by Sam Crescent
Published by EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ® at Smashwords
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2020 Sam Crescent
ISBN: 978-0-3695-0159-2
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Audrey Bobak
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
RIDE HER HARD
The Hard Boys, 1
Sam Crescent
Copyright © 2020
Chapter One
“How do you get women to, you know, eat?” Rome Hard asked.
James looked at his youngest brother, brow raised, wondering where the question had even come from.
“You don’t bring it up, ever!” Jane, their mother, said.
“But seriously, there’s no way a woman can survive on celery. I don’t get it.” Rome pouted and fingered his food like it had some kind of disease.
“Maybe you should offer to pay for more than a salad,” Caleb said. He was the middle child, covered in ink—the rebel.
James watched his brothers, smirking as Rome tried to find something to throw at Caleb.
“I did offer to pay for whatever she wanted. I had a big juicy steak, and what did she have? Carrot sticks. Who orders salad without all the trimmings, at least? What about a dressing? Ugh, it made me uncomfortable. How can I even enjoy my food when I’m sure she didn’t even put it to her lips?” Rome wrinkled his nose.
“Who was your precious date?” James asked.
“Catherine Wire.”
Caleb groaned. “Nah, you see, there’s no way you’re getting much more than your di— I mean, er, there’s just no way you’re going to get much past her lips besides what she wants.”
James snorted, trying to hide it in his coffee cup. Their father glared at them, and then Jane shook her head. “Oh, please. You think I don’t know what you boys are talking about? I’m not some little virgin and I’m under no illusion about what my boys are capable of either. I’m also very much aware that Miss Wire has tasted all three of my sons at one time or another. Didn’t she go to school with you, James?”
“That she did.”
“Don’t even try to pretend you boys are innocent. You’re Hard boys, and I know what the girls all say. Once you’re hard, there’s no stopping until you’re … well, not.” She put her hands on Theodore’s shoulders.
Their father looked up at his wife with all the love in the world shining in his eyes. “We were young once.”
“We were, and your father was a Hard boy as well. You think I don’t know what you get up to? If I remember correctly, your father was a right jerk.”
“Boys, I used women. Took them, discarded them.”
Jane smiled. “Until he met me.”
“First woman in the world to never give me the time of day.” Theodore grabbed her hand, pressing a kiss to her inner wrist. This wasn’t the first time they’d heard this story. It was one their parents had told them many times.
“There was no way I was going to give my love to a man who liked to crush women’s hearts. That wasn’t who I was.”
“I pursued her for months. It took us making a bet to actually getting you to go out with me.”
“Only because you saved the cat in the tree and poor Whiskers hadn’t eaten in days. I was worried.”
Their mother was an animal lover. They had six dogs, four cats, and she’d even tried to adopt a small farm, but that was when their father had put his foot down.
“How does this help me to get a woman to eat?” Rome asked.
Jane laughed. “Find the right woman and believe me, you’ll know when she’s the right one. For now, do with Catherine what I know you care about. Boys. They really think we don’t know what’s on their minds.” She left the kitchen to go out to feed the dogs.
“Are you really hung up over Catherine not eating?” Caleb asked.
“I don’t know. It’s not normal, right?”
“Is this because you kept giving your favorite teacher all of your candy and fruit?” James asked.
Everyone knew when Rome was fifteen years old, one of the youngest teachers at school, Miss Evergreen, captured his heart. He had the biggest crush on her, and it was one of the first times a Hard boy became a nerd. Their reputation was fundamentally ruined because of it.
Not really.
There was no way anyone could call him or Caleb a nice guy.
Rome glared at him. “I guess you’re going to start looking at all the pretty flowers now, aren’t you?”
“Why are we talking about flowers?” Jane asked, coming back into the kitchen, a little out of breath.
“Eliza is coming back to town,” Caleb said.
“Eliza?” Theodore asked.
“Elizabeth Reid,” James said. “She’s coming back to town, living with her Aunt Betty again.” His jaw clenched as Rome started to smirk.
“Didn’t you have a crush on her?”
“No,” he said.
“You were going to ask her to prom,” Rome said.
James looked at his coffee, seeing it as far more inviting than anything else in their conversation. He didn’t need to hear what his brothers thought. Eliza. She hated her name Elizabeth. He never knew why, but whenever someone called her by her full name, she’d always correct them, and say Eliza. Even teachers.
Damn it.
He’d tried not to think about the blonde spitfire who’d consumed most of his teenage thoughts. She’d been so incredibly sweet most of the time. Unless someone pissed her off. She’d been placid until someone either bullied a person who was vulnerable or smaller. Then the spitfire would come out, and there was no stopping her on the warpath. Those blue eyes of hers, angry and ready to hurt whoever she set her sights on.
Of course, he’d never gotten the chance to ask her out.
