Forever Mine (All American Alpha Book 2) Read online

  “Umm, who?”

  “Brent.”

  “The hot football coach?” Her voice became more high pitched.

  “In the delectable flesh,” I said, trying to keep my voice down. I gave her a quick update and told her I’d call her later and fill her in. But now I needed to bring the ruse to an end and find out where we stood.

  “I can’t wait to hear more,” she said, “but I hope you don’t end up calling me back until tomorrow.”

  I sniggered. “Well, I guess we’ll see after I tell him I wasn’t completely truthful tonight. Wish me luck on that one. I mean, he has played along, so we’ll see what it all looks like when we’ve both put our cards on the table.”

  I put my phone in my back pocket, watched Brent for another moment, then took a deep breath, and headed back inside.

  Brent

  It had been so easy to slip into such warm conversation with the woman who’d started giving me plenty to dream about each time I closed my eyes. I was surprised at how well we seemed to hit it off. My heart swelled when she told me about her mother’s cancer. I was officially beyond the throes of lust and into frightening territory.

  Now, I just needed to figure out how I was going to reveal to her who I was.

  I knew I should do it now when the stakes weren’t so high when she might laugh at it and agree to go on a real date with me. I knew that the longer I acted out the charade, the more she was going to mistrust me. And after two hours sitting across from her and watching her expressive face light up and hearing her sweet laughter peal like bells, I knew I wasn’t going to be happy until I had her in my life, maybe even forever.

  I nearly laughed at the thought. We barely knew each other. She didn’t even know who I was. How in the world could I already be thinking of forever with Lacy? And was I really anxious to put myself in danger like that again?

  But then again, why not? I’d never felt so natural, so attracted to someone so quickly. With every new thing I learned about her, I was having a harder and harder time driving out thoughts of kissing her, holding her hand, and protecting her from the world that had delivered some painful blows lately.

  I also couldn’t help seeing myself laying her on the bed, spreading her gorgeous thick thighs, and lapping up the taste of her until she trembled beneath me.

  It was a good thing my cock was well hidden under the table. I thought it would have given away what I was thinking about doing to her, with her. And I knew I had to come clean with everything before I ravaged her, or I might not get the chance. The thought nearly sent me over the edge.

  I had made up my mind to tell her who I was when she returned to the table. But I found myself unable to form the words when she put her hand on mine and sweetly called out the name that didn’t belong to me.

  “Logan, I’ve had such a wonderful time.” She drew out the name reminding me how unnatural it was for me to answer it. “I think it’s time we dropped the act, don’t you?”

  I nodded, a lump forming in my gut. “Lacy, I didn’t mean to deceive you.” The words began to roll out quickly because I feared she’d interrupt me before I got to the essential part. “I’m not the date you were supposed to meet. My name is Brent. I just felt so captured by you the moment you spoke; I couldn’t bring myself to let you leave the table. I know it was awful to make you think I was the man you were supposed to meet, but I swear everything else I told you tonight was the truth. It’s just that it is true for Brent, me, not Logan. Oh, and I don’t know Spencer. I’m so sorry, and I understand if you want to run away from here and—”

  “Brent, it’s okay.” She laughed, that beautiful melody filling my ears again and snatching at my heart. “I know who you are. I knew it before I sat down.” She sighed and lowered herself back into the seat in front of me, her hand still on mine. “I wasn’t looking forward to coming out tonight to meet a stranger. My best friend, Janine, made me promise to get out of myself for just one night. I got dumped a couple of weeks ago and have been feeling pretty shitty.”

  My heart lurched at the thought of someone hurting her.

  “Because I had promised her, I came, but then I saw you sitting here, and . . . well . . . Brent, I come to almost every football game at the school. I have always loved everything about a Friday night game. So, I know you’re the Tigers’ coach, and I’ve had the hugest crush on you for a year. I sort of went with a very not-well-thought-out plan when I saw you sitting here. It was wrong of me, I know.”

