A Powers Play (The Powers That Be, Book 1.5) Read online

  “Well, I’m sure you’ll find someone.” I stood again. “I really need to get back, okay?”

  He stood too then suddenly grabbed me and kissed me hard, smashing his mouth to mine and trying to shove his tongue inside. Yuck.

  I pushed him away and yelled, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  And then Gable was there, sailing in with his right fist that landed just above Hayden’s left eye with a crack! and in morbid fascination, I stood watching as blood ran down Hayden’s face.

  “Oh, gross,” I whispered, thinking I was going to be sick as I stumbled away from the two of them who were now going at it. I’d seen enough men bleeding tonight to last me more than a lifetime, thank you. Ick.

  “Hey, you okay?” Jeff asked, running up to meet me and putting an arm around my shoulders to help me stay standing.

  “Uh,” I answered woozily as he led me toward a bench to sit. Then suddenly realizing that my husband was in a freaking fight, I stopped and turned screaming, “Gable!”

  I’d never seen a real fight before, and believe me, it’s so not like the movies or nothing like what we’d watched in the ring earlier. Gable and Hayden were scuffling, looking more like sumo wrestlers squaring up with each other for a takedown or something. First one would grab for the other who’d skirt his hands, then the other would try. One would swing and land the punch—or more often not—then the other would take the lead. Several times they ended up rolling around on the ground. It wasn’t pretty.

  “Do something!” I yelled at the guys which was when Chip finally jumped in pulling Hayden up and locking his arms around him from behind, which pinned Hayden’s arms to his side and gave him no option but to be still. Except when he tried smashing the back of his head into Chip’s forehead, which Chip was lucky to dodge.

  Gable turned and saw that I was okay before looking back at my ex. “Who the fuck is this, Scout?” he hollered.

  “I’m her boyfriend,” Hayden supplied with a sneer, which got him a quick jab in the gut from Gable and had him doubling over from the waist up and coughing.

  Holy mother of idiocy.

  “He’s my ex from high school!” I called. “And he’s delusional!”

  When two security guards came running into the courtyard and started asking questions, I got up and went over to help explain everything. Then when three police officers showed up, the evening just got even better. Great.

  As I next told a police officer what’d happened—how Hayden had kept me from leaving the courtyard then Gable found us and had beaten the crap out of him—the other one handcuffed Hayden, who was now blubbering all over the place.

  “My heart’s broken! Ivy made me do the dishes! And laundry! And vacuum!” he cried. “She made me bake her a cake! An-and she even made me wax her legs once!” He looked at me. “But all I ever wanted was you, Scout!”

  Dear God.

  “We’ve got a 421A,” one of the officers said into the radio on his shoulder.

  “What’s that?” I whispered to the policeman I was standing near.

  “Mentally ill person,” he answered.

  Holy fucking shit.

  My ex really was a fricking lunatic.

  The manager of the MGM Grand showed up and unlocked a gate for them to take Hayden out to the street so he didn’t have to be paraded through the crowd inside. It was only then I noticed the police lights flashing everywhere. Huh. Guess I’d been a little distracted before!

  Gable sidled up to me putting an arm around my waist as I did the same back then looking up I asked, “You okay, baby?”

  He grinned down at me and I noticed he was getting a black eye. Yikes. “Fuckin’ fantastic, babe. That was just what I needed.”

  Pulling me along with him, we walked to the gate to see them loading Hayden into a cruiser.

  “He’s cracked up,” I mumbled.

  “I’ll say,” Gable retorted with a snort.

  I squeezed his waist. “It’s not funny.”

  “Yeah, it fuckin’ is as long as you’re not hurt.” He stepped back to look me over. “You’re not hurt, are you?” I shook my head and he bent and touched his lips to mine. “That’s my girl.”

  A different officer came back and took a formal statement from me asking if I wanted to press charges of kidnapping and unlawful detainment. Of course, I told him no. Hayden had enough on his plate as it was.

  When the police left and all had finally settled down, we all turned and headed toward the doors to go back inside.

