Falling For His Badass Read online

  Copyright © 2019 Jessika Klide, LLC

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, events and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, named features, artists and bands are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used for reference and without permission. The publication / use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used.

  Created with Vellum

  NOVELS BY JESSIKA KLIDE

  Siri’s Heart Serial Romance Series

  Finding HER (#1 & 2)

  Meeting HER (#3)

  Deceiving HER (#4)

  Denying HER (#5)

  Choosing HER (#6)

  Saving HER (#7)

  Doubting HER (#8)

  Taming HER (#9)

  Claiming HER (#10)

  Losing HER (#11)

  The End of HER (#12)

  Capturing HER (#13) - Coming Soon

  Standalone’s

  Donut Dilemma

  I Hope You Dance

  Sam, I Am

  Falling For His Badass

  Holiday Novellas

  Zane, A Scrooged Christmas

  Falling For His Badass is dedicated to my husband, my soulmate, my Badass. He proves to me every day that being badass doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a soft spot for me, and that one woman is enough if she is the right woman.

  "If you like a hot alpha males with lots of sizzling romance than this is the book for you" ~ 5 Star ~ Amazon Review

  "The characters had great chemistry together and the story kept me turning the pages." ~ 5 Star ~ Amazon Review

  "This is the kind of book you want to read when you’re tired and dispirited – you’ll feel so good afterwards! " ~ 5 Star ~ Amazon Review

  "“You had me at Oomph” – definitely my favorite quote" ~ 5 Star ~ Amazon Review

  Lizzy has terrible luck with men.

  It's not that she doesn't attract good guys, she does. It's that she settles for "decent" ones.

  Tired of making the wrong choices when it comes to men, Lizzy trusts her best friend, Tara, to take her away for the weekend. Lizzy knows that if she wants an all-consuming love, she's going to have to take a bigger risk to attract a different type of man.

  But this road trip will yield dangerous results. Her panic button will be pushed, and before the first night is over, she will be Falling For His Badass.

  “But why?” I ask my best friend, Tara. “Why do I have to go with you?”

  “Two reasons. One, you need to get out of the house. You’ve been sulking around long enough. Jack was an ass and doesn’t deserve a single minute more of your time.” She sits next to me and puts her arm around me. “I hate seeing you like this.” She hugs me tight and I lay my head on her shoulder. “Lizzy, you deserve better.”

  “My heart is tired of hurting.” I confess.

  “You need a change of scenery, and selection.”

  Tara and I have been best friends since college and this isn’t the first time, she’s seen me down in the dumps over a dude. Some of the dudes I’ve dated, she’s liked, and some, she hasn’t. Jack was one she never liked and she was right. He was a decent dude, but a dud.

  I ask my bestie. “What’s the second reason for going with you?”

  “I don’t want to go alone,” she smirks at me. “Please?"

  “Ah,” I laugh, “the truth comes out.”

  Her eyes twinkle, “Please come, Lizzy. It’ll be fun, I promise.”

  “I don’t know.” I try not to capitulate too easily. “What will I do while you are busy being John’s latest conquest?”

  “Last. I’m going to be busy being John’s last conquest." She corrects me, while her mischievous grin smiles at me.

  I nod and reword my question. “What will I do while you are busy being John’s last conquest?”

  “Why don’t you go to The Lost Boys dinner show?”

  “Tara,” I hug her, knowing she has given getting me out of my apartment a lot of thought, “that’s an excellent idea!” Then pick my phone up off the coffee table. “If I can get a ticket, I’ll come with you.”

  She leans across the space and hugs me tight. “You can. They aren’t sold out Friday night.”

  I laugh with her. “You’re the best!”

  “I know.”

  * * *

  Three days later, Tara pulls up outside my apartment and my phone dings. *I’m here. Do you need help?*

  *No. Be right down.* I grab my backpack, look around my apartment, then lock the door.

  When I slide into the front seat next to her, she flashes her cute smile and her eyes twinkle as she greets me. “There’s my beautiful bestie. Glad to see your happy face is back.”

