Wild Card (Texas Titans #5)

  Wild Card

  Book Five in the Texas Titans Series

  Cheryl Douglas

  Copyright © by Cheryl Douglas

  Smashwords Edition

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  Persons, places and other entities represented in this book are deemed to be fictitious. They are not intended to represent actual places or entities currently or previously in existence or any person living or dead. This work is the product of the author’s imagination.

  Any and all inquiries to the author of this book should be directed to: info@cheryldouglasbooks.com

  Wild Card © 2014 Cheryl Douglas

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  Wild Card—Book Five

  High Rollers vice-president, Brett Easton, has to select an interior designer to give their bars an upscale new look to coincide with their re-branding efforts. He knows just the woman for the job, his little sister’s best friend, Carly Lawson. She’s brilliant at what she does. He likes her, respects her, and trusts her, but when one of his partners start making a play for her, Brett realizes his feelings for her are anything but platonic.

  Carly Lawson is overwhelmed at the prospect of taking on a job as big as the High Rollers project, but she doesn’t want to disappoint her best friend’s brother, Brett. She’s knows he’ll never see her as anything more than a friend, but that doesn’t stop her from indulging in a fantasy or two. When Brett’s partner asks her out, she decides to accept. Little does she know, Brett’s not too happy with her decision.

  Prologue

  Ten Years Earlier

  Carly was on edge as she and her best friend, Sophie, walked into the bar where Sophie’s brother, Brett, was planning to meet his friends. Carly had been in love with Brett for as long as she could remember, and she had finally worked up the courage to tell him. She’d even been saving herself for him, which Sophie thought was ridiculous—since she’d have a lifetime to be with just one man—but every time Carly had come close to sleeping with someone else, she hadn’t been able to go through with it. Brett was the only man she wanted, and tonight, she hoped to have him.

  “You okay?” Sophie asked, linking her arm through Carly’s. “You can still back out, you know.”

  “No, I want to do this.” She took a deep breath as anxiety ripped through her chest, making it tough to breathe. “I need to do this.”

  “Well, the good news is we’re finally legal.” Sophie giggled. “At least you can count on a little liquid courage to help you through it.”

  “No, I want to be sober.” Carly bit her bottom lip when she spotted Brett and his friends at a round table near the dance floor. They were talking and laughing as Brett’s friend, Dylan, slapped Brett on the back.

  Dylan was a professional quarterback in his first year in the league, and according to Sophie, who followed the sport, experts were already saying he could be the next Marino. But as good-looking as Dylan was, Carly only had eyes for Brett. That was the way it had always been for her. No matter how many attractive guys came on to her at school, she kept a safe distance, believing one day Brett would come to his senses and realize she was perfect for him.

  She and Brett had been close ever since Carly came to live with her best friend’s family during her junior year of high school. Of course Brett had known she had a crush on him, but he’d managed to laugh it off because of their age difference. When they had been teens, a four-year age difference felt like a lifetime, especially to Brett.

  She hadn’t seen him since her last summer vacation because she’d opted to stay at school with a friend’s family over the holidays, and she knew he’d see the changes a year had wrought in her. She wasn’t a little girl anymore. She was all grown up, and she’d worn the dress to prove it.

  “You sure you don’t want a drink first?” Sophie asked, her eyes traveling to the cute bartender. “’Cause I’d be happy to get it for you.”

  “No, I’m good. Let’s just do this before I lose my nerve.” The little voice in Carly’s head told her to get a grip—Brett was just a guy. Except he wasn’t just a guy. He was the only one she wanted, and if he rejected her again, she didn’t know how she’d cope.

  Sophie squeezed her arm. “Okay, don’t worry. You look so gorgeous. My brother’s jaw is gonna hit the floor when he sees you.”

  “From your lips to God’s ears,” Carly muttered, flattening her hand over her stomach. God, she felt queasy. If she threw up in front of him, she would die of embarrassment.

  Sophie led her to the group of men, most of whom Carly had met before. “Hey, guys,” Sophie said. “What’s a girl got to do to get a drink around here?”

  One of the guys gave Sophie a thorough once-over before tipping his beer back with a smirk. “All you had to do was ask, sweetheart. What’ll it be?”

  Sophie’s blinding grin hit the poor guy in the gut with the force of a sucker punch. Carly’s best friend was gorgeous, and she had the confidence that came from being told that all the time.

  Sophie snapped her fingers. “Hey, you’re that linebacker.” She set her hand on Dylan’s shoulder. “You and Dyl are teammates, right?”

  Carly knew Sophie was just trying to knock the guy down a peg or two. If he played professional football, especially on Sophie’s favorite team, she not only knew his name but all his stats.

  “Yeah.” He walked around the table, offering Sophie his hand. “Dalton Mitchell.”

  “Down, boy,” Brett warned when Dalton’s eyes dipped to Sophie’s cleavage. “She’s my little sister.”

  “Seriously, man?” Dalton and Brett shared a look before Dalton sighed and made his way back to his seat. “I can’t catch a break.”

