by Lulu Pratt
“Let’s go, baby girl,” he whispers before taking the first step.
My eyes are trained on the end of the aisle where Logan stands in a black tuxedo, somehow even more handsome than the day I met him. His eyes are glassed over with emotion, and the closer I get, the more he fidgets from side to side with anticipation.
“Who gives this bride to this groom in marriage?” the minister asks, standing a step above Logan.
“I do,” my father answers proudly, releasing my arm and kissing my cheek before joining my mother in the front row.
The smile on Logan’s face as he takes the half step to me sets off a flutter in my belly. I take his hand and step to him, now standing directly across from the man of my dreams.
“You may all be seated,” the minister announces to the audience.
“I love you so much,” Logan quickly leans in to whisper as the room full of our closest friends and family settle into their seats.
“I love you too,” I mouth as the room grows silent.
I can see the internal battle in Logan’s eyes as he stands so close to me without being able to take me in his arms. His desire has always amplified my confidence, and today it is only magnified.
“You’re so beautiful,” Logan says with a shake of his head slowly, studying my face as his hand brushes my hair aside.
Before I can stop him, he cradles my neck, pressing his lips to mine. My body melts to his touch as the crowd laughs in amusement.
“We’re not exactly there yet, Logan,” the minister jokingly admonishes the man I love.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself.” Logan shrugs with his million-dollar smile to the minister and to our family and friends before returning his gaze to me.
I don’t hear a word spoken by the minister as he speaks about love and devotion. All I need to know about both subjects is intertwined in the beautiful blue eyes that stare back at me. Without a word, Logan is declaring his love, and with a smile plastered across my face, I reciprocate every ounce of devotion. Forever.
***
Thank you for reading Relentless Pursuit. I hope you enjoyed it. Sign up to my newsletter and get FREE exclusive bonuses on all my stories including a bonus short, Relentless Pursuit – Five Years Later.
Please keep reading for more stories.
Overprotected
Amazon Top 100 Bestseller
They think I’m going to protect her from the world but I’m the one she needs protecting from.
My best friend’s family is worried about their little girl going off to college.
They’ve sheltered Emma her whole life.
So I offer to let her stay with me while she gets settled and keep an eye on her.
But when Emma arrives, she’s not the geeky girl I remember.
Gone is that girl. Hello to the curviest piece of ass in town, and I want to take a bite.
Now I can’t focus on anything with her around, and I keep telling myself I promised her brother I’d protect her.
Turns out all I want to do is corrupt her…
***A steamy STANDALONE contemporary romance with a smoking hot hero. No cliffhanger, no cheating and a guaranteed happily-ever-after.***
CHAPTER 1
EMMA
I opened the suitcase on my bed, mentally making a list of things I would need for my big move. It was only to another part of Tennessee but going anywhere by myself was huge.
I had lived in Chattanooga my entire life. It wasn’t that I didn’t love it here because I did. I had a great family and friends, and it was a wonderful town, but I was nineteen now. I had studied at the local community college until I had enough credits to transfer and convince my parents that I was ready to move and attend the university in Nashville. They only agreed because my brother Greg got his friend Jackson Cooper to let me stay with him when I arrived in town. They had been friends for years. Jackson played backup lineman for the professional league team the Tennessee Trojans and seemed to be pretty established there.
I used to have a crush on Jackson before he moved away, but that was old news.
I told Mom and Dad that Jackson would help familiarize me with the city, plus we’d known him for years, and they finally agreed. I would be going to college and studying as well as looking for a job. I had a little money from a college fund that my parents set up, but I would need some pocket money as well. Nashville was supposed to be amazing. I wanted to get out and see things. Even if I didn’t have a lot of time, I was going to manage to do that.
I started looking through my clothes to decide what to bring. I went through a thick stack of jeans, leggings and sweats. After that, I grabbed several T-shirts and a few long-sleeved shirts and added them.
Mom took me shopping for some things and I added the new socks, underwear and sports bras that I favored on top of the growing pile. I wasn’t exactly feminine and more of a nerd. I didn’t wear a lot of skirts and dresses, though Mom insisted on getting me anything I might need for Nashville and I agreed when I saw the tears in her eyes.
A chime interrupted the music that was playing, and I walked over to see that my best friend Willow had texted me.
What you up to?
Packing. So much to do!
Right, sounds like fun. I’m on my way now!
My parents were throwing a BBQ for me tonight anyway and she’d be here soon enough. Why not arrive early so we can spend some more time together before I leave?
I continued to look over my closet as the music started again. I reached for a hairband to contain my straight blonde hair and wandered around to see what else I would need. I would come home for the holidays and the odd weekend, but I wanted to be as prepared as possible.
I was going to stay with Jackson in his spare bedroom at his apartment, so I could only bring so much. I bit my lip as I imagined the tall, dark-haired man I remembered when Greg brought up the idea.
Jackson was gorgeous. He was also a player, but I didn’t mention that. I knew my brother, and he was protective as hell. Jackson wouldn’t want much to do with me, but I was worried about him bringing girls back to the apartment.