  “Happy fuckin’ new year,” Chip offered with a grin as we walked past him, which was when the fireworks started going off.

  “Fuck,” Gable mumbled, looking down at me. “We missed it.”

  ~*~*~*~*~

  Chapter 4

  Once inside our room, Gable took me in his arms and looking down at me, asked for the fiftieth time, “You sure you’re okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just sad that we missed the countdown,” I answered, all kinds of pouty as I tried warding off the tears that threatened, so angry that Hayden had made me miss freaking New Year’s and also ruined the big surprise I’d wanted to tell Gable at midnight.

  “Baby, we’ll recreate our own New Year then,” he told me, looking down at me tenderly, so much hotter with his black eye—yeah, yeah, weird, I know—then bent to give me a sweet kiss.

  “’Kay,” I whispered with a sniffle when he pulled back and let me go. I set my purse on the desk then helped him get his tuxedo jacket off. “Surprised this isn’t torn,” I commented, looking it over.

  “He might’ve landed a lucky fuckin’ punch, but no way was I gonna let him mess up my threads,” Gable maintained.

  “Threads?” I laughed, holding my hair up in the back as he unzipped my dress. I took it off and admired it as I hung it up, trailing my fingers down a few of the beaded tassels that dangled from it and let out a sigh. Tonight had seemed like such a waste of a great party dress.

  I then felt Gable’s bare chest at my back.

  “Babe. Jesus fuck,” he murmured in my ear, his hands coming up to cup my breasts, his thumbs grazing the lace of the black bra that covered them. “Ten,” he said, starting his countdown. When his hands skated down my belly, over the garter belt and down between my legs where I had on no panties, he groaned out a “Nine,” as his fingers glided through my already slick folds.

  He made me come with his fingers which I found—with a breathy moan—salvaged a crap evening, and after, we took a hot shower together.

  “So that was Hayden, huh?” he asked soaping up his chest.

  I nodded. “I’m sad for him. Ivy really screwed him up.”

  “He screwed himself up,” he stated. “Anyone who’d give you up is a dumbass to begin with. She just helped him along.”

  I knelt in front of him, running my hands down his abs as I went, before taking his hard cock that jutted out proudly in front of him in my hand. Looking up at him, I whispered, “Eight,” before taking him into my mouth.

  “Fuck,” he uttered huskily, as I sucked my way down his length, taking him all the way in where the head touched the back of my throat. Then moving back up, I tongued the tip, my eyes meeting his as I caressed his balls with my other hand.

  I continued worshiping his glorious cock, my eyes on him almost the entire time which was a treat in itself. Damn, my husband was amazingly handsome, especially as I watched his head going back, eyes closing and mouth opening as he groaned in ecstasy.

  Just when I got going, ready to take him home, his hands were under my arms pulling me up then he lifted me, my legs encircling his waist as he pushed me against the wall.

  “Seven,” he growled, slamming his hard shaft up inside me forcefully and making me cry out.

  “Oh, God,” I whimpered as he pounded into me.

  “Payback, baby,” he rasped deeply, his thrusts coming hard as his hand moved between my legs where his thumb circled.

  God.

  God!

 
; “Gable!” I screamed as my climax built then suddenly blasted through me forcefully.

  With one last powerful thrust, he buried himself to the hilt as he came with a grunt. Then he mumbled, “Six,” and kissed me roughly leaving me breathing even harder.

  I dressed in shorts and a tank top after our shower then climbed into bed watching him pull on boxer briefs then sleep pants. And, lord, how I loved that he hadn’t put on a shirt so I could see his colorful tattoos displayed on his muscular body. Dang.

  He turned and gazed at me, smirking before stating, “Five.”

  I frowned. “Five? For what?”

  “Me keeping my shirt off.”

  I laughed then countered, “Well, Four then!”

  He raised an eyebrow. “For?”

  “Letting you watch me dress!”

  He nodded in agreement.

  “You hungry, Priss?” he next asked as he picked up the room-service menu looking it over.

  I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “It’s almost one in the morning!”

  “Your point?”

  “Well, I was gonna say it’s late, but I guess I don’t have a point because actually, I’m starved,” I returned with a giggle.

