Jailbait (29 page)

Grayson leans against the sink in the bathroom, eyeing my naked body up and down. “You’re tired, you’ve felt sick every morning, and you’ve had a grilled cheese almost every day.”
 

“Yeah, so?”
 

He just gives me a look.

“I’m scared,” I confess. “I’ve been too scared to think about it, even though I know it’s a good possibility. I didn’t take my pills on time—or at all—the day my dad died. I just keep messing up and I’m so—”

“Hey,” Grayson interrupts. He moves across the bathroom and puts his hands on my sides. He pulls me to him, my bare body pressed against his. “You bringing a child into the world is not messing up. Pepper, you are the most amazing woman in the entire universe. And trust, me, I’ve been as far as California.”
 

I laugh, but it’s not enough to keep tears from forming in my eyes. “I’m scared.”
 

“That’s normal. We don’t even know yet. It could be nothing.”

“Or I could be pregnant.”
 

“Either way, we have each other.” He kisses me and I get turned on all over again. “And I’m not going anywhere this time.”
 

Epilogue
 

Grayson

Six years later…

“Come on, baby. One more.” I tighten my grip on Pepper’s hand. Her palm is clammy and her nails dig into my skin so hard I’m sure there are little half-moon indents filled with blood. But I won’t say anything. Because whatever pain I’m feeling is nothing compared to
 
what she’s going through.
 

“I can’t. I can’t do this,” she cries.
 

“That’s what you said during the last one.”
 

“I take it back. Give me drugs.”
 

“It’s too late for that,” I remind her. I look at the monitor, and then back at her. “Deep breath.”
 

“That isn’t helping!” She squeezes her eyes closed, preparing for another contraction to pass. The doctor and nurses encourage her to push, and I steal a glance between her legs and see the baby’s head crowning.
 

“I see hair,” I tell her. “Golden brown like yours.” Tears fill my eyes, and I’m pretty sure Pepper has broken every bone in my hand. This is our third baby, and it’s just as emotional as the first.
 

Seven and a half months after I moved in with Pepper, our sweet Charlotte was born. She was several weeks early and scared us half to death. But she’s a fighter like her mama and came home stronger than ever. Having a premature baby made us cautious to have another, but almost three years later, Pepper gave birth to our son, Aiden.
 

We don’t know the sex of this baby.
 

“One more big push,” the nurse says. “Almost there.”

Pepper takes another deep breath and gives it all she’s got, and I watch as our third child comes into the world.
 

“It’s a girl!” the doctor announces and puts the baby on Pepper’s chest. Pepper’s hands are shaking, and she can’t hold back the tears any longer. She cradles our daughter, kissing the top of her head.
 

“Emma,” she whispers.

I kiss Pepper, then put a hand on our baby. “She’s so little,” I say, blinking back tears. “I forgot how little they are.”
 
I bend over the bed, hugging my wife and our newest child. A few minutes later, I cut the cord, and the nurse wraps Emma up in a little blanket. We spend those first precious moments together, unspeaking.
 

“Do you want me to get your other children?” the nurse asks once the doctor leaves. Pepper nods, and I tell her yes. A minute later, Savannah comes in with Charlie and Aiden. Charlie rushes forward to see her newest sibling.
 

“What is it, Mommy?” she cries.
 

“A girl,” Pepper tells her, smiling.
 

“Yes!” Charlie throws her hands in the air in celebration. “I got a sister!”
 

Aiden’s shoulders fall. “Aww, man!” he huffs and we all laugh. I scoop up the kids and bring them to Pepper’s bed. I take Pepper’s hand and kiss the top of her head. I look at my family, knowing in my heart things that couldn’t be any better.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Goodwin is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of over a dozen of romantic titles. Emily writes the kind of books she likes to read, and is a sucker for a swoon-worthy bad boy and happily ever afters.
 

She lives in the midwest with her husband and two daughters. When she's not writing, you can find her riding her horses, hiking, reading, or drinking wine with friends.
 

Emily is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency.
 

STALK ME

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Checkmate: This is War Sneak Peek

Book 1 in the Checkmate Duet

Kennedy Fox

Travis King is the worst kind of asshole.

He taunts me for being a good girl and mocks my high standards.

He’s cruel, crass, and has enough confidence to last two lifetimes.

And I
hate
him.

It wouldn’t matter so much if he were avoidable.

But considering he’s my older brother’s best friend and roommate, I see him more than I’d ever want to.

His sculpted abs and gorgeous eyes are wasted on such an arrogant man, which makes me hate him even more.

Even though I’ve had a crush on him since I was ten, the feelings weren’t mutual and he’s made that very clear.

He’s always loved getting under my skin, and one night, against my better judgment, I let him in my bed.

I’ve succumbed to his manwhore ways, but that doesn’t change a thing.

Because the King is about to get played at his own game—and lose.

Checkmate.

PROLOGUE

VIOLA

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, lived a young princess who awaited a prince who would give her everything she ever dreamed of… love, passion, loyalty. He’d be the sweetest, kindest, most heartwarming gentleman a girl could ever ask for. And he’d be perfect.

…Excuse me while I vomit.

There is absolutely, positively, no way that a man like that exists on this earth. I used to think
he
was, but of course, I was proven wrong. I was young and naive, and didn’t know any better.

And
he
was Travis King.

I remember how clear the sky was as I sat on my rooftop outside of my bedroom window. Summer was fading away and the start of my seventh grade year was right around the corner. The stars were super bright and as I counted them, I heard Travis’ father screaming from the house across from mine. He did that a lot and occasionally, I’d see Travis through the window of his bedroom. He’d put on his headphones to tune out the yelling, as if it was something to which he was accustomed. But that night he didn’t go to his bedroom. He ran out of his front door, slamming it behind him, and began pacing his front yard. I swallowed, watching him intently as his hands balled into fists at his sides.
 

