by Hart, Romi
Krys waved off the question with a breathless laugh. “Oh, please! It was just a dance.”
“Looked like a pretty hot dance, from where I was standing,” Kylie prodded.
When Krys’ smile faded, she regretted the statement. “You mean from where Jordan was standing. I know my stepbrother, Kylie. You don’t have to cover for him.” Kylie ducked her head sheepishly, and Krys put a hand on her shoulder. “He’s a nice guy, but there’s more at stake for me than a little party and some hot sex, okay? You can tell Jordan that.” Kylie blushed, her jaw tightening. She didn’t want to get angry, but she didn’t like butting into Krys’ business, and she didn’t like that Jordan put her in this position.
“I’m not judging, Krys. If you like him, I say go for it,” she said, watching to make sure Jordan didn’t walk up in time to hear her. He was too busy trying to shuffle three drinks in his hands.
“I know, love. But I am. Dex would be a great little tryst, if I didn’t have Amy attached. But I’m a mother first. There will be plenty of time in the future, when she’s older, to find companionship. I’m content for the moment.” But her expression said otherwise, as her eyes searched the crowd. Kylie followed her gaze and found Dex, saluting her with a drink in his hand.
This could be trouble, and not because Dex was a non-monogamous womanizer. “Well, whatever you think is best. Just don’t let Jordan catch you watching Dex with that look on your face, okay? He’ll start something that could get them both thrown in a jail cell to cool off overnight.”
Averting her gaze, Krys nodded, caught red-handed. She stared at the floor just as Jordan approached, and Kylie knew this wasn't over. And she was going to have to run interference, making sure that whatever happened between Krys and Dex didn't get back to Jordan. At least, not unless the son of a bitch did something to hurt Krys. Then, Jordan wouldn't get to the guy any faster than Kylie. She would make him pay on her own.
Passion - Special Preview
Chapter 1
If there was anything Krys could count on, it was that she would likely never need an alarm clock again. Much like she hadn't for the last eight years. Motherhood took away that single expense.
The pitter-patter of little feet plodding through the house, getting closer, usually cut through the deep sleep and half woke her into a haze. But it was the soft breath on her face and the stage whisper of, “Mama, wake up,” that usually brought her to consciousness.
Today, Krys Dennison peered from between her eyelids to find the same blue-eyed smile that had given her a reason to live since the day Amelia was born. The small blond child leaned over and kissed her nose as she did every morning, and then she took off at a dead run, hollering over her shoulder, “I’m making breakfast!”
Krys groaned as she slid the covers down, envisioning the cereal that would spill all over the counter and the butter that would somehow end up spread as much on the counter as on the toast. Amy could make her own breakfast, but Krys almost worked harder to clean up after her than to make the meal in the first place.
Such was the life of a single mother.
Pushing to her feet, Krys wrapped herself in her favorite plush robe and pushed her toes into her worn slippers. She followed the sound of her daughter humming in the kitchen and walked in to find a pleasant surprise – a small spot of hot filling from a toasted Pop-Tart on the counter. The small mess made her smile, and she bent over to kiss Amy’s head. The kitchen could have looked like a squall had blown through and she would have simply been glad that her daughter was alive and well to cause the disaster.
A few years ago, she couldn’t have imagined she’d be so lucky.
Pushing a couple of Eggos into the toaster, Krys frowned as her cell phone rang where it was plugged in on the kitchen counter. She glanced at the caller ID, and her scowl deepened. No one ever called this early, and hearing from Kylie first thing in the morning didn’t bode well. She picked it up and hit ‘talk’ before pressing it to her ear. “Hello?”
“Krys! I’m sorry to call this early. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
Kylie didn’t sound upset, and Krys relaxed a little. “No, it’s fine. We’re eating breakfast. Is everything alright?”
“Sure, everything is great. Listen, I thought maybe the two of you might like to come to the scrimmage game this afternoon. Jordan has a couple of seats for all of us.”
