There’s a team of men inside, the Tomahawks lawyers and other representatives, all sitting around a table with stacks of papers in front of them, Al at the head of the row.
Lolli starts shaking her head and then turns to me, dropping her forehead to my chest. With a sigh, I pull her in and whisper how sorry I am. Ultimately, this is all my fault.
Right then, Nate bounds up the steps and swoops in. As soon as his hand touches her back, she spins into him, and he lifts her, carrying her straight into the building.
He stops at the door and turns to the three of us, still standing there, frozen. “Let’s get this over with.”
The three of us exchange glances and then rush behind them, stepping inside as the men start to stand and shake hands.
They offer us small nods and basic pleasantries before exiting, leaving only Al and the rest of us in the room. He motions for us to take the seats they vacated, and while all of us move to sit, Lolli remains standing. She crosses her arms over her chest and glares our way before turning back to Al.
“Thank you for coming on such short—”
“Can we skip this shit, Al?” Lolli cuts him off.
His lips twitch. “We can, young one; we can.” His eyes scan the room, connecting with each one of us before landing back on her. “We have a new partner, as you expected.”
My teeth clench together, so tight that a pain shoots through my jaw, but I ignore it and wait for Al to continue.
“What’s he gonna do?” she says lower than I think she intended. She clears her throat. “What’s his first move?”
My pulse spikes, and my leg starts bouncing, my gaze flying between the both of them.
“Why don’t you ask him?” Al tells her, his face blank as he directly stares at her.
“He’s here?” Nate growls, jumping from his chair.
“He is.” Al nods and lifts a packet of papers from the space in front of him. He walks toward Lolli and gently places it in front of her before walking back.
His gaze lifts to lock with mine.
He stares at me, tipping his chin just slightly, and I reluctantly pull my eyes from his and look to Lolli.
“I …” She pulls the paper closer to her face and stares. “I don’t get it. What the hell is this?”
Nate and I exchange glances, both wanting to step in, both knowing she has to do this part on her own.
“That’s the final paperwork. The beginning of your new partnership.”
Tears roll down her face, and finally, her head pops up to look at him. “How?” she whispers.
And Al smiles, a full-on smile, stretching from one side of his face to the other.
“What’s happening?” Payton whispers loudly.
Lolli starts to laugh. She spins to me then and slowly hands me the forms.
Right there, mid-page, in bold-ass print, it shows the bill of ownership.
Fifty percent belongs to Kalani Lee Embers.
Fifty percent belongs to Parker James Baylor.
My eyes snap to Lolli’s and then Al’s, and panic sets in.
“No …” I hop from my seat and start pacing.
“Parker, listen—” Al starts to speak.
I spin around and glare, cutting him off. “No … fuck no! Don’t want it. Give the shit back. Now.” My breathing grows labored. “I can’t … she has to …” I grow dizzy and drop back into a chair, scrubbing my hands down my face.
“He didn’t do this, Parker,” Al tells me. “ She did.”
“Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on here?” Nate complains. “Baby?”
Lolli moves a hand behind her to place it on his chest, but she doesn’t take her eyes from Al. “Tell us.”
“Well, Kellan Vermont found a way to get two notorious men—who wouldn’t sell a single share, let alone their entire hand, no matter how many times your grandfather tried to buy them out—to sell to him. This gave him fifty percent, equal to Lolli’s. His plans were vile. Back-end, nasty things to make what we’ve built here fall.”
“We know all that. Tell us how Parker now owns the other half,” Lolli quietly demands.
“Holy shit,” Nate whispers while the girls gasp.
“He’s a sick son of a bitch. He thought he had it all figured out, and he almost did had she not found the strength he didn’t know she had.”
My frown falls flat, and I stare at him.
“What the asshole didn’t plan on was his wife, who he forced to marry him, turning around and giving it all away, and all before he had time to stop it. See, when he married her, he did so with no prenuptial agreement, making everything he had equally hers. Well, he forgot to carve her out of his one and final play, the only up he had left on her. She called me from the hospital, tracked me down herself with the little bit of information you shared with her on your trip to San Francisco. It was a few days before he served her divorce papers when she asked me to look over some things for her.
