The Love Series Complete Box Set (115 page)

“Yes, really,” I smile lamely, hopeful that he’s not upset.

“But we only . . .”

“I know. We only just decided, but I guess we’re just that lucky.” We’ve talked about it in the last month or so and decided that despite the challenges it might pose to our careers and my schooling, it was more important to give Braden a sibling close to him in age.

“Damn straight we’re lucky!” He kisses me again and I can tell he’s anything but upset.

“Maybe it’ll be a girl.” I’m not-so-secretly hoping for that to be true, but when I see genuine fear dance across Reid’s beautiful face, I have to laugh at him.

More honks interrupt our little bubble. “Okay, so that’s a ‘maybe’ on the whole girl thing,” I joke playfully poking him in the side.

“I’d be the luckiest man on Earth to have a daughter. Hell, I’m already the luckiest man alive to share my life with you.” Lacing our fingers together, he brings our joined hands up to his lips and kisses my knuckles.

“I’m pretty damn lucky too, babe.” We share one last hug before deciding to hold off on telling everyone else for now.

Today, we’ll celebrate one chapter of our lives coming to a close, and tonight, well, I guess tonight ,we’ll celebrate another chapter of our lives beginning.

The End

Turn the page for 7 bonus scenes from Let Love In and Let Love Stay

Bonus Scene #1

Alternate POV from Let Love In

“Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen.”

I heft the one-hundred-and-seventy-five-pound weight above my head for one last bench press. My chest burns and I’m going to be fucking sore tomorrow, but I don’t mind the after effects. Jake, my spotter and gym buddy, helps me place the bar in its holder and I slide from under it and off the bench.

“Thanks, man,” I say to him as I wipe the sweat from my face with a small towel. “I think I’m done for the night.” My words are winded from the exertion.

“Yeah, I’m good too.” Jake rubs his biceps, which have to be sore after two hours of arm and upper body workouts.

As we clean up our workout area and head over to the locker room, Jake asks, “So what are your plans tonight? Got anything going on?” He swipes his towel over his short-cropped brown hair.

Twisting the dial on the combination lock on my locker, I say, “There’s a party at the house, again. So I’ll probably find
something
to do.” I think the smirk on my face conveys exactly what I mean.

“And by
something
you mean
someone,
right?” Jake laughs and punches me in the arm.

Jake and I have been friends since freshman year and we go to the gym pretty regularly. He usually makes an appearance at my parties and he also finds
something,
and yes by that, I mean
someone,
to occupy his time, but his most recent hook-up turned into a pretty steady thing.

“Oh, cut the shit. You were all about the newest
someone
until Jocelyn came along. Now you’re all wifed-up. So if anything,
I
should be giving
you
shit!” I push him knocking him slightly off balance and he almost falls off the bench that runs between the two rows of lockers.

Recovering his balance and pulling his hoodie out from his locker, he turns to me. “Whatever, man. At least I know I’ll be getting some tonight and I don’t have to waste my energy playing some chick just so I can get laid!” he scoffs as he slides his gym bag over his shoulder.

I get the last of my things out of my locker and pull my bag across my chest. Jake’s words echo in my thoughts. I’ll never admit it to him aloud, but he’s partially right. Three years of playing the game—being all douchey and aloof, being in permanent “I don’t care” mode—is exhausting. I’m still shocked that so many girls are attracted to it.

Can someone say Daddy issues?

As Jake and I walk across the quad to the parking lot, he continues his ribbing. “Seriously, dude. You can fuck around with me all you want about being with Jocelyn, but at least I know who I’m waking up with.”

I roll my eyes and slap him on his back. “That is where you’re wrong, my friend. I know exactly who I’ll be waking up with.” He eyes me suspiciously like I’ve just confessed a huge secret. “Chill the fuck out. I just meant that I’ll be waking up alone. You know I never let the ‘One Nighters’ stay over.” How could he forget my number one rule!

He shakes his head in disgust. “Whatever. Maybe I’ll catch you later.”

“Sure thing.” We do the whole fist-bump-and-slap-on-the-back dude handshake thing and he stalks off to his car.

Never in a million years did I ever envision Jake being the one to give me relationship advice, or whatever the hell that just was. Jake was an even bigger player than me in his prime. Then Jocelyn came into his life and it was like a complete turnaround. In all of my disillusioned wisdom, the only reason I can muster up is that she must be fucking amazing in bed.

As I approach my car, I see someone leaning up against it. It’s Jessa. Thoughts of Jake and his pussy-whipped mentality vanish immediately. The only thing I can think of in this moment is Jessa bent over the side of my bed as I drill into her from behind. That’s how we spent last weekend, anyway.

Even though I can’t stand her, I can’t deny that she looks fucking smoking hot. She’s a pain in the ass, clingy as fuck and all that, but she’s a good lay. As I get closer to her, I take in her long, skinny legs, which are barely covered in the too-short-to-be-worn-in-public mini skirt. The skirt, along with her extremely miniscule top, makes her look more like a prostitute than a college student. She must be on the prowl.

“Hey sexy,” she purrs as I approach her. Sometimes I just wish she would cut the shit and just get to the point.

I nod my head curtly in her direction. “Hey yourself. What are you doing here?” She’s clingy and I hate it, but I tone down my words. I could use a good lay.

She moves away from the car and straightens her skirt. Even straightened, it still doesn’t cover much.

Probably won’t even have to take it off. Slide that right up over her ass, move the thong to the side, fuck her and send her on her way. Won’t even have to wait for her to get dressed again.

My dick throbs at the thought.

“I was hoping we could get together later.” She’s trying to be coy. Like her fucking outfit and body language aren’t already screaming “I want to fuck!.”

