Copyright © 2017 by Ahren Sanders
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This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.
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Editing: Kendra Gaither at Kendra’s Editing and Book Services
Cover Photo: Scott Hoover, Scott Hoover Photography
Cover Model: Nic Palladino
Cover Design: Melissa @MG BookCovers and Designs
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Grace & Nick
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
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Meet the Author
Author Links- Keep in touch!
Grace & Nick
First Date, 2 Years Ago
Whoosh… Thump, Thump, Thump… Whoosh
My heart rate starts accelerating frantically as soon as his door shuts. There’s an excited rush pounding in my ears. I reach up to smooth my hair and notice a small tremor.
The entire night has been like something out of a dream. An unbelievably wonderful and surprising dream, starring Nick Bennett.
Play it cool, Grace…
Get yourself together…
I take a split second to enjoy the view as all six-feet-four of Nick’s muscular frame is illuminated by the headlights, sending my heart into overdrive again and making my insides twist and twirl. If I don’t calm down, there’s a high possibility I’ll pass out.
Or throw up, which would be the ultimate humiliation.
“Get a handle on it. Monroe women don’t lose their cool, Peach Princess. Take a breath and calm down.” My grandmother’s words ring in my head, barely calming my nerves.
I have to wonder if she’d be able to take her own advice if she was on a date with Nick Bennett.
Most definitely not.
“Here, let me help you.” He swings the door open and offers me his hand, helping me to my feet.
“What a gentleman,” I tease, surprised at the surge of confidence.
“My mom taught me well, what can I say?” He shrugs, stepping closer and moving me slightly to close the passenger door.
I do an all-over body shiver when my chest rubs against his, our hands still linked. We stay this way a few seconds—close, connected, and locked in a stare. Lost in his gaze, I’m mesmerized as his eyes go soft and start to glow a bright blue. His pupils grow wide before he breaks the stare and looks to our hands.
My confidence wavers as I suck in a deep breath and make a decision, speaking before I lose my courage. “Would you like to come in?” It comes out in a breathy whisper, my stomach knotting.
“I’d love to.” His eyes crinkle in an adorably cute way.
Wait, cute isn’t the right word. It’s more like a sexy glint.
I give him a small grin and lead him up the stairs to my apartment, praying my roommate isn’t home. My prayers are answered when I open the door and see her keys and bag missing from their usual spot.
Letting go of Nick’s hand, I go to turn on a few lamps, dropping my purse on the kitchen counter. When I turn back to him, he’s scanning the picture frames on my bookshelves. He picks up one and looks from me to the frame a few times.
“This has to be your family. You and your mom could be twins.”
“I get that a lot. That’s my mom, dad, and brother, Logan, last year at the fall festival in my hometown.”
He nods, putting it back, and continues to look over the rest of the pictures. I get a little nervous at his silence and walk to him slowly. When I’m close enough, he grabs my hand again and pulls me the rest of the way to his side so I’m pressed against him.
“You are beautiful.” He points to a picture of me and some friends at the beach over spring break a few weeks ago.
My face heats a little as I glance at us in bikinis, toasting margaritas and laughing at the camera.
“Thank you,” is all I can sputter with his close proximity. The warmth of his body seeps into me while a mixture of cologne and laundry detergent fills my nose and becomes my new favorite scent.
It’s all Nick—masculine and earthy, yet soft and inviting at the same time.
He guides us to my sofa, pulling me to sit beside him with only inches between us. “Tell me more about you, Grace. We’ve spent most of the night talking about me. I want to know more about you.”
I’d like to argue, tell him he’s much more interesting. But mostly, I love hearing him talk and learning more about him. It’s still unreal to me that I’m on a date with Nick Bennett, the same Nick Bennett who has his name on the back of jerseys and a whole campus in love with him. He’s a superstar in his own right, and he’s sitting on my couch holding my hand.
In case tonight turns out to be a one-time thing, I don’t want to waste even a minute boring him.
“Grace?” He leans up, placing his face into my line of view.
“Sorry.” I snap out of my head and smile.
He raises an eyebrow expectantly, and I try to think about what to tell him. “Well, I already told you I’m from a small town in Georgia.”
“And?”
“I’m going to graduate in a few weeks and start grad school in the fall. I want to do something with my art degree, maybe even work in a gallery one day. I’m pretty sure my brother thinks I’m crazy. He’s a very business oriented guy with a plan for everything. It drives him a little crazy that I have this artistic brain. He questions my parents all the time if they brought home the right baby from the hospital.” I giggle softly, picturing Logan’s scowl when I told him I was going to pursue a degree in art. “To him, it’s a hobby and a dreamer’s path, but he’s coming around.”
