Royalty, American Style_King of Baseball

by Livia Grant

  "We need stockings for Christmas morning ."

  She spun around when she completed hanging them, excitement on her eyes. He couldn't resist saying the first thing that came to his mind .

  "Actually, they look a little lonely up there on the huge mantel." He paused, watching her reaction carefully. "I can't wait until we can add a few more to the line... like Yankee and... our kids one day ."

  They hadn't talked children yet, but knowing Harper had a pretty big extended family, he was hopeful he hadn't just freaked her out. He held his breath waiting for her reaction .

  Her response came in the form of an adorable blush that spread quickly down her neck. She stammered a reply that told him how flustered she was. "Kids? As in children ?"

  "Yes, baby. That's what kids usually means, unless you want to get goats ."

  "Don't make a joke when we're talking about something so serious. We barely know each other ."

  "Bullshit. We're living together, buying pets and furniture together and about to travel the country together. I don't think talking about kids is that out of line ."

  "I didn't say it was out of line. I mean... it's just..." Her voice trailed off .

  He set the sleeping puppy onto the couch and got up to go to her. He didn't waste time on words. He went straight for the panty-wetting open-mouthed kiss that stopped her nervous rant .

  When the kiss ended, he stayed close, their foreheads touching as he looked down into her teary eyes. "I didn't mean to rush you. A few months ago, I never would have thought the topic would be important to me, but now that I've met you, I've thought of it a lot. I'm not going to be happy until I can hold at least one adorable little girl who looks just like her mama ."

  "Colton, you say the most romantic things ."

  They enjoyed holding each other for a few moments before Harper pulled away. "You have a few more things to open ."

  Yankee settled into Harper's lap as he reached for the last box between them. Like the first box he'd opened, it looked like a picture album, but this time, the object of the photos were all himself with Harper. It was a diary of their short time together, with candid photos of them together riding out on the horses, picnicking along the banks of the pond on the property and even talking together their first night in the huge garage .

  "I figured something good could come out of all of those hours of footage. The production crew was able to find the best frames of us together ."

  When he got to the final pages, there were photos of the night she'd returned to the estate. Them, in their dining room as she'd opened the keys that represented so much. The camera crew had done a great job capturing their emotions and the photos moved him .

  "I love it, Harper. Truly, your gifts were so thoughtful. Thank you ."

  "Well, I love my gifts too. I know that you got me Yankee and my iPad to help ease me into the changes that are coming this year when you go back to work ."

  "I'm just grateful you're going to be with me. It gets lonely on the road ."

  "Not anymore, it won't be." She reached for the iPad. "Time to play with my new toy," she gushed .

  "Not quite yet. You still have one more gift coming ."

  Her eyes narrowed, ready to argue, but she wisely didn't pick a fight. "I don't see any more gifts under the tree ."

  "That's because it isn't there." He hesitated nervously before adding, "It was too big to fit ."

  "Colton," she warned .

  "Harper," he returned adding, "You're going to complain at first, but when you stop and think about it, you'll know I was right. I got you something that you really need ."

  "We'll see about that. Exactly where do I go to find my present ?"

  "Just outside the front door. Let's go ."

  He pulled her to her feet, letting her carry the little furball that was wiggling in her arms and fighting to get down and run .

  Colton paused before opening the door, turning to her and asking, "I have one favor to ask. Before you lose your shit on me, please know that I did this because I want to keep you safe. You are important to me ."

  He saw the confusion on her face at his words so he prompted her, "Just open the door. You'll see ."

  He'd peeked out to make sure all was ready before they'd sat down to open presents. Now, seeing how she'd protested at her smaller gifts, he knew they were about to have an argument, but he'd been honest with her. It was important to him to keep her safe .

  Harper opened the door and stepped out onto the front porch. There was one long second of silence and then a blood-curdling scream from the woman next to him. The racket startled Yankee and he wiggled out of Harper's arms. It was a bad sign that she was too distracted to even notice her puppy was now loose and on the run outside .

  As soon as her scream died down, he put his arm around her waist and leaned in close. "Take a deep breath. Before you get too pissed, they aren't all for you. I didn't know what you'd want so I had them bring out some choices. You pick the one you want. They're coming back out tomorrow to pick up the ones you don't choose ."

  "But... they are cars. Real vehicles ."

  He chuckled. "Yes. Very observant. Actually, one is an SUV .

  Three vehicles were parked facing the house, on display in a semi-circle, each with a huge red bow on the hood along with a big number 1, 2 and 3 to identify them .

  "So you get to pick which is your favorite. Number one is a nice steady Volkswagen sedan. I picked that one because they have some of the best safety records in the market. Number two is a Lexus GX460, a very good multi-purpose vehicle. Number three I was less sure of, but the dealer talked me into throwing it into the mix in case you wanted more of a sports car. It's a BMW M6 convertible ."

  It was as if she hadn't heard him as she repeated, "But they are real cars ."

