Wild Card (Texas Titans #5) Read online

  “You look hot.”

  Hot? It wasn’t the first time she’d heard that, but it was the first time he’d said it. At least to her. “Thanks.”

  “You don’t have to go. In fact, I wouldn’t feel right about letting you leave in your condition. It’s not safe.”

  Hysterical laughter bubbled to the surface as she clamped a hand over her mouth. “But staying here with you would be safe?”

  “That depends.” He sunk his teeth into his lower lip as she stopped in front of the bed, resting her knee on the mattress. “You wanna play it safe, or you feel like havin’ a little fun?”

  She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes when he ran a hand up her bare leg. “What’d you have in mind?” She tried to ignore the sensations rippling through her as his hand inched up her leg, hiking her dress up farther.

  “I think you know what I have in mind.” After a beat of silence, he whispered, “What do you say? You game?”

  She couldn’t believe what was happening. Was she seriously contemplating casual sex with her best friend’s brother? In Sophie’s bed no less? Soph would kill her and rightly so, but that didn’t stop Carly from reaching for the zipper trailing down the back of her dress. Carly watched with satisfaction as Brett’s dark eyes widened in surprise. She wasn’t the same flat-chested little girl who was too embarrassed to wear a swimsuit without a T-shirt in his family’s backyard pool. She’d filled out considerably since she’d gone away to college her junior year of high school, and God had graced her with curves in all the right places.

  “Damn.” His handsome features were drawn tight as his hands curled into fists. “I wouldn’t have been able to resist so long if I’d known what you were hiding under all those conservative business suits.”

  To think Brett had ever fought to resist her was laughable. She knew this was a one-night stand. They were two unattached people who’d had a few too many and found themselves in the right place at the right time to satisfy a mutual urge. Nothing more.

  “You like?” she asked, reaching around to release the black strapless bra that struggled to restrain her full breasts. It wasn’t like her to be coy, but since she was about to live her fantasy with the man of her dreams, she wanted it to be everything she’d imagined.

  “Oh yeah, I like.”

  She left her thong and high heels on while climbing onto the bed to straddle his waist. Gliding her hands over his six-pack was an indulgence she never thought she’d get to experience, so she took her time, letting her hands memorize every square inch of his skin.

  “You’re so sexy,” he whispered, caressing her breasts. “How did I miss that?”

  She’d have loved nothing more than to believe he’d simply woken up and found the answer to his prayers standing in the bedroom door, but she wasn’t naïve enough to believe that. He was saying to her what he said to every woman he took to bed.

  “You talk too much.” She leaned over, her breasts teasing his chest while her mouth captured his. She wasn’t the type to initiate, but she was determined to be the kind of woman Brett was attracted to, the lover he deserved and she’d always wanted to be. Kissing him came as naturally as breathing, perhaps because she’d imagined it at least a thousand times.

  They fit together even better than she’d thought they would. He fisted her long blond hair while probing and enticing her with a lingering kiss. Before she realized what was happening, he’d flipped her on her back and his heavy body pinned her to the mattress.

  “We probably shouldn’t be doing this,” he murmured, his lips sliding over her neck while his hand cupped her breast. “You’ve been drinking. So have I. We should wait until—”

  “No.” She didn’t want to wait until they were sober. If they did, he’d recognize this for the mistake it undoubtedly was. Instead of giving him the opportunity to retreat, she kissed him while her hand slipped beneath his boxer briefs.

  He moaned into her mouth as she stroked him. “God, that feels so good, baby.”

  The intimacy of that simple endearment stoked her desire to see this through. Stroking him faster and harder, her mouth traveled down his neck. She nipped his shoulder when he plunged two fingers inside her. He stopped only long enough to shed his boxers and tear off her thong, which felt like a fraction of a second too long. Doubts were creeping in, making her wonder if she was making a huge mistake. It had taken her a long time to get over him, but she was happy with her life now, happy with the friendship they’d managed to build after her one-night stand with his best friend nearly tore them apart.

  “Now,” he said, pinning her hands over her head as he thrust inside her.

  She was caught off guard by the sudden and deep invasion. Tears stung her eyes, and her doubts fled. She’d been waiting for this forever, and she was determined to enjoy every second of it. Closing her eyes, she abandoned all pretense of restraint. She didn’t know what she said to him as he claimed her body. She recognized the raspy sound of her voice, but the words could have been someone else’s. She raised and pivoted her hips, demanding more, gasping and thrashing as her whole body tightened then released at the same time his did.

  Their eyes mirrored the same panic as he exploded inside her. Reality set in. Oh no. What had they done?

  ***

  “Carly, I’m so sorry,” Brett whispered, collapsing on top of her. Even after he realized the reckless mistake he’d made, he still couldn’t force himself to pull out. The damage may have already been done. “Please tell me you’re on the pill or—”

  “I’m not.”

  “Jesus, I’m sorry.” He cursed himself for being so thoughtless. Safety was always at the forefront of his mind, yet he’d failed to protect the one woman he’d been trying to shelter for years. “I should have—”

  “It’s okay,” she said, trying to ease out from under him. “It’s fine. I’m sure the timing’s off.”

