by L. P. Dover
I gasped. “Where did that one come from?” It was a box that could probably fit a book inside. I’d wondered if he was going to propose, but what he handed me was too large. We’d made little comments about marriage, but we hadn’t really discussed it.
Jaxon handed me the box and smiled. “I just put it under there today.”
Grinning from ear to ear, I tore open the wrapping paper like I was a little kid. The box had no weight to it, but I could hear something shuffling inside when I shook it. Jaxon watched me, his face full of excitement. I lifted the lid and pulled back the tissue paper. Inside there was a picture and a folded piece of paper. Looking at the picture, I saw it was a wide-open field with a pond.
“What is this?” I asked, holding up the picture.
Jaxon nodded toward the box. “Keep looking.”
I opened up the paper and as soon as I saw the writing, I shrieked. “This can’t be real!”
“I assure you it is.” Jaxon laughed. According to the document, I owned the ten acres of land that was in the picture.
Slapping a hand over my mouth, I gazed at him in awe. “This is too much.”
He shook his head. “You deserve it for putting up with me. I sold my lake property and stumbled across those acres. I know you wanted something like that and I didn’t want the opportunity to pass you by. Now it gives you the perfect place to build your house and have those horses you wanted.”
Tears fell down my cheeks and I kissed him. “Thank you. This means so much to me.” I got up and fetched his present from under the tree. “Unfortunately, my gift to you isn’t nearly as elaborate as that.”
“I’m sure it’ll be great,” he said, trying to make me feel better. Taking a deep breath, I handed him his present and watched him open it. When he’d fully unwrapped it, his eyes brightened. His old leather-bound portfolio had been scratched and scuffed up over the years. Not to mention, Sadie had taken it, which tainted it in a way. I knew he wanted a new one, so I had one made with his name engraved in real gold in the black leather. It was a place he could keep his new designs. “Bristol, it’s amazing. I can’t wait to fill it up.”
“I’m glad you like it. I look forward to seeing what all you come up with.” The doorbell rang and I could hear my parents on the other side of the door. “Looks like our first Christmas is about to begin.”
Cupping the back of my head, he drew me in close, his lips warm against mine. “It’s the beginning of many more. Merry Christmas, love.”
“And Merry Christmas to you.”
Epilogue
Bristol
SUPER BOWL SUNDAY
The crowd was wild, their screams and shouts no doubt heard all over the city of Charlotte. It was the fourth quarter, with Denver beating us by two measly points. Both teams had fought hard, and it was still anyone’s game. My brother had been sacked numerous times and I could see it weighing on him; he wasn’t used to that. It was a high-stakes game, with everything on the line.
“Come on, guys!” I shouted.
Hayden whistled and clapped her hands. “We have to win this.” Her baby bump had started to grow, but she still wore her normal-sized clothes. I thought she looked cute with her Carolina jersey snug around her tummy.
“Two more plays,” I said. “Ryan does well under pressure.”
There was only a minute left to go and we still had about seventy yards to get to the end zone. Ryan snapped the ball to Evan and it was the perfect catch, but Denver’s defense stopped him before he could make any headway. We were stuck at the sixty-five-yard line with no hope of making a touchdown. Ryan bowed his head and I knew what he was thinking…that he’d lost Carolina the win.
“Wait, what’s Jaxon doing?” Hayden asked. I searched the sidelines until I found him talking heatedly to his coach. “He’s not asking to take the field, is he?”
I held my breath. “Oh my goodness, I think he is.” Coach Joel waved for Ryan to leave the field and he wasn’t happy about that. Jaxon ran onto the field and got into position. All eyes were on him, and for a moment, the whole stadium fell into silence. It was like the calm before a storm. Heart racing, I was tempted to close my eyes, but I had to watch. Jaxon’s body tensed and he rushed to the ball, everything moving in slow motion as he kicked it. The sound of the hit echoed through the stadium and there was an audible gasp as we all waited.
The football sailed through the air, closer and closer to the field goal. It didn’t look like it was going to make it, but then it went right through the goalposts. Screaming as loud as we could, Hayden and I jumped for joy, me crying more than anything. The team rushed out onto the field to join Jaxon, lifting him victoriously in the air. Ryan and some of the other guys dumped the water cooler over Coach Joel’s head while others danced on the sidelines. It was an epic show and one I was never going to forget.
Jaxon raced toward me, bypassing everyone who wanted to speak to him. “I did it!” he hollered, picking me up in his arms. He swung me around and kissed me, looking the happiest I’d ever seen him. “I can’t believe I fucking did it.”
“Exactly,” I said, placing my hands against his cheeks. “You did it. The Cougars couldn’t have won without you. Never forget that.” Cameras flashed all around and there were people dying to talk to him. “Now go and enjoy the moment. I’ll see you afterward.”
Setting me down, he kissed me one more time before running off. “I love you!” he called out.