“Sure. Whatever. Stop by the house later. There’s a party.” She leans into me seductively, like my words were just some kind of magical foreplay or something like that. See what I mean, be a dick and they come flocking.

She runs her hands over my chest and reaches up on her toes. Pressing her lips against my neck, she whispers, “You got it, babe. I’ll see you for more of this,” she traces her tongue along my neck and nibbles on my earlobe indicating what she means by
this,
“later.”

She struts off in front of me purposefully swaying her ass and hips. I have to laugh at her over-the-top behavior. If she only knew that I don’t really care how the hell she acts, as long as she spreads her legs, which she never seems to have a problem doing, then I’m fine.

It’s a shame none of these girls realize that sex is all I’m after with them. No one is getting close
ever.
That’s how it’s been for the last four years, and as long as I have any control over it, that’s how it will remain for the foreseeable future.

When I pull up to the house ten minutes later, the party is already in full swing. Either these things are starting earlier or I’m staying at the gym later. I park my car far enough from the chaos that is our driveway. I don’t want anyone to fuck up my car.

Walking through the living room and into the kitchen, I don’t see Jack anywhere. He must be out back. I think I remember him saying something about Cammie and her new roommates coming over tonight. I’m going to have to avoid them at all costs. Clingy freshmen who make it their life’s mission to get to know everything about everyone they meet is the most fucking annoying thing ever. I like not knowing anything about anyone. I’m even happier to know that no one knows anything about me.

As I walk into the kitchen, I notice a few guys from Jack’s PT program doing shots along the counter and I nod a “hey” in their direction. They don’t hold my attention for long, though. As my gaze falls to the ass that’s bopping up and down from behind the refrigerator door, the rest of the room fades away.

That’s one seriously fine ass.
Now, I’ve got my back-up if things fall through with Jessa tonight.

I slide in behind her and notice that her tight ass is attached to tiny waist. Her legs are to die for and I can’t help but think about them wrapped around my hips or up around my ears—either will work for me.

When she turns around and crashes into my chest, the scent of her hair invades my nose and scatters my brain. Light and citrusy, she literally smells like a breath of fresh air. I just shake it off. I mean what guy doesn’t love the smell of a gorgeous woman.

Hmmm, I wonder what the rest of her smells like.

“Hand me one?” My voice catches a little in my throat as I try to take in her face. She’s fucking beautiful. Bright green eyes, a perfect little nose, but what’s most disarming is the look of shock as I catch her off-guard. If I’m not mistaken, she might have actually blushed when I spoke. Do girls actually blush? Most of the girls I’ve known aren’t embarrassed by much of anything—blushing and embarrassment aren’t part of their behavior.

“Here you go.” Her voice is soft and sweet. It quivers with uncertainty and it does some serious damage to my game. Not knowing exactly how to react to this sweet creature in front of me, I chug down my bottle of water to avoid having to say anything. I swipe my arm across my mouth to wipe away the water that’s dripping down my chin.

It’s water. Not drool.

Her eyes rake ravenously over my body. She likes what she sees, most of them do.

“Thanks . . .” My sentence ends abruptly. I don’t know her name. Waiting for her to fill in the blank, I eye her up and down. She’s beautiful, perfect really. I quirk my eyebrow up at her prompting her to tell me her name.

She finally catches onto my unasked question. “Maddy. Sorry, my name is Maddy.” I can’t suppress the lopsided grin which curls up the corner of my lips. Her voice is so shaky and unsure. It’s been so long since a girl has been caught off-guard with me, since someone has been real around me, that I almost don’t know what to do with it.

She continues talking to me and I have a hard time focusing on her words. All I see are her soft, full lips moving quickly, trying to explain her presence. “My suite mate, Cammie, is dating one of the guys who live here,” she says.

Hmmm. So maybe hanging around with Jack and Cammie tonight might actually pay off.

I realize I still haven’t said anything to her earlier statement. I’m still lost in the thought of what her lips taste like, what her creamy skin would look like if I could make her blush all over.

“I’m not that much of a drinker so I hope you don’t mind if I steal one of these from you?” She’s so freaking adorable. Wait. Did I just think that a girl was adorable? What the fuck?

Returning to my standard dickishness, I say, “Help yourself. It’s just water. I’m going to go grab a shower. Maybe I’ll see you later, Maddy.” Effectively putting an end to the conversation, I walk away from her and head upstairs to my room. She might be downstairs, but thoughts of her sweet mouth will definitely be accompanying me as I shower.

When I come back downstairs a while later—the shower took a little longer than planned—I see her moving and swaying on the dance floor. Our eyes meet and I’m mesmerized by her body flowing in rhythm to the music. The girl can move. In that moment, I need to feel her body up against mine. I need to know if the real thing lives up to the fantasy I just created in the shower.

Slinking up behind her, I glide my hands over her waist and pull her close to me. Leaning into her hair, I inhale deeply. I can’t deny it. I want her.

Leaning in so my lips are no more than a centimeter away from her ear, I say, “I think you owe me a dance.”

She turns around sharply, caught off guard by my flirting. “Owe you? For what?” There’s so much innocence in her voice that I’m thrown a bit. “For the water of course,” I say sweetly.

I register the shock and apology that spreads across her beautiful face, “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize . . .” I have to laugh. Does she really think I’m pissed about a bottle of water? My God, how fucking cute is that? Okay, something is definitely wrong with me tonight. I’ve just thought of the words “cute” and “adorable” to describe a girl. I need to walk away now before I’m completely and totally knocked off my game.

I want to walk away, but I can’t. I’m drawn to her and this playful banter is kind of fun. I laugh at both her embarrassment and my extremely abnormal behavior.