Rookie Mistake: A Sports Romance Novel (The Beasts of Baseball Book 1) (33 page)

“I don’t know,” I replied, trying for sarcastic, but failing. “How long do you plan on calling him that?”

“It’s a good one,” she grinned. “I think it’s a nickname that’s going to stick.”

I stood up and crossed the short space to my bedroom. “What are you doing tonight?” I yelled over my shoulder.

“I might go to the movies with Jamie,” she said to my back. “Maybe I’ll see you there.”

“The other meanie from work?”

“Yeah.”

I opened my closet and started pushing hangers to the side, looking for my embroidered peasant blouse. It had been months since I last wore it — the summer before, specifically — and the time had come to break it out again.

“Do you have this guy’s phone number?” Evie yelled from the other room. “Maybe I’ll go out with him while you and Starter Kit sit on the couch and talk about the weather. Do you want to borrow my Farmer’s Almanac?”

“Har har,” I grumbled, taking my t-shirt off and pulling the blouse on. I leaned over the little vanity pressed against the wall and swiped on some tinted lip balm before raking my fingers through my hair in an attempt to tame the unruly bits. My hair had a slight amount of body, but nowhere near enough to classify it as curly. On good days, you could call it wavy. On bad days, it was frizzy as all hell.

A knock sounded on the front door.

“It’s Derek!” I yelled over my shoulder as I searched the vanity for my black-brown tube of mascara. “Will you get it?”

The floorboards squeaked, and the front door opened. A low male voice traveled across the apartment, but it wasn’t Derek’s. I tensed and dropped the mascara.

Evie laughed lightly over something. “These are amazing,” she cooed.

“Who is it?” I asked, going to the doorway.

Evie was just shutting the door, hiding whoever had stood there a moment before. In her hands was a bouquet of red roses sitting in a green vase.

“It’s a dozen,” she announced, grinning wide.

I stared, baffled. “Huh?”

“Someone sent you roses.” She buried her nose in them. “Wow, they smell so good.”

“Who sent me roses? Who was that at the door?”

She rolled her eyes and set the vase on my tiny little two-seater kitchen table. “It was the delivery guy. And according to the card…” She pulled the pale pink square of paper from its holder and read what was written on it. “Cristiano Leventis.” Her eyes glowed. “The
guy?”

I slowly nodded, dumbstruck. “Yeah.”

“He must have gotten your address from the orphanage. Wow, he works fast.”

I walked across the living room, the intoxicating scent of the roses enveloping me and drawing me in. They were freshly cut, their petals vibrant and crisp at the edges, no signs of wilting on them at all.

Evie, still wearing a wide grin, leaned against the table. “Homeboy is making quite the move. I swear, Blaire, if you don’t go to him now, you need to send me in your place.”

“I told him I have a boyfriend,” I mumbled, my gaze still fixated on the roses. “Let me see that card.”

She handed it over. “Here, read for yourself. There’s a sexy love note attached.”

Blaire
, the card said.
It was lovely meeting you. I hope you have a wonderful week. Until we see each other again, Cristiano Leventis.

Evie sighed. “Even a simple note from him is swoon worthy.”

Another knock came from the front. I sucked in a breath. “Hide them,” I hissed.

Evie smirked but picked up the vase.

“Under the sink,” I whispered.

She complied, opening the cabinet and pushing some cleaning products to the side. “There’s some water down here. It looks like one of the pipes is leaking.”

“Forget about it,” I snapped. “Why are you worried about that now?”

Another knock sounded.

“Coming!” I announced in a louder voice.

Halfway to the front door, it opened. Derek looked down at the knob, a slightly puzzled look on his face. “Why is your door unlocked?” he asked.

“Why did you
try
to open it?” Evie snapped from somewhere behind me.

I quickly made a move to put out the swiftly encroaching fire. With Evie’s quick temper, it could only be a matter of seconds before we were all surrounded by a hellish inferno. “It’s fine,” I insisted. “I must have forgotten to lock it after Evie got here.”

“Really?” His eyebrows knitted together. “That doesn’t sound like you.”

“Yeah, I know,” I agreed and wiped my sweaty palms on my blouse. “I didn’t have enough caffeine today. I’m totally suffering from it.”

“Yeah,” Evie agreed. “I thought you weren’t thinking straight.”

I turned and pierced her with a look. Her arms folded, she leaned against the kitchen counter that made a little peninsula to separate the living room from the kitchen. She gave nothing away, not even looking at me when I stared her down.

“I should be going,” she said. “Lots of things to do and places to be, you know. Movies to see… men to meet.” She walked over to the couch and picked up her purse. “See you guys later.”

“Bye,” I responded, wanting to literally push her out of the door at that point.

“Later,” Derek mumbled, stepping into the apartment so she could get past him.

A heavy silence followed the shutting of the door.

Derek peered at me. “Are you all right?”

I nodded vigorously and forced myself to stop. “Yes. Totally. Why?”

He pursed his lips and cocked his head slightly. “You just seem… uncomfortable. What were you and Evie talking about before I got here?”

“Nothing,” I blurted. “I mean, she was just sharing stories about work. If I seem out of whack, it’s the lack of caffeine.” I took a step backwards to sit down on the couch’s arm. “I have a headache from it.”

“Aw, sorry to hear that.” He stepped forward and placed his hand against my forehead, the palm nice and warm. “I’ll get you a Coke.”

“Um, okay. Thanks.” I tensed as I watched him walk around the couch and into the kitchen, each of his steps bringing him closer and closer to the hidden vase of flowers.

T
O
B
E
C
ONTINUED...

