that I spread gossip based on an assumption.” Bryan sighed. His cheeks were flushed. From the corner of her eye, Margie saw a movement and realized that Lance had appeared from the side. He was leaning against a tree now, his arms crossed across his chest.
She looked over at him and he smiled at her.
“Please leave now, Bryan,” Margie said, without looking at him. She sensed him shrug and leave immediately.
Lance and Margie stood looking at each other for a few seconds before he walked over to her. He looked gorgeous, as ever. His dark brown hair was brushed to the side, falling over his forehead. His green eyes were large and begging for forgiveness.
“Hey,” he said softly. Just his voice was enough to make Margie want to fall straight into his arms.
“Hi,” she said, and he smiled, finally.
“What was that about? Did you force Bryan to apologize to me?” Margie was still confused. She’d been fooled once before, she did not want it to happen again. This time, she was going to get the facts straight.
“Kinda. Especially after he told me what happened at the game. I don’t know why I’m still friends with him after all the shit he’s pulled over the years.” Lance ran his fingers through his hair. His sharp jaw was outlined perfectly by the fading light of the evening, and Margie knew exactly what it felt like to run her finger down it. She gulped and tried to strengthen her resolve again.
“So he just made all of that up?” she asked, and Lance nodded.
“The part about the pity sex. Yeah. Of course I didn’t say that. You should have known I didn’t.” Lance looked her directly in the eye as he spoke and Margie tried to hold his gaze. It was hard to do that and not simply melt into his arms.
“So what had you told him?” she asked. She needed more information.
“That we were intimate. That I didn’t know you well but wanted to get to know you better. Of course he didn’t like it. None of the guys like the sound of it, or that I’m not dating a cheerleader again,” Lance said with a sigh. Margie licked her lips and looked at him, trying to study him closely. Could he be trusted? Was he trying to dupe her again?
“And why did you wait this long to say all this?” she asked him, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Because I wanted to wait until the test was over. Just so that you don’t think that I am actually using you. Now that the test is over, I don’t need you to be my tutor anymore, but I still want to get to know you,” he said and stretched his hand out towards her. Margie looked at his hand, breathed in and slowly placed her own on his open palm. There it was, that electric shock again!
Lance pulled her to him and she rested her hands on his shoulders.
“I can’t believe I’m falling for it again,” Margie said, shaking her head.
“From now on, we’re going to speak our minds and be open about everything. I’m sorry that I caused you pain. You caused me a whole world of hurt that night at the bar,” Lance said with a laugh, and Margie rolled her eyes.
“When I was pretending to laugh and have fun?” She laughed with him.
“That dress was killing me,” he said and tightened his hand around her waist. Margie grazed her lips along his chin now, unable to control herself any longer.
“I can wear it again for you if you like,” she said with a giggle, and Lance kissed her softly on the cheek.
“Please do. But this time, don’t screech at Chloe and ask her to get off you,” Lance said, laughing again. Margie felt her cheeks flush, embarrassed that he knew about that.
“I’m sorry. That happened right after I heard Bryan talking. I had nobody else to take my anger out on,” Margie said, hiding her face on his chest. Lance was stroking her hair as he spoke. She could feel his fingers creeping up her back to trace the shape of her bra strap through the fabric of her clothes.
“Do you want to come to mine this time?” she asked, whispering in his ear, and Lance looked back at her. He was not expecting her to be this forward when she was so shy the last time.
“Yes,” he replied hoarsely.
Chapter Nine
The crowd cheered in waves. The game was being filmed this time by national television and the team supporters who were attending the game had been instructed to cheer in a wave pattern. There were going to be scouts in the bleachers, and Margie’s heart was pounding again. There was no doubt about it, Lance was going to be spotted, handpicked for a National League team.
She was in one of his jerseys, her hair tied up but her curls tumbling down over the back of her neck.
She cheered loudly as Lance kicked the team to victory. Bryan, at the other end of the seats, leaned forward to pass her a smile. Margie nodded in response. She decided she was going to warm to him.
Lance was on the shoulders of his teammates again and he caught her eye. Margie blew him a kiss and he mimed a catch and then rubbed it on his cheeks. Margie’s smile widened and she covered her mouth as she laughed. They’d been together for three months already, college was nearing its end and each day was better and better with him.
She watched as the cheerleaders swarmed the field now and Chloe ran right towards Lance. He leaned in towards her from above, still on top of two of his teammates’ shoulders and gave her a quick hug. Margie felt a jealous tug somewhere at the bottom of her heart, but he looked up immediately towards her and smiled. He was telling her that she had nothing to worry about. Lance was a man very much in love, and he was in love with her.