However, moving to Nashville got me out my parents’ house and on the way to be an adult. I’d take the risk, but I expected Greg had a long talk with Jackson.
I heard the doorbell downstairs and smiled.
“Emma?” My mother called. “Willow’s here.”
“Hey,” I shouted and threw down the camisoles I was holding. I ran downstairs and greeted Willow with a smile as my flame-haired friend carried in a bag.
“I brought you something,” she said with a bright smile as we returned to my whirlwind of a bedroom. Willow set down the bag beside the suitcase and sighed heavily.
“I can’t believe you’re actually leaving me.”
“It’s not that far. You can visit on weekends when I have my own place.”
Willow was still attending the community college and had seven-year-old twin sisters who she wanted to stay close to.
“This is for you, Em, so you can remember me.”
I reached for the bag and opened it. Inside was a large picture frame with Willow and me hugging in the center. Around the border were smaller images from our long friendship. Tears started forming as I looked at the pictures, ticket stubs, buttons and other mementoes.
“I’ll visit you at Jackson’s. That man is so gorgeous!” Willow sighed.
She was much more of a dater than I was, and I didn’t doubt that she’d put the moves on Jackson if she had the chance. I was the girl who only had one boyfriend so far and with it a very awkward and brief sexual relationship. It didn’t wow me. I wondered what all the fuss was about.
“That’s the last thing I need, Willow. I know that he’s a total man-whore, or that he was one in school, and I don’t care to hear you and him in the same apartment,” I said with a grin.
Willow stood beside me as I placed her gift carefully against the wall. “Thank you. I love it. It’ll be perfect at my
new place.”
We chatted and packed a bit more before I heard my mom calling us downstairs.
I looked at the clock, realizing that it was time for the guests to start arriving. I splashed some cold water on my face before heading down with Willow. We went to the kitchen to help Mom, and I hugged her as she looked at me with sad eyes.
I thought that my mother was beautiful with her blonde hair and big, blue eyes but I had dark brown eyes like my father. It just wasn’t a breathtaking combination in my opinion and the fact that I wore glasses sometimes didn’t help my confidence much. I felt like a nerd.
Family and friends started to arrive. We hung out in the backyard and ate. I wandered around and talked to everybody, realizing that most of these people weren’t going to miss me that much.
I made my way back over to Willow, who was talking to Greg and a couple of his friends. Greg pulled me close to his side, and I rolled my eyes at Willow.
“Are you sure that you don’t want me to drive you there, Em? I can catch a flight back home.” Greg was an accountant here in town and worked long hours.
“It’s just a couple hours away. I have my car and I’ll be fine if you help me load it,” I assured him. “If I let you drive me, you just might stay and guard me like a Rottweiler.”
“I already have Jackson on that. Nobody will mess with him in that town,” Greg bragged.
“He’s bound to be gone playing games. What are you going to do about that?” Willow asked with a challenging look.
“He’ll have made everyone know that Emma is off limits by then,” Greg replied with narrowed eyes.
“Let Em grow up, already. It’s time,” Willow grumbled before she took a bite of her food and gave me a sympathetic look.
I smile and shrugged.
I stayed outside for the entire party and finished packing with Willow once all the guests had left. She helped me decide on the sentimental items to take. We went to bed after midnight as she stayed over so she could see me off in the morning after breakfast.
We got up at seven and showered before enjoying breakfast with my family. My aunt and uncle came over, as well as my grandma, so we lingered for a bit before Dad and Greg started packing my Toyota Camry for me. It was small but dependable and it would get me through a few years still.
I hugged everyone slowly. Mom and Willow were crying, and I tried not to join in, hugging Greg last.
“Jackson should be all set up for you when you get there,” he said.
I smiled gratefully at him.
“Thank you for getting me a place to stay. It helps a lot.”
“It’ll be a safe place for you. He’s like a big brother to you and will keep the boys away.”
“Greg, it’s not the boys you should be worried about!” I said with a smile and a shake of my head.
I opened the door and got in the car. I looked in my rearview mirrors to see everyone waving and let a tear slide down my cheek. As nervous as I was, I was also excited to start a new life. I turned up the radio and hit the gas pedal, ready to be in Nashville.
CHAPTER 2
JACKSON
I dried my hair and wrapped the towel around my waist, still a little wet from my shower. I worked out for a long time today and needed it. I walked through the apartment, glancing the guest room as I made a mental note to clean it for Emma. It was hard to believe that I was letting her move in to go the university here. Wasn’t she just a kid?
Well, nineteen was not a kid. I knew that and Greg knew that, although he still saw Emma as a kid. He overprotected her. I appeased him on the phone when we discussed her staying here for a bit, not wanting to burst his bubble.
I listened to ESPN talking about football season as I got ready. I knew that this season would be different.
