Whatever She's Got Read online

  Whatever

  She’s

  Got

  By Lyla Grace

  Whatever She's Got

  All Rights Reserved.

  Copyright © 2018 Lyla Grace

  This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Prologue: Landon

  Chapter 1: Landon

  Chapter 2: Livie

  Chapter 3: Landon

  Chapter 4: Livie

  Chapter 5: Livie

  Chapter 6: Landon

  Chapter 7: Livie

  Chapter 8: Landon

  Chapter 9: Livie

  Chapter 10: Landon

  Chapter 11: Livie

  Chapter 12: Landon

  Chapter 13: Livie

  Chapter 14: Landon

  Chapter 15: Livie

  Chapter 16: Landon

  Chapter 17: Livie

  Chapter 18: Landon

  Chapter 19: Livie

  Chapter 20: Landon

  Chapter 21: Livie

  Chapter 22: Landon

  Chapter 23: Livie

  Chapter 24: Landon

  Chapter 25: Livie

  Chapter 26: Landon

  Dedication:

  To the best friend, lover, and husband I could have ever imagined. You make life better than any romance novel I have ever read…or written. Thank you so much for making all my dreams come true.

  Prologue

  Landon

  I barely hear her “thank you” as we enter the living room. My eyes fixate on a vision in front of me. Despite the amazing round of sex Ashlynn and I just had, the drop-dead gorgeous brunette in front of me arouses a stirring in my pants. She is sitting in my brown leather recliner, long tan legs swung over the side, her eyes on the TV, watching ESPN. Ashlynn’s elbow connects with my rib cage, a knowing smile on her face.

  Maybe it’s not normal that the girl I am currently sleeping with finds it amusing when I check out other women, but that’s how Ash and I are. We are friends, damn good friends who just happen to have amazing sex. But that’s where it ends. Neither of us is romantically invested. Neither of us wants any more than exactly what we have.

  “Sorry, what?” I ask her.

  She stifles a laugh. “I said thanks, Sutton--that’s exactly what I needed.”

  The woman in the chair snaps her head up hearing us enter the room, a look of amusement on her face. “Well, that certainly doesn’t sound like the Landon Sutton I have heard so much about.”

  “Who are you, exactly?” I ask.

  “Landon, this is Livie, my little sister,” Chase says as he enters from the kitchen with a sandwich in hand.

  In the almost four years that Chase and I roomed together, I have heard more stories and warnings about Chase’s middle sister than I can recall. Apparently Livie Matthews has a penchant for assholes, the current guy she is dating notwithstanding. Last Chase had mentioned, the two had gotten into it yet again, this one ending in the fading black eye that I am now focused on. It takes a real reprehensible man to hit a woman. At this moment, though, she doesn’t look any worse for the wear.

  “Hey, Landon--it’s nice to finally meet you,” she says, the smile on her full lips lighting up the room. “Are you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?”

  Shit! I need to quit noticing her lips and focus back on that black eye, or Chase, or anything but how sexy she is. “Nice to meet you, Livie,” I manage. And based on the physical reaction one look at her has given me, I would definitely say “nice” is an understatement. “This is Ashlynn.”

  “Kind of surprised you didn’t correct her,” Ashlynn laughs.

  “Does it matter?” I ask with a bite in my tone.

  “Doesn’t it?” she retorts. Christ, what is she trying to do?

  “It’s was nice to meet you, Livie. And for the record, Landon and I are just friends,” she says with a wink.

  Ash takes my hand and gives it a gentle tug, snapping me back to the present. We make our way to the front door and she turns to me, her eyebrows raised and her eyes filled with amusement.

  “What?” I ask.

  “You like her,” she says.

  “I don’t even know her. Besides, she’s Chase’s sister. That automatically makes her off limits,” I tell her.

  Her mood changes; she becomes serious. “It’s been a long time. You know, it’s okay to --”

  “Stop. Don’t even finish that sentence. I know that it’s okay. I’m just not interested in going back down that road. Works to your benefit, does it not?”

