Forever Blake (Once Upon a Player Book 3) by Elena Matthews (free books to read .TXT) 📗

future, that this thing between us is more than the original fling it was, then I would move heaven and earth to be with her because the alternative would break me.

“Me neither, Ever, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

Placing her hands on my cheeks, she takes in my face, a look of awe shining bright in those blue eyes of hers. “When I started my first shift at Happy Hours that night, I had no idea I would meet the love of my life.”

“Well, you did, and now, you’re stuck with me.”

“I love you, Blake. It might seem too soon or too rushed, but I don’t give a fuck.”

Using the tip of my thumb, I stroke her thick lips. “You and that potty mouth,” I say, grinning my pearly-white teeth at her. “I don’t think it’s too rushed, especially since I’ve loved you since the very instant I saw you. It just took me a while to realize it.”

Slowly, Ever traces my lips with hers, and she takes my breath away with a kiss that I feel all the way to my soul—and my dick. A few seconds later, we break apart, and she flicks her eyes up to the skylight.

“The fireworks have stopped. We should probably head back before someone sends out a search party for us.”

“Yeah, okay…but I just remembered one thing,” I tell her.

“And what’s that?”

“I love you, too.”

The sound of knocking has me peeking one eye open as I rouse from sleep. I glance at the clock on my bedside table, and I’m surprised to see it’s barely turned eight a.m. After a late Fourth of July night with lots of sunshine and alcohol added to the mix, it’s safe to say, I’m feeling delicate this morning.

Allowing my eyes to drift shut, I decide to ignore the knocking. Unfortunately, whoever is at my front door definitely wants my attention, as more knocking can be heard, but this time, it’s much louder.

As I groan, my eyes spring open. “Who the hell is it?” I murmur as I throw the sheets from my body.

I literally get to sleep in once a week, so whoever it is had better have a good fucking reason for waking me up. It’s probably Jace; he usually likes to wake me up at the ass crack of dawn. I’m not sure why he’s knocking though, he has a key.

I get out of bed and grab the nearest T-shirt I can find. I throw it over my head as I shuffle through the apartment just as another knock sounds at my door.

Lord, give me strength.

As I swing the door open, I say, “Jace, it’s way too fucking early on a Sunday for this shit.”

I blink with surprise when I see that instead of my brother being at the door, it’s Edwin.

“Oh, hey, Edwin. Sorry. I thought you were my—” I don’t get a chance to finish my sentence when my head is whipped back from Edwin’s fist hitting my face. Caught off guard, I stumble back, groaning in pain as I cover my nose with my hand.

Jesus fucking Christ, that fucking hurt.

“You son of a bitch!” he yells, and my heart drops to my feet.

He knows about Ever and me. Shit, so much for us telling him on Monday.

“Edwin, I can explain,” I offer, my tongue licking at the blood I can feel trickling from my nose to my upper lip.

“Explain what, huh? That you’ve been fucking my twenty-two-year-old daughter? No need to explain. I already know!”

I wince—and not because of my throbbing face. I hate how blunt he is being right now. It might have started as two people having sex, but it isn’t just about that anymore.

Holding my hands out in front of me, I say, “Why don’t you come on inside, and we’ll discuss this over some coffee?”

He either doesn’t hear me or he chooses not to as he stays planted at my front door. “You have all the hussies on this goddamn planet you could want, yet they’re not enough for your man-whore self to amuse yourself with. No! You still have to go after the pure women, women you have no business sniffing around. I mean, Christ, she’s your intern. Your intern who is ten years younger than you!”

He barely takes a breath before he continues with his insults, “I mean, have you simply run out of women to sleep with and you decided to start looking in the kiddie pool? Is that it?”

My nostrils flare, and my blood begins to pump with anger, my fight response kicking in hard.

“You were supposed to be her mentor, not take advantage of her!”

That gets my hackles up in an instant.

“Wait. Hold on, Edwin. It isn’t like that…and it’s never been like that.”

“What? Are you saying she threw herself at you?” he barks at me, steam coming out of his ears.

“No, of course not. It wasn’t like that either. I’m not quite sure how you found out about us, but rest assured, it isn’t anything seedy. I promise. Just please, hear me out.”

“Why should I? I mean, you weren’t even man enough to tell me straight. I had to find out from one of my board members that he saw my junior partner and daughter sneaking off into the pool house last night. Do you know how humiliating that was?!”

I let out a deep breath. “Look, I’m so sorry you had to find out like that. We were going to tell you on Monday.”

“So, I could give my blessing? You are ten years her senior. I would never give you my blessing. She is my little girl.”

“No disrespect, but she is a grown woman.”

“She’s barely a legal adult. She has no idea what she is doing with her life. She’s still figuring shit out. She doesn’t know what she wants, and I don’t want her being influenced by a fuckboy who has never been in a serious relationship in his life.”

“You can call me every name under