Billionaire's Daughter And The Quarterback

BILLIONAIRE’S DAUGHTER AND THE QUARTERBACK AN OFF-LIMITS SPORTS ROMANCE LEA VAUGHN Copyright © 2023 by Lea Vaughn All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Warning: This book contains detailed references to drug use that are not suitable for some readers. CONTENTS 1. Ungrateful Little Rich Kid 2. Taking This Too Far 3. Garden Fairy 4. We Meet Again 5. Close Call 6. Avoidance 7. Old Friends 8. The Big Drop 9. Game Day 10. Out On The Town 11. Workplace Protocol 12. Alone Again 13. Not a Date 14. Thanksgiving 15. It’s White 16. Don’t Read Into It 17. Gone Girl 18. You’re Avoiding Me 19. Eyes On Me, Daze 20. Happy…But Not Sated 21. Who Am I To Argue 22. Worshiping What’s Mine 23. Coming for you Daze 24. I See You 25. Okay, You Win 26. Alarm Bells 27. I’m Proud Of You 28. Everyone Knows 29. Stir Crazy 30. Escape 31. Three Little Words 32. All We Care About Is You 33. Super Bowl Epilogue More From Lea Vaughn UNGRATEFUL LITTLE RICH KID Nicolette I stared at the clear liquid in my glass. 1.5 oz that would grant me temporary euphoria. A break from all the pain and anguish circulating in my mind. A break from the regret and darkness that plagued me night and day. Bitter and toxic medicine that I had come to find comfort in. I threw my head back and downed the tequila for the fourth time that night. The music blared in my ears, and sweaty bodies ground against each other in my club section. I didn’t know half of the people here. Most of them were only nice and polite to me because I was the one forking the bill. I didn’t mind, though. I figured getting drunk and high with people I didn’t know was far less pathetic than getting drunk and high alone. Crazy right? Well, that was me. I was on a streak of questionable and irresponsible decisions. I recently graduated—by some miracle—with my doctorate in physical therapy, and I was meant to be looking for a job, but instead, I was at the back of a club sipping on poison and snorting a one-way ticket to heaven. My college friend, Steph Francis, finished her line and sighed, content. She slouched back on the couch next to me and looked up at the ceiling. “That shit is fucking lit!” She said above the noise of the music. “You need to try some of this, Nic. I’m telling you, it’s the best shit in town.” She pointed to the lines she had laid down on the table. I’d already taken a line of coke, but the buzz I anticipated wasn’t there. The high I was chasing was so far out of reach I could barely notice a thing. Maybe I’d built up a tolerance? Or maybe the shit that Darrel sold me was cut too many times. He became more cautious with me once he found out who I was. The fucking Parks name. It was a curse regardless of how much weight it carried. I placed my shot glass down and moved Steph over. I took the rolled-up hundred-dollar bill from her and brought my nose down to the table, lining the makeshift tube up with the white powder in front of me. I snorted hard. Leaning back, I wiped away any white powder residue and waited. For a moment in time, I wanted it to stop. I didn’t want to feel it anymore. The regret. The pain. The self-hate. I simply wanted to feel…nothing. I watched as people in my section were dry-humping right in front of me. The lack of shame was astounding. But who was I to judge? The ice bucket on our table was overflowing with empty bottles of champagne and tequila, and I probably looked like I’d drunk it all. “Nic, we need to get another bottle of…” I could hear Steph’s voice, but she sounded so far away. Or rather, it felt like I was underwater. I looked to my left where she stood, but instead of seeing one of her, I was seeing double. I blinked my eyes, trying to focus my vision, but it didn’t work. The world was spinning, and suddenly I was falling sideways, unable to keep myself upright. My chest tightened as my thumping heart pounded against my ribcage. I clutched the pendant necklace around my neck, my breath catching in my throat and refusing to release. I felt arms come around me, but the world was fading fast. Nothing was in focus. I could feel my body starting to shake. My body jerked violently, my mouth foamed, and my eyes stared wide at the strobe lights above me. “Nic?! Nicolette?!” It was Steph, but again, her voice sounded like she was above the water while I was under it. She sounded so far away from me. “Help! Help!” The realization of what this was, hit me. But I didn’t care. I was overdosing. I waited for the fear to enter my brain as my body fought to stay alive, but it never came. Instead, a sense of peace washed over me—a kind of peace I had not experienced in a very long time. I was not afraid of death. In fact, I welcomed her. I hoped she was here to take me away. I hoped she was here to guide me to a place without pain or sadness. She didn’t feel unkind or cruel. She felt like a friend, and she was knocking at my door so I could finally be set free. I closed my eyes and walked into her embrace. I’m coming, Mom… * * * A strong scent hit my nostrils, and immediately my heart dropped.