Dared (Boneyard Bad Boy #1)

  “Oh yeah? So how close do you want me?” she says as she leans over to me and runs her fingers across my lips and whispers, “Do you want me this close?”

  Her breath sends shivers down my spine and my cock twitches in response. Leave it to her to try to take control. This woman gets too much satisfaction from unmanning me but she was not going to get the upper hand this time.

  “Actually, I want you this close,” I say as I crawl into the bed beside her. “Summer Montgomery, you are everything that I have lived for and everything that I would die for.” I kiss her on her forehead gently.

  “Mmm...” she moans as she leans her head onto my shoulder. I work up the nerve to pull the ring out of my pocket and ask her the question that I have been dying to ask her but just as I am about to ask, I hear her begin to snore.

  I laugh and shake my head. My timing really is shit. I place the ring back in my pocket and snuggle into her. I allow myself to caress her cheek as she sleeps with her head nuzzled into my neck and I am the happiest that I have been in a very long time.

  Marie comes into the room shortly later.

  “How is she?” she asks.

  “She is good. Her spirits seem to be good and she had no problems giving me shit to say the least.”

  “Well, I imagine she is pretty tired. It has been a draining day. Did she talk to you about anything?”

  “Only about my impeccable timing and then she was out. Why? Is everything okay?” Her actions are guarded and I can tell she is choosing her words carefully.

  “Oh yes. I am just going to head home to get some sleep and give you two sometime. I do take it you are staying here awhile?” she asks.

  “Of course. Nothing could pry me away from her. Get some rest and thank you, Marie.”

  “No need to thank me. I am just happy that she came back to us. I hope you two get everything worked out today because I have had just as much torture as I can take.”

  “I don't think you will have to worry about that.” I pull the ring from my pocket and show it to Marie and wait for her approval. She smiles and hands me back the ring.

  “It is stunning. Just promise me one thing?”

  “Anything,” I reply.

  “Make sure you get to it sometime soon. We have waited her entire life for this moment. Her pops always knew you were the one. He would get so frustrated that you were taking forever to figure it all out. I am sure he would have loved to have been here for it.”

  “Well it may have taken me awhile to get here, but now that I am, I am not going anywhere. I am going to make her as happy as she makes me. I promise I will love her hard every day for the rest of our lives.”

  “I never doubted that.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Summer

  “Well hey there, sleepy head. I was wondering if you were going to sleep the whole day away.” I stretch out beside Damien as he wakes from his sleep.

  “I must have dozed off after you did. How are you feeling?” he asks. His body feels so good next to me and there is nothing more perfect than the feeling of waking up beside him.

  “Well, I can definitely say this bed does nothing for my back. I will be glad to get out of here and get some real sleep, in a real bed.”

  “Hmm...I can think of better things to do at home in a real bed. I think I still owe you a rematch,” he says as his hand comes up to cup my breast. I wince silently. My breasts are sore and need to be pumped. I guess there is no time like the present to tell him what I should have told him months ago.

  “I kind of need to talk to you about something serious.” she says as she turns her head to me.

  “Yeah, me too. I was going to talk to you earlier but by the time I got around to it you had nodded off on me.”

  “Okay. You go first,” I quickly offer, biding my time to figure out how to say everything that I need to say. I still wasn't sure how to break the news to him or how he would take it.

  “Well this isn't exactly how I had pictured it but I can't wait anymore.” He fumbles for his words before continuing.

  “Summer Montgomery, I love when you look at me with those beautiful eyes that stare straight into my soul. I love the way your light and laughter take the broken pieces of me inside and make them whole. You are the only woman I can picture myself ever wanting, needing, or craving. I can't imagine a day that will come that I will need you any less than the day before. You are the reason that I wake up every morning and you are the perfect dream every night. I want to share all that I am with you each and every day for the rest of my life, and I want those days spent with you as my wife. Will you please do me the honor of saying yes?”

  Damien pulls the ring from his pocket as he wipes his sweating and shaking palms on his pants. His voice trembles with the emotions that have just poured out into his proposal and I once again find the tears streaming from my eyes.

  “I will say yes under one condition.” This could be a train wreck but I am praying that he is as ready as he says he is.

  “Anything. If you knew how long it took me to come up with what I would say in this moment, then you would know I would sell my soul to the devil to get you to say yes.”

  “Well, do you think that you are open to a package deal?” I ask as I see my mother standing outside of the room. I nod to her without being obvious to Damien.

  “A package deal? I don't think I am following you.”

  “Well, there was a reason I came back here to see you. I had something to tell you. Do you remember the day you showed up at my mother's and we were arguing? The day of the fall?”

  “Yes. I don't think I have ever seen you fight with your mother like that before but what does that have to do with anything?”

  “That day, Michelle called me to let me know that you had come by the loft. I was angry that my mom had given you my address but it was more. I was afraid that she had told you something else and I wanted to be the one to tell you.”

  “Okay.”

  “When I went back to New York, it was just a couple of months when I realized I was sick.” I pause for a moment.

  “Sick? What do you mean? Please tell me you don't have cancer. Whatever it is, we will go through it together. I will support you, hold your hair when you need to throw up, I will be your —”

  I interrupt his ramblings laughing to myself.

