Wild Play
Page 1
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Epilogue
Just for You
The Xmas Conquest: Excerpt
Also by Harper Lauren
Wild Play
The Wild Boys Sports Romance Book 2
Copyright 2017 by Harper Lauren.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechan ical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review
Author Contact
Email: harper@authorharperlauren.com
Facebook: @authorharperlauren
Her words push me away. But her eyes tell a different story
Following in my father’s footsteps meant The Game
I found my way to the Professionals
Running through cash and women at a breakneck speed
I never wanted a relationship
Nope, thank you very much
Then the hot daredevil strolled into my life
Tasha’s a stunt woman with legs for days
Her edge drives me wild
Her passion awakens the beast inside me
Yet she refuses to settle for less than what she deserves
Ironic
The man upstairs has to be laughing at me now
But Fu@k it
She’s the one. Mine to own. Mine to claim
I will do anything in my power to keep her
But can I convince her before she walks away for good?
***This is a steamy, full-length novel with a happily ever after. No cliffhangers. No cheating.***
Just For You
Click Here or scan the QR code to join my readers’ club and download my second chance Novella “Catching Love” for FREE! The main characters Alex and Rosie will appear in this story as well!
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Content
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Epilogue
Just for You
The Xmas Conquest: Excerpt
Also by Harper Lauren
Author’s Words
Chapter One
Tasha
The huge white tent was buzzing with activity—hairdressers and makeup artists working in a rush, assistants going back and forth to prepare for the shoot, camera men tinkering with their equipment, dancers practicing with their music, extras and stuntmen chatting while getting ready.
I could also hear excited chatter and motorcycle engines revving right outside the tent, blending into the background of the director’s booming voice calling out orders.
A young woman with a clipboard suddenly peeked into the tent’s makeshift flap doors. “Three minutes, stunt people!” she called out.
Well, that’s my cue. It’s been three years now that I’ve been working as a stuntwoman, doing tricky feats and risky acts of all sorts to stand for actual commercial models and even famous actresses. It was the perfect job for me, I guess, after having had years of informal gymnastics and martial arts training by my foster parents. Once I was old enough to live on my own, I moved out and sort of just jumped from one crazy odd job to another.
What’s more, I’ve always kind of lived on the edge even in my early teens. Yes, that’s a more interesting way of putting it, considering the trouble I always got myself into since I became an orphan at ten years old.
I grinned as I looked at my reflection one last time in the wide mirror in front of me. My heart was pumping hard, flushing my cheeks even more than the blush that the makeup artist had painted onto them. My bluish gray eyes were bright with anticipation, reflecting the rush I always felt right before a shoot. They had been dolled up with smoky eye shadow and long, thick false eyelashes. Looking at the heavy makeup on my face, I used to think this appearance was on the verge of being “clownish.” But it was always just right for the cameras.
I fluffed my dark brown tresses, which cascaded past my shoulders in layers of waves. The hairdresser had attached hair extensions to make it longer, so I’d seem like the football team’s head cheerleader Eve.
Meanwhile, my cheekbones seemed a lot higher and the bridge on my nose had also been tweaked. I hardly recognized myself in the mirror, but that was part of what made this job even more interesting for me. At times, it was a relief to somehow hide behind a temporary mask and pretend to be someone else.
“You look amazing, Tasha Rodriguez,” a low male voice suddenly said, making me look up. I saw the reflection of my good friend Corky Anderson, one of the stuntmen I had worked with on many projects. “I almost didn’t recognize you!” he added.
I laughed, turning around to face him. “You’re not supposed to, Corky,” I said. “You don’t look bad yourself. I see you’ve been working out more.”
He grinned, flexing his muscles. His extra-well-built physique was still emphasized despite wearing a full biker’s attire in navy blue leather. I had on a similar outfit, but in flaming red.
“You noticed, huh?” he said, chuckling. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re probably catching on the Corky fever!”
“The Corky what?!” I said, laughing. “Screw you, Corky! I’ll never go out with you in a million years.”
“Ouch!” he exclaimed, acting like a bullet had just hit him on the chest. We both laughed.
“Let’s go, girls!” Lia, one of my best friends, said.
“You look hot!” I told her as we all walked out of the tent.
“Hotter than the real Shelly Morgan?” she asked jokingly, referring to the cheerleader she was going to be standing in for.
“Definitely,” I said with a wide grin.