  “Yeah, but pregnancy isn’t the only consideration.” He rolled onto his back. “I’m clean, you have to believe that, but I owed it to you to take care of you. I was being selfish. That never should have happened.”

  “It’s okay.” She rolled to the edge of the bed and sat up. “Don’t worry about it.”

  He caressed her bare back, wishing he could read her mind. He’d never imagined they would be here like this, trying to fill the awkward silence after a spontaneous quickie that may have resulted in an unplanned pregnancy. “Maybe we should take some precautions, you know, just in case.” He’d never taken a lover to get the morning-after pill, but he had friends who swore it had saved them. “I can take you to—”

  “That’s not necessary,” she said, jumping up.

  Judging by the way she reached for something to steady herself, her head was still spinning. So was his, but he couldn’t blame it on the alcohol. He’d just had sex with Carly Lawson. His sister’s BFF. His parents’ surrogate daughter. What the hell had he been thinking? That she looked hot in that dress. But that was no excuse.

  “Wait,” he said, grabbing her wrist. “You can’t leave. Stay. We’ll go to the drugstore in the morning and—”

  “Weren’t you listening?” she shouted, turning on him. “I don’t need the goddamn morning-after pill! I’m not pregnant! I wouldn’t dare screw up your life by burdening you with a baby you don’t want!”

  He was stunned by her rage. He was just trying to do what he thought was best for her. Of course he didn’t want a baby, but… a feeling of dread washed over him. He leaned against the headboard as he watched her dress. “This wasn’t intentional, was it? Did Sophie tell you I’d be here tonight? Is that why you came? Was this just some ploy to get pregnant?”

  “What?”

  “Sophie told me about you wanting to find a sperm donor so you could have a baby. Is that why you did this?”

  “How can you ask me that?” She held up one finger as her eyes flashed with a mix of tears and anger. “You really think I’m the kind of person who would try to trap you?”

&nbs
p; He realized his mistake as soon as her face crumpled. He’d made her cry. Damn it. In the twenty plus years he’d known her, he’d only made her cry once, and he’d vowed he’d never do it again. “Carly, I didn’t mean…” He inched closer to the edge of the bed, hoping to get close enough to grab her before she tried to get away.

  “Don’t even think about touching me.” She slowly backed out of the room. “No one can know about what happened tonight. Not your friends and certainly not Sophie. I just want to forget this ever happened.”

  If only I could.

  Chapter Two

  Brett woke up the morning after his night with Carly feeling as though he’d been run over by a train. He’d barely slept a wink. Every time he closed his eyes, he’d imagined his body moving over hers before the sound of his voice came back to haunt him. That accusation had changed everything between them. He forced his eyes open, wracking his brain for a way to clean up the mess he’d made. Flowers wouldn’t sway her. He didn’t think she would listen to an apology.

  When his phone buzzed, he reached for it, hoping it was her. He groaned when he saw his sister’s number. “What do you want, Soph?”

  “How could you?”

  Great, another woman who wanted a pound of flesh. She couldn’t have found out about what happened last night. Carly had made it clear she didn’t intend to tell anyone. “What did I do?”

  “Carly knows I told you about the sperm donor. What were you thinking? Why would you do that?” She sounded exasperated. “I told you that in confidence. I was worried about my best friend, and I wanted a man’s perspective.”

  “I’m sorry, okay? I had a few drinks and said some things I shouldn’t have. I’ll try to make it right with Carly.”

  “I wouldn’t if I were you.” Sophie sighed. “I don’t know what you did to her, but she told me she never wants to see you again.”

  His heart sank. Carly had been a part of his life as far back as he could remember. He didn’t want to imagine holiday dinners or family get-togethers without her. “She’s upset, with good reason, but she can’t mean that. I’ll talk to her. Don’t worry. We’ll sort it out.”

  “Brett, you didn’t hear her. Whatever happened, it changed the way she feels about you. You went from a hero to a zero in her eyes. What I want to know is how?”

  It changed the way she feels about you. The relentless pounding in his head reminded him of the alcohol he’d consumed last night, but his stomach was lurching for another reason. Having sex with Carly had made him realize he had real feelings for her.

  “You know I’ve always tried to remain neutral,” Sophie said when he didn’t respond. “I love you both, but it’s obvious you said or did something to upset her. I don’t understand. She’s been nothing but wonderful to you. Why would you hurt her?”

  As if he didn’t feel bad enough already, his sister had managed to plunge the knife in a little deeper. “I’m an idiot, okay? I made a mistake. I’ll make it right.”

  “You can’t make it right. It’s too late.”

  “No.” He reached for the pillow beside him and was accosted by the scent of her perfume. He inhaled deeply. “It’s not too late, sis. It can’t be.”

  ***

  Carly felt tears prick her eyes when she lifted the plastic lid off her steaming brew, but she couldn’t blame the coffee. She couldn’t believe Brett had said those things after they’d made lo—had sex. How could he think she would try to entrap him? She thought he knew her better than that. She wasn’t an opportunistic gold digger who was only interested in his money. She was the one who’d loved him long before his brush with fame and fortune.

