Just Fall (The Fall Series) Read Free Page B

made it easy, but facing her meant
facing my biggest fear, the one thing that could take a man down in one fatal
blow. The “L” word. You see, my childhood left no doubt that there was no such
thing as happily ever after. Well, maybe in some rare instances like Uncle Tom
and Aunt Mary, but they were one in a million. I realized at a very young age
that there was a difference between love and sex, and I when I got older I
decided I could easily have one without the other. This imaginary yet very real
line I drew was my safety zone, and I stayed well within the boundaries. I
occupied myself with things that were fast and furious like gambling, travel,
women, and cars. I had no complaints, especially when it came to women. They
were in endless supply, and my bed was never empty unless I was focused on a
tournament.
    And
the sex. My intense need for sex concerned me at times. Could I ever be
monogamous? Would I be satisfied? My sexual appetite was unconventional at best
and not just in frequency. I craved the variety that seemed to accompany my
lifestyle, so I decided a long time ago that I was better off alone, and nothing’s
going to change that, not even Lauren St. John. I’m overanalyzing I know, but much
like poker, there were too many unknown variables in this equation, and I had
to be careful.
    One
thing’s for sure, every woman I’ve been with only confirmed what I already knew
from the moment I met her. She was the real deal. The total package. She didn’t
care about my looks, my last name or even my money. She wouldn’t take my shit
or anyone else’s. It was hard to believe that in just two short days I would
see her again. It scared the hell out of me.
    Maybe
she was happily married to Mr. Safe and Responsible. Hell, maybe she even had a
couple kids by now. But what if she wasn’t? Would it even matter?
    The
best I could hope for was that she’d forgive and forget. And maybe, just maybe,
she’d want to go a few rounds in bed to make up for old times. Fuck! Just
thinking about giving Lo a little tour of my world had my cock raging. Would
she give me a run for my money or just run away disgusted? I was about to find
out, and either way I knew I was in for one hell of a ride. But for now she was
2000 miles away, and I had two hot women right in the other room who were more
than happy to share…

Three
     
    OPPOSITES COLLIDE
     
    My
body was still trembling when I reached the safety of my suite. I slammed the
door and immediately began pacing like a caged animal. What was he doing
here? And what the hell just happened out there?
    The
Parker Blackwell I remembered was the most annoying, frustrating, immature boy
I’d ever met, and he always, I mean always had to win. He challenged me at
everything, and my entire summers were spent competing with him.
    I
grabbed my phone and tried to call my best friend, Nina. She knew our history,
and she was the only person who would understand what I was going through right
now. Straight to voicemail. Shit!
    This
may seem like an outrageous reaction coming from a twenty-four-year-old woman,
but if you only knew the torture I endured you would understand. He got under
my skin in every way, and although I never admitted it to anyone, I secretly
loved him and hated him all at the same time. He was exhausting, sexy and
maddening, and I daydreamed about him constantly. He was the reason I practiced
kissing my pillow at night, and in the spring I would count the days until he
arrived to begin our confusing and frustrating game all over again. Sometimes I
thought that he might like me, too. I often caught him staring at me, and that
time we kissed he made an attempt at second base, but I never really knew for
sure. Everything was just a game to Parker.
    I
still couldn’t believe he was here. He was all grown up now and very easy on
the eyes, very, very easy, I might add. Even so, I had a feeling that
underneath all that sexy swagger he was the same competitive annoying asshole.
I