“I didn’t know what I was looking for until she gave me that last file and told me to transfer ownership. I couldn’t say anything until I was absolutely certain he couldn’t somehow overturn her move. I just got the final word today. It’s done. The team belongs to the two of you, end of story.”
I swallow past the block in my throat, my eyes shifting between his. My voice comes out scratchier than I would like. “Kenra did this?”
He nods, standing tall and proud.
Licking my lips, I look off, bringing my hand up to cover my mouth as I squeeze my eyes shut.
Kenra did this.
She fought him back, pushed his hand with her own tiny one.
And she won.
“Oh my God!” Mia shrieks behind me, running over to hug Lolli. “This is so awesome! Everything will be okay now, Lolli!”
An instant weight hits my chest, a pressure so strong I have to fight for air. My brows dip in the center, my head pounding. Slowly, I turn to look at Lolli, who, of course, is already looking at me. Undeserved understanding and forgiveness stare back at me. My best friend.
“I, uh, I need a minute with Lolli,” I speak to the room but look to Nate. “Alone.”
His scowl drops to the floor, and he nods as he stands. Together, they all step outside to give us some privacy.
Once the door closes, I look to her, shaking my head. “Lolli Bear …”
“Don’t, Hero.” She gives a small smile.
“This is my fault. Should have never happened. Shouldn’t be like this.”
She shakes her head, reaching up to touch my face. “You did what you were meant to do; you saved her. You gave her back the hope she’d lost, gave her a reason to be strong.” She smiles softly, and my shoulders sag more. “If we had been pushed out, it wouldn’t have been for nothing. As far as we know, Kenra could have ended up doing a lot worse to herself than she already has if she had to stay. If we lost the ability to be a part of the team, it would have been from trying to save someone we care about. Never be sorry for that.”
“But your family … this is your connection to them, and I almost cost you it all. I put it all at risk.”
Lolli shakes her head, lowering her hands to grab ahold of mine. “Football is my connection. Photos are my connection. I’d still be owner; they couldn’t force me to sell, no matter how hard they tried. I’d still have been at every game I could. Embers Elite photography would still have been mine. And you’d still have been with me.”
I stare at her. “That’s what you would want?”
“You’re my family, Parker,” she whispers, tears filling her blue eyes as she squeezes my hands, letting me know she’s got me. “And, now … you’re her hero.”
I laugh lightly, nodding my head, and then pull her in, hugging her tight.
Nate walks in and claps my shoulder, and she steps back, laughing through her tears. She wraps her arms around his neck, and he chuckles against her.
“Everything’s gonna be okay, baby. Better than,” he whispers into her hair, winking
at me.
Al comes back in with the others and walks up to me with an unreadable expression. “Mr. Baylor, I know this is a lot to take in, but from what I know, I know Lolli believes in you; therefore, I do, too.” He holds out a key card.
“What’s this?” I ask, slowly moving to grab it.
“Key to the owners’ box.” He jerks his chin toward the door. “Go on. Let it sink in, kid. Nothing like walking in there and belonging.”
I look to Lolli, and she nods, giving me the okay I need. I grip the key tight, slowly making my way around the corner, up the elevator, and into the private hall.
I shake out my limbs and wipe my palms on my jeans, and then I let myself in.
I wipe my sweaty palms against my dress, pinching the soft fabric in my hand before letting go … and then the door opens.
It takes all of two seconds for Parker’s blues to find mine.
He stops, frozen in place, as his stare sears into my soul, burning deeper than ever before. Or maybe I just feel it more, feel it all over with everything inside me.
“Hi,” I breathe, and he jolts.
Slowly, he turns and gently closes the door, dropping his forehead against it for a moment before standing tall and turning back to face me.