  I grin. “No more Jack-asses for me! Let’s go!”

  “Atta a girl!”

  She backs out of the parking spot, puts the car in drive, and we leave our small town for the city and John’s house.

  Tara and John met six months ago at the Medical Center where she is a nurse. He is a pharmaceutical representative and was there pushing a new drug to a staff doctor. Tara barged in on their meeting to announce that the Doctor’s wife had been in a car accident and was being admitted to the emergency room. The doctor left Tara to handle the transaction, she and John went out that night, and they’ve been dating since.

  During the miles and miles of interstate highway, Tara and I talk about my dating woes. “So, what’s your advice for me this weekend? I’m obviously doing something wrong to keep getting Love Bombed.” I ask her.

  “Don’t go out looking for love.” She cuts her eyes at me. “Just go out dancing to unwind. Have fun.”

  I nod. “I will. My heart isn’t ready for anyone new. It’s tired of being strung along.”

  “Lizzy, you have to stop worrying about finding the right guy. He’s just going to show up.”

  I cut my eyes at her. “How am I supposed to know who he is? A lot of guys show up.”

  “Your heart will know.” She states. I almost laugh at her, but I know she is serious, and I would never hurt her feelings. “Even if a dude is really digging you and he’s a good catch, if your heart doesn’t react,” she cuts her eyes at me again, “not respond but react, as soon as you see him, then he’s not the one.”

  I mull over her answer. I’ve been with dudes that stirred my heart, but was it a response or a reaction? “Is that what happened with John?” I study her. As good of friends as we are, she never told me how she felt the first time they met, just the story of how they met. “Did your heart react?”

  She laughs, “As soon as John smiled at me, my heart went nuts. I knew right then, that if he asked me out, I was going to say yes. By the end of the transaction, I knew that if he didn’t ask me, I was going to ask him.”

  “Wow!” I’m surprised by her answer. Tara is a very reserved, shy person and the fact that she intended to be so bold and ask him out shocks me. “It was that fast?”

  She nods. “It was. The more I get to know him, the better he gets too.” She grins so big I can’t help but believe her.

  “Love looks good on you.” I state.

  The GPS tells us to take the next off ramp, and our conversation is over. As Tara skillfully maneuvers the directions being issued, I think about what she has described. I’ve never believed in love at first sight, but it seems too real. Tara and John are proof.

  The closer we get, the more excited she becomes, and the brighter her star shines. But as soon as we turn onto John’
s street, we see a candy apple red Corvette parked in front of his house, and her status shifts from star to stalker in a split second. She blurts out, as if I have a clue. "Whose car is that?"

  "How should I know?" I blurt out too, “but it’s a dope ride!”

  She cuts scared eyes at me.

  “Maybe it’s John’s.” I offer, but we both know it’s not. He’s not a ‘vet’ kind of guy. He’s conservative and guys who drive vets like to drive fast. Otherwise, what’s the point?

  “It’s not John’s.” She states for the record. She pulls into the driveway and tells me, "Don’t shut your door when you get out, Lizzy. Just push it till it latches.”

  "Seriously?" I look at her. She is on full bitch alert. “Do you think he’s going to cheat on you when he knows you are coming for a visit? Take my word for it, Tara. They cheat when they don’t know you’re coming.”

  She cuts her eyes at me, and her look says it all. She didn’t tell John she was coming.

  "What the fuck, Tara? He doesn’t know?"

  “He knows I’m coming, just not a day early. I was supposed to drive up tomorrow morning. I thought I would surprise him." She looks wild eyed and I realize this could go sideways quick. Tara is a redhead with a fiery temper and cheating scars.

  "Oh dear lord!" I reach over and grab the steering wheel. “No fucking way are we walking in unannounced!"

  Beep. Beep. I smack the horn.

  She slaps my hand away, looking both scared and angry. "Lizzy! Stop!"

  “No, John loves you.” I smack the horn twice more. “He’s done nothing to deserve jealousy. That’s a leftover scar from Jimmy.”