  "Come on, let's chase down Yankee first and then you can sit in each one. Maybe take them for a drive before you decide which one you want to keep. I've worked with this car broker for years. He said if you want a different color or anything, to just let him know. He'll track down whatever you want ."

  "Are you nuts? I'm not keeping any of them! I already have a car," she protested as he started to pull her towards the front steps .

  "No, you have a broken down, untrustworthy heap that I don't want you out driving in. It made me nervous last week when you were gone shopping. I didn't know if you'd make it back or not with your Honda ."

  "But I like my Honda. I don't need anything new ."

  "Yes, Harper, you do. If you really love Hondas, we could send all of three back and go looking for a Honda together next week ."

  He somehow succeeded in getting her to the driver's side of the sedan just as Yankee arrived there. "Hey, look. It looks like Yankee wants to give each of them a try with you. Go on. Open it up ."

  In a trance, Harper did as she was told, opening the door and slowly lowering herself into the driver's seat of the Passat. She slowly looked around the space, yet acted afraid to touch anything .

  "You want to take it for a test drive? He said he'd leave the keys in it ."

  "No. I told you. I'm not keeping them ."

  Discouraged, Colt helped her out of the first car and moved to the next one in line, the luxury SUV. This one, Harper resisted even sitting in .

  "How much do these cost? They all look brand new ."

  "It doesn't matter how much they cost and, yes, they are new ."

  "I have never bought a new vehicle. My dad says to buy used. They are a better value ."

  "Maybe, but I don't care about that. I don't want you driving around in someone else's
castoff. Who the hell knows why they sold it. I don't want you to have any used car troubles ."

  "But..."

  He put his foot down. "Sit in the Lexus, Harper. Try it out ."

  Unlike the sedan, once seated, she started to explore in the SUV, turning on the engine and playing with the knobs and accessories .

  "Are these heated seats?" she asked quietly .

  "Looks like it. I like the navigation system on this one, too. And the Bluetooth surround sound entertainment system. It looks like it even has the rear camera for backup help and the tow package if we ever wanted to pull anything behind ."

  "What in the world would we ever pull behind ?"

  "Maybe a horse trailer? I assume we're going to keep the stables full for Charlie ."

  He scored points with that answer. He saw the excitement in her eyes at the thought of getting more horses for their large stable .

  After letting her sit in the SUV for a few minutes, he asked, "You want to move to the next one ?"

  When she didn't answer, he let her continue to silently fiddle with all of the nooks and crannies of the interior. He was getting chilled standing in the open driver's side door, so he and Yankee stepped back and closed the door. He walked around to get into the passenger side .

  The warm bucket seat felt good on his cold ass. Yankee wiggled around, trying to get away from him so he set the pup down in the back seat, praying he didn't pee on the leather seats .

  "Let's take her for a spin, shall we?" he suggested .

  "Oh no. We shouldn't. I don't need a new car," she protested again, although he noted with much less force than before .

  Colt leaned across the center console, thrusting his left hand into Harper's long and messy hair, pulling her around to face him .

  "Harper Gardener, we are replacing your Honda. If you don't like these choices, we can go shopping together to find you something you like better, but I'm putting my foot down. You're getting something more dependable than what you have ."

  She tried to interrupt, but he kissed her quiet. When they pulled out of their kiss, he continued on, "And before you complain about the price, I need you to understand something. I make enough money by playing just one game to buy all three of these cars. And to top it off, as soon as Van finds out I bought you a Lexus, he'll be on the phone with the Lexus marketing department to make a deal. They'll pay me millions for an endorsement. Just one advertising campaign will pay for a whole truckload of these. So please, stop worrying about the money ."

  Her eyes widened at his explanation of how much money celebrities like him can make if they really worked their connections. As an athlete, his talents had a shelf life. He used to worry about what would come next after he was forced out of baseball, the only career he'd known and that he loved .

  But he was no longer worried about that now that he had Harper by his side .

  "So what do you say? I can tell you like this one a lot," he prompted .

  She pulled out of their embrace and looked around the interior with tears of excitement in her eyes. When she finally looked back at him, she had that stubborn glint in her eyes that he'd come to love about her .

  "I do love this one, I admit it. But I have one more favor to ask if we are really going to keep it ."

  He hadn't expected her to give in so easily. "Okay, name it ."

  "I'd like to drive to see my family next week instead of flying. They're pretty far away from the airport, and we were going to be stuck at the farm without transportation which had me a bit worried ."

  "So. You want to take our first road trip ?"

  "Yep. And with Yankee being so young, it will be easier on him if we can stop for potty breaks. And ..."

  Her voice trailed off .

  "And what ?"

  Harper looked uncomfortable as she finally answered him. "I admit, I'm sort of dreading going out in public with you for the first time. Once we get to the airport, I'm sure you'll be recognized, and it'll only be a matter of time before the paparazzi track us down. I know we can't hide forever, but if it's all the same to you, I'd like to keep the King of Baseball all to myself for a bit longer ."