  “Oh, thank god,” I said, letting out the breath I’d been holding in. “I was kicking myself at what a heel I was to be deceiving you and possibly keeping you from your date.” I hesitated and looked around. “Speaking of, where is your real date? Why hasn’t he come and claimed you?”

  “He was a no-show. That was Janine I was talking to. She was letting me know that he’d changed his mind.”

  “Well, another man’s mistake might just be my lucky break.”

  She smiled broadly, and I could have sworn her eyes twinkled. I suddenly wanted to do everything in my power to bring that smile to her as often as possible for as long as possible. Where had this side of Brent Majors been over the past couple of years? Was it wise to let him out again, to open myself up to pain?

  I took both her hands in mine. “If you’re not ready for the evening to end—and I’m certainly not ready for the evening to end—you want to get out of here and take a ride with me?”

  The next thing I knew, we were on my bike and headed to my house. I had given her my helmet and prayed we didn’t get pulled over or worse, into an accident. I had an extra helmet at home I could grab for her, which was how I’d talked her into coming to my house. I wanted to take her on a beautiful drive through the park. It was an especially fun drive at night, the shadows dancing along the edges of the road, just enough light to be able to ride safely but dark enough to add an element of anticipation.

  Both of us safely helmeted, we headed out. I could feel the heat between her legs as she scooted as close to my back as possible and wrapped her arms around my waist. If she dropped her hands a little further, she’d know just how badly I wanted to fuck her.

  We took off toward the park, and I allowed my mind to create fantasies of finding a dark, secluded spot and getting my hands on those voluptuous breasts and making her feel like the incredible woman she was. I had a strong feeling I was going to enjoy every inch of her, and I wanted desperately to explore it all. But my grandmother had raised me well, and I was going to be a gentleman, at least as much of a gentleman as I could be with the urge to be inside her nearly driving me insane.

  Once we were in the park, I pulled up to a picnic table and indicated for her to dismount. After getting off the bike, I helped her remove her helmet and set both helmets on the table. Her barrettes were falling out, and she reached up and took them out, allowing her blond hair to fall into her face. I ran my fingers through her free hair, pulling it away from her face and locked her gaze with mine.

  Then I leaned in and gave her a gentle, soft kiss on her lips. She parted her lips immediately, gasping as I let my tongue find hers. She slid her hands on my ass and pulled me closer. Her eyes widened when she felt my cock straining at my jeans.

  But like I said, my grandmother had raised a gentleman.

  I pulled back slightly but kept my hands on her face and gave her another peck on the lips before leaning back to study her face in the streetlight. She was frowning.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said hurriedly. “I didn’t mean to be so forward. I shouldn’t just assume you wanted to make out.”

  “Oh, believe me,” I said, smiling down at her. “I want to do much more than make out with you. But you’ve also captured my attention, so much so, that I want more than sex. And since women raised me, I’m for damn sure not going to rush anything. You are amazing, Lacy, and I want to know you more, so that when I take you—and there’s no doubt in my mind that’s going to happen—you’ll know that I’m not just trying to get in yo
ur pants. I don’t play games. I’ve had enough of that.” I sighed and glanced upward. “Well, okay, I did play a little game earlier tonight, but I think it was mutual, and I swear, Lacy, I never would have let you continue to think I was someone else just to get you in bed.”

  Her smile widened, and she trembled a little.

  “So, if you’re still interested,” I continued, “I’d like to formally ask you on a date with Brent Majors tomorrow night.”

  Her lips curved into a sinfully delicious smile and she said. “I’d love nothing more.”

  “And if it’s okay with you, I think I’m going to try to show more restraint than I ever have in my life and take you back to your car so that tomorrow our date will be truly our date. Are you okay with slowing things down just a bit?”

  “Well, Coach, I have a feeling you are going to be well worth the wait.”

  I didn’t doubt that she would be too.

  Lacy

  The next morning, I woke up and realized I had never anticipated anything more than the real date we had planned for tonight. A year of fantasizing about this incredibly sexy, intelligent, kind-hearted man had built up to where I was nearly steaming with excitement.