With a smile, Krys nodded, still not awake enough to think about the fact that Kylie couldn’t see the motion through the phone. “We’d like that. It’s been ages since Amy saw him play.” Amy loved watching Jordan on the field, and it had been years since they’d seen a football – soccer, she corrected herself – game live. “What time?”
“The game starts at four. I’ll swing by to pick you guys up at three.”
“Sounds great. We’ll see you then.” Krys hung up and almost laughed. A few months ago, her stepbrother’s fiancé had nearly ended things with Jordan, and Kylie’s friend, Reesa, had contacted her to set things straight. Kylie had not only worked things out with Jordan; she’d also made it so he could watch his daughter grow up – and dissolve his marriage to Krys without concern for their future.
A lot of people would have found their relationship odd. After all, step-siblings didn’t often marry, and they certainly didn’t have a child together. There was a stigma attached to it. But Krys had yet to find a man she loved who really fit the bill as far as trusting him as a husband and father. When Jordan agreed to donate his sperm so she could have a child, Krys had been elated.
And then, the bottom dropped out, all three of them finding they’d fallen into the depths of hell. Amy’s leukemia had nearly killed them all, and because of the way politics worked, Jordan had married Krys, simply to get her and Amy out of Australia and to the States, where they would be covered under insurance. Amy had undergone treatment here, and when she’d gone into remission, Krys had decided to return to Victoria and her job.
She’d offered Jordan a divorce then, but he’d insisted on not dissolving the marriage. “What if it comes back?” he asked, nervous and overcome with pain at the idea of them leaving.
“The chances are low, according to the doctors,” Krys told him. “You should live your life. I never wanted to hold you down like this.”
But he’d shaken his head. “She’s my daughter, Krys, no matter the circumstances of how or why. I won’t risk it.” So, she’d gone home with Amy, but she’d left the marriage intact. And that had nearly ended his relationship with Kylie, who’d stolen his heart along the way.
Now, with the divorce final, he could move on, and he and Kylie would get married in a few months. Krys and Amy were settled in New York on a visa sponsored by Kylie’s design firm, where Krys had now worked for two months, and Amy loved her new school. They had insurance through the company, and she got to see her father all the time. Krys glanced over at her daughter and knew she couldn’t ask for a better situation.
Still, there were days when life seemed very lonely.
She didn’t regret her decision. She’d had no luck with men, and she wanted to guarantee she had a child of her own to love and raise. She had a perfect opportunity to groom Amy into a strong young woman, and she counted her blessings. But the more she was around Jordan and Kylie – and their newlywed friends, Reesa and Marcus Winters – the more she thought about how nice it would be for her family to be complete. She didn’t expect to fall in love, and she’d made her peace with that. At the same time, jealousy could rear its ugly head from time to time, and it saddened Krys, making her wonder where she’d gone wrong in looking for Mr. Right.
Taking a deep breath, she put her hot waffles on a plate and started dressing them as she spoke to Amy, determined to shake off the funk she was starting to settle into. “Hey, sweetheart, how would you like to go watch your dad play today?”
“Really?” Amy shrieked, beaming. “We get to go to a game?”
Krys nodded. “That was Kylie who rang. Says she’ll pick us up and
take us this afternoon.”
“Oh, that’s going to be so much fun!” The girl was beside herself with joy, and that made Krys’ heart swell. Jordan could have picked any woman in the world. He had the looks and the charm that made him irresistible to most women. But he’d chosen a woman who appreciated even the small things, and Amy happened to have fallen in love with her. Krys trusted her implicitly, too, which made it easy to let Amy go over to Jordan’s place and stay as long as she liked. She always came home with fun stories, and Krys knew they were both truly blessed.
"I think you should wear your new Wonder Woman shirt and those light wash jeans of yours," Krys told Amy, sliding into the chair across from her.
But Amy frowned. “Of course not. I’m wearing my Sounders jersey. I can’t go to a game and not wear it, Mama. You should wear yours, too.”