“Places, everyone!” the director yelled.
I couldn’t help whistling as I admired the mean machine in front of me. I climbed on the Harley-Davidson, feeling like a really cool and stylish gangster. I squeezed the clutch lever with my left hand, turning it all the way before pressing the start button. The roaring sound filled my ears. I felt the machine come to life under me, giving me a sense of power and control.
There were eight riders in all, three women and five men. We were lined up horizontally on an empty highway a little far off from Windfield City. The long road loomed ahead, bare lands and some forested areas on either side of it.
This’ll be a cinch, I thought as I looked on with concentration. All we had to do was drive the motorbikes straight ahead at top speed. There were no obstacles or actual bike stunts involved, which I had done in the past.
>
I heard the countdown begin. When the director shouted “Go!”, I plunged onward, zooming at top speed, loving the way my adrenaline picked up. The wind blew hard on my face, my wavy locks dancing behind me. I was hardly aware of the drone following us or the camera crane that we passed.
When I saw two crew members waving red flags up on the road, I slowed down along with the others until we came to a stop. They handed out bottles of water. I downed mine in a hurry, my heart still beating hard from the rush.
“Piece of cake, huh?” Corky said to me with a wide grin.
Nodding, I answered, “Easy-peasy!”
After finishing off our water, the assistants said we could head back for the second take. Once we were back, the director emphasized that even if we were moving at full speed, we had to make sure nobody was getting too much left behind.
It only took one more take. “Great job, guys!” the assistant director said, patting us on the back. The director didn’t even bother praising us. But that was fine since I wasn’t here for the recognition. We weren’t the big stars of the shoot, anyway. We were all here for the money. For me, apart from the lucrative pay, I just loved the thrill and adventure.
We had a long break, during which I got to do some girl talk with Lia and our other good friend Bella. The three of us had met on a movie set when I was just starting out. Both of them had been in the industry longer than me.
“Check it out,” Bella said, giggling as she pointed out Corky who was dozed off on a cot inside the tent.
“Ugh, that guy!” I said, shaking my head. “I can’t believe he could just sleep like that after the adrenaline rush.”
“Well, he always can,” Lia said, laughing. “I kind of envy him, though.”
That made us all laugh.
“Isn’t he hung over?” Bella wondered. “Didn’t he crash at your place last night, Tash?”
“No way!” I immediately answered. “I told you many times before, I’m totally not interested in him. He’s a great guy and all, but he’s always been like a brother to me.”
“Poor guy!” Lia said, lowering her voice. “He’s not hung over, girls. He’s just hung up on Tasha.”
We all giggled loudly, making the other stuntmen give us a curious look. One of them was Bella’s boyfriend Josh, whom she’d met in a bar and had recruited to work as a stuntman. They were quite good together.
“So… you and Josh…” I started, giving Bella a meaningful look. “Any plans of settling down? You two are so perfect for each other! And you’ve been going out for, like, five years?”
Bella nodded with a smile. “Yes, but we’re taking things slow. Still saving up, you know.”
“I guess that’s important,” I agreed.
“What about you, Tasha?” Bella asked. “Who are you dating now? Anyone special?”
“Oh, you know, a lot of guys…” I said, making them laugh. “But no one serious. After three failed relationships, I just want to take a break. Or maybe there’s really no one special yet that had come along so far.”
“The football players are total hunks, you know!” Lia said with emphasis and meaning, wiggling her eyebrows at me. “If you’re not going to get their attention, I definitely will.” She tossed her hair back and pouted her lips.
“That’s if they’ll be interested in tough, wild stuntwomen,” I pointed out. “We’re a far cry from those rah-rah girls they’re used to.”
“Well then, we’ll surely catch their attention even more!” Lia declared.
“Let’s see,” I said with a smile, picturing the top five football players of the Windfield Warriors that we knew were on their way now to the shoot. I was a little bit familiar with them because I liked watching football games, too.
We’re most likely going to meet them for the wall climbing part of the shoot. The men were going to be doing it themselves, along with us stuntwomen who will be standing for the lady stars of the TV commercial.
I’ve never met a professional football player before. This is bound to be interesting.
Chapter Two
Stryder
Arriving at the set located at the edge of the city, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed. It was my first time to do this kind of thing, to actually be placed in the limelight along with the seasoned top football pros of the Windfield Warriors.