  But I had had a year to grow these feelings of lust and attraction. He’d only been aware I existed for less than twenty-four hours. I wanted him to be sure he wanted me. Bradley had been asking me out for weeks before I relented, and because he seemed so sincere, we’d ended up sleeping together immediately. It wasn’t anything explosive, but I thought it was real enough.

  I wouldn’t make the same mistake. I wanted both our eyes to be wide open going into this.

  I also couldn’t help but think that Brent was way out of my league. So, it would be wise of me to get some cushion wrapped around my heart to keep it from being hurt again. I was sure that as much as I thought it stung to be rejected by Bradley, it would be downright excruciating to be turned away by Brent.

  I used the morning until noon to finalize two of the organizational planners I had been working on for a new client. Then I headed over to Janine’s. She’d called earlier wanting to know all the dirt and invited me to come over for lunch. I also had a small gift I had picked up for her dog, Gabby, that I had forgotten several times to take to her.

  When I arrived at my best friend’s house, I could hear Gabby greeting me on the other side of the door just before Janine opened it. I stepped inside and immediately crouched down to give Gabby some love and the dog biscuit I held in my hand. She was so happy to see me; she nearly knocked me back on my ass. I had to steady myself while Janine calmed her.

  Gabby was a good dog. She was generally well-behaved. She was just so excited to greet people. Janine had not had much success in getting her to say hello calmly. But give the dog five minutes, and she was a perfect little lady.

  Janine led me out to her patio where she’d set up a table with a bowl of fruit and a pitcher of mai tais. Janine was a hell of a cocktail mixer and had certainly earned her nickname “Bermuda Mama.” After I sat down and poured myself a glass, she headed back into the kitchen and returned with a plate of chicken salad sandwiches.

  Before we’d taken a bite, Spencer stepped out onto the patio and greeted me with a warm hug before giving my friend an enviably sweet kiss and taking off to meet a new client. I saw Janine’s face light up as she watched him leave and a look of pure contentment settle into her features. She sighed and returned her attention to me.

  “So, what happened last night? Tell me everything!”

  I launched into the whole charade we’d kept up for two hours before I had called her from the coffee shop. Then I explained the moonlight ride on his bike and the delicious kiss at the park. I told her how much it had affected me that he’d decided to end our date so that we could have a real planned date.

  “So, tonight, he’s taking me to dinner at Ralph’s Bistro.” The enormity of knowing I was going out with the man I’d been fantasizing about and had been teased so mercilessly by Janine for a year, started to wash over me, and I took a deep breath.

  “So, what’s the problem?” Janine asked, noting the change in my temperature.

  “Janine, this Brent. The Brent we’ve been talking about like he was a movie star. I’m way out of my element here. I mean, you should see this man. He’s perfect. I’m not going to be able to compete with all the beautiful women who’ve been trying to catch his eye.”

  “You don’t have to compete with them,” Janine admonished. “You’ve already caught his eye, not them.”

  I looked at her silently, taking in what she was saying. She had a point. “Well . . .” I hedged.

  “Uh uh,” she said, “I’m not going to let you fall into self-doubt. Not when you have encouraged me so much that it kept me afloat until I found Spencer. You’ve always had so much more confidence than I have.”

  I shrugged. “It’s been a rough couple of years, I guess. I was so focused on Mom for so long that I’ve been out of the game, and then the first time I venture back in . . . wham.” I clapped my hands together.

  Janine narrowed her eyes. “Okay, let’s switch roles now. I’m you. You’re me. Now, tell me if you think I can land Brent Majors.”

  I laughed. She was too clever for her own good sometimes. I reached over and hugged her. “You, my dear, are worth more than all the Brent Majorses, multiplied by ten thousand.”

  She giggled and hugged me tighter.