Nick laughs, shaking his head. The sound is comforting, instantly relaxing me.
“Brothers are a pain in the ass, but I wouldn’t trade mine for anything.”
“I feel the same way.” I laugh along with him and lean back, propping my head on my free hand.
&nb
sp; I don’t know how long we sit like this, talking about nothing important, just trading stories of our families and growing up with older brothers. He mentioned his brothers earlier at dinner, explaining one was a lawyer and one was in medical school. He goes on to tell me about his best friend, a girl named Bizzy, whom he met when he was a freshman in high school. The way he talks about her is like she’s more than a friend. She’s his family.
He has no problem sharing openly, and I find myself hanging on to his every word. He may not realize it, but he’s a great storyteller. More than once, I’m on the verge of tears with laughter at his reminiscing. Somehow, we move back to the subject of over-zealous brothers and his plans for the future, with his oldest brother, Shaw, leading the way.
“Mine are constantly in my business, and I’m beginning to think I’m insane for allowing Shaw to be my agent. But, then again, he’s the only person in the world who I’d want handling my career.”
Apparently, being the baby of the three boys comes with its own set of challenges.
“Well, my brother isn’t exactly going to manage my career like yours. You’re going to be a household name. The football world is about to be taken by storm. Sounds like Shaw Bennett has his work cut out for him.”
Nick’s smile dies a bit, and he squeezes my hand, making me wonder if I’ve said something wrong.
“I didn’t mean—”
“No, it’s okay. But sometimes it’s nice to forget all that and chill, just knowing that I’m still a regular person, the same Nick Bennett. One thing about my family and Bizzy, they don’t treat me like anything special. I’m still me.”
“I didn’t mean—” I try again but don’t get to finish when he reaches up and runs his fingers over my cheek, leaving a tingling trail. He tucks a piece of stray hair behind my ear then cups my jaw tenderly.
“You didn’t, and that’s one reason tonight is so awesome. You treat me the same way. I’m just Nick.”
There are no words, so I nod quietly.
The air around us heats as we gaze at each other, his eyes roaming over my face. I wait in anticipation, hoping he’ll lean in and kiss me. He parts his mouth slightly, his tongue rolling over his bottom lip. This simple action starts a slow burn in the pit of my stomach.
He slides forward, gently urging me to do the same. When our mouths are inches apart, and I can feel the warmth from his breath coating my lips, his phone starts ringing.
The trance is broken. He cusses under his breath, dropping his hand and reaching into his pocket.
“I’m sorry, Grace. I need to answer this.”
“Of course.” I try to scoot away, but he doesn’t let my hand go, forcing me to stay.
“What’s up?” He answers so coolly, I wonder if he’s nearly as affected as I am. My heart is now beating in overtime, but he seems calm and collected.
The sound of a male voice travels through the line, but I can’t make out what he’s saying.
“Okay, I’ll be home in a bit and we can talk about it then,” he tells whoever is on the phone.
More rumbling.
“No, I’m not out drinking. I’m actually on a date.”
More rumbling.
“Fuck, Shaw, don’t you ever quit working? I said I’d be home soon and call you back.”
He doesn’t give Shaw time to reply before hanging up and letting out a loud sigh. I watch as his eyes drift closed, not knowing what to say. The thought of him kissing me is long gone.
His eyes come back to me, and he gives me an apologetic grin. “I’m sorry, but I probably should get home.”
“It’s okay.” I try to hide my disappointment.
He stands, bringing me with him, one arm wrapping tightly around my waist.
“Tell me you’re free tomorrow night.”
“I’m free tomorrow night.” There’s no hesitation because, even if I was busy, I’d drop plans to see him again.
“Can I pick you up at six?”
“Yes.”
He gives me a genuine smile, his face lighting up. He leads us to the door, holding me to him. “I had a great time tonight, but don’t think I didn’t notice your trick.”
“Trick?”
“I fell into talking about me again. But tomorrow night, it’s all about you.”
He doesn’t give me a chance to speak but leans in and runs his lips across mine. My knees go weak as I suck in a breath.
“Sweet Grace, I’ll see you tomorrow night,” he tells me, stepping back and opening the door.
“Okay, Nick,” is all I can force out.
He gives me one last smile and leaves, waving from the bottom of the stairs.
I wave back and cringe at the goofy motion. After a full minute, I close the door and skip back to my couch, plopping down with a giddy squeal.
My fingers move to my mouth and skim over the spot where his lips just were. Excited energy buzzes through my body as I think about the events of the night.