Krys laughed. “You’re right, love. How could I think of anything different? How appalling of me!” And perhaps wearing the jersey would catch the attention of a handsome male fan. While Krys had obligations to be a responsible mother, she also wasn’t opposed to the random fling, just to ease her loneliness for a night. After all, Amy had other parents now, so she didn’t have to abandon her child just to have a good time. It was another upside to being in New York now, even if she hadn’t yet taken advantage of the opportunity.
“Why don’t we get ready early and go have our hair and nails done?” she suggested, getting another squeal from Amy, who jumped up and ran over to throw her arms around Krys’ neck. Krys laughed and held her tight. “Is it really that big a deal?”
“I want to make Dad proud, Mama. He’s going to be so happy to have all his pretty girls there.” Out of the mouths of babes, Krys thought. Then again, she was right. Jordan was a very lucky man.
Chapter 2
“Jordan, my man, I gotta admit, I’m jealous.” Krys tried not to stare at the man who walked up, but she couldn’t seem to keep her eyes off him and was relieved to see that his eyes locked on Amy. This was the first time he’d introduced them to anyone on the team, and everyone was enamored of their daughter.
But for some reason, this guy struck a chord with Krys, and her mouth went dry, just looking at him. He was built like an athlete, very similar to the rest of the players, but his biceps were just a little larger, and he stood a hair taller than Jordan, who wasn’t exactly short. More than anything, something about his personality seemed to fill the room, and his eyes were a haunting shade of gray in a perfectly chiseled face. That didn’t even take into account the silky dark brown locks that she wanted to run her fingers through.
Jordan pasted on a smile, his arm around Kylie, and ruffled Amy’s hair, causing her to bat at his hand. She’d been very protective of the fragile curls from the beauty salon. Laughing, he reached for Krys’s hand, and instinctively, she glanced at Kylie, relieved to see she didn’t even blink at the gesture. “Dex, you know Kylie.”
“Yes, and I’ll be at the engagement party, stealing at least one dance,” the man – Dex – said with a wink at Kylie.
Clearing his throat and ignoring the comment, Jordan turned to Krys. “This is Krys and our daughter, Amy. Ladies, this is Dexter Collins. Just traded to our team last year from Dallas FC.”
Amy reached out her hand very seriously and shook Dex’s. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Dexter.”
Krys fought back a smile at the greeting. But she didn’t have to fight long as the man’s gaze fell on her, making her shuffle from one foot to the other in discomfort. He stared at her like some fascinating thing under a microscope, and she blushed, thinking she had probably looked at him the same way as he’d joined their little circle.
Still looking at Krys, he said, “It’s lovely to meet you, too, Amy. I’m a big fan of your dad’s.”
“So are we,” Amy assured him.
Slipping his hand from the girl’s grasp, he held it out to Krys, taking her fingers and brushing his thumb lightly over the back of her hand. It sent chills up her arm and down her spine to the low place beneath her belly that rarely seemed to feel anything these days. Now, though, it spun and swirled and heated like someone had just flipped a switch. “Krys, is it? You have a beautiful daughter. She looks just like you.”
Krys giggled a little, barely able to contain herself. No one paid her compliments anymore. She was a mother, not a woman on the market. So, the insinuation of a compliment made her even more nervous and desperately shy. “Thank you. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He finally released his hold on her hand and motioned toward the bar in the back of the room that had been rented out by the team after the game. “Can I get you something to drink?”
How about a nice tall glass of Dex on the Rocks? Krys winced internally. It was a terrible line, and even if it had a ring to it, she couldn’t say anything like that in front of her brother and daughter, for goodness’ sake! Instead, she gave a short nod and a big grin. “I’d like that. Thank you. Maybe a gin and tonic.”
“On the rocks?” he asked, quirking a brow that had Krys wondering if he’d just read her dirty little mind.
“Sure,” she told him hoarsely. She cleared her throat as he walked away and turned to the others, her hand on Amy’s shoulder to keep her from getting to riled up. “All your teammates are really nice,” she told Jordan. “They’ve all been very welcoming.”