  “Can’t catch a football either,” Dylan said.

  Everyone joined in laughing, prompting Dalton to crack a smile. Carly could understand why her friend was drawn to Dalton. He was ruggedly handsome, in a sexy, hulking sort of way.

  Brett’s eyes finally found Carly’s. “Jesus…” His eyes scanned her until she felt herself blush. “Is that dress even legal, girl?”

  Sophie had helped Carly select the black number with the low neckline and lace cut-outs. It fell only a few inches south of her butt when she was upright, and she hated to think what might happen if she had to bend over. But Sophie had claimed it would help her cause, so Carly had gone along with it.

  “You like?” Carly asked, placing a hand on her hip and trying her best to look seductive. She tipped her head back to let her long blond hair fall over her shoulder. God help her, she was terrible at flirting. That probably explained why she had to resort to such drastic measures to get the man’s attention.

  “I’ll let you know after a few more of these,” Brett said, grinning as he raised his beer bottle.

  What the hell was that supposed to mean? That he’d have to get drunk to admit she looked good or that he wouldn’t be able to control himself after a few more? If he was referring to the latter, she’d empty her wallet to ensure the well never ran dry.

  “I can tell you
right now,” Dylan said, reaching for Carly’s hand. “You look incredible, sweetheart.” He kissed the back of her hand, his eyes darkening with appreciation.

  Dylan personified sexy, and Carly couldn’t deny his touch excited her, but not the way Brett’s did.

  “You’re so sweet.” Carly cast a quick sidelong glance at Brett.

  He barely seemed to have noticed the exchange. He was glancing at something his buddy was showing him on his cell phone. Brett may have felt protective of his sister, but apparently he didn’t feel the same way about Carly. Damn him. This wasn’t going as planned. What did she have to do to get his attention? Dance on the table?

  “You feel like dancing?” Dylan asked, standing.

  A few groans sounded around the table as Jaxon piped up, “You could’ve given the rest of us a chance.”

  “Your problem, losers,” Dylan said, grinning as he led Carly away from the table.

  She hadn’t actually said yes, but she could use a reprieve to collect herself. She needed to figure out what her next move would be since the dress clearly hadn’t worked its magic.

  “How’s school going, Carly?” Dylan asked once they’d settled into the dance.

  Carly had to take a moment to appreciate the moment. She was dancing with one of the hottest guys in professional football, and he seemed to be genuinely interested in her. “Um, it’s going well. One more year and I’ll be out in the real world, trying to survive on my own.”

  “I have no doubt you’ll have the top design firms in the country beating a path to your door.” He shifted her hair behind her back so her neck was exposed. “I have to admit though, I selfishly hope you’ll make your way back home. I’ve missed you.”

  Carly shivered when she felt his hot breath on her neck. Apparently the dress had worked, but she’d lured in the wrong man. She laughed lightly as she set her hands on his broad shoulders. “The plan is to come back home, but we’ll see what happens. How about you? Long-term contract, right?”

  “I’ll be around for at least the next four years, if all goes well.”

  “Nice.” She caught Brett watching them as Dylan’s hand slid down her bare back. If making Brett a little jealous helped him see the light, she’d play along. “Life must be crazy busy, huh? One city to the next. A different bed every night.”

  He chuckled, the tremor resonating against her breasts. “Something like that.”

  Brett tapped Dylan’s shoulder. “Okay, Romeo. It’s my turn.”

  Dylan scowled. “Go find your own woman. We’re enjoying ourselves. Aren’t we, Carly?”

  As much as she was flattered by Dylan’s attention, Brett’s arms were the ones she really wanted to feel around her. “Rain check?” she asked Dylan. “I haven’t seen Brett in a while. I’d really like to catch up.”

  “Fine,” Dylan said, sighing. “But I intend to take you up on that.”

  A sigh of contentment moved through her as soon as she rested her head on Brett’s shoulder. Thankfully, Sophie had suggested the high heels that made it easy for Carly’s head to find a home in his arms.

  “How’ve you been, sweetness?” he asked, his hand closing possessively on her hip. “From the looks of things, breakin’ all kinds of hearts, huh?”

  “I’ve been too busy with school to date much,” she said, hoping the admission didn’t make her sound like a pathetic loser who couldn’t get a man to ask her out.

  “I’m glad to hear you’re takin’ it seriously, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make time for a little fun.”

  “That’s what this summer is supposed to be about.” She tipped her head back so she could read his expression. “Having a little fun.”

  “Hmm.” He seemed to consider that. “Just be careful who you choose to have fun with. Dyl’s a great guy, but he’s a pro athlete, Carls. Everything they say about those guys is true and then some.”

  She didn’t know whether to be hopeful that he seemed to care so much or disappointed that he was already mentally pairing her with his best friend. “I promise to be careful.” It was the perfect opportunity to tell him he was the one she wanted, but her tongue was glued to the roof of her mouth.

