Wild Card (Texas Titans #5) Read online

  Brett felt it was his job to take care of her. Since her old man had died when she was young and her mother had cut out on her, she was all alone, with only his family to rely on. No way would he stand by and watch some lowlife take advantage of her.

  He ushered her outside just as it started to rain. He took his jacket off and held it over her head. “You look too pretty to get all wet.”

  She giggled. “What if I told you I’m already wet?”

  What the hell was that? He knew she’d been crushing on him for a long time, but she had to realize it couldn’t go anywhere. He loved her—as a friend. He’d always be there for her, but she needed a different kind of guy. Someone who thought about settling down and parking his boots under the same bed every night.

  They stopped in front of his pick-up. He knew he should get her inside, out of the rain, but he wasn’t sure he could trust himself with her inside the truck. She was a gorgeous young woman who’d made it obvious she was into him, and he was… well, a man.

  “You better get your sweet self back inside. I wouldn’t have asked you to walk me out if I’d known it was gonna start rainin’.”

  “Why did you?” She hooked her fingers into his belt loop to draw him closer.

  Damn it if his body didn’t choose that moment to make a liar out of him. With her soft curves melding with that delicate scent, he was lost. Everything he’d planned to say slipped away like the water running in rivulets down her angelic face.

  “I want you,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I’ve always wanted you. You know that. Don’t make me wait any longer. Take me home with you tonight.”

  “Jesus, Carly.” He lowered his head, pressing his forehead to hers. “Baby, you’re not makin’ this easy for me.”

  “Please,” she whispered, tentatively touching a fingertip to his lips. “Don’t say no. I need this tonight. I’ve waited for you for so long. I don’t want to wait anymore.”

  He eased his hands through her damp hair. “Honey, listen to me. A girl like you doesn’t want a guy like me. You’re forever. I’m just temporary.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked, her tears mixing with the rain drops dotting her lashes.

  “You need a guy who’ll be there for you a year from now, hell, ten years from now. Don’t settle for less.”

  “I’ve been waiting for you.” Her shuddering breath shook him. “I didn’t want anyone else. Now you’re telling me you don’t want me?”

  She’d never had another lover because she’d been hoping he would be her first? This was bad, really bad. One more look into those pleading eyes and he would take her right there in the bed of his truck. She deserved so much better than that, especially her first time. She deserved flowers and candles, soft music, and a man who could tell her he was in love with her, that he would be there whenever she needed a strong shoulder to lean on. She needed a partner who could be her rock, and truth be told, he’d never been all that reliable.

  “It’s not that I don’t want you. Any man would be lucky to have you. But…” He thought of the woman waiting at his apartment. “I’m sort of seeing someone.”

  “You are?” Her hands fell to her sides before wrapping around her waist. “Sophie said she didn’t think you had a girlfriend.”

  “Soph hasn’t met her yet.” Since the rain had stopped, he shook out his damp jacket before wrapping it around her. “Neither have my parents.” He wasn’t sure they ever would, but Carly didn’t need to know that. “But, uh, that’s why I’m leaving early. She’s waiting at my place.”

  “Oh.” She looked broken-hearted as she stepped away from his truck. “Don’t let me keep you then.”

  She tried to hand back his jacket, but he whispered, “Keep it.” An awkward silence passed before he seized her chin. “You’re the most incredible girl. You need a man who’ll treat you like the princess you are, honey. I wish I could be that guy, but I’m not. You need to forget about me. It’s time for you to move on. Forget about this silly little crush and find someone—”

  “Silly little crush?” she shouted, thrusting his jacket at his chest. “That’s what you think this is? Some crush? I’ve loved you my whole goddamned life, Brett Easton!”

  “I know you think—”

  “Shut up! Just shut up! I don’t want to hear it.”

  Brett watched her until she was safely back inside the bar, all the while wondering if he’d just made a mistake that would make all others look like minor missteps.

