Lead Player: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by Alex Grayson

  Table of Contents

  Introduction

  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

  Epilogue

  KB Worlds

  Also by Alex Grayson

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also Written By K. Bromberg

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead are entirely coincidental.

  © 2020 KB WORLDS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people.

  Published by KB Worlds, LLC.

  Cover Design by: Tugboat Design

  Cover Image by: JW Photography

  Editing by: Rose David Editing

  Formatting by: Alex Grayson

  Published in the United States of America

  Dear Reader,

  Welcome to the Everyday Heroes World!

  I’m so excited you’ve picked up this book! Lead Player is a book based on the world I created in my USA Today bestselling Everyday Heroes Series. While I may be finished writing this series (for now), various authors have signed on to keep them going. They will be bringing you all-new stories in the world you know while allowing you to revisit the characters you love.

  This book is entirely the work of the author who wrote it. While I allowed them to use the world I created and may have assisted in some of the plotting, I took no part in the writing or editing of the story. All praise can be directed their way.

  I truly hope you enjoy Lead Player. If you’re interested in finding more authors who have written in the KB Worlds, you can visit www.kbworlds.com.

  Thank you for supporting the writers in this project and me.

  Happy Reading,

  K. Bromberg

  Chapter One

  ALAINA

  Have you ever met a man so insanely attractive it’s impossible to tear your eyes away? Like there’s this mysterious, invisible force that, no matter how hard you try, or how creepy you may appear, you can’t look away. Even when he catches you staring, and your cheeks flame red with embarrassment, making you beg for the ground to open up and swallow you whole. Yet, you keep on looking.

  There’s a huge neon sign above my head, pointing directly at me, because I’m that person right now. I was fine until he sat at the bar. Sure, there have been hot guys mingling throughout the place all night. Some of them even giving off the I’ll fuck you so good you’ll beg for more vibes. But none have captured my attention like him.

  Black hair cut short on the sides but longer on the top, full beard, and high cheek bones. The lighting is dim, so I can’t tell his exact eye color, but if I had to guess, I’d say black or a dark brown. He looks vaguely familiar, but there’s no way I could have met him before. His face isn’t one I would easily forget.

  His black, button-up shirt stretches over his lean chest, the sleeves rolled to his elbows. His arms, which are resting on top of the bar, have just the right amount of dark hair peppering his skin. Just looking at them makes me want to sigh dreamily. They look strong enough to hold me up against the wall as he takes me hard and fast.

  He’s every bit as perfect in the looks department as a man can get. At least in my book.

  It’s a good thing he can’t seem to keep his eyes off me either, because I’m on the hunt for a one-night stand, and I believe I’ve found my target.

  I squeeze my legs together in anticipation and feel the build-up begin in my stomach. You know the kind I’m talking about. When you’re out with a guy for the first time and you know things will lead to the bedroom. That anxious tingling you get as you wait for that first touch. The slow burn of eagerness.

  Keeping my eyes on him—not like I could look away even if I wanted to—I pick up my cranberry vodka and tip the glass to my lips, drinking the inch that’s left. I lift my hand to the bartender, but before he can walk my way, my guy catches his attention. His eyes flicker briefly off me and to the bartender as he talks to him. I watch his full, sensual lips. Lips that would feel amazing on my body. Everywhere on my body. Especially with the scruff on his face. I can already imagine how it would feel scratching down my neck, over my breasts, and between my thighs.

  I shiver just thinking about it.

  The bartender glances at me over his shoulder, and I know my guy must be ordering me another drink. Such a gentleman. He’s not only mega-sexy, but it appears he may know how to treat a lady.

  Sure enough, the bartender walks off, and a moment later, he stands in front of me with a drink in hand.

  “Compliments of the gentleman over there,” he says, pointing to my guy with his thumb.

  “Thank you,” I respond, just loud enough for him to hear.

  I pick up my glass and tip it to the man, my silent salute to him. He grabs his, and with a slight smirk to his lips, does the same before taking a long swallow of his beer. Even his damn neck is sexy.

  Because I’m an impatient person, and since he’s made no move to come to me, I slide to the edge of my stool to get up to go to him. I’m pushed back down when someone bumps into me. A growl nearly slips past my lips when a body blocks my view of my guy.

  “Alaaainaa,” Nikki slurs as she leans on the bar. My best friend’s wearing the goofiest grin and her hair is falling out of her updo.

  “Whoa, girl. You need to slow down on the drinks there.”

  “Nah. I’m good.” She tips her drink back and downs the rest of it before slamming it on the bar. Waving her arm wildly to catch the bartender’s attention, she points to her empty glass. “God, isn’t he just so yummy?”