“He’s proven me wrong.” Claire’s voice interrupted her thoughts. It was Claire’s first game, and she had agreed to accompany Margie after days of pleading.
The buzz in the crowd had caught on to her as well. Claire was standing and clapping now, just like everyone else. Hank, the Arts Major from the bar, was beside her, equally converted on his first attendance of a football game.
“Your boyfriend is quite the performer,” Hank leaned forward to say, and Margie couldn’t help but laugh. She agreed. If there was ever a performer, it was Lance Healy.
People everywhere were blowing horns and waving big foam thumbs in the air, and Margie found confetti stuck to her hair now. This was going to be her life now, she was going to attend his games and watch on proudly as Lance took his team to victory after victory.
“Here she comes.” Claire nudged Margie with her elbow just as Chloe appeared behind them.
“We won!” Chloe shrieked, right into Margie’s ear.
“We did!” Margie said excitedly, and Chloe shocked her with a tight hug.
“What’s the deal with her then?” Claire asked as they watched Chloe walk down the seats towards Bryan and the other guys.
“Nothing. She still hangs ar
ound Lance a lot, but she knows she doesn’t really stand a chance with him. She’s kind of nice to me, though. So as long as she doesn’t throw herself at him anymore, I have no complaints,” Margie said with a sigh and a smile.
“You’ll have to deal with that a lot, though,” Claire said, rolling her eyes at Chloe, who was now hugging Bryan tightly. “Fangirls throwing themselves at Lance,” Claire added.
Margie sighed and shrugged. That is what she had signed up for with Lance as a boyfriend, she knew that.
“I consider myself lucky,” she said with another shrug. Claire pointed ahead and Margie turned to look. Lance had broken away from his team and was climbing the short distance through the bleachers towards her now.
“You are very lucky. And he’s a lucky guy to have you,” Claire said, clapping again as the crowd cheered for Lance as he made his way to Margie.
Margie’s heart was beating fast. Lance was coming to her. She was important to him, more than the game and more than the cheers.
“We won!” he said, just as he came up to her and lifted her up in his arms to give her a twirl.
“We won!” she repeated after him and leaned in for a kiss.
“Let’s get out of here?” he asked, gripping her waist tightly.
“What about celebrating with your teammates?” she asked, and Lance laughed.
“They’ll understand,” he said, planting a kiss on her belly.
“We’re leaving, Claire. I’m abducting your friend,” he said, turning to Claire and Hank.
Margie couldn’t do anything else other than blush a bright red.
*****
THE END
About Ava Walsh
Ava Walsh has a weak spot for bad boys, the irresistible ones that make your cheeks flush and annoy the hell out of you, making you want them even more. And of course for the women that succeed in winning their hearts.
Ava writes sexy, passionate and sweet stories that are short enough to brighten up your evening, and that always have a happily ever after.
She lives in warm California with her family. When she’s not writing, she’s usually found in the kitchen trying out a new recipe. Favorite things include reading, her horses and everything involving chocolate.
Please check the author page of Ava Walsh for the latest news and releases.
Selected Other Books by Ava Walsh
My Cowboy's Mail Order Bride
What do you do when your husband-to-be wants to test you out first? And you have no place to go?
He’s the stuff of women’s fantasies. My fantasies.
I answered an ad in the newspaper and came all the way from New York for him.
So here I am, ready for my cowboy.
He’s devastatingly handsome, but also an arrogant pr*ck.
He doesn’t even seem to notice me or my curves.
I feel naked under his gaze. Like I’m about to faint.
And now he wants to test my worthiness as a wife. To make sure he’s going to be satisfied with me.
I’m about to lose my virginity to a man I don’t even know.
But I’m not backing out. This is a deal. And I’m up to the task.
Two can play this game. Right?
The Mobster's Secret Baby
“Without manners, we all turn into animals,” he said.
“And what’s wrong with animals?” she whispered.
Sylvia
All my life I’ve been on my guard, looking over my shoulders because my dad’s a mobster. And now he has made me a prisoner in one of his friend’s homes. Fedor Volkov, the big Russian mafia boss.
I expected a cold-hearted monster, but he’s sexy as hell with a beard that sets my belly on fire. He stands for everything I despise, yet I can’t stop thinking about him. I want him to be the one to take my virginity. Especially since that would royally piss off my dad.