  ***

  Carly was a sobbing mess by the time she stumbled into the ladies’ room. She just wanted to find Sophie so she could go home, pull the covers over her head, and pretend that night had never happened. She’d never been so humiliated, and the worst part of it was knowing she’d have to face him again.

  “He’s not worth it, hon,” a pretty brunette said as she watched Carly try to repair her damaged eye makeup.

  “I know.” For the first time ever, Carly believed Brett Easton really wasn’t worth her time. He was right—it was time for her to move on. She knew just the man to help her do it. “I’m so over him.”

  “Good for you.” The girl grinned as she fluffed her hair before reapplying her lip gloss. “Get drunk and go home with someone else. That always gets ‘em.”

  That was exactly what Carly intended to do. Screw Brett and his girlfriend. “Thanks for the advice.” She tilted her shoulders back as she made her way out of the restroom. She was surprised to find Dylan waiting for her in the narrow hallway.

  “Hey, I saw you come back in,” he said, reaching for her hand. “You look kind of upset. Is everything okay?”

  “Just fine.”

  Carly had known Dylan almost as long as she’d known Brett since they’d all gone to the same high school. She had no idea why it had taken her so long to notice how sexy he was. It probably had something to do with the fact that she had been blind to every man except Brett. Well, no more. She was so done with him. He had rejected her for the last time.

  “In that case, can I buy a you drink?”

  “I’d love one.” She slipped her hand into his, and he led her to the bar. She surprised him by asking for a shot, telling him to choose what kind since she hadn’t experimented much with alcohol.

  He held up two shot glasses, one for each of them. “Here you go.”

  She touched her glass to his. “To reconnecting.”

  His full mouth tipped into a half-smile. “I like the sound of that.”

  Carly threw the drink back, embarrassing herself by coughing and sputtering when it went down. She fanned her face when her eyes watered. “Sorry about that. I’m afraid I’m not much of a drinker.”

  “That’s okay.” He patted the free stool in front of him. “What do you like to do for fun?”

  She sat down, aware of him fixating on her legs as her dress hiked up, revealing more of her thigh. She’d waxed until she wanted to cry. No way would she let that go to waste. “Truth is it’s been a long time since I’ve had any fun.” She pouted, hoping she looked sultry and not ridiculous.

  Dylan set a hand on either side of the bar, bracketing her in. “Now that’s a damn shame. Pretty little thing like you should be gettin’ all kinds of crazy as often as possible.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his ear to her mouth. “I guess I just haven’t met anyone man enough to show me what I’ve been missing.” Oh God, was she really going to do this? She thought about what Brett was probably doing at that moment and decided… hell, yeah!

  “Is that an invitation, sugar?” He turned his head, looking into her eyes. “’Cause if it is, I accept.”

  “Then let’s get out of here.” She hopped off the stool. “Wait. How many drinks have you had?”

  “A few.”

  “Give me the keys. I’ll drive.”

  He looked at her empty shot glass. “I know you only had one, but something tells me you’re a lightweight. Maybe we should take a cab.”

&n
bsp; She leaned in to whisper, “We can’t do what I have planned for you in the backseat of a taxi.”

  “Let’s get the hell out of here,” he muttered, practically dragging her to the door.

  It only took a few minutes to get to the lake she had in mind. On the short drive, she wavered a hundred times, but in the end, she decided she was tired of wasting her life waiting for things to change. She wanted to start living.

  “Honey, we could have gone back to my place,” he said when she finally turned into the deserted gravel parking lot and cut the engine.

  “No, this is perfect.” She didn’t want any awkward moments afterward of him scrambling to figure out how to get rid of her. This way, they could do the deed, she could cross it off her bucket list, and they could carry on with their lives.

  When thoughts of Brett started to creep into her head, she slid across the seat and climbed into Dylan’s lap. He wasted no time responding, kissing her as if he’d never wanted another woman more. That was what she needed—someone to make her feel sexy and desirable, to help repair her shattered ego.