When the Kings moved across the street from us, Travis and my older brother, Drew, instantly became best friends. They were both going into their first year of high school and I was sad I wouldn’t be at the same school as them anymore. Well, mostly about Travis. Drew had made it very clear he didn’t like his little sister tagging along, but Travis never made me feel like I was a nuisance.
 

As I watched him kick the dirt on the sidewalk, he looked up at me. His lips were turned down and I could see the anger in his eyes. My breath stilled as he watched me watch him, and I was certain he’d tell my brother I’d been spying on him.

Instead, he walked across the street, climbed up the trellis and sat down next to me. He stayed silent for a long while, but then he finally turned and spoke.

“I hate my dad sometimes.”
 

“Why does he get so mad?” I asked.

He looked away and rested his arms over his bent knees. “He drinks. Sometimes too much.”

“Does he hurt you?” He didn’t look at me. “Or your mother?”

He winced. “No. Just yells.”

We sat in silence, both lying on our backs as we looked up at the sky above us, the stars so bright and big.
 

“You can sit up here anytime, you know? My parents won’t mind.”

“Drew would,” he said matter-of-factly. “He’d call me a pansy.” He chuckled.

“Drew calls everyone that.”
 

He laughed again.
 

I turned my head and looked at him. “I don’t think you’re a pansy.”
 

Travis tilted his head and looked into my eyes and everything went serious. I watched his throat move, swallowing hard. He licked his lips and moved in close. Feeling his breath against my skin made me so nervous, I instinctively turned my head.
 

“Are you excited about going into high school?” I spit out, trying to change the subject, looking back up at the stars. I could’ve sworn Travis was about to kiss me. It would’ve been my first kiss.
 

Moments passed and he finally responded. “Yeah, I guess. It’ll be nice getting back into basketball season and staying late for practices and games.”
 

I knew what he was implying without saying the words.
Less time at home
.

“Why do you think she puts up with it?” Curiosity got the best of me, and I could no longer keep it in. “Can’t she leave him?” I asked.

He shrugged. I supposed it wasn’t that simple for adults, but to me it just sounded like common sense. Why would anyone want to be with someone that treated them like crap?

That wasn’t the last time Travis snuck up the rooftop and sat with me under the stars. We shared details with each other that we hadn’t shared with anyone else before. It was our secret little spot where we could talk or just sit and stare up at the sky.

It was easy.

He wasn’t my brother’s best friend.

I wasn’t his best friend’s little sister.

And the lines between us weren’t blurred.

I was only twelve years old, so I truly believed prince charming existed. As I grew older, I came to realize he never really did. Because if he did, he most certainly wouldn’t be available. And he most definitely wouldn’t be interested in a girl like me. I’m not saying that because I want anyone to tell me otherwise, but if such a man existed, he’d have no chance with me anyway. Because for some only-God-knows-why reason, my heart only beats for one man. My pulse only increases when
he
walks into the room. My cheeks flush and my body hums when
he
looks at me. I feel the blood in my veins as my skin heats from his very existence. He’s the epitome of
perfection
.

…Too bad a decade later, he’s a complete asshole.

Travis King.

He’s no knight in shining armor; more like a royal jackass. He may look like a prince on the outside, but on the inside he’s a cocky, arrogant womanizer that I want to shove over a cliff.

All right, that might sound dramatic and all, considering I just confessed my feelings about him, but those are feelings of
hate…
not love.
 

From being head over heels for him as a young girl to loathing him as a woman, Travis King needs to remember the golden rule—never admit defeat.
 

It was game on.

CHAPTER ONE

TRAVIS

I love a girl who can suck dick like a champ. Watching her tongue lick up my thick vein, pumping blood to my best and
biggest
asset, sets my body ablaze. She wraps her hand around my shaft, sucks on the tip, and pumps hard until I release inside her delicious mouth.
 

“Mm…salty.” She licks her lips and pushes a finger inside her mouth, sucking it clean.

“Sorry for the mess.” I pull myself back inside my pants and re-buckle my belt.

“I caught most of it.” She’s grinning, as if swallowing is some kind of special achievement.

I grab her hand and lift her up, leaning in to give her a chaste kiss. “Thanks, babe.”
 

“No, thank you.” Her eyes light up as a soft giggle releases from her throat.

I lick my lips. “Mm…you’re right.”
 

She furrows her brows in question.
 

“Salty.” Her eyes widen as she realizes to what I’m referring.

“So…same time next week?” She bats her long, fake lashes up at me, and I fight the urge to laugh in her face.

“I’ll check my schedule.” I open the door and casually look out in the hallway to make sure no one else is around. “All clear, babe.”
 

She follows me out, but we walk in different directions.
 

I head toward the elevator and press the call button. Once I’m in, I turn around and smile as I watch Alyssa Crawford’s hips sway from side to side as she walks toward the emergency exit staircase.
 

Yup. I’m hooking up with Sloan Crawford’s—CEO of Crawford Marketing—daughter.

And a nice hook-up it’s become.

“Wipe that smug look off your face, King.” I hear as soon as I step off the elevator. It’s Blake James, my lead supervisor.

“Don’t be a jealous dick,” I retort, walking toward my office.

“Not jealous, dude.”
 

“You would be if you knew what I was smiling about.” I turn around and grin, walking backward through my door. He rolls his eyes with a sigh, and I laugh as I slam the door shut.
 

Since my lunch break was spent in the bathroom on the ninth floor, I’m still starving. However, I can’t leave my office again, so I text my roommate, Drew.
Dude, bring me a sandwich! I’m starving!