But I got way more than I bargained for...
Fedor
Every two years I take a vacation in my holiday home, alone. But this time, Will Stern has begged me to take in his daughter and protect her against his enemies. I couldn’t say no. Will is one of my best friends.
I didn’t expect her to be all grown up, though, a sexy young twenty-three-year-old with endless legs and a cleavage to drive me mad. But I can’t break the code, I am her guardian. I know I should stay away from her, but it’s almost like she’s out to make me fall.
How much longer can I resist?
The Rancher's Virgin
Love is like a shooting star – catch it before it’s gone.
New York is Brie’s life. But when her mother suddenly dies, the 18-year-old doesn’t have a choice. She moves in with her family at a ranch in Texas to start over. Turns out that the ranch owner is one of the most gorgeous men she’s ever laid eyes on.
But she has to forget about him. She’s too young and inexperienced for him, not to mention his son’s nanny.
Little does she know that her aunt’s got it all planned out.
Ranch owner Lance is every woman’s dream with his tousled hair and blue eyes. But underneath the muscles and sun-kissed skin, this wounded cowboy hides his scars. He’s focused on his work and his little son. He has no time for love.
But everything changes when he sees Brie that first day, all curves, beauty and warmth.
Is this wrong? Is this right? Despite their age difference and working relationship, Lance and Brie can’t deny the attraction.
Will Brie be able to move past her loss and start her first relationship? Can Lance let his walls down and give into his feelings? Can they be a family and enjoy a simple life of love and joy together?
The Rock Star's Pretend Girlfriend
Live life, be daring. Take a chance. On me.
Mindy Cassidy owes her older brother big time. So when he asks her to be his best friend’s fake girlfriend while their band is on tour, she agrees. There’s no woman alive who wouldn’t want to be in her shoes.
The problem is that she spent her entire high school years daydreaming about Devon. How will this virgin hide her feelings when she has to kiss him for the cameras?
Devon Jennings is a world-class a**, his arrogance is incredible and his affairs are all over the newspaper. His record label gives him the choice. Either he settles down with a good girl, or they’re dropping the band and it’s back to playing in garages.
So he agrees to a fake romance with his best friend’s baby sister. Turns out she’s all grown up with some rocking curves. Being around her is like a slow sort of torture. Can he be a good enough guy to not take advantage of their forced close proximity?
What started as a fake romance soon has both Mindy and Devon questioning everything they stand for. Can Mindy protect her heart? Is there a way to dampen the fire between them? Do they even want to? And when a small present arrives, will Devon face his demons and do the right thing?
Touchdown Daddy
Jennifer
I have the best job in the world. I get paid for touching hot men. And not just any hot men: I am the sports therapist for Philly’s professional football team.
Of course the guys hit on me all the time. But I know their tricks. I’m a professional and never break my rules.
Until he lands on my massage table. Justin’s the most gorgeous, the most cocky, and the most annoying player on the team. He flirts without trying and offends the hell out of me. So why am I falling for him so hard?
I need to stay away from this guy, he’ll bring me nothing but trouble. But I can’t. He’s injured and Coach Michaels wants me to treat him.
Then the guy kisses me one day when I’m trying to work on him and I know I want him. I run after one explosive night together and try to hold my crumbling world together, facing life as a single mother.
He’s turned my world upside down, but I can’t ever let him know how much our night changed his.
Justin
Every guy wants to be like me. I am the most admired player in the NFL and the most desir
ed one by the ladies. I can talk any woman into my bed. I live for the chase.
Until I lay eyes on the new sports therapist Jennifer. She’s gorgeous and tough and I know I’ve met my match. Too bad she’s not interested. But I don’t care. I’ll find a way to have her.
When I finally succeed, she gives me the best night of my life. For the first time, I want a woman to stay in my life.
She doesn’t.
I know I’ve fallen for her when the pain doesn’t go away. I need to find her to convince her we need a second chance. But where the hell is she?
Basketball Daddy
He’s every woman’s dream. And he’s making me an offer I can’t refuse
Tamsin Clarkson has got her lucky break. She’s the journalist who is chosen to interview the winning team in the NBA semi-finals. This is exactly the boost she needs for her career.
Finding herself in the locker room after the game, she is confronted with superstar and notorious bad boy Crosby Jones. She’s supposed to interview him, but it’s a little difficult to concentrate when he’s in the shower... right in front of her.
He agrees to give her an exclusive feature article that she could never have imagined in her wildest dreams, but only if she gives him what he wants first: herself.