I hope you enjoyed your sneak peek of
Secrets (Lords of the City)
.
Secrets (Lords of the City)
is now LIVE on Amazon and you can read the full standalone novel
HERE
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CLICK HERE TO READ
Secrets (Lords of the City)
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Continue on to read my complete series box set bonus,
The Billionaire Prisoner The Complete Series
, HERE!

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Ace’s Wild (The Beasts of Baseball – Book Two)
, HERE!

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T
HE
B
ILLIONIARE
P
RISONER

T
HE
C
OMPLETE
S
ERIES

ALICE WARD

BOOK DESCRIPTION

“The Billionaire Prisoner” is a five-part Hot Alpha Billionaire Romance Series by Alice Ward and Jessica Blake.

This is the complete series box set containing all 5 parts with an HEA and no cliffhangers.

Defense attorney Alisa Manning is looking for the right trial to thrust her into the spotlight of her new firm. Much like fate does, it drops in her lap the only man who’s ever found his way into her heart. A man she hasn't been able to forget.

Zek Kellington has been accused of rape by one of his new interns, and the girl’s father is one of the top trial lawyers in the city. On top of that, the SEC is after him too. The evidence points to his guilt and the press has already found him guilty. His life is falling apart at his very expensive seams.

Can Alisa clear his name of the charges while keeping her heart free from the promises he offers, or will she dive in deep and invest everything in a criminal?

This book is intended for a mature audience, 18+ only.

THE BILLIONAIRE PRISONER

ALICE WARD & JESSICA BLAKE

PART 1

BOOK DESCRIPTION

This is Part 1 of “The Billionaire Prisoner” – a five part Hot Alpha Billionaire Romance Series by Alice Ward and Jessica Blake.

Defense attorney Alisa Manning is looking for the right trial to thrust her into the spotlight of her new firm. Much like fate does, it drops in her lap the only man who’s ever found his way into her heart. A man she hasn’t been able to forget.

Zek Kellington has been accused of rape by one of his new interns, and the girl’s father is one of the top trial lawyers in the city. On top of that, the SEC is after him too. The evidence points to his guilt and the press has already found him guilty. His life is falling apart at his very expensive seams.

Can Alisa clear his name of the charges while keeping her heart free from the promises he offers, or will she dive in deep and invest everything in a criminal?

This book is intended for a mature audience, 18+ only.

CHAPTER 1

e

Alisa

I
’d never experienced anything more nerve wracking than I did sitting across from Zek Kellington again. The financial mogul who had brought himself up from nothing to become a shining star in the vast sky of investments was still the boy I’d fallen in love with as a girl. His deep voice and piercing gaze undid me in a matter of minutes and escaping was all I could think to do.

I knew him well enough to know that he wouldn’t let bygones be bygones. He would get up from the quaint table in the middle of La Terange and follow me outside. Taking a sharp left down the alley wasn’t the most brilliant idea I’d had in a while, but it saved me from having to stand in front of him again.

“It’s fine. Let it go,” I mumbled to myself before picking my walk up to a jog. My car was parked a few lots over, due to the demand for space in the popular downtown area. The jog would do me good. I needed something to bleed my desire into anyway.

Seeing him left me overwhelmed and diving into the many visions I’d had of the future while growing up. It was a future where he and I were together and love was a commodity that never failed to surround us both.
How things have changed.

Not only had I not seen him in eighteen years, but to have to reacquaint ourselves under his current situation left me at an unfair disadvantage. He was being charged with rape of a young intern at his firm, and to my understanding, he was soon to face charges of insider trading. Whether he was involved in the trading scandal was beyond me, but the rape had to be a lie.

How many times had I tried to get him to take our make-out sessions beyond something soft and caring to hot and carnal when I was younger? He wouldn’t think of taking advantage of me or anyone else back then. Something told me that he was very much that same guy. His standards couldn’t have changed much, but his judgment was certainly skewed.

After getting into my BMW and buckling up, I started the car and hit the button on the dash to call my brother. He wouldn’t be surprised about me seeing Zek, but maybe it was time to open up a little. Time to tell him about the torrent of emotion threatening to strangle me now that the meeting was over.

“Carl Beeler. What can I do ya for?” His warm, friendly voice never failed to force a smile onto my face.

“Why do you answer the phone like that when you know it’s me?” I chuckled and pulled out into the busy side street ahead of me.

“Consistency, Sis. You gotta maintain consistency, no matter who’s in front of you.” He snorted, laughing at himself, which was very much his style. He was anything but consistent.

“Are you and Cathy free tonight? I need to talk to you guys and just hang out with someone who loves me.” I ran my fingers through my hair, destroying the professional look I’d worked hard to create.

“Yeah. Get your ass over here. I’m already home and Cat will be here any minute. We’re having hamburgers, so no fancy-pants food, but you need to get away from that stuff from time to time anyway.” He snorted again and I rolled my eyes.

“I’m stopping by my apartment and then I’ll be there. Need me to bring anything?”

“Nope, just yourself.” There was a brief pause. “Okay, well, see you soon, and Sis… you okay?”

“I’m okay. I think.” I let out a sigh and pulled the car onto the freeway, pressing the gas and letting the acceleration tug at the part of me that didn’t want to behave at all. I kept that part locked up tight. It just seemed better for everyone involved that I did.

“Alright. I love you.” He hung up, leaving me to the silence of my car.

“I love you too,” I mumbled to the empty space around me and pursed my lips. I wanted Zek’s case so fucking bad, and yet I knew it would lead to far more than a few more accolades for my career. He seemed to be struggling with recognizing me when I first walked in, but I knew who he was without question. I’d followed bits and pieces of his career over the years, hating myself for wanting to know, but needing to nevertheless.