  Her hand gently touches my cheek. “Oh, Landon….”

  I take her hand down. “I’m fine, Ash. I am perfectly happy. I swear. Now go. You have an exam in twenty minutes.”

  She opens her mouth to say something and then closes it again. She kisses my cheek before rushing off.

  I make my way back into the living room. “Livie is going to be staying here a while, if that’s okay with you?” Chase asks.

  My eyes shift back to her. “Sure, no problem,” I lie to everyone, including myself. Because if I can’t take my eyes off of her now? What the hell is it going to be like if she is staying here? This is most definitely going to be a problem.

  My dad always taught me that the best way to confront a problem is head on. That’s definitely not the route I am going to take in this case. So, instead, I hide. Unless there is an absolute need to leave, I stay in my room. I study a lot. Take care of a lot of urges, too. It certainly doesn’t help that the times I do venture out of my room, she is either prancing around in barely-there clothing or a damn towel. A towel! I damn near come at the sight of her in it, dripping wet. Hell, I should move out, stay with Ashlynn. Anything but torture myself living with a gorgeous woman I will never be able to touch.

  An excruciating week goes by. And here I am spending yet another evening locked in my room, making a futile attempt to study, doing anything I can to not think of her.

  Out of nowhere comes an insistent pounding on my door. “Landon, you in there?” Chase yells, his voice laced with fear and anger.

  I yank the door open. A distinct look of panic is etched on his face. “What’s wrong?” I ask.

  “It’s Livie. We need to go.”

  My knuckles are white from gripping the wheel as Chase recounts the phone call he received from the hospital. The moment the word “punch” comes out of his mouth, I see red. The girl I met only a week earlier has received a severe beating at the hand of some asshole. If I am this worked up, I can only imagine how Chase must feel.

  I look over at him. His jaw is clenched and he is gripping the cell phone in his hand so damn hard I am afraid it’s going to break. We continue on in silence until we reach her room, words seeming futile at this point. She is lying in bed. She is bruised, bandaged, and unrecognizable as the woman who has managed to stir up so much inside of me.

  Chase sits beside her bed, holding the one hand that isn’t in a cast, repeating over and over, “I’m going to kill him. I’m going to fucking kill him.”

  I am having the same thought as I lean back against the wall and watch the scene in front of me. I can’t fathom what would make this girl want to be with a guy that would do this to her. I don’t know what it is, why I feel so protective. There is just something about her. I felt an instant connection the moment we met. It was more than the one in my pants.

  “No you’re not,” the meek voice says. Battered hazel eyes flutter open. “It’s not worth it.”

  “Trust me, it would b
e worth it. What the hell happened, Livie?”

  “I made him mad,” she answers as she turns away in shame.

  “Yeah, I can see that. What set him off this time? You know what? It doesn’t even matter. This is the last time. You’re filing charges against him,” Chase demands.

  “No.” Her voice is stronger now, adamant. Even from across the room I can see the fear in her eyes. “I just want this to be over.”

  They continue to argue as I stand off to the side. Finally, thank God, she gives in. Chase leaves the room to contact the police as I maintain my place by the window.

  Despite agreeing to file the charges, it is easy to see that the decision left her unsettled. “You’re doing the right thing,” I say, even though I have no right.

  “Sure, as long as they convict him. Otherwise I’m just giving myself a death sentence.” Livie tries to adjust herself in the bed but moans in pain. In an instant I am by her side, helping her become more comfortable. I push a piece of hair off her face and tuck it behind her ear. “I know what you’re thinking,” she says.

  “You’re a mind reader now?” I ask with a smile, trying to lighten an intense situation.

  “Funny guy, huh? No, but everyone thinks the same thing…I am an idiot for having stayed with him this long.”

  “Love makes you do stupid things.”