“You’d better!” I shouted back.
Hayden clasped her arm with mine and laughed. “It’s so good to see him happy. I was so afraid you’d leave him after everything with Sadie.”
I watched Jaxon talking to the reporters and smiled. “When you love someone, you don’t run away from him. Jaxon may not be perfect, but I can’t imagine a life without him.”
“I know exactly how you feel.”
—
“What are we doing out here?” I asked. Before leaving the stadium, Jaxon wanted to walk out onto the field one last time.
Holding his arms out wide, he sucked in a deep breath. “I want to remember this day for the rest of my life.”
I laughed. “Believe me, you will. People will be talking about it for years.”
Taking my hand, he led me to the sixty-five-yard line where he’d made the winning kick. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you. After I hurt my leg in the fall, you were the one who pushed me to make it better. I had doubts that I’d ever be as good as I was, but you believed in me.”
I winked at him. “What can I say? You’re the best.”
Jaxon reached for my hands and pulled me to him. “So are you, Bristol.” His amber gaze never left mine and I shivered. It didn’t matter how many times I looked at him, he could always get me weak in my knees. “I want to give you something,” he murmured.
“You already give me too much. The only thing I need is you.”
A sad smile spread across his face, especially when he unclasped the necklace that was around his neck. I’d never even noticed he was wearing one. When he pulled it out from underneath his shirt, I saw that it was a Celtic cross encrusted with black jewels, with a crest in the center.
“It’s beautiful,” I gasped in awe.
Eyes glistening, he looked down at it. “It was my mother’s. But before that, it belonged to my ancestors from generations back. It’s been passed down for hundreds and hundreds of years.” He came around behind me and fastened it around my neck. “I want you to have it.”
“Jaxon, I can’t. It belongs in your family.”
He turned me around and looked down at me. “You are my family, Bristol. The day my mother died she told me to pass it down to my children. I figured we could do it together.”
“What?” I gasped, the tears falling freely down my cheeks. “What are you saying?”
His fingers brushed the hair off my face. “I’m saying that I know this is forever. One day you’ll be my wife and we’ll have kids of our own.”
�
�And you’re sure of that?” I asked, wrapping my arms around his neck.
His lips found mine and I didn’t want to let him go. “Most definitely. I always get what I want. Only now, I just need to make sure to keep you happy.”
“I think you’re off to a pretty good start. How about we go home and celebrate? I can think of plenty of ways we can make each other happy.”
Chuckling, he kissed me again. “I wish you knew how much I love you.”
“I do,” I murmured, “because I love you just as much. I just hope it stays that way.”
“It will, love. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life making sure it does.” Taking my hand, he led me off the field. “We have so much to look forward to…and it’s only the beginning.”
To my amazing readers who have given me the love and support to keep following my dreams
Acknowledgments
As always, I have to thank my husband, Matt, for putting up with me through the wonderful and stressful times. Being the husband of an author is not an easy job.
To my assistant, Kim Walker—I seriously don’t know what I would do without you.
To the amazing crew at Random House—thank you for taking a chance on me. It’s been an awesome adventure.
And of course, I want to say thank you to all of the readers and bloggers who helped share my stories with the world. I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am.
BY L. P. DOVER
Second Chances
Catching Summer
Defending Hayden
Intended for Bristol
More Second Chances novels by L. P. Dover
Love’s Second Chance
Trusting You
Meant for Me
Fighting for Love
Intercepting Love
Armed & Dangerous Series
No Limit
Roped In
High-Sided
Gloves Off Series
A Fighter’s Desire—Part One
A Fighter’s Desire—Part Two
Tyler’s Undoing
Ryley’s Revenge
Paxton’s Promise
Camden’s Redemption
Kyle’s Return
Society X Series
Dark Room
Viewing Room
Bondage Room
Forever Fae Series
Forever Fae
Betrayals of Spring
Summer of Frost
Reign of Ice
Other books by L. P. Dover
Hard Stick
Love, Lies, and Deception
PHOTO: © REGINA WAMBA
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a Southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Before she began her literary journey she worked in periodontics, enjoying the wonderment of dental surgeries.
She loves to write, but she also loves to play tennis, go on mountain hikes, and go white-water rafting, and has a passion for singing. Her two youngest fans expect a concert each and every night before bedtime, usually Christmas carols.
Dover has written countless novels, including her Forever Fae series, the Second Chances series, the Gloves Off series, the Armed & Dangerous series, the Royal Shifters series, and her stand-alone novel Love, Lies, and Deception. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense, but if she got to choose a setting in which to live, it would be with her faeries in the Land of the Fae.
lpdover.com
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Read on for an excerpt from
Hard Stick
by L. P. Dover
Available from Loveswept
Chapter 1
Kristen
“Cole?” I rubbed my eyes and glanced at the clock; it was eleven o’clock. Cole Harper was my best friend, a guy I’d grown up with my whole life and who followed me to New York after my parents died. He was the closest thing to family I had. “What are you doing calling me so late?” My bedroom light was still on and there was a book on my lap. I’d fallen asleep slumped over and now my neck was on fire.