  “Not that kind of sick. I realized I was late and I took a test. It may have ended up being something like twelve tests, but they all said the same thing.”

  “No, Summer. Oh my god! You were pregnant? Why didn't you tell me? Baby, we can have more children. When did you lose the baby? FUCK! I am so sorry.” Damien pulls me into a tight embrace and cradles me as he rocks me back and forth. I roll my damn eyes. Shit! Is he going to let me finish?

  “I didn't lose the baby, Damien. You have a daughter. You are a father,” I nod towards the door where my mother stands with our daughter.

  It takes him a minute to get what I am saying. Once my mother brings our daughter in and places her in his arms, I see the awe in his eyes. I know that there is only one other girl in this world that Damien loves more than me. He looks up to me with tears in his eyes.

  “Geez… Do you need a Kleenex, you are cry baby?” I laugh.

  “I have a daughter. We have a daughter. She will never date. We are getting that out of the way right now.” I laugh because I know that Damien will have a coronary the day our daughter ever shows the slightest interest in a guy like he used be.

  “Is that a yes to the package deal?” I smile with all my love shining in my eyes.

  “Yes. Only if you have a yes to being my wife?” he asks as he holds our daughter in his arms.

  “Yes, Damien Cole. I will marry you.”

  He leans in and kisses me with the most tenderness that I have ever felt from him. I was no longer just Summer. I was no longer a challenge, a game to be played, or a piece of ass to be had. I was the mother of his child, his fiancée, and together as a team, we have
scored the ultimate victory.

  It was never really about playing the game as opponents because we were always on the same team. And in the case of our two bad asses, no one could fall first when we had both fallen at the same time. We had both conquered, saved, and healed one another.

  In our love story, we took the long way back to where we both had always belonged. Home. Our home was inside of each other.

  “What is her name? Did you pick one yet?” he asks with excitement.

  “No, I was waiting on you. I want something that has meaning for the both of us.”

  “How about Autumn?”

  “Autumn sounds perfect.” I smile at Damien realizing that all of my hopes and dreams have finally come true. My heart is full.

  “Now, can I please have that stunning ring put on this finger? If you are going to take your time, I can definitely put myself back on the market. I am sure I can find some takers,” I joke but he doesn't seem to find it that funny.

  “Over my dead body,” Damien replies possessively.

  Damien places the antique style engagement ring on my finger and we both laugh as we stare at our little girl.

  I look at my family and it occurs to me that life is far beyond our control. As much as we can dream big or plan it out, there are things in this world that simply have to happen the way that they are meant to. I became caught up trying to force everything into this neatly packaged time frame. Not realizing, that whatever was meant for us, was not quite ready. Our story was still being written. Although, the path was hard and full of heartache, the moment the man I love asked me to spend the rest of his life with him while looking into the eyes of a child that was created by us, makes it all worth it.

  I look over to my mother who knew everything that I was still learning. I mouth my apology to her. If it weren't for her meddling, we would still be waiting one another out. It's crazy how pride can do so much damage, fear can be so crippling, and pain from the past can have so much control over the people we become.

  The only feelings I want to remain are those that are pouring out of me at this very moment. Hope that the future will bring something greater than the day before.

  Faith that there is a higher power bigger than any of us who will keep our path clearly laid out according to what is meant to be.

  Love that will sustain us for a lifetime and nurture not only one another but our child.

  Chapter Twenty

  Damien

  “Sweetheart, we are going to be late, are you almost ready?” I ask as I slide on my coat.

  “I'm coming. Just had to put on some lip gloss.” Summer emerges from the bathroom in a stunning red dress that outlines every curve of her gorgeous body.

  I roll my eyes. She takes every chance to push me, to illicit a reaction from me. I am grateful that there are things about her that will never change. These are the things that hooked me.

  “You are going to make us late wearing that dress. We don't have enough time right now for me to rip that dress off and make love to my wife,” I growl as my hands roam her tight little ass and give it a firm squeeze.

  “We did a hell of a lot of consummating last night. I am sure we can sneak off to the restroom at some point. We both know how much you love public restrooms,” she giggles before she grabs my hard cock in her expert hands.

  “Oh woman! I will never live that down will I?”

  “Not in this lifetime,” she giggles.

  “I still can't believe you managed to get Cash to agree to a blind date. This is going to be interesting.”

  “Oh you have no idea. I have a little surprise for you tonight. Now let's get going.”

  Marie is keeping Lily for the night so I have every intention of coming home and marking every inch of my new wife with my mouth. Even after a year I can't get enough of her.

  When we arrive at the restaurant, Christine is waiting for us.

  Christine is a girl who works for Summer at the modeling agency she opened six months ago. She is fun, quirky, and so totally not the type of woman I envision Cash with. She is the complete opposite of all the types we ever picked up. She is wearing a cute little white dress with green polka dots. She reminds me of one of those pin-up girls from the sixties. Her dark hair is partially secured in pinned curls at the side of her head with the rest of her long hair flowing in tightly wound curls down the length of her back. Her light blue eyes are accentuated by black eyeliner and her full lips accentuated with a bright red lipstick. She isn't Summer, but there is no doubting the fact that she is gorgeous.