  Her cell phone rang, and she prayed it wasn’t Brett calling to apologize for hurting her feelings. That was the last thing she needed. A quick peek told her it was Sophie. Damn. She’d been in such a hurry to leave she’d forgotten to tell her best friend. “Sorry, just give me a minute, Dylan.”

  Carly didn’t want to answer Sophie’s call. She’d have a million questions about why Carly was with Dylan instead of Brett, but Carly didn’t want her friend to worry either, so she sent a quick text saying she was safe and would see Sophie at home later.

  “Now where were we?” she asked, unbuttoning Dylan’s shirt after turning off her phone and tossing it on the seat beside her. She ran her hands over his smooth chest, moaning in appreciation of his cut abs. “God, you’re sexy.”

  “I was just thinking the same thing about you.” He pulled her dress over her head, smiling when he caught sight of her black lace push-up bra and matching thong. “This was definitely worth waiting for.” He captured her face. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted you?”

  Carly swallowed, taken aback by his sincerity. He’d wanted her? “No.”

  “That’s because you were too busy chasing Brett to notice me.”

  “The chase is over,” she said, helping him out of his shirt. “I see him for what he is now.”

  He grabbed her wrists when she reached for his belt buckle. “Carly, I don’t want to be your rebound guy.”

  “You’re not.” She wanted to believe she’d still feel that way tomorrow, but she didn’t have a crystal ball. She just knew in that moment that she needed something, someone, to help her take the pain away.

  The next few minutes were lost to touching and exploring each other’s bodies. He kissed her in places she’d never been kissed, touching her soul in a way no one ever had. He made her feel desired, cherished.

  When she finally lowered herself on his hard shaft and the barrier of her innocence halted his entry, she answered his unasked question with the only two words that mattered, “I’m sure.”

  ***

  Brett was mad as hell when he saw Dylan’s truck pull into his parents’ driveway two hours after Carly had left him standing in the parking lot. He’d sent Chelsea home when he couldn’t get Carly’s eyes out of his head. He had to explain that he’d sent her away for her own good. He jumped out of his truck and walked to the passenger’s side until he realized it was empty. Carly was hopping out of the driver’s door.

  “What the hell are you doing driving Dylan’s truck?” Brett took in her swollen lips, tousled hair, and smudged makeup and felt as if someone had kicked him in the gut. “No. Not Dylan. You didn’t—” He grabbed her wrist when she tried to walk past him. “Tell me you didn’t.”

  “I don’t have to tell you anything,” she said, trying to shake him loose. “Let me go.”

  He grabbed the back of her head and hauled her against his body. She didn’t smell like light perfume and flowery shampoo anymore. She smelled like spicy cologne and sex. “Son of a bitch!” He released her and slammed his fist on the hood of Dylan’s new truck. “What the hell were you thinking?”

  “None of your business. You don’t want me. Why the hell should you care if someone else had me?”

  “He wasn’t just someone. He’s my best friend, goddammit!” Brett bent over, gripping his knees as he fought the urge to wretch. The only time he’d ever felt worse was lying in that hospital bed and hearing the doctors tell him his football career was over.

  “Keep your voice down. You’re going to wake your parents.”

  “I don’t give a shit.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder when he stood. “Why the hell are you driving his truck?”

  “He’d had a few drinks, so I drove. He told me he’d pick it up tomorrow when he takes me out for dinner.”

  “Oh hell no, he’s not taking you out for dinner. Not tomorrow night or any other night.”

  “That’s what you think.” Carly crossed her arms, tapping the toe of her high heel against the driveway. “Who the hell are you to tell me who I can and can’t go out with?”

  “He’s gonna have a hard time eatin’ his dinner through a straw.”

  Dylan had always been the brother Brett had never had, and while they went to different colleges, they’d remained tight. He thought he could trust Dylan with his life, but this felt like the ultimate betrayal. The rational part of his brain told him he had no right to feel so hurt or betrayed. Carly and Dylan hadn’t done anything wrong. They’d known each other for years, and neither of them were involved with anyone else, yet the fact that Carly had told him it was him she wanted made him feel as though she’d cheated on him. It was irrational, but he couldn’t help the surge of rage and jealousy eating him up inside.

