Dax (The Player Book 2)

by Nana Malone

  "I'm going to hold you to that."

  Epilogue

  Dax and Asha were the first ones to arrive at the Coulter estate for the family dinner. An impressive feat, given how long they had to drive to get there in the first place.

  "Where's Echo?" Dax asked, as he and Asha were ushered into the sitting room for drinks. He'd been surprised at how easy it was to call his family back and let them know he was bringing Asha. Most of them had guessed that they were a couple after their disappearance from the wedding and hasty retreat the next morning. No one had said anything to the couple while they were together, but there had been plenty of questions for Dax in the days and weeks that followed. He'd told them all that they were still figuring things out. Until the press conference.

  "Echo will be back soon," his dad told him from where he sat in his favorite chair by the fireplace.

  "But we want to hear about the Pats game," Rory urged from his spot on the sofa next to Serina. "All that mess that happened. I want a play-by-play of those last few minutes. Those are the kinds of games you never forget," he said proudly.

  "Uh… It was kind of a blur, actually," Dax recounted, as he accepted a drink from Asha, who perched next to him on the love seat. "I mean, obviously the plan was to head for the sideline—"

  "Stop the clock," Rory interjected, with a nod of approval.

  "But when I looked up and saw how open it was—except for that last guy—I just couldn't make myself do it." He looked to his father, who was smiling with pride and something else behind his eyes. But it was his grandfather's rapt attention that Dax found so interesting, and he turned back to the old man. "It was like I could see what was going to happen—just how and where he'd be when he got to me—and exactly what it would take to throw him off balance and get over him."

  "If you can prove you have discipline and can follow instructions and go along with the order of things on the field and with your coaches, then in an instance like that where your gut instinct tells you something else and you go with it, they'll forgive you and respect you more after it—especially when it winds up winning the game," Rory said as he continued to nod.

  It was unexpected. The complete and glowing approval from Gramps. Dax wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but the conversation was interrupted by his dad having a coughing fit over the green sludge in his cup.

  Brent pulled out a handkerchief and waved off Julia, who looked ready to pat him on the back as though he were choking.

  "I'm all right," he wheezed, as the coughing began to subside. "I just swallowed it wrong. Tickled my throat before it was all the way down."

  "What the hell is that stuff anyway, Dad?" Dax asked. Whatever it was, it looked disgusting. "Please tell me it isn't some new protein drink thing that one of the suppliers wants you to put in the store."

  His father shook his head as he wiped his mouth, though it was unclear whether the action was meant to refute Dax's speculation, or if it was simply from amusement over the comment.

  "It's supposed to boost the immune system," Brent answered, his voice rough.

  "Who needs a boost?" Echo asked as she and Gage walked in.

  Gage had a duffel bag over his shoulder, and Dax watched as his brother glanced at their father, who motioned with a hand for him to go take care of his things. Gage gave a brief nod of acknowledgment to Dax and Asha, before ducking back out and heading for the stairs.

  "Dad does, apparently," Dax answered Echo's question. "He nearly choked on that stuff in his glass. Can't be too good for your immune system if you choke to death on it."

  "I'll keep that in mind," Brent wheezed. The redness in his face had faded, and he leaned back in his chair, sounding winded.

  Echo sat next to Asha and the two began chatting, picking up a conversation they'd apparently begun at some other time, though Dax couldn't remember where or when. But before he could study on it much, he was distracted by Bryce and Tami's arrival.

  "Sorry we're late, but we brought presents," Tami announced as Bryce helped hold the door.

  "You're not supposed to shop on your honeymoon," Dax teased Bryce. "Or had you not heard what you are supposed to do?"

  Tami rolled her eyes. Echo reached past Asha to give her twin a light punch to his biceps. Everyone else chortled or stifled their amusement, with varying degrees of success.

  "For that, you don't get the Belgian chocolate we brought for you," Bryce muttered.

  "Can I have it?" Asha asked.

  "Sure," Bryce smiled, and Asha rose to go claim her prize, quickly getting dragged into Tami's stories of the castles and museums they'd visited on their way across Europe.

  "It was nice to actually be a tourist for a change. I'm still not used to traveling like that for tournaments, but when we're there to play, I hardly see anything except the hotel and the practice courts," she was explaining, holding up her phone to show Asha and Echo her pictures. Dax's mother and grandmother soon joined the crowd, and pressed Bryce for his opinions of the sites as well.

  Gramps came and sat next to Dax.

  "You did good in that game, son. I had my doubts about you, and I know I've been hard on you. But you have to understand…watching you play, knowing what you were capable of… I knew you had it in you. I just didn't think you would ever be able to…unlock it. Or maybe it was just that you didn't care to."

  Dax swallowed to keep from snapping back. He was pretty sure Gramps meant to pay him a compliment, but the urge to tell him how bad he was at it was strong. He also knew better than to interrupt Gramps when he was trying to be nice. To do so was to risk it becoming an even more rare occurrence.

