Hard: A Sexy Sports Romance Boxed Set

“I taught you better than to go whoring with some rich boy.” She shakes her head. “You were supposed to be the good one, but somehow I’ve managed to raise two sluts.”

My protest dies in my throat as she grabs my cheeks with one hand and squeezes. “You better not get knocked-up. I will not be responsible for another mouth to feed.”

Letting me go, she turns and walks away, leaving me in an icy shock. I don’t holler after her that she’s wrong about Ethan and that he’s going to send for me soon and that we’ll get married and be together forever. Those are all the things that Carla insisted when she got pregnant with Ben. But her prince charming never called. He never came back, leaving her a sad cliché of the small-town girl who believed she could be more than she was.

But, not me. Ethan will be back for me and someday in the future, he and I will be pulling into town in a Lexus SUV with our children. And we’ll rent one of the big cottages on the shore and I’ll wear expensive sunglasses and just the right shade of lipstick while he and I snuggle on a lounge chair and watch our children play in the surf. And my mom will know I wasn’t a fool. I won’t be poor like this forever. I won’t be alone like this. I’ll be lucky and loved.

Eight

Ethan - Two Months Later

“You have reached Cape Williams marina and boat dock, we are closed for the winter and will reopen again on April first. We look forward to serving your yachting and mooring needs again soon. BEEP.”

Hanging up, I curse under my breath, glad that my new roommate isn't here to see me so upset. In the last month, I haven't been able to reach Jess even once. I've tried calling her house over and over, but her mom always seems to pick up the phone. She's as nasty as they come and she's clearly under the impression that I'm the worst thing that could ever happen to her daughter. Jess doesn't have a cell phone of her own, which is insane in this day and age. I mean I knew she was poor, but this is a whole new level of poverty that I could never imagine.

I shake my head and try her number again, hoping Jessica will answer this time. It rings four times, then, just when I’m about to hang up, I hear her sweet voice come on the line.

“Hello?”

“Thank God. Jessica. I’ve been trying to reach you for weeks.”

“Really?” she asks, sounding like she might cry.

“Yes, of course. Your mom hates me with a vengeance though. Wow.”

"I'm so sorry. I need to get out of here. She's been a tyrant lately." She sounds so desperate that I wish I could get in my car and drive right to her.

“Are you okay?” I ask, feeling suddenly panicked.

"Yeah. No. I mean, I just really miss you, and when I didn't hear from you for so long, I thought maybe you changed your mind about us." Her voice cracks.

"Never." I close my eyes and sigh, hating like hell that I have to give her such bad news the first chance we've had to talk since I left. "I've missed you so much. You have no idea."

“I think I do,” she says in a shaky voice. “You’re all I think about.”

“You, too, Jess. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten in my car and thought about just driving all the way there until I get to you.” I sigh, feeling the weight of my misery settling in on my chest again.

"How's college life?" she asks, and I know she's really asking if I have figured out a way to send for her yet.

"I'm not at Penn State anymore. I got picked up by the Cardinals last week. One of their running backs tore his knee, so he's out for the season."

“What? Are you serious?” She sounds so excited that it hurts.

“Yep. They’ve put me up in an apartment with another rookie.”

“But, what about school?”

"I don't know. This came up fast, and I jumped at it. There won't be another opportunity like this for me, but I can always go back to college when I'm an old man."

"So, what does this mean for you and me?" she asks.

I can picture her face, her eyes shut tight as she waits for an answer. I might as well just rip off the Band-Aid. “It means that we have to wait a bit longer than I hoped. The coach made it very clear that rookies can’t have girlfriends distracting them. If I try to bring you out and they catch me, I’ll be cut immediately.”

I pause and wait for her to say something, but there's only silence on the line. My heart jumps into my throat. "Listen, Jess, as far as I'm concerned nothing has changed, except that you and I will have enough cash to do whatever we want. I still want us to be together. I want to make a life with you. I just need you to be patient until I get through my first season. Once I've got a permanent contract, nothing will ever get between us again. Okay?"

I hear a sniffling sound, but still, she says noth

ing.