  “Hey.”

  She looked up to see Brett lounging in the doorway of her office. “Get. Out.”

  “Not until we talk.” He invited himself in, closing and locking the door.

  Reaching for the phone, she said, “I’m going to call security if you’re not out of here in the next thirty seconds.”

  “Are you going to punish my family for my mistakes?”

  She released the phone. The Eastons were the ones who’d helped her deal with her father’s death and taken her in when her mother married a man she’d met online and moved clear across the country. She would never do anything to hurt them. “This has nothing to do with your family. This is between you and me.”

  He rounded the desk and sat on the edge, mere inches from her. “You’re right. This is between you and me, but you can’t pretend it won’t affect them if you refuse to see me again.”

  He was right. There would be no more Easton family dinners or parties for her. Of course, she would continue to see Brett’s parents when he wasn’t around. “I’ll find a way to spend time with your parents.”

  “And what about Sophie?”

  Carly didn’t know who she felt more betrayed by: the person who’d slain her with those insults or the one who’d given him the ammunition. Sophie had always been like a sister to her, but apparently blood was thicker than water. When given the choice, Sophie had confided in her brother and broken her confidence. “I don’t want to talk about your sister. Please leave now. I have a meeting in a few minutes.”

  He surprised her by dropping to one knee and clenching the armrests on her swivel chair. “You’ll never know how sorry I am for the things I said last night.”

  “Fine, apology accepted. Please, just go.” She believed he was sincere, but nothing could change what had happened.

  “No, not until you listen to me.”

  She bit the inside of her cheek, hoping the pain would keep her sadness at bay. She had said good-bye to two of the most important people in her life. “What can you possibly say to make this better?” Her voice broke, but she forced herself to look him in the eye. “Do you know what it did to me to hear you throw that in my face?”

  He reached for her hand. “Carly, please—”

  She glided her chair back and fisted her hands in her lap. “Don’t touch me. You don’t have the right to touch me. You want to talk? Fine. Let’s talk. Let’s talk about how the man I’ve idolized half my life proved he was never worthy of me.” Brett hung his head, but she swallowed the lump in her throat and continued. “I finally saw you for what you are: a cruel, spiteful, heartless, self-centered bastard.” She never thought she’d say that to him, but speaking her mind somehow gave her a degree of peace.

  “You’re right.”

  His admission barely registered as she clenched her hands in her lap. “When I walked into that bedroom last night and saw you looking at me like I was beautiful and desirable, it felt like a dream come true. But the things you said to me afterward made it feel like a nightmare. I left wishing I’d never let you touch me.”

  His handsome face creased with torment as he whispered her name.

  “I got the morning-after pill,” she said after clearing her throat. She reached into the trash bin and tore open the non-descript paper bag so she could show him the empty box. “See? You have nothing to worry about.”

  “I wish you hadn’t done that,” he said, taking the torn box.

  “What? Why? You were so anxious for me to get it last night.”

  “I wasn’t thinking clearly.” He sighed. “You want a baby badly enough that you’re willing to go to a sperm bank and be impregnated by some stranger. Maybe if we’d just let nature take its course, it would have been fate’s way of sending us a message.”

  “Are you insane?” She slid her chair back so far it hit the credenza behind her. “I don’t want your baby. I don’t want anything from you.”

  He froze before lifting his head and glaring at her. “Let me get this straight. You’d go to a goddamn sperm bank and have a baby with some man you don’t even know, but you wouldn’t even consider having a baby with me, someone you’ve known and loved most of your life?”

  “What I felt for you wasn’t love.” She could tell she’d hit her mark by the slump of his broad shoulders. “I was a kid with a stupid crush—just like you said.
It meant nothing. You mean nothing to me.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “I don’t care what you believe.” When it became apparent he still wouldn’t leave, she said the one thing she was certain would drive him away. “You know why I want a baby? Because I want someone to love me.”

  “You have people who love you: my sister, my parents, me.”

  She blinked back tears, knowing she would have no choice but to surrender to her sadness as soon as he stepped into the elevator. “No. You all have each other. You’re family. You have your friends, your partners—they’re like your family. I have me.” She didn’t want his pity. She just wanted him to understand why his words had cut so deeply. “Just me.”

  “That’s not true.”

  She ignored him. Nothing he could say would fill the hole in her heart. “When I turned thirty last year, I realized I was no closer to finding love than I’d been at twenty.” She reached into her desk drawer, withdrew a pink flowered journal she’d kept more than a decade ago, and held it up. “When I was twenty, I wrote about the life I thought I’d have at thirty. I imagined being married to a man who loved me and having a beautiful baby who needed me. I thought I would have a family of my own.”

  “You’re still so young. You can have all those things.”

  “I don’t want to wait for my life to start. I don’t need a man to rescue me. If I find love, great. If I don’t, I’m honestly okay with that. But I get to decide when I have a baby.” She flattened her free hand against her chest. “That’s my choice. When we had sex last night, I enjoyed it. Not because I thought you were going to wake up and realize you couldn’t live without me, but because it made me feel empowered. I felt sexy and beautiful.”

  “You are sexy and beautiful, baby.”