Authors: Hazel Gower
Chad glared at his brother Alex, annoyed that he couldn’t say anything. “No.”
Alex put up his hands. “It’s like that, is it? You know Mum and Dad won’t let it go if you stay in this mood all night. If you tell me, I can help keep them off your back.”
“I can’t. I said I wouldn’t say anything. I won’t be like this all night. Just give me a moment.” He ran his hand over his head. He needed it shaved again, he could feel his hair growing.
“Is it Lana? You’ve always followed her with your eyes. You touched her whenever you could, and when you thought no one was looking you openly stared at her like she was the last drop of water after you’d been walking in a desert.”
Chad was shocked at Alex’s words. “How long?”
Alex shrugged. “Years. We all know. We’re surprised it’s taken you so long to do something.” He winked at him. “We’ve been taking bets on how long it would be until you finally claimed her. The day you’d go after her.”
“What about Steph? How does she feel?”
Alex’s grin became huge. “Oh, Steph knows. Why do you think she agreed to bring Lana to your work party?” He rolled his eyes. “She’s won the bet.”
“What do you mean by you were all taking bets? Why didn’t you say something? When did you start to do this?”
“Um, about six or seven years ago we started to notice that the way you looked at Lana, and your actions toward her, changed. We all talked about it and slowly it turned into a bet. Mum and Dad were the first to bet when you would claim Lana as yours.”
“Ah, great. Mum and Dad know and they haven’t said anything?”
“Yep, they had more faith in you than the rest of us. There is a reason they jumped at the chance to babysit Olivia. Mum thought you would have done something years ago. She was sure when Lana went to England you’d soon follow, Dad wasn’t too far behind, he believed you’d go to England and get her.”
“Fuck, I would have, or at least I think I would have if she hadn’t slept with someone else and got pregnant. I don’t know anymore.” He didn’t. Chad didn’t know if he would have been ready when he first started to feel something for Lana. If after the first time they’d been together whether that would be enough.
“Dinner’s ready,” his mum yelled.
“Come on. Let’s go see if your girl is here.” Alex grabbed his hand and yanked him up, shoving him toward the house.
Once inside, he went to the dining room, and a smile spread over his face at the sight of Lana. She didn’t wear anything different to impress him or his family; no makeup, faded jeans, a blue short-sleeved top with black writing that said
bookaholic
, and black high chucky wedge shoes. Her hair was in a bun and still wet. She was so hot.
He walked straight to her and gathered her to him, cupped her face, and kissed her. At first she remained stiff in his arms, then she relaxed, sighing against him and opening her mouth. Lana ended the kiss on a groan and stared up at him, whispering, “You said you wouldn’t say anything.”
“I didn’t say a word. I never said I wouldn’t show them that we’re together.”
Lana’s eyes darted around them, and she turned bright red and tried to move out of his hold, but he wasn’t giving her up. “Chad, let me go.”
He looked up to see his mother smiling. He pleaded with his eyes for her to help. She winked and clapped her hands. “It’s about time. I thought Chad would never build up the nerve to claim Lana as his.”
Lana’s eyes widened as she gazed up at him and then turned in his embrace to stare at his mother. “What do you mean?”
His mum came and took Lana to her usual seat next to his spot. “We’ve known how our son feels about you for years. Look where you sit at our table. Think about every game we invite you to. What son do I talk the most to you about?”
“B…b…but what about all the other women? He dates all the time.”
His mum shrugged. “I don’t condone what he did with other women, but he’s never brought a woman around to meet us or shown any affection in public.”
Chad grinned when Lana gaped at him like a fish. He would admit he’d fucked a lot of women, but he’d never dated them or shown affection for them outside of the sex. Sure, photographers had caught him chatting up a girl or fucking one. He even did promo pictures to make it look like he was dating someone, but he’d never really had anything serious like a girlfriend.
“You all know? You’re not angry?” Lana looked at Steph as she walked in with the cutest little girl Chad had ever seen. She had curly, jet black hair, with big, deep forest green eyes, full lips, and chubby cheeks.
“I’m not angry. I know you didn’t go after my brother. He’s going after you. I’ve had time to deal with it.”