Unlike my buddies Alex who played the quarterback and Ivan who was a really good left tackle, I wasn’t used to the celebrity status. While they had been getting invited for TV and print ads, show guestings, and the like, I had been busy working my ass off to get better at football.
Even though I’d gotten in two years ago, it took me a while to move up and become noticed. Just a few months ago, our football center had retired. To my utmost surprise, I was promoted to take his place. My hard work and sacrifice had paid off, much to the delight of my father who’d been a football star in his heyday.
As for the other two guys who were with us, they were probably chosen for this commercial simply because of their good looks. They were both fairly average players, after all, and had not been given much attention in the past. But with this TV ad for the popular energy drink Bolt, we’re all bound to attract greater fame.
Looking at all the fancy camera and light setups and various crew members hustling, I felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness wash upon me. This was something else!
“Whoa!” I said, my eyes taking in the entire scene.
Ivan, of course, wasn’t stunned at all. Chuckling, he gave me a pat on the shoulder. “You’ll get used to it, buddy.”
Meanwhile, Alex was busy talking on the phone with his new wife Rosie. The other two football players with us, David and Tim, were flirting with the three cheerleaders who had arrived about the same time as we did.
I glanced at the head cheerleader Eve whom I had dated for a while. She was, of course, basking in the attention, enjoying the flirting while being made up by a makeup artist. I suddenly remembered how great she’d been in bed, making me grin and yearn for another pass at her. But she was old news and I was honestly tired of hooking up with cheerleaders and their type.
“So, Stryder, how are things with that girl you brought to the bar the other day—uh, Holly, was it?” Ivan asked, making conversation as we were ushered into a large white tent by one of the crew members.
“Yes, Holly,” I answered, recalling the hot woman I had met during one of my mom’s parties. She was the daughter of one of my mom’s friends. “We had fun for about three days. No strings attached, just the way I like it.”
Ivan chuckled. “Really… I thought she was more special than the others the way you two looked at each other… So you just suddenly stopped communicating?”
“Yeah, I didn’t call her anymore and she never made any effort to contact me,” I said casually. “Just like that.”
We were brought to chairs in front of a huge mirror. All of a sudden, a makeup artist said hello and began putting powder on my face.
“Hey! What the—” I exclaimed. She narrowed her eyes, but didn’t stop.
“Relax, Stryder,” Ivan reassured me. “It’s just makeup.”
“Makeup?!” I asked incredulously. “This wasn’t in the contract we signed, dude! Was it? Man, I don’t want any goo on my face!”
Ivan laughed. “It’s necessary on TV even for men. Just relax and pretend you’re a famous actor or something.”
I leaned back and glanced at the makeup artist who was glaring at me. She pushed on, anyway, and I couldn’t do anything about it.
“You know, Stryder, you’ll meet her someday,” Ivan said with a grin, continuing our conversation.
“Who?” I asked, not catching on.
He laughed, leaning over to slap me good-naturedly. “Man, you’re going to meet a woman that will blow your mind, you’ll see. Someone you’ll want for more than just a day or two, for more than just a hook-up. If it happened to me, it will happen to you, too.”
I laughed. I couldn’t imagi
ne that happening. “That’ll be the day,” I simply said.
As I was heading out of the tent for our call time, I almost bumped into someone who looked a lot like Eve. I did a double-take, our eyes meeting in an intense gaze. This woman was a little taller than the head cheerleader, though. She also had passionate bluish gray eyes instead of Eve’s brown eyes.
“Hey,” I found myself saying, my lips turning up in a grin.
“Hey yourself,” the stunning woman said. She didn’t smile, though. I could sense her strong aura penetrating into me.
“You look familiar,” I said, trying to engage her. For some reason, this lady had me drawn. And when that happens, I never miss out on the opportunity.
She actually scoffed. “Now that’s a very old pickup line, don’t you think? I would have expected something more from a famous football pro.”
I was taken aback, but I still smiled. At least she knew who I was. “I wasn’t really trying out a pickup line,” I said, chuckling. “You look like Eve, the head cheerleader. But definitely a lot more gorgeous and with a stronger punch.”
Finally, she laughed. “Thanks for the flattery but it won’t get you anywhere, Mr. Stryder Cooper.”
Before I could even think of a reply, she went off to join two other women who were dressed exactly like her. She did glance back, which meant that she was interested too or at least curious enough. I gave her a playful wink and my most charming smile before heading out.