  “Chrissy! How are you? Are you nervous?” Summer asks as she approaches Christine.

  Christine starts belting out a song about being nervous. It is uncanny how she can do that. I have to laugh at myself because I know in that instant that this woman is the exact opposite of Cash. It was going to be interesting to see how these different personalities would mesh.

  Cash drives up and steps out of the car. I have to laugh when I see that they are almost matching. Cash has on a pair of white washed jeans and a green button down shirt. This is definitely going to be interesting to watch. I roll my eyes at Cash and find the humor that he actually made a half ass effort to dress up for this thing.

  I have to admit that I am so doubtful about this. I have already given Summer my piece of mind. If this shit blows up in her face, it is on her.

  “Cash this is Christine. Christine this is Cash.” Summer makes the introductions and the slight flush on Christine's cheeks does not escape me. Okay she is definitely digging Cash, but I am trying to judge his reaction.

  Cash takes her hand and kisses the back of it. What the fuck dude? This is what happens when I get married? My best friend goes all fucking soft on me. We were going to need to talk about this.

  “Nice to meet you Christine,” he says.

  “You can call me Chrissy,” She replies before giggling shyly.

  After the introductions are made, the four of us make our way inside the restaurant. We are seated at a table in the corner away from the rest of the diners. I requested this so one recognizes the two models. As we sit around the table engrossed in conversation, we eat and drink. Cash and Christine seem to have a lot in common. But of course, he might make a better first impression if he wasn't so focused on checking out the rack on her.

  Summer gets up and excuses herself to the restroom and invites Chrissy to join her.

  After the women are gone, I eye Cash suspiciously. I take the time to find out what is going on in his head,

  “Well, what do you think?” I am curious to know if the connection that I pick up on is being received.

  “She is perfection. She is the one. I knew it the moment that I laid eyes on her.”

  “Oh shit. Are you fucking serious dude? No. I need someone to live vicariously through bro. You cannot do this to me. ” I chuckle. I have been down this road and already know how it goes. When that feeling hits there is no sense in trying to convince yourself of anything different. Just go with it.

  “What? When you know, you just know,” he tries to defend his comment not really getting that I know exactly what he means.

  “I had that same exact feeling the very first day that I ever laid eyes on Summer. Just don't take as long as I did to actually do something with that knowledge. Trust me. And don't screw it up Cash.”

  “Bro, I learned enough from all your mistakes. I plan to do everything exactly the opposite way that you did them,” he laughs.

  “I'll give you that. Trust me when I say, you still have a long way to go before you get it all figured out. Some women may come easy, but the ones worth keeping, that is fucking work.”

  “What are you gentleman talking about,” Summer asks as they return to the table.

  “Oh, just talking about how long it took Damien to get his shit together and realize that you were the one,” Cash answers unabashedly.

  “Yeah, he did take his sweet ass time, didn't he? He doesn't seem to quite know how to just get
to the point. He likes to travel the long way around, spin in a few circles, and get there in his own time. Too bad not everything happens on his time.”

  “Well, it may not have happened on my own time but at least it happened.”

  “Yeah. Who would have thought the first time we were together you would knock me up? Then you take your time, like a whole year later, to get there again,” Summer finishes and looks at me with a glint in her eyes.

  “Holy Shit! No way! Congrats!” Cash spurts out with a cheesy ass grin pasted across his face.

  Suddenly what she says clicks.

  “Babe, really? Are we?” I turn to her to see the glow in her cheeks and I don't know how I even missed the light that radiates from her.

  “Yes babe. We are. I took a test earlier. Looks like you are going to be a daddy again.” She leans in and kisses me.

  “Now, that is a year well spent getting to know every delicious inch of my wife,” I laugh as I raise my glass for a toast.

  “Okay that is just too much. I am sure no one here wants to hear about our sex life. Keep it clean Cole or I will have to put you in a time out.”

  “Oh, I love when you go all mommy mode on me. Talk sexy to me baby.”

  Cash and Christine laugh as I catch site of him reaching over to hold her hand.

  “Okay, I would like to make a toast. To friendship, to being dared to love, and being challenged to overcome anything that stands in the way of those things.”

  Acknowledgments

  First I want to thank God. I would also like to thank my family and friends for their support and encouragement on this journey. My husband, Bob, who never stops believing in me and who reminds me every day that he is proud of me for chasing my dreams. My sister, Tracey, who continues to inspire me each and every day to strive to be the best person that I can be. My best friend Liz, who is one of my biggest supporters and constantly encourages me to never give up. A huge thank you to the wonderful team of people I have not only worked with but come to love: Kari Nappi, my friend, my PA, and my cover designer, thank you for all of the laughs along the way and the amount of time you put in to believing in me. Tessa, who is also one of the kindest people always there cheering me on and working hard on edits. Robert Simmons, Cassandra Roop, and Marina Alaniz: Thank you all for the privilege of working with you all for a beautiful custom shoot to grace this book. A special thank you to all the readers and bloggers who make this journey worthwhile.