  "It's amazing, isn't it, how meeting the right woman can make things…clearer?" Gramps said, with a nod to where Serina was pointing something out in the picture on the phone and answering Asha's questions. "She's a nice girl, your Asha. Don't screw it up." And with that, Gramps rose from his seat to go look at the honeymoon pictures himself.

  It was only after he'd received such open praise from his grandfather that Dax could admit how desperately he'd been hoping to get it. And he realized that it wasn't just his grandfather who had been treating him differently lately. Though it was definitely more obvious with his family gathered together where he could see them face-to-face.

  Their post-game calls had gotten lighter, and felt less like they were made out of habit or obligation, and more from genuine excitement. He didn't feel like they were trying to hide something from him when they addressed him. Their disappointment, their annoyance, their pity, even.

  But was the change because of how he'd been playing or because of him? He felt more like himself lately, and less like he was putting on a show for someone, even if he wasn't always sure whom that someone was. Were they responding to that? He realized that while he appreciated their support and approval, it didn't thrill him the way he had always thought it would. He had spent so long pretending that he didn't care what his family thought about him or how he behaved, and yet he'd known all along that something had been missing.

  Asha came over and plopped down beside him on the love seat. "The chocolate is good," she said, offering him a small piece. "Don't let it ruin your dinner," she warned.

  He grinned at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to pull her in closer. "As if that could happen."

  "You all right?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

  He leaned in close to whisper, "They like you. Even Gramps."

  She whispered back, "I know. They're starting to grow on me, too. I'm going to ignore the random insensitive shit."

  He chuckled and kissed her temple, as the rest of the family party moved back into the center of the sitting room to take their seats and wait for Fox.

  As they all settled in and listened to Bryce and Tami's honeymoon adventures, Dax wondered why having his family's approval didn't seem to mean as much to him anymore. Was it because he had it?

  "I'm here," Fox called, as he strode through the main entryway. "Let's eat. I've got to hea
d back out again as soon as we're done."

  Echo rolled her eyes for everyone as she led the way to the dining room.

  Dax and Asha had to take an early flight back to Florida so Dax could arrive in time to attend afternoon practice. Which he was determined not to miss, lest Coach Mills decide he needed to run laps for the rest of the season as retribution. Dax's parents insisted they stay at the mansion rather than pay for a hotel, arguing the desire to have breakfast together and see them off at the airport.

  After dinner was over, Fox quickly disappeared, while Bryce and Tami, who had both been yawning all through dinner, decided to take off early in an effort to combat their jet lag. Gage had school in the morning and practice again in the afternoon, so he was sent upstairs to finish his homework. "I can't wait ‘til the term ends," he declared, dragging himself away.

  "We should turn in early, too," Dax said as he rose and held out a hand for Asha to take as she pulled herself up from her chair. "I need my forty winks, or I'll be knocked on my ass in practice tomorrow."

  "Dinner was delicious," Asha told them as she set her napkin down and Dax tugged her toward the stairs. "And thank you again for having us stay."

  "It's no trouble," she heard Julia say as they left the rest of the group behind with the dishes still on the table.

  "I was going to offer to help—" She began to scold Dax when they reached the first landing, but he pressed her against the wall and kissed her before she could finish. "Mmm…" she murmured against his lips. "I think I'm gonna like what you have in mind better."

  She let him lead her the rest of the way up the stairs and down the hall. Gage's open door was one of the first they passed. He looked up as they went by and reached for his headphones. Luckily Dax's room was at the far end of the hall.

  Asha turned to lock the door behind them as Dax pressed his body against her back, the curve of her ass fitting nicely against his crotch. She drew a sudden breath as he wrapped his arms around her, curling her body to fit against his and running his hands down her torso to the waistband of her jeans.

  "You really want to take me against the door when your little brother is studying down the hall?" she asked breathlessly.

  "Fuck, yes," Dax whispered, nuzzling his nose against her neck and breathing her in. "I don't really care what they think."

  As he said it, he understood how true it was. He didn't care what they thought anymore. He didn't need their approval because he had something he valued more—Asha. Well, he had what being with Asha gave him; faith in himself and his abilities, his own approval.

  She sighed and pressed back against him, already bracing herself against the door.

  His hands slipped below her waistband and she inhaled sharply.

  "So are we officially public now? Media aside. We don't have to hide?" Dax asked, squeezing her ass before easing her jeans down her thighs.

  Asha giggled. “I guess we are.”

  Dax trailed his lips down the back of her leg, his tongue darting out to tickle the sensitive flesh behind her knee. He felt the muscles in her leg tense as he left her jeans pooled at her ankles, and then he rose behind her, hands fumbling with his fly.

  "What kinds of 'private things' are you suggesting we do in public?" he asked suggestively before bending his head to kiss her shoulder.