  We stare defiantly at each other for a couple of moments, then she blinks. “Fine.” Opens her door and gets out.

  “Fine.” I open my door as well, but before I can stand, the front door opens, and John’s handsome mug appears on the front porch.

  His smile says it all. Tara is going to be his last conquest. "BAE!" He shouts and opens his arms. “Wow! What a wonderful surprise!”

  All doubt and jealousy disappear from Tara, and she runs to him shining as brightly as before. When she arrives, she jumps into his arms, and he swings her around, while she showers him with kisses.

  I slowly close the car door and lean against it watching them. I sigh. I want that. I want an all-consuming love. The kind of love that makes you crazy.

  When their lips finally unlock, they both turn to beam at me. I wave, laughing, happy they are together. “Hi, John.”

  “Hi, Lizzy!" John smiles as he sets her down, taking her hand and walking to the car. “I’m so glad you’re here. This is perfect!” He grins at me. “You can meet my little brother."

  Little brother? My eyes dart to glare at Tara. I am NOT babysitting.

  Tara catches my look, then playfully pushes him away. “Brother? I didn’t know you had a little brother.”

  “Yeah, he popped in last night unannounced on his way to a new assignment." He pulls her tight against him again. Tara’s eyes glaze over as she slips her arms around his waist. He cuts his eyes at me and winks. “He’s in the military.”

  I smile sweetly at John as he releases Tara and walks to the back of the car to get our bags. “I’m not staying.” I tell him firmly. “I’m just dropping her off. I have a ticket to catch ‘The Lost Boys Dinner Show’ tonight. I’ve been dying to see it and Jack wouldn’t take me. Thanks for the offer though, but I’ll pass.”

  He throws her bag over his shoulder and says as he closes the door. “You should reconsider. He’s a really great guy.”

  I smirk, “I’m sure he is, but I’ve made plans.” I hold my hand out to Tara. “Keys, please?”

  Tara shoves the car keys down her jeans pocket while she frowns at me. “Lizzy don’t be rude. At least, come inside to meet him.” She slips her hand back in John’s and walks with him to the house.

  I bite my tongue and watch them whispering to each other and I wonder if this was a conspiracy to hook me and his brother up. When she dangles her car keys, I sigh, as I follow them. I can’t go anywhere without those. I raise my voice so they can hear me. “I can’t stay long. I don’t want to be late for the show.”

  Tara looks back grinning and mouths to me. “John’s brother is a military man, Lizzy! How exciting!”

  I mouth back, “This better not be a set up.”

  She grins, and I can’t tell if it is or not.

  When we walk into the house, I’m impressed with John’s decor. It’s not a bachelor pad. It’s a home. He sets her bag down and points the way to the first-floor bathroom. “If you need to go potty, it’s down the hall there.”

  I make a beeline for it.

  When I return, John and Tara are in the kitchen preparing to make margaritas. He tells me, “Brody’s gone for a run.”

  I look at my phone to check the time. “I’ve only got a little time, then I have to bug out.”

  He nods, takes his phone out, and starts to text someone, who I assume is Brody, as he asks me, “Margarita?”

  I laugh, “No, thanks. I’m driving, remember?”

  He chuckles and says, “My little brother is a really great guy!”

  I grin at that, pulling up a stool. “I’m sure he is. If I don’t meet him before I leave, I’ll make sure to come back in time on Sunday to meet him before we go home.”

  Tara asks as she begins mixing the Margaritas, “So tell us about your little brother? What’s he do in the military?”

  “I have no idea what he does. And, no idea where he does it. And, no idea when he will have to do it. And, no idea when he’s done doing it and will come home.”

  “Oh,” Tara mouths as her eyebrows raise. “He’s a badass then.”

  He nods and chuckles. “Yeah, he’s the badass of the family.”

  I laugh, “That’s his corvette then.”

  He chuckles harder. “Hell yeah, he’s proud of that beauty too. He took me for a spin yesterday and nearly made me scream.”

  We all laugh at that.