  I look at the bartender, and yeah, I’d have to agree with Nikki. Blond hair—messily spiked on the top—blue eyes, a nice tan, and a body made for bumping and grinding. “He’s definitely easy to look at.”

  “Oh, he’s so much more than easy to look at. I think I might try to take him home with me.”

  “That’s probably not a good idea.” I jerk my chin in his direction. “You’re slacking on your research skills.”

  A line forms between her eyes as she scowls and looks back at the bartender. “Damn,” she sighs. “He’s married.” She plops down on the stool, looking deflated. “What about you? We’re here to get you laid. Find anyone?”

  My eyes move over her shoulder to my guy, and narrow when I see some bleach-blonde hoebag next to him. She’s practically sitting in his lap with how close she is. An irrational urge to stalk over there and rip out the bitch’s hair hits me. What has my anger growing even hotter is the fact that he doesn’t seem to mind her being so close. While I’m over there snatching her hair out, I may as well slap
him for my trouble.

  Yeah, it’s stupid. I have no claim on the man, but lust can make the sanest person do crazy shit. And I’m definitely in lust.

  Right at that moment, my guy looks past her, and our eyes meet again. I’m sure my expression shows way more than I want him to know, because one of his brows lifts and he smirks. Like he’s enjoying my reaction to the chick taking up his time.

  Jerk, Nova, the inner voice in my head, sneers. Yes, I’ve named the voice. And no, she’s not the “angel” that rests on my shoulders, but my own personal demon who likes to cause trouble.

  Would it be immature of me to flip him the bird?

  Nikki, sensing something’s going on, follows my line of sight. “Holy shit. Now for that one I wouldn’t care if he was married.”

  I snort, bringing my eyes back to my friend. “Yeah, you would.”

  She turns back around and wrinkles her nose. “You’re right. That kind of drama isn’t worth any kind of dick. Even if the dick is connected to a Greek God.”

  To say Nikki had a bad mishap with a married man would be putting it mildly. In her defense though, the man never told her he had a wife. She found out a month into their relationship when his wife showed up at her door. Of course, the woman assumed Nikki knew about her, so her reaction was to pounce first and ask questions later. Nikki grew up with four older brothers, so she knows a thing or two about kicking ass. Needless to say, the woman walked away looking a lot worse than Nikki did.

  “Doesn’t matter anyway,” I say, getting back to the matter at hand. “Looks like he’s moved on to someone else.”

  Which is a pity, because damn, the man gets my motor running.

  “Thanks, sugar,” Nikki tells the bartender with a wink when he places her new drink down. The guy may be married and off the list of potential bed partners, but a little harmless flirting is still allowed. Or at least that’s what she would say. With a tiny straw in her mouth, slurping at her drink, she turns back to me. “Since when have you let some bimbo keep you from something you want?”

  “Since my judgement in men went down the drain. He’s obviously a bad seed if he went from eye fucking me one minute to cozying up with some other chick the minute my attention went off him.”

  I peek a glance at the man, just to see if said chick is still there, and yep, still smashing her tits against his arm.

  “I wish Juliet were here. It’s not the same going out without her.”

  “Yeah, but she’s having her own party at home.” Nikki’s eyebrows jump suggestively, and she does a bump and grind maneuver in her seat. “I’d be where she is right now if I had someone like James at home.”

  I laugh. James is pretty damn hot. It’s difficult to believe Juliet’s marrying him in just over a week. They met a year ago, hit it off right away, and were engaged within three months. Nikki and I almost threw a fit when she told us, but she was adamant he was the one. I guess sometimes you just know.

  Nikki pulls her straw from her glass and points it at me. “And don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing. Your excuse of having bad judgement in men is crap and you know it. Terry was an asshole who has daddy issues, and he hid those issues well. He had all of us fooled for years; not just you.”

  I drain my drink and crunch on a piece of ice. “And what about Luther?”

  “Which one was he again?” She taps her chin with the straw. Before I can remind her, she shrugs and continues, “Oh, right. He was just a freak of nature. Seriously, Lay, the guy was perfect. There was no way you could have known he has a doll fetish.”

  I shudder just thinking about Luther and his collection of dolls. We went on three dates, each of which I thought went really well. The guy was nice, funny, and a gentleman. The topping on the cake is that he was hot—like super hot. After the third date, we went back to his place to finish the evening in his bed. He’d received an urgent call he had to take, which left me to wander his house, thank goodness. I wasn’t necessarily snooping. I was just trying to get to know the guy I was going to sleep with a little better. I got to know him much more than I wanted when I opened one of the bedrooms and found it full of dolls. Not just dolls, but naked dolls. Big dolls. Little dolls. Barbie dolls. Blow up dolls. Not only that, but there was a bed with bottles of lotion and boxes of tissues on the nightstand. And if I still had any doubts—which I didn’t at this point—it was set to rest when I noticed a jumbo box of condoms in the trashcan. And yes, in case you were wondering, there were used condoms in the trashcan, too.

