Prologue

PROLOGUE

brADEN

NINE MONTHS AGO

"I'm sad that you're leaving us," Kyler said with a pout, giving me a hug. "This is probably the last time we'll really get to spend any time together."

I chuckled as I looked down at her. Our friendship made absolutely zero sense on paper, but ever since she'd started dating my best friend, Ian, in our senior year of high school, we'd just clicked…once I stopped being an asshole to her.

I was ashamed to admit that, at first, I'd believed some of the bullshit rumors my teammates had spread about her. Until I learned the truth: that the people who had started those rumors had done it to cover their own asses after they sexually assaulted her. And once my eyes were opened…well, I'd never felt the need to protect anyone the way I felt the need to protect Kyler.

Just to set the record straight, no , I was not in love with her. I loved her, yes, but I wasn't in love with her. Not the way Ian was. Those two trailed sunshine and hearts and rainbows everywhere they went. Oh, and bunnies. Little fluffy bunnies hopped along after them too. But seriously, they were made for each other. And they were both family to me.

Maybe I'd find that kind of love for myself one day, but I was perfectly fine just doing me for now. Girls were great for a night, but settling down was the last thing on my mind. I was still young, and I had my whole future ahead of me, not to mention a career playing pro football. I didn't have time for a relationship right now. Women were high maintenance. Even awesome women like Kyler.

"You know cell phones and social media were invented for a reason, right?" I teased. "And airplanes?"

Kyler snorted. "I know. But I'm still sad to see you go. I guess I was just expecting you to do all four years with us before you went out for the draft."

"Nah. I was always just there for the ball. Hence the reason we're in Florida. So we have one last week together before I move down here."

"What'd I miss?" Ian asked as he walked back over to us with two Buds and some pink froufrou girly drink with an umbrella in it.

"Nothing much. Just your woman getting all weepy on me," I chuckled, playfully nudging Kyler's shoulder as I took my bottle from him.

"I am not!" she protested. "I'm not allowed to be a little sad that one of my best friends is moving nine hundred miles away?"

"Of course you are, baby." Ian kissed her cheek. "Ignore B. He'll grow a heart one day."

"He has a heart," she giggled as she took a sip of whatever disgusting concoction Ian had brought her from the bar. "He just doesn't like to show it very often."

I took a long pull from my beer. "Don't go spilling all my secrets, Ky. People might start getting the wrong ideas."

"He's supposed to be all dark and mysterious ," Ian said, using air quotes for emphasis.

"Hey, chicks dig dark and mysterious," I snickered.

"They do?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, most chicks. You're too pure of heart to be into that."

"And that's why I love you," Ian said quickly, turning her head for a kiss. "So don't go getting any ideas about changing that."

She giggled and kissed him again, and he abandoned his beer to pull her closer.

…And that was my cue. They were going to end up with their tongues down each other's throats in a matter of seconds, and probably head back to the hotel within half an hour. That pretty much always happened with them when alcohol was involved. And there was a limit to how much of the Ian/Kyler lovefest I could take.

"You two have fun. I'm out," I chuckled. "I'll find my own way back to the hotel."

They didn't even break apart as I walked away.

I zeroed in on an empty barstool next to a drop-dead gorgeous girl with dark skin and wavy brown hair. Setting my bottle on the bar, I slid halfway into the spot.

"This seat taken?" I asked.

The girl turned and flashed me a smile. "It is now."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes at the lame line as I took a seat next to her.

"Oh, my God. You're Braden Hicks, aren't you?"

I grinned. "Yep. That's me."

"You were one of the best wide receivers in your division," she gushed. "Now the Dragons might have a real shot at getting into the playoffs."

"That's what they say," I chuckled. "I guess we'll find out if that's true soon enough."

"What are you doing here in West Palm Beach?"

"Came down early with a couple of friends before I move. What about you? You from around here?"

"Nope. I'm from Orlando, actually."

"You here by yourself tonight…um…"

"Amara," she supplied. "And I'm here with my sister." She gestured to the girl sitting next to her. "This is Daniela."

I cast a glance toward the girl next to her, who looked to be a couple of years younger and was every bit as stunning as her sister.

"Nice to meet you, Daniela," I said.

"Hi," she muttered before turning back to her drink.

"She's not really into the whole club scene," Amara snickered. "I had to drag her out here tonight."

"So, it's just the two of you? No boyfriend here?"

A mischievous smile spread across her lips. "Nope. No boyfriend at all. What about you?"

"Nah. Happily single."

She leaned in closer and put a hand on my thigh, gliding it upward. My cock stiffened as I started anticipating taking her back to my hotel room and fucking her brains out. Preferably more than once.

"Wanna dance?" she purred in my ear.