Cole revved his motorcycle engine and sighed. “I’m on my way to your place. There’s something you need to see.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “Now? You know that’s not a good idea.”
“I don’t give a shit,” he growled. “Your boyfriend can go fuck himself. After tonight, you need to get rid of his ass. There’s a reason he doesn’t take you out in public.”
“I already know why,” I grumbled. Only Cole and one of my girlfriends from back home knew about my relationship with the business tycoon. Mitch didn’t want our relationship to go public until his divorce was final.
Cole snapped, “No, you don’t, Kris. I’ll tell you everything when I get there.” He hung up before I could stop him. Little did he know that his visit would only stir up what I was trying to avoid.
It all began with one moment of pleasure.
That was all it took for me to fall head over heels for the man who could ultimately ruin my life. What was I talking about? He already had. I was trapped inside a sick game where he controlled all the players and I was the main piece. Even now, his eyes were on me. I didn’t have to look out my bedroom window to know that someone was out there, watching me.
Mitch Blackwell was a powerful man, the owner of Blackwell Holdings, and always used to getting what he wanted. When he hired me to decorate his office building, I was stoked for the opportunity. Working at Simon & Associates was a dream come true, but I didn’t have the clientele that some of my other colleagues had, including Cole. He was on the rise as one of New York’s best architects.
Working with Mitch would skyrocket my career as an interior designer. Little did I know I was going to fall for him. He was in his late thirties, about ten years older than me, but with a body any young man my age would envy. I wish I could have foreseen the hell he was going to put me through.
He said he wanted to make sure I was safe at all times, but after a few late nights out with my friends, I realized his true intentions. He wasn’t trying to keep me safe; he was keeping tabs on me, on who I was with. If another man touched me in any way, he would be right there on my doorstep, ready to make sure I thought of no one but him. Sometimes he’d do it with a passionate kiss and then rush off, but most of the time he’d want more and the sex would be demanding. Again, at the beginning I loved it, but his obsession was getting out of control. Now that Cole was on his way over, Mitchell would no doubt find out and show up.
At first, I loved his attention and the way he made me feel wanted. Now he terrified me, only there was no escaping him. Maybe that was why his wife had left him.
The sound of Cole’s motorcycle blared down the street and I sighed. I hadn’t told him what Mitchell would do if his people spotted another man coming to my condo. It had gotten so bad that even my male clients steered clear of me during our meetings. It was like Mitchell was everywhere, scaring the shit out of every man who tried to get near me. And he could do it, too. There was no way anyone could take him on and make it out on top.
Cole banged on my door and I opened it, restraining myself from flipping off the guy I knew was in the shadows somewhere watching. With his bleach-blond hair in disarray, Cole stormed inside, his jaw clenched tight.
“Is there a reason you’re so pissed?” I asked, shutting the door behind him.
Huffing, he turned to face me, his green eyes full of anger and concern. He unzipped his black leather jacket and set his helmet down. There were many times I rode on the back of his sport bike, but Mitchell didn’t like that. In fact, he didn’t like Cole at all. He believed Cole was trying to steal me away, but I knew the truth. Cole was like my brother.
“Yep,” he growled, pulling out his phone. “I want you to see
what kind of dirtbag you’re dating. I don’t care if the guy’s worth millions. You deserve more than to be hidden away while he does whatever the fuck he wants.”
He shoved his phone in my face and my eyes went wide. It was a picture of Mitchell…and what I thought was his soon-to-be ex-wife. He was dressed in a gray suit with his dark hair perfectly coiffed while she was in a plain navy gown, her makeup and blond hair flawless. She was older than him, but you couldn’t tell it. There was no smile on her face, which made me believe she was just as miserable as I was. Before, I would have been jealous, but in a way, I was relieved. I could only hope and pray he forgot about me. That was wishful thinking because he’d just called that afternoon, but I told him I wasn’t feeling well and had to get off the phone.
Cole tossed his phone onto my couch, his brows furrowed at my silence. “Don’t you have anything to say?”
Sighing, I ran a hand through my auburn hair. I’d wanted to talk to him about Mitchell, but I was too afraid to. I knew he would tell me to break it off, but how could I? Even though I worked for a high-end firm, I was still a nobody compared to Mitchell Blackwell. If I tried to get a restraining order against him, the police would just laugh in my face. There was no way someone like Mitchell would get involved with someone like me. They’d see it as a ploy to con money.
I sat down on the couch and Cole sat beside me, draping his arm protectively over my shoulder. “I know you’re trying to help, but you might’ve just made this worse for me,” I murmured regretfully.