  “You said you were saving yourself…” He clenched his jaw before forcing out the words. “For me.”

  “You didn’t want me!” She shoved him hard. “You went home to be with someone else. How do you think that made me feel?”

  It wasn’t difficult for him to put himself in her position, because he was experiencing all the same emotions she must have felt when he’d told her to find someone else. God help him. He’d pushed her into Dylan’s waiting arms.

  “I wasn’t with anyone else tonight.” He felt spent, defeated, as he sagged against his friend’s truck. He couldn’t fix this. Carly had already given another man, his best friend, the precious gift he’d foolishly rejected.

  “You weren’t?”

  “No.” He closed his eyes as he tipped his head back. He would never get the image of them out of his head. He looked through the windshield. “Is this where it happened? Did he even take you back to his place?”

  “I didn’t want to go back to his place,” she said, sounding defensive.

  “So this is where it happened, huh?” He circled the truck, his fury reaching explosive heights again. “This is where he banged you?”

  “Don’t say it like that. It was…”

  He glared at her, daring her to continue. “It was what? Beautiful?” He kicked the rear fender. “Special?” He kicked it again. “Incredible?” He kicked it twice for good measure.

  “Stop it! Are you crazy? You’re destroying his truck.”

  “He can afford a new one with that big fat professional contract of his.” He walked toward her. “Is that why you chose him? Because he made the pros and I didn’t?”

  “I chose you first.” She poked him in the chest. “You were the one who rejected me. Don’t forget that.”

  Chapter One

  Carly Lawson turned the key as quietly as she could, hoping she wouldn’t wake her best friend. Sophie had told her whenever she needed a place to crash, her door was always open, and since Sophie was in San Francisco selling her one-of-a-kind purses at a trade show, Carly figured it would be cheaper to take a taxi to Sophie’s place than hers. She’d been out drinking with the girls and had to abandon her car a
t the bar after a few too many shots of tequila. Thankfully, she didn’t have to work tomorrow, so she could afford to sleep off the massive hangover she was sure to have.

  She tiptoed down the hall before realizing she didn’t have to be quiet, since no one else was there. “Son of a—” she muttered when she caught her baby toe on the edge of the bedroom doorframe.

  “Soph? Is that you?”

  Carly stopped in her tracks. She’d have recognized that voice anywhere. Brett Easton, the object of every single one of her teenage fantasies. “Um, Brett.” She gripped the wall outside the master bedroom for support. “Hey, I didn’t know you’d be here.”

  He switched on the bedside lamp, revealing a broad expanse of tanned skin when the white sheet slipped down to his waist. Wow.

  “My house is being painted,” he explained. “Sophie said I could use her place while she was out of town.”

  “Oh, um, okay.” Carly stepped back and stumbled. “Well, I’ll just be on my way then.”

  “Wait.” He ran a hand over the dark whiskers covering his jaw. “Come here for a minute.”

  Carly knew it was a bad idea to get too close. Alcohol lowered her defenses, and the last thing she needed was to be defenseless around the one man she’d never had the strength to resist. “I should go.”

  He held out his hand. “Carly, get in here. Have you been drinking?”

  According to Sophie, Carly was a lightweight. After five shots, she was lucky to still be standing, let alone stringing words together. “Just a little.”

  “Looks like a lot to me.” His hot gaze trailed over her short blue dress before his eyes finally hooked hers. He’d never looked at her that way… as though he couldn’t wait to get her naked. “I had a few drinks myself tonight. Poker with the boys.”

  That explained why she hadn’t walked in on him with one of his many conquests. Thank God. That would have given her one more reason to be mortified about intruding.

  “Really?” She traced her lips with her tongue as she stepped closer. She was doing what she was too cautious to do when she was sober: flirting with Brett Easton. If she paused to think about the potential pitfalls, she might have started hyperventilating or worse…