I finished off my beer and left the bottle on the counter as I stood up. "Absolutely."

Amara led me to the middle of the dance floor and wrapped her arms around my neck, pressing her tits into my chest as she started swaying seductively to the music. I slid one of my legs between hers and let my hands travel down to cup her ass, pulling her closer to me as I matched her rhythm.

Fuck, this chick knew how to work it. As "Houdini" by Dua Lipa started to play, she took the opportunity to grind her ass into me, snaking one of her arms behind her to wrap around my neck and looking at me over her shoulder with heavy-lidded eyes.

I swooped my head down and captured her lips, faintly hearing her groan as she slipped her tongue out to wrap around mine. She turned to face me again as our kiss deepened, and her hand slid down my stomach and palmed my aching dick, squeezing slightly.

I groaned. "Don't start something you're not going to finish, Amara."

She pulled me down by my neck, putting her mouth next to my ear. "Who said I'm not going to finish it?"

Pulling back, she took my hand and started leading me off the dance floor and toward the back of the club. We walked down a small hallway and stopped outside the bathrooms, and she quickly ducked into the ladies' room before cracking the door open and pulling me inside.

Amara quickly locked the door behind us, and then I spun her around, pressing her back against the door and crashing my mouth against hers. She moaned and started to untuck my shirt, then went for the button and zipper of my jeans. Making quick work of pulling my cock out, she got on her knees and licked me from base to tip before sliding her mouth down my length and sucking hard.

"Fuck," I hissed as she started to bob her head up and down. "Yeah, baby. Just like that."

Her moan was muffled by my dick as she took me all the way to the back of her throat and swallowed. I groaned and thrusted my hips forward, making her gag a little, and she pulled back to catch her breath, working me with her hand for a few seconds before putting her mouth back on me.

Goddamn, I hadn't gotten head this good in a long time. But I hadn't gotten laid in way too long, and where I really wanted my dick was buried deep inside her pussy.

I reached down and gripped her shoulders, pulling her back to her feet.

"The only place I'm coming tonight is inside you," I told her as I grabbed my wallet out of my pocket and retrieved a condom.

Backing her against the door, I slid her skirt up around her waist and put my hand between her legs to find her panties completely soaked through.

"You're so fucking wet. You want this, Amara?" I asked.

I might have been a dog, but I'd never fuck a woman who wasn't willing. Ever.

"Yes," she breathed.

I tugged her panties to the side and stuck two fingers inside her. "You want my cock inside this tight little pussy?"

"Yes."

Ripping the foil packet open with my teeth, I made quick work of rolling on the protection. She wrapped one of her legs around my waist, and I lined myself up with her entrance and plunged inside in one deep thrust.

"Fuck!" she cried.

"You're. So. Fucking. Tight," I gritted out as I stroked in and out of her.

"Harder," she panted.

I cupped her ass in my hands and hoisted her up, and she immediately wrapped her other leg around my waist as I wedged her between me and the door. She moaned and panted, clinging to me for dear life as I started slamming my dick into her over and over again.

"Fuck, yes!" she screamed. "Don't stop! I'm gonna come!"

"Good. Let me have it," I growled.

Amara took one hand from around my neck and slid it between us, starting to rub her clit furiously as I kept up my punishing pace. Her moans got louder, and in less than a minute, she contracted around me. With just a few more pumps, I followed her, groaning as I emptied myself. After taking a second to recover, I eased out of her and lowered her to the floor, claiming that pretty mouth one more time.

"You here for the whole week?" she gasped, like she was trying to catch her breath.

"Yep," I said, popping the P like a douchebag, as I disposed of the condom and tucked myself back into my jeans.

"Want to swap digits so we can hook up again sometime?"

"You know I'm headed off to training camp soon and then I'll be busy with the team, right?"

The last thing I needed was some whiny, needy chick calling me and getting all upset when I reminded her that what we'd had was sex and nothing more.

"Don't worry, I'm just here with Dani to blow off some steam." She palmed my dick through the denim again. "And you were very helpful with that just now."

I shrugged. I didn't usually fuck the same girl more than once, but maybe having a willing partner while I was here wouldn't be the worst thing. Especially considering that I shared a wall with Ian and Kyler. No joke, it had sounded like they'd been filming a porno last night.

( No , they hadn't really been doing that. I knew that because…reasons. Reasons having to do with what the asshats we'd gone to high school with did to her.)

"Sure. Why not?" I said, pulling my phone out and starting a fresh contact profile before handing it to her. "Put yourself in my contacts, and I'll text you so you have my number."

She tapped away on my phone for a minute, then handed it back to me. I sent her a quick one-word text, and I heard her phone chime from her purse. She pulled it out and smiled.

"See you soon, Braden," she purred, unlocking the door and slipping back into the club.