Eliza had no parents. At least from what he’d heard, she’d been left in an old trailer at the age of three. She was never fed, rarely clothed, and it was only when her aunt Betty went to see her sister that she realized what had happened. Eliza had been abandoned. Her parents didn’t even care enough to put her into foster care or take her to someone who loved her.
From that moment on, Aunt Betty, the florist, became her mother, her guardian, her everything.
He shouldn’t have even known as much as he did, but he was obsessed with Eliza.
“And I didn’t ask her to prom.”
“Did she even go to prom?” Caleb asked.
“No, she didn’t.” She’d stayed at home with her aunt Betty. He’d ended up going to the prom on his own and leaving early. It had been so incredibly lame. Now, he was here thinking about her again.
“I like Eliza. She’s sweet. You could do worse, son,” Jane said. “Yeah, I can see her as a daughter-in-law.”
“Mom, seriously, there’s no way anything like that is even happening. It’s not going to happen. I can promise you that.”
“And why can you promise me that?”
James looked at his mother, a little perplexed.
“Because that would involve him having to talk to her, am I right?” Rome asked.
He would gladly be an only child.
“And James gets all tongue-tied around beautiful women, and he thinks she’s so beautiful.”
“Shut the fuck up.” James got to his feet. “I’ve got work to do and it doesn’t involve sitting ar
ound all day listening to you two.”
“Would it help if I added this?” Caleb asked, lifting his hand to his face, kissing and making out with it.
“That’s enough,” Theodore said, but James was already out the door.
He had to work. After running down the steps, he walked over to his bike, secured his helmet, and straddled his machine.
He loved to drive in the truck his father got him for his eighteenth birthday, but there was something about riding his bike. This was his first purchase after moving out of his folks’ home. He always came on Saturday for breakfast as his mother hated the house to be empty, but he lived a couple of miles from them, near town.
Most of the time, he didn’t wear a helmet, but if his mother ever caught sight of him, she’d pitch a fit, and he wasn’t going to give her a reason to be pissed.
Eliza was back in town. He hadn’t seen her yet, but he’d heard about her arrival. She had no idea he had the biggest crush on her, and he doubted she ever would. There was no way she would even look at him. Being a Hard boy, he’d gained a reputation with the women long before he’d even thought about falling for her.
They were men who worked hard, played even harder, and well, they were all good in bed. He knew he could make her scream if she only gave him the chance. He’d blow her mind with what he could do with his tongue.
His cock ached just thinking about her.
Damn it.
He was a grown-ass man.
He shouldn’t be thinking about a woman he hadn’t seen in years. It was fucking wrong.
****
“It was lovely to have your business.” There was a pause as the door opened and closed. “And I hope those thorns hurt as she throws them at you, you disgusting fucking pig.”
“Aunt Betty!” Eliza laughed as she finished putting the last of the flowers in a vase and turned to look at her only relative. “He was a paying customer.”
“Clint is an asshole of high proportion. Never, and I mean, never ever, give a man a chance. He will take you, chew you up, spit you back out, and fuck with your head.”
“You know, it surprises me how I’ve been able to survive when you talk like that.”
“It’s a gift, honey. A complete and total gift. I curse in life so you don’t have to.”
Eliza laughed, leaning over the counter. “What did Clint ever do to you? Not call?”
“Believe it or not, I never had anything to do with him. I just know he’s left a trail of women in his wake and he always comes in here, wanting the best flowers. Up until a couple of years ago, he tried to negotiate the price. Now, I inflate it just for him.” Aunt Betty smiled. “You did good with the arranging.”
“Thanks.” Eliza ran her fingers through her hair. Growing up, she’d spent years in this shop, and even though flowers weren’t her thing, she was good at it. They always looked beautiful and she knew how to take care of them.
“It’s good to have you home and now you’ve been here a couple of weeks. I’m not complaining about the company, but I’ve got to wonder if you have any plans.”
“Plans? I need to have plans?”
“Well, the college thing didn’t stick. Nor did anything else. You’ve had what? Twenty, or is it thirty jobs?”
“Thirty-five different jobs. But not too much variety, you know. I worked in bars, restaurants, clubs. Even jewelers. I worked in a nice place selling necklaces and earrings. You think Clint is an ass, I can tell you some stories. I worked in the library as well. That was fun. A lot of kids thought they could get it on in the science section. I was the cock-block librarian.” Eliza smirked.
“Again, I have to ask, what is your thing?”
Hand on her hip, Eliza wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know.”
“Even after all this time? You’ve even gone and traveled and you’re back here.”
“I know. You were the one who said traveling and experiencing life would help me find out what I love. I’ve tried everything and nothing sticks. Do you think something’s wrong with me?”
“No, nothing is wrong with you. Believe me. You’re perfect.” Aunt Betty reached across the counter and cupped her face. “You will always be perfect.”
“I can’t help but wonder if I’m going to screw up my life. Like I’ve already been given a plan and it’s set to fail at every possible chance.”