Fuck the commentators for going on about the New England Rebels. They had a great season last year and nearly made it to the championships, but it didn’t happen. This was a new start, and I wanted my shot. I watched the screen for a minute before getting a water from the fridge.
I thought about what I should do to prepare for Emma even though I had a few days before she arrived. I needed to stock the fridge, clean the second room and tidy everything else.
I shook my head at the idea of her living here. She was just a kid for the longest time and then suddenly I was graduating, and she was getting tits and a great ass. I hadn’t seen her too much since I started playing professionally, but she was a cutie last time.
I wondered if she was the kind of girl to have guys over at the apartment a lot. Greg swore that she was a good girl, but women could hide things. Greg had never stopped being protective of her.
Emma had always been sheltered. I suppose it paid off since she was great in school and going to college for engineering now, but at some point, she was going to go crazy. I could step in to some degree if she was living with me, but Emma was an adult who deserved to live her life. Who was I to stand in her way?
The commentators said something positive about the New England Rebels again. Enough, already. What the hell did they know? I could think of a few years they weren’t right, and a team just proved them all wrong. This year, it would be my team.
As much as I bashed these guys, I listened to what they had to say and let it get to me. I was just a backup for the team right now, but I trained as hard as anyone else, ready to step in when needed. I was still a valuable part of the Trojans and proud of that.
I wondered what it would be like with a roommate here. I hadn’t had one of those since college, much less a woman.
Most women didn’t even get the chance of staying the night with me, much less seeing the morning light here.
I made it clear that I was in it for casual sex and nothing more. They weren’t going to spend the night, move in or date me. I was also careful about safe sex. I knew that stuff got to the media about players, but I didn’t worry about that. I didn’t have a bunch of kids running around or any felonies, and in pro sports that was something. I was doing great.
I woke up later to the sound of knocking. I realized I fell asleep in front of the TV. I grabbed the towel to answer the door.
A hot blonde was staring at me in shock.
“Hey, Jackson. Did I arrive at a bad time?”
It took me a moment to recognize the hot blonde as Emma and not some woman that I’d brought home once.
“Em? I thought that you were coming next week.”
“No, it was today.”
She stared at the worn mat on my doorstep, blushing deeply. “I’m sorry, Jackson. Want me to get a hotel until you’re ready? I thought that Greg arranged this better.”
“No. Not at all. I just spaced out. Come in, Emma. I’ll get some clothes on and clear your room.”
I ushered her in, keeping a tight hold of the small towel before I darted back to my room.
Fuck, Emma was gorgeous now. Her body filled out with some great curves and those big brown eyes could make a man do just about anything. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a dark purple top.
I dropped the towel and looked around the bedroom for something to wear. I grabbed a clean pair of workout shorts and a T-shirt, tugging them on before I looked at the mirror to see my dark hair sticking up in complete disorder. I ran some water through it and arranged it into a quick version of the spiky look that I mostly went for.
The living room was empty when I reappeared, but Emma had dumped her stuff near the kitchen and I presumed she was getting more things from the car.
I opened the door to the spare room and groaned. There was a queen-sized bed, but it was covered with stuff. I made quick work of clearing it so I could wash the sheets. I’d had a few parties and who knows what happened in here. I pulled them off and dragged them down the hallway to see Emma standing in the living room with a box.
My eyes slid down her sexy body.
“I’m going to wash these. Let’s get the stuff from your car and bring it up. Then I’ll tackle the room.”
I went to the washing machine in the hallway and turned on the hot water before dumping the sheets inside.
“Let’s get the rest of your things.”
We walked out together and I spotted the old blue car. Inside were a couple of suitcases and a couple more boxes. I was glad I didn’t have a lot of furniture in the spare room.
“You still have this car?” I asked.
She wrinkled her nose and nodded. “It runs fine and I’d prefer not to have a payment until I have a decent job.”
I pulled open the back door and took out a suitcase. Emma grabbed its handle and start to pull the luggage to my downstairs apartment. I made quick work of getting the other one and bringing it in before we both came out to get the rest from the car.
I eyed the stuff taking up space in my tiny apartment and pushed away the thought that I was irritated. Greg would have my ass if I turned Emma away.
I told her that I was going to clean the room. I acknowledged I was a slob as I made it all fit and went back into the room to get it ready for her.
CHAPTER 3
EMMA
I put down my phone on the arm of the couch and thought back over the morning.
Being greeted by Jackson wrapped only in a small towel was funny, but it reminded me he had a hot body and that I still had some feelings for him. Feelings that I had tried to forget over the years he’d been away. He was hot as hell now and I felt every bit the teenager I was.
My eyes had roved over his muscled form in the doorway and I had tried hard not to giggle. I couldn’t help but look over his chiseled torso as he ran a hand through his hair, saying something under his breath.
When he’d said that he was going to get dressed, I almost told him not to.
Jackson was one of the most arrogant guys in school when I knew him before. He and Greg practically ran the place, making me glad I went to high school on my own most of the years that I was there. I still lived in my brother’s shadow, but I was a completely different person than him.