He looks from my freshly cut hair, now just above my shoulders, to my dress—the one he bought for me—and my exposed arms. With a deep inhale, he slowly makes his way over, those eyes hypnotizing me more with each step.
And then he’s standing right in front of me. Soul bared in his ocean eyes, he begs me to speak, shows me his hope and want and intentions.
He’s like no man I’ve ever known. A true safety, as he played on his team.
The last guy left waiting. When his boys, his brothers on the field, can’t protect, can’t make the stop, Parker steps in and does it for them. The iron fist of dependability. When something or someone breaks through to tear you down, he’s there to stop it. To stop him.
And he did.
My dad told me everything, what he did for me. The things he risked for me.
I didn’t deserve it. Never deserved him, but I want to.
I wanna be what he sees, the tough, beautiful girl he makes me feel I already am.
I wanna be his, have him as mine.
“Kens—” he starts, but I lift my fingers to his lips, slowly tracing the shape of his mouth to silence him.
My eyes roam over him—from his strong, scruff-covered jaw to his perfect lips and finally back up to his striking stare. “I’m so sorry, Parker, for everything. For all the hurt and pain and confusion I caused over the years. For allowing you to ever think I’d choose anyone over you and walking away when all you ever did was love me. I’ll never forgive myself for all the wrong choices I’ve made.”
“Please—”
“Shh,” I gently hush him again, needing to say it even if he already knows. “I won’t, and that’s a weight I’ll happily carry. I’m okay with it because I know for a fact that I will never allow anyone or anything to get in our way ever again.” Tears fill my eyes, but still, I continue, “I’ve failed you, Parker, in so many ways, so many times, but no more. Never again. I promise you.”
His hand slowly comes up, wiping the tear I didn’t know I’d shed.
“Kens …” he whispers, his fingertips dragging from my cheek to my neck and across my shoulder.
I shiver as they continue down my arm until he grasps my hand in his.
He lifts my palm to his lips and feathers a kiss across my wrist.
When his eyes flash back to mine, he yanks me against him, his chest pressing into mine with every labored breath he takes.
“They said you needed time,” he rasps, his eyes dipping to my red-stained lips and back.
“Yeah,” I breathe, moving into him even more.
“Yeah.” He dips his head into my neck, softly kissing me. “Way I see it … you had four years. ’Bout ready yet?” he teases, nipping at my skin.
I laugh, my head tipping back more because of it.
He grins against my neck and moves his hand to cup the back of my head, pulling back to look into my eyes.
I sigh and move my hands to his handsome face, skimming my fingers across the scruff of his jaw. “Yeah”—I nod, pulling his forehead to mine—“I’m done.” I slide my lips against his, closing my eyes. “I don’t wanna wait anymore.”
“Wait for what, baby?” he breathes. “Tell me. Say it for me.”
My eyes pop open to lock on his. “I wanna be yours … I’ve been yours.”
His other arm moves to wrap around my lower back, so he can hold me as close as possible, and he buries his face into my neck. He hugs me to him, breathing me in.
“Parker …”
He pulls back, his hands moving to grip my waist. “Me and you. Fuck the world here. You try to go, and I’ll drag your ass back. Don’t care where or why. No excuses or reasons will cut it. Not a fucking thing, no fucking more.” He pops a blond brow, making me grin. “I’ve got no more plays. I’m all out of defense here. Gotta keep you now.”
I slide my hands up his chest, loving the rumble of his growl beneath my hand. My hands glide up until they’re wrapped around his neck, and I jump up. As expected, he catches me with a firm, tight grip to my ass, one that grows tighter by the second.
“Didn’t you know, Mr. Baylor?” I lick his lips, and he groans, trying to catch my lips, but I pull back. “When it comes to each other, our hearts are defenseless. No way out. No others in.”
“No way out,” he repeats in a cemented tone.
Then, he turns, carrying me up the small set of stairs that leads to the second-level loft area where a plush ottoman lies directly in front of the huge glass window that overlooks the stadium.