  “How long has Brody been in the service?” I ask.

  “Too long, if you ask me, but about six years.”

  “Wow, hard-core.” Tara says, then turns the blender on and mixes the batch of Margaritas. She pours the first one and John slides it across the bar to me, grinning sheepishly. I grin, amused, but slide it back, shaking my head.

  Tara play slaps him. “Lizzy will never forgive me, if you keep trying to hook her up.”

  John laughs. “Brody will never forgive me if I don’t.”

  My alarm on my phone goes off. “Well, it’s time to go.” I jump off the stool.

  I look at Tara for support. Her eyes narrow when she reads my silent plea, so she says, “I’ll walk you out.”

  “John, I’ll come back Sunday around ten o’clock to get Tara and I can meet Brody then.”

  He nods, clearly disappointed, but doesn’t argue. Instead, he opens a bag of chips, and begins to munch on them.

  Tara and I walk into the foyer. “I wish you ….” Her voice drops off when we hear tapping on the patio door, then John walking across the tile floor. I grab Tara’s arm and drag her out the front door.

  She doesn’t say a thing until we are standing by her car. “Lizzy, stay. If John says he’s a great guy, he’s a great guy.”

  “He may very well be, but if he isn’t, I’ll be stuck all weekend.”

  She frowns, then nods. “Ok. I get it.”

  “Thanks.” I hug her neck. “Keys, please.” I hold my hand out to her.

  She laughs, “I’m tempted to deny you anyway.”

  I snatch them out of her hand, then run around to the driver’s side.

  She shakes her phone at me. “I’ll text you if he’s hot and you can come back early.”

  “Deal,” I tell her as I slide behind the wheel.

  “Have fun!” She yells as I pull off.

  I throw my hand up and escape.

  The steady beat of my feet hitting the pavement along with
the matching rhythm of my breath has always had a calming effect on me. I run because I have to, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it.

  Five miles into my run, my phone vibrates. I pull it out of my pocket. It’s John. *ETA?*

  *30.*

  *30 minutes? Bro, you need to return asap.*

  *Sup?*

  *Trust me!*

  I slow to a jog, frowning.

  *What’s wrong?*

  *Nothing is wrong. Something is right.*

  *What?* I’m confused by his answer.

  *Not what. Who! Turn around and come back now!*

  *Who?*

  *Just hurry, Hotshot!*

  I whip around and head back. If John thinks whoever it is is important enough to call me back to the house, that’s good enough for me. I take off at a good clip.

  Although John and I are blood brothers, we are very different. He’s a nerd, but one hell of a great salesman. I’m a jock and one hell of a badass. My mind drifts back to all the shit we shared growing up. He would get into trouble and I would get him out. Good times.

  Turning onto his street, I slow to a jog to cool down. I can see a black Honda parked in the driveway. As I walk by, I look in. There’s a girl’s backpack laying on the backseat. Ah! The who must be his new girl, Tara. He didn’t mention she would be coming this weekend, but then again, John wouldn’t. He knows I would bail on him and call Jeff to get a hotel room. Then he would lecture me about spending time with him while I was here and remind me that my job is dangerous. I love my brother but being single and hanging out with a couple isn’t my thing. Three’s a crowd.

  I head to the rear of the house to take a dip in the pool. I don’t want to be sweaty when I’m introduced to his new girl. Rounding the corner, I hear John’s voice through the breakfast nook window. It’s open about an inch. Then I hear not one girl’s voice, but two laughing.

  Oh, man, this sucks. Tara’s brought someone along. I roll my eyes and sigh. John knows better than to set me up with a woman, but Tara doesn’t. I walk over to the window to listen. Yep, they are talking about me. Damn. I’ve fended off aggressive female friends of friends before who only want to get laid by a Navy S.E.A.L. That’s not what I’m about. As a behavioral specialist, I see right past all the games they play pretending they are into me, when all they are into is a hard fuck from Badass so they can brag later to their bitches. Still, he is my brother and really digs this Tara chick, and I haven’t been laid in a while.