  “Three.” When I tilted my head in question, he explained with a wink, “‘Cause your man’s getting you food.”

  “Oh. Works for me!”

  As I went to the bathroom to put on lotion and blow dry my hair, he picked up the phone and I heard him order, getting two Fight Package number two’s, whatever those were, along with a bottle of champagne.

  I’d just finished brushing my hair out when there was a knock at the door. Coming back into the room, I saw Gable wheeling a food cart in and it smelled heavenly. I walked over and lifted a couple lids seeing pizza puffs then chicken tenders.

  “Oh. My. God. You’re the best husband ever!” I exclaimed, grabbing a couple pizza puffs and popping them into my mouth one at a time murmuring, “So good.”

  He pulled the cart to the bed then sitting with our backs against the headboard, we watched ESPN’s recap of the fights. When he uncorked the champagne, I told him only half a glass which made him give me a look.

  I shrugged before saying, “It always gives me the giggles. Remember our wedding reception?”

  “You were cute, Priss. I loved it.” He leaned in and kissed the tip of my nose.

  “Yeah. Cute. Because, as usual, after the giggles, I started crying.”

  He snorted. “That was cute too.”

  “Crying on your wedding night is not cute.”

  “It is when you do it.” He winked then moved his head down to give me a peck on the lips.

  After we finished scarfing down almost everything on the cart, I scooted down on the bed, pooching out my stomach and groaning.

  “Ugh. Look how fat I am,” I groaned.

  He moved down to kiss my belly and gazed up at me. “Two.” At my questioning look, he revealed, “I’d love you no matter how you looked, babe.”

  Aw! How sweet was he?

  “God, I love you,” I said, running my fingers through his hair looking down at him and smiling.

  “And One…” he started.

  “No!” I interrupted. “You’ve hogged the countdown, Gable! Number One is mine!”

  His head came up and he arched an eyebrow before stalking up my body slowly on his hands and knees, looking like some dangerous animal preparing to devour its prey. Wow.

  “Is it now?” he drawled. When he got to me, he buried his face in my neck then sucked with his mouth, which had me squealing with laughter underneath him. I tilted my head toward his, shrugging my shoulder at the same time to get him to stop because what he was doing tickled.

  “Yes!” I confirmed through my giggles.

  He pulled back and gazed down at me. “What’s so important that you get One?”

  I bit my lip a moment before asking him to let me up. He moved away and leaned back against the headboard again, crossing his legs at the ankles while I sat cross-legged facing him.

  “You said you’d love me no matter how I looked, right?” I asserted.

  He gave me a get real look. “Of course, baby.”

  “Even if I got really big?” I had to make sure.

  Another look. “What’s this about?”

  “Well…because your dad’s a mechanic and your mom runs a daycare, you once told me you could change oil and a diaper, remember?”

  “Is your car acting up? All you’ve gotta do is ask, Scout. Or take it by Dad’s shop and he’ll fix it.” I swear he rolled his eyes.

  When I didn’t say anything, just sat watching him, I saw when it finally dawned on him what I meant and his eyes got great big as he sat straight up.

  “Are you—” he started. “Are we—”

  I nodded, grinning huge that he couldn’t complete a sentence in his excitement. “You’re gonna be a daddy, baby.”

  He pulled me over to straddle his lap then held my face in his hands. “I’m gonna be a daddy,” he echoed quietly, his eyes on mine twinkling in their intensity as he spoke. I smiled right back before he kissed me so thoroughly I was breathless when he pulled away. “I’m gonna be a daddy,” he repeated one last time.

  I nodded, then touching my forehead to his and chuckling, I said, “One! Happy New Year, baby.”

  ~*~*~*~*~

  Epilogue

  Scout’s One was the highlight of the night. Hell, of my life.

  I was gonna be a dad and I couldn’t wait.

  As I gazed over at my gorgeous, sweet, wonderful wife who was now sleeping, worn out since I’d fucked her five ways to Sunday after hearing the amazing news, I pictured myself helping a dark-haired little boy—who was badass like his dad, of course—ride his bike; then I saw myself having a tea party with a sweet little girl—who was just as adorable as her mother.