  Colton's heart melted at the love he saw shining in her eyes. "Baby, I'm all yours. You want to celebrate by taking a drive ?"

  She shook her head and replied, "I'd rather celebrate inside. Upstairs. In bed ."

  "Sounds like the perfect Christmas celebration to me. Let's go ."

  T he End

  So What’s Next from Livia?

  I have big plans for 2018 !

  Mark your Calendar !

  The next Black Light: Roulette Redux will be released on February 8th, 2018. I have eight talented authors joining me for our second annual Roulette event were Dominants and submissives will be paired by the wheel before spinning for their sexy kink. If you missed last year’s event, you missed out. Grab your copy here .

  The Passion Series , my first series that is near to my heart, will be re-released in its entirety in Q1 2018. It is being released with bonus content and new covers .

  Colton and Harper aren’t the only American Royalty. I’ll be releasing the next Royalty, American Style - King of Football mid-year .

  And if you read Black Light: Rescued, you know I introduced the spin-off series, Black Sky Ops . Not only will Jennifer Bene and I be writing in this world, but we have several exciting authors already lined up to join us !

  BONUS: I’ve included the exiting intro to Black Sky Ops on the next page .

  Excerpt from Black Sky Ops

  A lexi Ivanov pulled the collar up on his jacket to keep the early May chill at bay. Had he known when he left the house that morning that he'd be sitting on a bench in the cold for almost an hour, he would have made different choices in wardrobe .

  He took his final cigarette out, wadding up the now empty wrapper and throwing it into the last remnants of a dirty, melting pile of snow already polluted with a garbage can's worth of trash. Not for the first time, he considered leaving .

  He replayed the details of the anonymous phone call he'd received on his personal cell phone hours before. The phone that no one but his Volkov brothers had the number to. The mysterious voice on the other end had been brief, but had dangled a carrot he couldn't resist; information on enemy number one .

  Only the promise of getting a lead on tracking the traitor Nicolai Romanovski kept him waiting in the chill .

  Alexi may not share the Volkov last name, but he was more aware than ever before that he shared their blood. Now that his cousins had been murdered like their father before them, the remaining members of the Bratva were looking to him for leadership .

  To say he was in over his head was an understatement .

  All his life, he'd been a second-class member of the family at best. Unlike his cousins, his mother had shielded him from the harsher realities of growing up a Volkov, making sure he enjoyed the freedoms of attending university and traveling abroad. He hadn't been groomed for leadership since he was a kid like his cousins Artel, Vladimir and Oleg had been, and it was already showing .

  He didn't know the first thing about setting up arms deals with the dangerous underground criminals of the world or smuggling drugs or flesh across the Russian boarders. He'd been a simple soldier. A mule .

  Muscles who took orders .

  With his cousin's sons all under the age of ten, the remaining Volkov Bratva henchmen now looked to Alexi as the heir apparent to the Volkov kingdom. He was to give the orders now instead of take them. He had dived in, determined to learn as fast as he could. So far the hardest part of the job had been figuring out exactly who he could trust .

  While there were many things he was still unsure of, there was one mission he knew he needed to carry out with great clarity. His Uncle Viktor would never
rest easy in his grave until Nicolai Romanovski was hunted, tortured and killed. That he and Nicolai had been good friends only angered Alexi that much more. He had trusted the arms dealer and he'd been duped; made to look like an idiot and he didn't like it .

  It was dark, almost nine, when a nondescript sedan pulled up to the sidewalk in front of the bench he'd been perched on. The back passenger door sprung open, but no one exited the vehicle. After a few long seconds, Alexi rose on his stiff legs and slowly approached the vehicle. The windows were tinted so dark, he couldn't see anything or anyone inside .

  "Please join me, Mr. Ivanov ."

  That voice. It was so familiar, yet he couldn't place it. Desperate for information, Alexi took a leap of faith and took a seat in the back of the black car. There were no interior lights to see by, so the passenger in the seat next to him remained a shadow. The eyes of the driver met his in the rearview mirror as they passed under an overhead street lamp. He was relieved to see it was George, his uncle's chauffeur .

  "It wasn't wise to get into the car without knowing who was picking you up ."

  His fellow passenger choose to lecture him, which Alexi found ironic .

  "Considering you refused to identify yourself to me on the phone, I'm not sure what option you left me ."

  "Considering the men in your family have been hunted like prey, I'd think you'd be a bit more careful ."

  Alexi tried not to get defensive, but failed. He needed to know who the fuck dared to talk to him with such superiority. He pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket and turned on the flashlight app, shining it directly into the face of his fellow passenger .

  "Yurdin. Why didn't you tell me you wanted to talk with me? I would have driven out ."

  Relief to find his uncle's longtime butler sitting next to him was quickly replaced with confusion .

  "It wasn't safe to make contact until I knew you weren't being followed ."