  After I left my best friend’s house, I did a little shopping. I hated shopping, for clothes most of all. I always felt like I was wasting my time looking through stuff. I liked to have a list and then get in and get out. And shopping for clothes generally involved trying some on. Not only could it be time-consuming, but it was not always an ego boost. You’d think a size 16 would be the same no matter what the clothing is or where you go, but I could try on a pair of 16 slacks in one store that crept into my ass crack and couldn’t be zipped, while in another store the same size would require a belt. I didn’t mind trying on clothes like that so much.

  And even if they were in the Goldilocks zone (not too small, not too big), they often didn’t look good on me, the style a bit wrong for my body shape. It was very frustrating. Everything I’d ever read said I was closer to the average women’s size than a size six was, and yet I was always limited to the “plus-size” sections where the selection was not as varied. Luckily there were more and more stores that catered specifically to my type, and the offerings had grown to include some charming styles. Still, you’d think if most women were closer to my size, we wouldn’t have to have our own stores; we’d be better represented at all stores.

  This afternoon, however, I was in luck and found a cute pair of dark-maroon slacks that tied at the waist and a peasant-style blouse with off-the-shoulder short sleeves. They were airy enough for me to maneuver comfortably getting on and off his bike while not so flowy that they would be ridiculous on a bike. I also picked up some ankle boots, figuring they’d be safer for the motorcycle than sandals or tennis shoes.

  Pleased with my purchase, I decided to stop by CJ’s Coffee Café on the way home for a pick-me-up before getting ready for our date. I was surprised to find no one behind the counter when I stepped into the coffee shop. I approached and then leaned forward and looked around. Jill was just out of sight, tapping away at her phone. I announced myself by pretending to be a bell.

  “Ring, ring,” I directed to the doorway into the employees-only area.

  Jill looked up, startled, then smiled and waved, holding her hand up to indicate she’d be with me in just a moment, while she finished typing.

  Once she finished, she put the phone in her pocket and hurried to me, her face flushed. “Oh man, Lacy, I’m so sorry.”

  “No need to apologize. You work hard here. You deserve breaks.” I looked around the shop. Only one couple was sitting in the corner, their attention on the tables in front of them. “It’s not like you’re very busy,” I added.

  She shrugged. �
��There’s usually about one hour like this every Saturday afternoon about this time. Don’t worry. Business is booming. We have two other baristas coming on in an hour, and we’ll be slammed. It sort of ebbs and flows around here. Sunday afternoons, though, are our busiest time of the week. There will be very few moments like this tomorrow.”

  During her explanation, she moved around preparing my latte, and even though she was as friendly as ever, she seemed a little distracted. But while we were fond of one another, we hadn’t yet crossed into the BFF category, so I didn’t feel comfortable asking her if everything was okay.

  I took my drink to go and tried to keep my mind off my fluttering stomach by listening to NPR on my way home. By the time I walked into the house I’d finished my latte and tossed the cup into a nearby wastebasket. After tossing the cup and dropping my keys into the bowl on the bookshelf, I took my purchases into my bedroom and started to get ready, deciding I would wear my hair in two braids so that it would be easier to slide the helmet on my head.

  Brent arrived promptly at 6:00. Somehow, he’d managed to bring a bunch of fall flowers without crushing them. I put them in a vase and took a few deep breaths, trying to remember to tell myself things I would say to my best friend if she were nervous about a date. Then I grabbed my purse and begged the butterflies in my stomach to ease up while I joined my date in the living room.

  Brent

  I’d already battled an erection all day, thinking about Lacy and anticipating our date. When she opened the door, my little fairy looked good enough to eat. I had to use every ounce of self-control to give her just a light kiss on the lips and not push her up against the wall and crush her mouth to mine.

  But because she deserved better, and I needed to tread carefully and make sure I was ready, I kept my body apart from hers, ignoring my aching cock, and followed her out the door, letting my eyes feast on her curves and beautiful ass. She was so adorable and sophisticated and elegant all at once; I found it difficult to breathe around her, especially when she put her arms around me on the bike and scooted close to me so I could feel the curve of her breasts at my back.