  She turns her head from me. “I don’t love him.” Her admission is pure, honest. And it makes me curious. If it’s not love, then what would possess her to be with this guy in the first place? “It’s just…it’s complicated.”

  While I may not understand it, it isn’t my place to judge. Nor do I want to. I just want to help take away all her pain. “It always is. Look, I’m not here to judge you. I just want to help any way I can.”

  “You want to help, huh?” A mischievous smile plays on her face as she grimaces through the pain from making the expression. “Think you can get me out of here?”

  “You file these charges, and I’ll see what I can do.”

  Chapter 1

  Landon

  The pool area is filled with screaming people, loud music, and a bunch of half-naked girls throwing themselves at a bunch of drunk, horny guys. Welcome to Spring Break 2017, a frat boy’s dream and the last place on earth I want to be. That being said, like any red-blooded American man, I sure as hell am enjoying the view. Hundreds of beautiful women are parading themselves around in skimpy bikinis, each one with less material than the last. I’d have to be crazy to not enjoy it at least a little bit. Still, despite the eye candy, this isn’t my scene, and if I had my choice, I would be anywhere but here. That’s not what a good friend does, though. And when your teammate, your best friend, is in the middle of a gut-wrenching divorce and the only thing he thinks will cure him is several dozen hook-ups with nameless women--well, who am I to deny him that?

  Chase stands at the entrance to the pool area. A shit-eating grin on his face, he looks more like a kid in a candy store who wants to sample everything than a twenty-eight-year-old professional football player. Luckily for him, his wish will come true the moment he slips his Armani sunglasses off and women realize who he is. They will be falling at his feet. They always do. It comes with the territory when you are one of the most recognizable faces in the NFL. And Chase is certainly recognizable. Between his advertisement spots--and more recently, his exploits making the tabloids--his face has been plastered everywhere.

  Chase is easily the biggest pain in the ass I have ever met. If anyone would have told me freshman year that he and I would end up best friends, I would have thought they were crazy. To say that we started off on the wrong foot is putting it nicely. I disliked him on sight. He oozed arrogance and was egotistical as hell. As if that wasn’t enough to make me hate him, the guy was loud, cocky, and way too into partying.

  Then one day I had a really shitty practice. It was “her” birthday--or rather, it would have been. And my head definitely wasn’t in the right place. I remember hearing him call after me. I remember him putting his hand on my shoulder. I remember punching him in the face. What I don’t remember is stopping. Somehow I ended up back at our dorm, a bottle of whiskey on the table and two glasses. Chase sat across from me, his eyes laser focused on me. “I don’t know what the hell your problem is, but you have two choices. We either talk about it or drink it away. I prefer the latter, but whatever you want, man. Either way – this shit between us needs to end. Take your time, do what you got to do, but just don’t take the shit out on me. I’m here if you need me.” He handed me a glass of whiskey. We clinked glasses and spent the rest of the night drinking.

  As they say, the rest is history. We grew closer from that moment on. Two years later, we moved off campus and into our own apartment. Still now, ten years later, he has no idea what was wrong with me, why I was such a dick those first few months. But he stood by me through everything else since. And for that I owe him everything, even if that means coming on this Godforsaken trip. Two months ago, he found out his wife cheated on him…a lot. Since then, my previously “I have been with only one girl” friend, has exponentially made up for lost time. And I am assuming this trip is not going to be any different.

  My eyes gravitate to a gorgeous woman emerging from the water. Her wavy brown hair cascades down her back as the sun and water glisten off her perfectly tanned skin. She calls out to Chase, waving her hands in the air as she makes her way toward us. I study her intently: curves in all the right spots, legs a mile long, and perfectly displayed B-cup breasts…not too big, not too small, just the way I like them. In fact, everything about her is just right. She makes her way over to us, flinging her arms around Chase’s neck. “You’re here!” she exclaims, her arms still tightly wrapped around Chase. After a few moments Chase releases the distinctively beautiful woman and she turns to me.