Chad smiled at his sister. He felt so blessed to have a wonderful family that supported him in everything he did. He glanced at his brothers—Alex, Owen, and Lockie—who all had wicked grins on their faces.
Lockie winked at Lana. “Now that we all know you and Chad are together, can we eat? I’m a growing boy, and Mum’s food is better than that microwave stuff I eat when I’m not here.”
“Wait a moment, bro. First, I want to meet this gorgeous little princess.” He walked to his sister who held Olivia in his arms. Olivia had a stuffed yellow lion in her hands. “Hi, Olivia. My name is—”
He was cut off as Steph and everyone around him gasped.
“Holy shit.”
“Oh my God.”
“Wow, I didn’t see this coming.”
“How on earth did we not see this before?”
Chad noticed it too. The eyes staring so intently at him from the small face were familiar. He looked at them every day in the mirror. And the hair... If he grew his hair long it would look just like the little person before him.
“How old is Olivia?” he asked.
“Two, she’ll be three in July.”
He counted back the dates. No, she couldn’t be, but the evidence before him didn’t lie. The little being in front of him was a female clone of himself.
He turned an angry glare on Lana. How dare she keep his child from him? “Who is Olivia’s father?”
Lana’s eyes darted around the room, then her gaze went back and forth from him to Olivia. “I don’t know. I didn’t know.”
A little sweet voice butted in. “Mummy says I haves a daddy, but she doesn’t knows who. She promised to tell me if she did. Rights, Mummy?”
Lana nodded slowly and went to take Olivia out of Steph’s arms, but he wasn’t letting her have his daughter. The daughter she’d kept from him. He took Olivia from Steph’s hold and held his daughter for the first time. Olivia went to him without complaint. His whole family stared at him, his mother with tears in her eyes, his father with a smile, his brothers with their mouths opened in surprise.
“I…I didn’t…you look… I thought maybe once or twice, but I was sure I would have remembered us. I thought it was wishful thinking. I mean… I was sure I would… I didn’t know. I promise,” Lana finally said.
He ignored Lana, took a seat at the table, and looked at his little girl.
She stared up at him. “Yous gots green eyes liked me.”
“Yes, princess, I do.” Slowly, he reached up and stroked her super soft skin. “You’re perfect. So beautiful.”
She smiled, showing perfect, tiny, white teeth. “Mummy says that too.”
Lana came and sat next to him. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
He shot her a glare. She’d made him miss his baby’s life.
Lana had tears running down her cheek. “I don’t remember that night. I drank so much I only remember arriving at your house, then it blurred for a while and then nothing. The next morning I woke in an empty bed. I was so embarrassed I left. It wasn’t until I was living in England over a month later that I found out I was pregnant. I had no idea it was you. I mean I sometimes hoped but…I thought I would remember if you and me…you know.”
He hugged his child, and she giggled a musical sound. His heart swelled, and he knew he was in love. “You kept my child from me,” he gritted out.
“No. I promise I didn’t know. Ask my parents. Ask your sister, she’s one of the few who know.” Lana grabbed his arm, but he was so angry at what he’d missed he snatched himself out of her reach. “Please, I swear I didn’t know it was you.”
“It’s true, Chad. I got the freaked-out phone call when she found out she was knocked up. I didn’t see you two together at the party. I barely remember the party either.” His sister had him listening to reason.
Chad turned, still hugging his daughter, to study Lana. She was nibbling on her lip and wringing the bottom of her shirt as she stared at Olivia and him. He thought back to the night he’d first been with Lana…
He saw Lana come in with his sister, and his body responded straight away at the sight of her in a shimmering black strappy dress. Lana was gorgeous, all curves. Chad focused in on her shapely legs in the impossibly high silver heels, and his imagination went wild as it envisioned them wrapped around his head as he tasted her, or locked around his back as he fucked her.
“Earth to Chad. What, or should I say who, has caught your attention?”
Chad shot an annoyed look at his college friend Bob for bringing him out of his vision.
Bob winked at him, and then his smile turned huge. “No worries, I see what has your attention, she came in with your sister. Want to introduce me?”