  “You seein’ anybody special in Boston?”

  “No, like I said, I don’t have time for dating. Between working at the bookstore and trying to keep my grades up, I’m lucky to find time to eat and sleep most days.”

  “I hope you’re taking care of yourself.” His large hand cradled her face as he studied her. “No dark circles. That’s a good thing.”

  Only because she’d used concealer. Knowing tonight could be the first night of the rest of her life, she’d barely slept a wink for imagining how it would play out. Her eyelashes fluttered, and before she knew it, she was closing her eyes and turning into his touch. Her lips pressed against his palm.

  He looked taken aback before chuckling lightly and dropping his hand. “So, uh, you’re here all summer? Staying with my folks?”

  His rejection stung, but Carly refused to let it show. She faked a smile. “Yeah, I don’t know what I’d do without them. They’re awesome.”

  “Still haven’t heard from your mama?”

  She didn’t tell most people that her mother had abandoned her for a stranger she’d met online when Carly was a teenager, but Brett had been there when it happened. He’d held her when she cried, called her mother foul names when she’d failed to show at Carly’s high school graduation, and cursed her when she’d dropped a quick note to let Carly know she was having another baby with her new husband.

  “No, and I don’t expect to.” Carly refused to look Brett in the eye for fear she’d see pity. “She’s out of my life. I accepted that a long time ago.”

  “I wish she could see you the way I see you.” He brushed a hand over her cheek. “How sweet and smart and funny you are.”

  It wasn’t exactly sexy or irresistible, but she’d take it. “Thank you.” Before she did or said something to embarrass herself again, she asked, “So what about you? Now that you’re finished with school, what are your plans?” She regretted her question as soon as she saw anger harden his features. He’d wanted to follow the same path Dylan had, straight to a pro contract, but an injury had taken him out just as the pro scouts started circling. “I’m sorry, Brett. I didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject.”

  “Hey, it’s okay. Life goes on, right?” He smiled. “The boys and I are thinking about starting a sports bar right here in Arlington. How crazy is that?”

  “Really?” She loved the way his eyes lit up when he got excited about something. “Tell me about it.”

  “Well, planning is still in the early stages, but I think we may be on to something. It would be a pretty upscale place that’d cater to professional athletes and corporate types, not just your run-of-the-mill, blue-collar sports bar. Not that there’s anything wrong with those, but we want to do things a little differently. Those other places are a dime a dozen. This would be more exclusive.”

  “Sounds interesting.”

  “I think so.” He nodded toward the table where his friends had gathered. “We have three pro athletes and a dot com millionaire to fund the enterprise. How can we go wrong, right?”

  Carly could tell Brett felt a little uncertain about what he brought to the table. “I’m sure your business degree won’t hurt either.”

  “I guess we all have something to offer. Some more than others, but I think it would be a good fit. Still not sure we can talk Mitch into it,” he said, referring to Dalton Mitchell. “If not, it’ll just be the six of us.”

  “About Dalton…” Carly glanced at the linebacker who was cozying up to her best friend. “Why’d you warn him off when he made a play for Soph? They seem to be into each other.”

  “The same reason I warned you off Dylan. Dyl and Mitch are great guys, but like I said, they’re professional athletes at the start of their careers. It’ll be years before they’re ready to think about settling down, if ever.”

 
Carly felt a twinge of disappointment that he was lumping her in the same category as his kid sister. “Your sister is young too. She just wants to have a little fun. Why not Dalton?”

  “No way!” He grimaced when he caught sight of Sophie wrapping her arm around Dalton’s neck, pulling him closer to whisper something in his ear. “I know she’s technically an adult and I can’t stop her if she’s determined, but do me a favor?”

  When he looked at her like that, she’d follow him off a cliff if he asked. “Anything.”

  “Just tell her to think about what she’s getting herself into. Mitch has a different girl in every city. So does Dylan. I don’t want to see you girls get in over your heads.”

  “You’re assuming I want Dylan.” It’s now or never.

  Brett looked at his watch. “Damn it, I’ve got to go.”

  “Already? But we just got here.” She was hoping she’d have all night with him… and maybe part of the morning.

  “I know. Why don’t you walk out with me? I’ll ask one of the bouncers to keep an eye on you if you wanna come back in.”

  “Sure,” she said, feeling warmth bloom in her chest when he linked his hand with hers. “I’m just going to hit the restroom first.” She needed to check her makeup and give herself a quick pep talk.

  “No problem. I’ve got to settle my bill and say goodnight to the boys anyhow. I’ll meet you at the door in a few.”

  “Sounds good.”

  ***

  Brett was waiting for Carly at the door, watching every man in the place stare when she walked past. Some even had the audacity to make a grab for her until they caught his glare. What the hell had she been thinking, showing up in a place like this in a dress like that? She was just asking for trouble. He wanted to get her alone outside to warn her about making herself too available, so he’d asked his buddy, who was manning the door, to keep his eyes on her until she made it safely back inside.