  She stopped his hand as it reached to see how ready she was for him. It was enough to hold him still while she slipped her feet from the legs of her jeans and panties so she could kick them lightly to the side. Still holding his hand, she turned around in the limited space between him and the door so that she faced him. The light fabric of her button-up shirt hung low, the hem skimming her bare thighs.

  "Well for starters, holding hands," she said, glancing to where she held his wrist. "But if you think there's something else I could hold that might make our relationship a little clearer for everyone…" With her free hand she grasped his cock, making him gasp and step closer. He heard the slight tap of the door as she backed against it completely.

  "I do think that would send a pretty clear message," Dax murmured before bending to kiss her again. She released his hand and his cock to slip her arms around his neck. He slid his arms around her and down her back, lifting her so she could wrap her legs around him as he slid into her, pressing her against the door and sliding into her slick depths, again, and again, and again. Being with her was like coming home. Every. Damn. Time.

  You are a Coulter. You will be perfect. That’s what Echo has been told every day of her life. As the only girl in the Coulter clan, she knows it’s her job to be the glue of the family. But with the Olympics looming, the last thing she wants is to follow the rules. She wants to break free, and she knows just the guy to help her. Meet Echo in book 3 of the Player Series

  Thank You

  Thank you for reading DAX! I hope you enjoyed the second book in my new series, The Player.

  Would you like to know when my next book is available? You can sign up for my new release newsletter here, visit me at www.nanamalone.com, follow me on twitter at @NanaMalone, or like my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/nanamalonewriter. And if you want to chat with other peeps who love my books and spread the word, you can join my Sassy Street Team here!

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  Don’t miss any of the next Player books!

  Bryce

  Dax

  Echo

  Fox

  Ransom

  Gage

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  Nana Malone Reading List

  Looking for a few Good Books? Look no Further

  The Player

  Bryce

  **Dax

  **Echo

  **Fox

  **Ransom

  **Gage

  The In Stilettos Series (Contemporary Romance)

  Sexy in Stilettos (Alec & Jaya)

  Sultry in Stilettos (Beckett & Ricca)

  Sassy in Stilettos (Caleb & Micha)

  Strollers & Stilettos (Alec & Jaya & Alexa)

  Seductive in Stilettos (Shane & Tristia)

  Stunning in Stilettos (Bryan & Kyra)

  **Sinful in Stilettos - Expected 2018

  ~~~

  In Stilettos Spin off

  TEMPTING IN STILETTOS

  (SERENA & TYSON)

  UK

  CA

  AU

  AUDIO

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  TEASING IN STILETTOS

  (CARA & TATE)

  UK

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  AU

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  TANTALIZING IN STILETTOS

  (JAGGAR & GRIFFIN)

  UK

  CA

  AU

  PRINT

  The Donovans Series (New Adult Contemporary Romance)

  Come Home Again (Nate & Delilah)

  Love Reality (Ryan & Mia)

  Race For Love (Derek & Kisima)

  Love in Plain Sight (Dylan and Serafina)

  Eye of the Beholder – (Logan & Jezzie)

  The Chase Brothers Series (New Adult Contemporary Romance)

  London Bound (Alexi & Abbie)

  London Calling (Xander & Imani)

  ***London Down – Expected 2018

  London Billionaires Standalones

  Mr. Cocky (Nick & Selena)

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  PRINT

  AUDIO

  Mr. Trouble (Jarred & Emma)

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  Mr. Dirty

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  Mr. Big

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  PRINT

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  Love Match Series (Contemporary Romance)

  *Game Set Match (Jason & Izzy)

  Mismatch (Eli & Jessica)

  Temptation Series (Erotic Romance Novellas)

  Corporate Affairs

  Exposed

  The Flirtation

  The Protectors Series (Superhero Romance)

  *Betrayed a Reluctant Protector Prequel

  Reluctant Protector (Cassie & Seth)

  Forsaken Protector (Symone & Garrett)

  Wounded Protector (Jansen & Lisa)

  The Hit & Run Bride Contemporary Romance Series (Contemporary Romance)

  Hit & Run Bride (Liam & Becca)

  Hit & Miss Groom (Alex & Vanessa)

  Hit the Billionaire Jackpot (Jenna & Jacob)

  Harlequin Kimani Books

  Wrapped in Red (Linc and Nomi)

  Tonight (Tristan and Synthia)

  Vow of Seduction (Elina & Gabe)

  Unwrapping the Holidays (Jamie & Cole)

  This is Love (Bennett & Val)

  **Untitled Holiday Romance – Expected November 2017

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  **Upcoming release. Dates Subject to Change

  About Nana Malone

  USA Today Bestselling Author, Nana Malone’s love of all things romance and adventure started with a tattered romantic suspense she borrowed from her cousin on a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana at a precocious thirteen. She’s been in love with kick butt heroines ever since.