  Livie Matthews, the woman of my dreams and Chase’s middle sister. We were in college the first time I met her. And despite knowing that dating my best friend’s sister is a line I would never cross, could never cross--I can’t help how I feel about her. Every time we are in the same vicinity, especially since it has become more frequent as of late, my attraction for her only seems to grow. That being said, if I thought I had a visceral reaction to her then—well, holy shit, it’s nothing compared to how I am reacting to her right now.

  Being a gentleman, I extend my hand to her. She of course dismisses it, grabbing hold of me and embracing me with as much enthusiasm as she had Chase. Okay, so the handshake was more of an attempt on my part at keeping my cock under control rather than being a gentleman, but what does it matter? My damn plan backfired, and here I am with her arms around me and her body pressed up against mine. I smile at her, silently praying that she cannot feel my untimely erection. Something in her hazel eyes tells me otherwise, and even worse, she doesn’t mind.

  “I am so glad you decided to come.” I have a feeling she knows exactly what she is saying and just how close I am to doing exactly that.

  Before our embrace even ends, Chase’s eye has already caught something, or someone, and he is off in hot pursuit. Fuck! The last thing I need is to be alone with Livie. I am in so much trouble. “Looks like it’s just us. Buy me a drink?” she asks.

  Alcohol is definitely the last thing I need. If past transgressions are any indication, all it can do is lead to making bad decisions. Just being in the same vicinity as her already has me steering in that direction; I don’t need alcohol to entice me more. Yet, as I watch her perfectly toned ass walk away from me, I am so entranced that I have already followed her and slammed a shot off the bar before I realize what I am doing.

  As we stand there, she runs her finger down the center of my chest. “You’re a little overdressed for spring break by the pool, don’t you think?” My cock twitches as her finger stops at my waist and toys with the hem of my shirt.

  I clear my throat to try to forget the feeling of her hand on me. “I’m not planning on staying by the pool.” Grabbing another shot off t
he bar, I quickly slam it. “I need to head up to my room.” I pull a twenty from my pocket and place it on the bar.

  “Are you always so uptight, Landon?” her sultry voice rings out as I make my way through the lobby to the elevator.

  “I am not uptight.” I’m not. Not being part of the party scene doesn’t make me uptight. It makes me….Okay, maybe I am maybe a little uptight. But I have to be, especially now. Because it’s only been ten minutes, and if she keeps prancing around me showing me what she has to offer, I don’t think I will be able to resist her much longer. I have been with plenty of women, but something about Livie makes me feel like a horny teenager. Whatever she’s got just keeps pulling me in and making me want more.

  When she follows me onto the elevator, I realize that my escape plan is futile. She is definitely stubborn, and I have a feeling she isn’t going to give up until she gets what she wants. I just wish I knew exactly what that was.

  “Okay, tough guy. Then why don’t you go change into your trunks and come parasailing with me?” she suggests.

  “No, thanks.”

  She continues to follow me off the elevator and down to my room. While I should stop her, tell her to go, I find myself holding the door open for her. Why the hell am I letting her in when I should be keeping her out?

  Once we’re in my room she moves closer to me, my body on high alert at the nearness of her. Holy hell, she is going to make this damn trip a bigger nightmare than I thought if I am going to have to spend the majority of it trying to keep it in my pants. I have known I am attracted to her from the moment I met her. I would be a damn fool not to be--she is stunning. I just need to learn to control myself, which is the one thing I am apparently not capable of when it comes to her. If I was going to have any hope of keeping myself from doing something stupid, I was going to have to stay as far away from her as possible.

  “Please, Landon?” she begs. Begs, for Christ sake. The sound makes me want to make her beg for so much more. “Chase was supposed to go with me, but it doesn’t look like I will be seeing much of him this trip.” Hazel eyes are pleading with me, her words begging me, and fuck me if I can say no to that.