“You’re not like your mother, Eliza. Don’t for a second think you’re destined to go down the same path as her because you’re not.”
“But look at the two of us, Aunt Betty. How am I any different?”
“First, you haven’t shacked up with the town druggie. I’d say that is a plus. A huge one.”
She laughed. “So I’ve got something on my side at least.”
“Your mother believed everything should be handed to her. She didn’t believe in hard work, or anything like that. It was always about herself and you shouldn’t worry. You really shouldn’t. I mean it.” Aunt Betty moved from behind the counter, coming toward her, cupping her face, and kissing her forehead. “You’ve got absolutely nothing to worry about.” Their stomachs started to growl. “Maybe, apart from food, that is.”
“I’ll go and feed us both. Until then, you try not to curse out our customers while they’re in earshot. You think you can do that?”
“I can give it a go, but I’m not going to make any promises.”
Shaking her head, she grabbed her purse and headed across the street into the famous diner owned by Joanne. The woman had been there for centuries, or at least her families had, according to the current owner who was in her sixties, a little on the expressive side, but such good fun.
The moment she entered the diner, Joanne pulled her into a hug, kissing both of her cheeks. She was like that with most customers.
After placing their orders, she waited at the counter, aware of gazes on her. Even through high school, she had those whispers and gazes, but if Aunt Betty ever caught sight of them, she’d be at their throats. She loved Aunt Betty so damn much.
Tucking her hair behind her ear, Joanne finished her order in record time.
“If you ever want your old waitressing job back, just let me know. I’ll be more than happy to hire you again. You were one hell of a waitress.”
“Thank you.” Her first job was at the diner. She loved it here. Joanne was all about family and she always felt like she was part of hers.
With her lunch in hand, she headed back across the street. She slowed down as she moved, checking inside one of the bags to see her aunt’s burger and fries, along with a small box which would be her donut. Aunt Betty had a sweet tooth.
Next, she was making sure her salad was complete with tofu chunks and sauce, when she suddenly felt enormous pain and was thrown to the ground. Their lunches fell from her hands as she was … hit by a motorcycle.
Since when did anyone drive a motorcycle through town? The pain in her hip, thigh, and leg was intense.
Ten years in the big city, and she wasn’t even nearly mowed down by a car. A couple of weeks back at home, and she was hit by a motorcycle.
This wasn’t her lucky day, week, or year.
“Holy shit, I am so sorry.”
“What were you doing?” she asked, wincing. She tried to get up but her leg protested, so she stayed where she was. Dirt covered her hands, and it looked like her knees had taken most of the impact. The dress she’d worn provided no protection against the tarmacked road.
“I was looking in the florist shop.”
“What? Seriously? You wanted to see all the pretty flowers?” She couldn’t help but feel a little sarcastic. Pushing her hair out of her face, she looked up and stopped.
James Hard pulled off his helmet and came barreling toward her.
“So you were probably looking for flowers for your next conquest?” she asked, chuckling.
“What?”
“You haven’t changed a bit.”
“Eliza Reid,” he said. “I have changed a lot, actually.”
She wasn’t going to point out the obvious. Neither of them were teenagers anymore, and well, it looked like he was still blessed to be so handsome.
He came toward her, and she held out her arms to be helped up. As he tried to lift her, she cried out.
“Oh, no. I saw what happened,” Aunt Betty said, rushing out of the shop.
“I’m fine. Do you think everyone would mind if I just camped out here all night?” She looked down at her leg. Blood seeped from some of the cuts and she wrinkled her nose.
“Does it hurt?” Aunt Betty asked.
“Tickles a little.”
“You can’t get up,” James said. “I didn’t mean to hit you. Were you standing in the center of the road?
“You were the one paying attention to the florist shop. You got a crush on my aunt or something?” She cringed. “Ignore me. I was checking our lunch order, and well, nothing bad ever happens here.”
“You need to get her to the doctor to look over her leg. It doesn’t look broken,” Aunt Betty said. “I’d rather know, though, than risk hurting her more.”
“He’s got a bike. How am I going to get there?”
Aunt Betty pulled out a pair of keys. “I’ll help you into my car and he can drive you. I’ll call from the shop. You know I can’t leave it.”
“Yeah, that big order you’ve got coming. No problem. I’m fine, really.” Spending her time with James Hard was exactly what she wanted.
He was hot, cute, and of course, a total player. She didn’t think for a second he’d changed a bit. There had been a rumor she’d heard back in high school that he was going to ask her to the prom. She’d waited, and waited, and waited, but he never did. There was no way she was going to ask him. No, not with the old reputation her real mom had, she wouldn’t risk it.
Instead of going to prom, she and Aunt Betty watched lame romance movies and ate way too much popcorn and ice cream. It had been fun, but it also made her realize she needed to get out of town.