  Gazing at Scout now, I thought about how when I’d proposed, I’d meant it when I told her I’d known she was mine the very first time I saw her.

  I now leaned over and kissed my sleeping wife who let out a snore then rubbing the back of a hand over her mouth as she turned away from me, said, “Gable, no. I get One. I’m the One.”

  And she was so right.

  About the Author

  USA Today Best Selling author Harper Bentley writes about hot alpha males who love hard. She’s taught high school English forever, and although she’s managed to maintain her sanity regardless of her career choice, jumping into the world of publishing her own books goes to show that she might be closer to the ledge than was previously thought.

  After traveling the nation in her younger years as a military brat, having lived in Alaska, Washington State and California, she now resides in Oklahoma with her teenage daughter, two dogs and one cat, happily writing stories that she hopes her readers will enjoy.

  You can contact her at [email protected], at harperbentleywrites.com, on Facebook or on Twitter @HarperBentley

  Check out other titles by Harper Bentley:

  The Powers That Be series:

  Gable (The Powers That Be Book 1)

  Zeke (The Powers That Be Book 2)

  Loch (The Powers That Be Book 3)

  Ryker (The Powers That Be Book 4)

  Drake (The Powers That Be Book 5)

  CEP series:

  Being Chased (CEP #1)

  Unbreakable Hearts (CEP #2)

  Under the Gun (CEP #3)

  The High-Rise series

  The Fighter

  Serenity Point series:

  Bigger Than the Sky (Serenity Point Book 1)

  Always and Forever (Serenity Point Book 2)

  True Love series:

  Discovering Us (True Love #1)

  Finding Us (True Love #2)

  Finally Us (True Love Book 3)

  True Love: The Trilogy: The Complete Boxed Set

  The Wait series:

  Thursdays (The Wait Book 1)

  Mondays (The Wait Book 2)

  A B
ig Deal Romantic Comedy series:

  The BFD (Volume 1)

  http://harperbentleywrites.com/

  Gable (The Powers That Be, Book 1)

  Summer: two weeks before class:

  You know that feeling you get when you meet someone and feel as if you’ve known them for a lifetime? As if you’re just connected in some way?

  Yeah, that didn’t happen the first time I met Gable Powers. Matter of fact, I didn’t like him one bit.

  Oh, I know about all the Powers boys now. I actually knew about them by the first day of school since it seemed as if every woman on campus couldn’t stop talking about how each brother was just as gorgeous as the next, and things like, “Omigod! The Powers brothers are so hot!” or “Aren’t they just the cutest you’ve ever seen?” were proclaimed almost everywhere I went the entire first week of school. From listening in on these chicks wax rhapsodic over these brothers, if they were anything less than Nick Bateman clones, well, then I’d be highly disappointed. But from their conversations, I learned the Powers were from Seattle, all of them went to Hallervan, Zeke was a senior who played on the football team, Lochlan was a freshman who was some kind of computer genius, Ryker was a sophomore wrestler and Gable was a junior. I had yet to figure out what his superpower was, but I can honestly say that when I first met him, I couldn’t have cared less.

  My up-close-and-personal with Gable Powers left me less than thrilled, and when I finally figured out who he was and said something later about it to my new roommate, I got a stare of disbelief which made me roll my eyes.

  So here’s how it all went down.

  I’d answered an ad in the Seattle Times for a roommate. On my way to meet Amy (fellow sophomore who’d eventually become my new roomie), I’d had a flat tire and had to pull over in an area of the city I was unfamiliar with—hell I was unfamiliar with the entire friggin’ place—and, of course, it’d been raining. As a farm girl, I knew how to change a tire, had no problem changing a tire, but per Dad’s instructions, I called AAA and stayed in my car waiting for someone to show up, kind of feeling like a wuss for doing so. I knew I could’ve done it and been on my way in no time but I decided to let Dad parent me for a change. Not that he wasn’t a good father; it’s just that I was majorly independent.