“No. Stay the fuck away from her, Bob.” Chad pushed away from the wall he was leaning on.
Bob laughed as Chad walked over to his sister.
“Hey, sis, Lana, good to see you made it.”
“Hi, big bro. Nice pad you’ve got. Go socialize with your friends. Lana and I really just came for the free booze and to meet some hunky Rugby League players.”
Lana laughed at his sister. “Steph, we came to see your brother too.” Lana winked at him. “Well, I did. I may not see him again. I needed to see my favorite Rugby League player before I leave to move overseas.”
Steph giggled. “Lana, he’s the only Rugby League player you know, but don’t worry, after tonight you’ll get to know one very well.”
She grabbed Lana’s hand and dragged her away without giving him a chance to say anything. He didn’t want Lana to get to know any other Rugby League player, he was the only one he wanted her to know.
His best friend Matt found him as he stared after his sister and Lana, whacking him on the back. “You ever going to tap that? If not, I will.”
“Yes. I will. So stay away.” Getting pissed off at his friends and their pushiness, he stormed off.
Matt’s chuckle followed him as he trailed after his sister and Lana to his kitchen.
Lana and Steph stood with girlie drinks in their hands, and his sister was introducing them to some of his teammates. “Hi, I’m Steph and this is my bestie Lana. I hear you’re Rugby League players? My friend here is leaving me to go live in England, and I promised her before she went she would meet some more players.”
Gritting his teeth, he watched Lana smile and stand forward. “Steph and I have a bet. She thinks she can hold her liquor better than me. I say I can do better than her. We already did some shots before we came, but we’re gonna have a competition. Who has the best six-pack abs?” His mates cheered. “To find the winner, Steph and I will be licking, sucking, tequila from your body. We’ll need someone ready with the lime and salt.”
Chad’s teammates took their shirts off, and Lana and Steph squealed with joy. Chad glanced around to see his sister and Lana had gathered a crowd. He walked into the circle that now surrounded them.
“No, bro, it’s just gross if you join,” Steph said, pushing him back.
“Nuh-uh, not if he’s on my team. He can be my lucky last contestant.” Lana grabbed him and pulled him over to join five of his teammates.
“No way, Lana. I can’t lick my brother.”
Lana winked at him, and Chad saw that she was being bold tonight. Lana was usually outspoken and a bunch of trouble, but tonight she seemed eager to push new boundaries. “I’ll lick him twice.”
He couldn’t help the shiver that ran through his body. He looked up to see his two best mates Bob and Matt grinning like loons. He narrowed his eyes at them and dared them to join in this silly game. He would kick their arses. Chad knew he couldn’t stop the game, it was something they played at parties like this all the time, but he didn’t like his sister or Lana playing the game.
Lana came to him and smiled up at him. “Come on, Chad, shirt off.” She grabbed the edge of his shirt and yanked it up. Sighing, he played along.
He looked at the teammates who were participating, making a mental list of who they were so he could kick their arses in training. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched in anger as his sister and the girl he crushed on drank tequila and salt from bodies and sucked on limes.
When they got down to him, Lana yelled, “Back down again, Steph.” His sister went back down the aisle but Lana stopped at him. She ran her fingers up and down his chest and paused at his belly button, looking up. “Lay down.”
He lay on the floor and sat up on his elbows. The tequila was poured down his chest and he watched, transfixed, as Lana licked and sucked every drop off him. Lana didn’t stop there though, she snaked up his body and her mouth caught him by surprise as it latched onto his.
Fuck, she was so damn hot. Her body rubbed against him and when her mouth left his she whispered, “Let’s go.”
Chad told himself over and over that she was drunk, but when she slid down again and told those above him to pour the tequila into his mouth this time and she’d get it from there, his mind shut off a little and his dick took over. He stood and Lana jumped on him. Grabbing the tequila, he took a couple of shots himself before nodding and holding it in his mouth. Lana’s lips locked with his and she sucked the shot from him.
Not caring about anyone else, he walked away with Lana wrapped around him. He passed Matt and Bob. “I’m done tonight. You can stay and party and get rid of everyone.”