  “And what about Kevin?”

  “The guy who still lives with his parents?”

  He not only lived with his parents, but his mom still cut his meat and scrubbed the skid marks from his underwear. I know this because his mom told me so when I picked him up for our second date since his car was in the shop for a repair. I couldn’t make this crap up if I tried.

  I nod.

  “Separation issues. No grown man wants the woman he’s hoping to date to know he’s still living with mommy and daddy. To give the guy credit, they weren’t supposed to be home when you picked him up.” I raise my brow at her reasoning. “What? Mommy dearest couldn’t leave without putting the restaurant number on the fridge where she could be reached in case of an emergency.”

  I wince when I remember that awkward meeting. His mom pretended like I wasn’t even there when she breezed through the door and told Kevin she’d forgotten to leave the restaurant number. Then proceeded to remind him to put his underwear in the washer or the stain remover would eat through the material. I quickly made my excuses to leave before his parents could make it out of the driveway.

  “And Jake?” I prompt Nikki to explain away that disaster.

  Instead of answering my question, she asks one of her own. “You know what your problem is?”

  Propping my elbow on the bar with my chin in my hand, I give her my full attention. “Do enlighten me.”

  “You’re looking in the wrong places. You need to look the old fashion way and leave those dating websites alone.”

  “You know I don’t have time for that,” I huff. “If not for those websites, I wouldn’t be looking at all. Besides, what the hell do you think I’m doing tonight?”

  “And where exactly has it gotten you so far? We’ve been here two hours, and you’ve only come up with one guy. And you’re ready to use an excuse to ditch your efforts with him.”

  I narrow my eyes. “Exactly how many guys do you expect me to bring home?”

  She grins, flashing her pearly whites at me. “As many as you can handle.”

  I laugh, because that’s so typical of her, and I did kind of walk right into it.

  “One will do just fine.”

  “Lame.” She finishes off her drink and plops the glass down. “If not that guy,” she points over her shoulder with her thumb, “find someone else. We ain’t leaving here until we find you someone to take home.”

  But I want my guy, Nova pouts, and I almost mimic her words.

  God, I really am pathetic.

  I take a glance around the room, and of course my eyes unconsciously move back to the man across the bar. For some dumb reason, my stomach drops when I don’t find him in his spot. I guess he decided to take the bimbo home.

  Oh, well. His loss.

  Rowdy laughter has my eyes jerking to one of the pool tables. Three guys, about my and Nikki’s age, are drinking and playing a round of pool. A blond, a brunette, and a redhead.

  I quietly snort to myself when I realize my thoughts are the beginning of a bad joke. Except this time, it would be men as the brunt of the joke instead of women.

  I take each man in and decide the brunette is the most appealing. I’m not shallow and only take a man’s looks into consideration. It’s just in settings like this, looks are the first thing a person notices. My lady bits haven’t had action since my three-year relationship with Terry ended a year ago. I’m usually a very sexually active person, so I’m long overdue.

  I elbo
w Nikki, then swivel all the way around in my chair to face the room. She takes the hint and mimics me. Following my line of sight, she notices the guys, too.

  “Which one?” she asks loudly over the music.

  “The brunette.”

  “Good choice, because I want the redhead.” With a wink, she saunters away, leaving me to follow.

  Reaching back, I grab my little black purse that matches my little black dress and hop down from the stool. Instead of heading straight for the guys, I make my way to the bathroom for a little touch me up. Thankfully, there’s only one person in line for the lady’s room.

  After doing my business in the stall and washing my hands, I pull out my peach-colored lipstick and swipe it across my lips. Puckering to make sure they look good, I drop the tube back in my purse.

  Throwing the paper towel in the trash beside the door, I grab the handle and give it a yank. I stop right outside the doorway when I notice the man from the bar leaning casually against the wall across from me.

  Chapter Two

  “TAYLOR”

  I’ve surprised the woman, which pleases me immensely, because she sure as shit surprised me earlier when I first locked eyes on her. Beautiful isn’t a strong enough word to describe her. Breathtaking and mesmerizing come close, but still not accurate.

  I’ve seen plenty of stunning women before—have fucked quite a few of them too—but none have captured my attention like she has.