He slides me down his body, catching my dress as he does. The material bunched in his hands, he brings only his eyes to mine, asking for permission he doesn’t need.
I lift my hands, and he lifts my dress, gently pulling it over my head, dropping it to the floor.
I watch him, the crease of his forehead becoming more defined as he takes in my still bruised ribs. His fingers reach out to feather over my skin, and his head tilts as the pain in his eyes grows.
“Parker …” I whisper, and he looks back to me.
I slide my hands under his shirt, and he allows me to lift it over his head. I slide my fingertips along his pec muscles, and his muscles grow taut, more defined. I bring my lips to his.
“I’m fine,” I promise, unclasping his jeans and letting them fall to the floor.
He steps out of them, kicking them to the side.
I try to push him back, and he smirks, stepping to me.
“I don’t think so, Nightingale.” His voice is a rough timbre that spreads through me.
His hands follow the shape of my waist until they reach my bra. His thumbs sneak inside, scratching across my hardened nipples as he glides past until he can unclasp my bra and pull it down my arms.
He lifts my arms into the air, trailing his fingertips down from my wrist, and my body shivers. He grins when he sees it, but he doesn’t look to me. His eyes follow his hands as he continues to my underwear.
He bends in front of me, blowing warm breath over my panties, making my leg muscles clench and my hands fly to his hair.
“You wore my dress, Kens,” he speaks against the cotton, heat teasing every swollen, needy inch of my pussy. “You know what that does to me, baby?”
I moan lightly, my grip tightening as his teeth move to nip me. “Take ’em off already,” I beg.
He chuckles, moving his hands to squeeze my ass, and finally, he hooks my underwear in his hands and yanks them down. He gives me no time or warning, and then his hot mouth is on me. One lick, and then he’s got my clit in his mouth. He rolls his tongue against me, lifting one of my legs over his shoulder to get better access. Then, a finger slides inside, followed by another, and my head falls back.
The pressure inside builds along with the hea
t and power of his tongue. My body starts to shake against him, and I grind against his face. My moan fills the room in the next moment. The power of the orgasm has my body tightening, my ribs hurting, but I don’t care. I take all he gives, and he gives his all.
He massages my ass as I ride out every last wave before gently setting my leg down and reaching out to steady my shaky body.
He wipes his mouth on his arm.
Dazed, I move to him, and he grabs my hand, leading me to the ottoman. Ever so gently, he turns me and lays me back against the soft suede before climbing up my body.
Bringing his hand up to move my hair from my face, he whispers, “Are you okay?”
A laugh bubbles out of me.
I nod, smiling softly at the blond-haired, blue-eyed man above me. So strong, so brave and loyal. “Don’t worry,” I whisper.
His features tighten as emotion flares in his gaze. “Be happy,” he responds in just above a whisper.
And then he pushes inside me, slow and savoring every inch I take of him. He watches me, takes in the change of my eyes and the part of my lips as he fills me.
He moves leisurely, in and out in deep grinds, his eyes never leaving mine as he rolls against me.
I lift my legs to wrap them around him and pull him down to feel the beat of his heart against mine. The warmth of his moans as they fan across my sweat-sheathed skin.
His eyes flit across my face, coming back to lock on mine, and I see it there, as I always have. His heart in my hands.
“I love you,” I whisper.
He freezes above me. His jaw locks tight, and the corners of his eyes pinch with the slope of his brows.
“I love you, Parker Baylor,” I repeat. “I always have. And I’m so sorry it took—”
He cuts me off when his mouth slams against me, his dick pushing as far inside as it can reach.
My back bows in response, and I kiss him back just as fierce, just as hard and claiming.
And then we’re both coming together, as we should.
He makes sure not to collapse against me but holds his weight with his elbows perched on both sides of me. His forehead rests on my chest, and I run my fingers through his sweat-slicked hair.
His tongue pokes out to skim across my nipple, and I twitch beneath him, his grin spreading across my skin.
Defenseless Hearts (A Tender Hearts Novel Book 2) Page 27