“Well, who wouldn’t be? All three of you are drop dead gorgeous,” Jordan laughed. But he quickly sobered. “I probably should have let you know that this is sort of me coming out to everyone on the team but Marcus. Things have been hectic for us so far this season, and I haven’t wanted to weigh anyone down with my personal situation. But I figured today would be perfect because I could have you here in person to show off.” He let his gaze fall to Amy and winked. The girl winked back awkwardly, and Krys hid a smile.
"You don't have to explain yourself, Jordan," she told him, meaning it. Of course, it would look really suspicious if he didn't explain the sudden appearance of a real-life daughter. So far, they hadn't mentioned being related by their parents' marriage, referring to each other as old friends. But that still left questions in the eyes of Jordan's teammates, and they needed to work out the exact story before he got grilled over it.
Dex came back with her drink, and she took it, an electric shock shooting up her arm when her fingers brushed his. It was a horny teenager’s response, but something about this man made her body react with the same giddy arousal she used to have in high school. “Thank you,” she told him.
“You’re welcome.” The moment grew awkward, and she was relieved and grateful when Kylie cleared her throat. “Hey, Jordan, the new goalie. I haven’t met him yet. Can you introduce me?”
Krys didn’t miss the irritation in Jordan’s gaze as he glanced at her, but he said nothing. She hoped he’d behave; he’d always played the protective brother, but he hadn’t been around to do it as an adult like he had in high school. She was a 32-year-old woman now. She didn’t need his overbearing attitude. “I suppose we can find him.” With one last warning glance, he smiled down at Amy. “You want to come, sweetheart?”
Amy just nodded, and she took off before Krys could say anything else, forcing Jordan and Kylie to follow. “Well, that’s better,” Dex said, blowing out a heavy breath. “I was a little out of my element, trying to talk to you in front of Jordan. And the kid.” He sipped his drink and eyed her again. Krys found his hungry gaze intoxicating, and she let him peruse her from head to toe openly without a word. “Nothing against Kylie, but Jordan had to be stupid to let you go.”
Krys snorted at that and shook her head. “It’s not what you think. But that’s a discussion you can strike up with him someday. What I want to know is, if you’re from Dallas, and you play for Seattle, why are you in New York?”
“I don’t have the foggiest notion.” He said it with a southern lilt that melted her bones and made her throat ache. She wanted to hear him whisper naughty things in her ear and see if he still had an accent.<
br />
“Interesting expression,” she said.
“Well, you pick up a lot of those growing up in the south. Really, though, I guess I’m here because several of my teammates live here. I feel like I can get to know my team better if I’m somewhere that I can hang out even when we’re not working.” He stepped closer, and she caught a whiff of his cologne, a heady musk that made her head spin and the space between her legs throb. “I’d like to know how you ended up here. That’s a pretty thick, beautiful accent, and I get the impression you haven’t lived here very long.”
How much was she supposed to tell someone she didn’t even know? Especially when she wasn’t ready to hop in bed with him, much less start anything more. And she needed some sort of commitment, however temporary, before she divulged her life story. Taking a deep breath, she went with a half-truth. “Well, I came and lived here a few years ago, and then I had to go back home. But I decided to make it more permanent a few months back because Amy and Jordan have a close relationship I don’t want them to lose.”
“But you’re obviously not together,” he probed, moving even closer.
Krys could feel the warmth of his body from this close, and she caught the hint of something the cologne didn’t quite cover, that human aroma. And coming from Dex, it was enticing. “Like I said, it’s not what you think. You’ll have to talk to Jordan about all of that.”
“Maybe I will,” he conceded with a short nod. But then he gave her a mischievous smile, narrowing his eyes. “Or maybe, I’ll just find a way to get under your skin and make you trust me enough to tell me yourself.” His hand fell on her waist, and Krys inhaled sharply at his touch through the jersey, which hadn’t warranted any special attention at all. At the moment, she wished she’d worn something thin and formfitting.