The instant I opened the door to see him standing there, leaning against my doorframe with his all-American smile, I almost melted in a puddle of girly goo.
It was all I could do to remain standing and form a coherent thought, which is completely unlike me.
But with Nick Bennett, I’m lost in a haze. Tall, dark, and handsome doesn’t come close to describing him.
Without seeing him fully, I’d bet my life’s savings his body is chiseled, just from the way his muscles bulge and stretch in his t-shirts. His hair is dark and wavy, cut short on the sides, and has the ‘just jumped out of bed’ thing going on. His look is boyish and manly at the same time, something unexplainable.
The clincher is his eyes. They are the clearest, deepest shade of blue topaz I’ve ever seen. They have a constant gleam, making them shine brightly.
Sexy… Erotic… Claiming… In all my life, I’ve never seen anything so captivating as the capturing look from those eyes.
“Stop being such a girl, Grace! He’s only a guy,” I tell myself unconvincingly.
“Only a guy? You can’t be serious? When in your life have you ever been affected this way? When??? Oh, that’s right! Never!”
Great! Now I’m totally freaking out and having full arguments with myself.
There’s a muffled buzz coming from my purse, and I remember my phone is on vibrate. My heart lurches. Is he calling me on his way home?
Is it normal to get excited over the thought of a phone call from a guy you’ve only known a few days? The same guy picking you up for another date in less than twenty hours?
Am I a lost cause?
Hell yes!
I rush to dig my phone out of my purse right as it stops. Immediately, it starts again, and Mom’s name flashes across the screen.
“Hey, Mama.” I frown, realizing she’s calling really late.
“Grace.” Her voice is shaky and broken as she openly weeps into the phone.
“Mama? What’s going on?”
“Grace, I’m sending a car for you tonight. You have to come home. There’s been an accident.”
I barely comprehend the rest of her scattered explanation as my head fills with fear.
Heartfelt thoughts of Nick vanish as I am forced to prepare to go home.
Chapter 1
Nick
2 years later
This is going to be fucking perfect! I slap my hands together and resist the urge to laugh out loud. My brother, Mathis, starts to chuckle under his breath.
“He’s going to fucking kill you. Why you chose tonight to screw with him is beside me. You know he’s going to go out of his mind.”
I stare at the table where Shaw sits with his boss, my coach, and the owner of my team. They’re wrapped in what looks like a serious conversation, which is a perfect distraction. Shaw’s wife, Bizzy, is sitting so close, they could be fused together.
This is normal between Shaw and Bizzy; he rarely lets her more than a few feet away from him when they are together. To say he’s possessive would be an enormous
understatement. He’s obsessed with his wife, and I’d have it no other way. She’s absolutely one of the most important people in my life.
Shaw has managed me since I was allowed to have representation when I declared eligible for the draft. I can’t imagine my career in the NFL without Shaw on my side. He’s the best in the business, and with his help, I’ve carved a pretty kickass reputation as the number one quarterback in the league. He may be my agent and lawyer, but he’s still my brother. And I fuck with him every chance I get.
“Tell me again why you insist on riling him up tonight?” Mathis hands me a cold beer. “You’d think the Labor Day fiasco would have taught you a lesson.”
“Because it’s fun. And because it serves him right, taking Bizzy away for the weekend.”
“You’re being a bit of a baby, don’t you think? It’s technically the second game of the season. He promised to be in Indianapolis by the time you kick-off.”
“It fucks with my mojo. Call me superstitious, but I don’t like to mix things up.”
“So tell him that.”
I swing my head to Mathis and squint my eyes in disbelief. “Are you crazy? I can’t tell him that. It’s not how it’s done.”
“So, instead, you’re going to drive him to the brink of madness in front of all these people, including both your bosses?”
“Shit yes, and I can’t wait.” I nod. “And for the love of God, it’s not like I’m kidnapping her. He’ll get over it.”
“He’s going to get you back.”
“Maybe, but it’ll be worth it to see the look on his face. You still in, or you gonna pussy out because you’re scared of him?”
“I’m not fucking scared of him. I just like having two brothers, especially one that sets records on the field. It’s going to suck to watch you sit on the bench after he whips your ass.”
“Like that would ever happen.”
He gives me a knowing grin and tips his beer to me in a conspiring motion. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
I drain my bottle and hand it back then jerk my head to the emcee on the stage. He says a few words to the band then steps up to the podium.
My eyes scan the room to ensure everything is still in place as I run my hands down my suit jacket and walk toward the table at the front of the room.
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