Awake At Dawn (Wildflower Series Book 2)

GEMMA AND CHLOE stood on the curb outside of MSP’s baggage claim, and as soon as my eyes landed on Gemma’s face, I realized something awful.

I wanted to kiss her. Goddamnit. Just one look at her after a handful of hours apart, and I wanted to kiss Gemma so fucking bad. But I couldn’t. And that was the awful part. What the hell was it about her that made her so hard to resist? From the very first time I laid my eyes on her, she had me. And now, seeing her nearly every day without getting to have her…it was slowly destroying me.

“Hey, you two!” I called after parking. With two quick strides, I pulled Chloe into my side for a tight squeeze and took Gemma’s suitcase in one move. Gemma brushed past me, so close that all I could smell was her, sugary and intoxicating. Like a summer cocktail that I wanted to drown in. Like fucking heaven.

“Hop in. I’ve got it,” I murmured to her.

Gemma gave me a look before sliding into the front seat of my dad’s truck. After our team meeting this afternoon, Dad had picked me up from the team’s hotel, rescuing me from a night of listening to Jonesy snoring. Then we grabbed a beer downtown before I dropped him off at Mom’s and headed to the airport.

I always tried to schedule some one-on-one time with my dad. Once we got around the rest of the family, he had the tendency to try to fade into the background and become a man of few words. He’d sit back and watch the goings-on with an inward smile.

I had a feeling Tom London went into security years ago because he liked the solitude of working night shifts. Not to mention, getting a break from the crowded chaos at home.

“How was your flight?” I asked, looking back at Chloe to ensure her seat belt was on. She lifted wide eyes, staring at me. Those eyes were wide enough that alarm churned in my gut.

“Coach B does not like to⁠—”

“The flight was really good,” Gemma cut in, and I switched to look at her breathy smile. When my eyes so much as touched hers, she swiveled around to look at Chloe, humor in her expression. “You can just call me Gemma, you know.”

That made Chloe’s smile reappear. “Okay, Gemma.”

Gemma laughed and faced forward again. I frowned.

What didn’t she like?

“How far is it to your parents’ house?” Gemma asked with a forced, artificial voice I hated.

“Roughly thirty minutes,” I said, putting the car into drive. “And it’s just my mom’s house. My dad used to live there, too, but then they got divorced.”

“Yeah, Grandma kicked his ass to the curb,” Chloe piped in from the back seat, and Gemma damn near slapped herself in the mouth with how quickly she tried to cover her reaction.

“Hey, Lo,” I said before pausing while I held in my laughter. It wasn’t funny; it really wasn’t. But I hadn’t expected those words to fly out of my niece’s mouth. “I know your mom might say that sort of stuff occasionally, but it’s not like that for everyone who goes through a divorce. Grandma did not kick your grandpa to the curb. Also, Grandma’s not gonna be happy if she hears you swearing.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Lo sighed.

Nat had kicked her ex’s ass to the curb, and I wouldn’t doubt if Chloe had heard her say it, too. But my parents just…fell apart. No one kicked anyone’s ass to the curb. It almost felt like they just…fell out of love. Like they simply decided one day they’d be better off as acquaintances.

Maybe there was something I didn’t know, but they’d never acted mad, never made a big deal of it. It seemed like one day they were married, and then another day, about five years ago, they weren’t.

I let the music fill the car, unsure of what to say. That wasn’t usually a problem for me, but I hadn’t introduced a girl to my parents since high school, and I didn’t feel prepared for what was about to happen.

Although Gemma wasn’t my girl to introduce. She was just a girl. A girl who was my roommate but who was not my friend.

Silence filled the car for a while, and I let it linger and mingle with my nerves. It wasn’t until we turned off the highway that Gemma spoke again.

“There are so many lakes.”

She wore a slow-spreading smile. Scenes I had memorized flew by the window, and her eyes were glued to them.

“It’s actually all one lake,” I corrected, trying not to reveal any of the weird emotions I was feeling.

Gemma’s brows furrowed adorably, and I chuckled.

“This is Lake Minnetonka,” I explained. “It’s all connected. There are these separate pockets of water, some small and some huge. My mom’s house is on one of the smaller ones. It sort of feels like a lake’s version of a cul-de-sac.”

I wasn’t sure if Gemma heard a word I’d said. Her nose remained stuck to the window, eyes widening as we passed big lakefront properties.

“I don’t want to be rude,” she whispered, “but I’d like to know how your mom affords to live here so I can get in on whatever it is.”

I repressed a smile because of the cute way she leaned toward me without peeling her eyes off the scenery. “My mom is the director of a pet rescue organization here in the Twin Cities, but while she’s very good at her job, it doesn’t pay much.”

She frowned that confused little frown again. “Then how—oh, of course.” Exasperation melted across her face as she finally spared me a glance. “You would buy your mom a mansion, you momma’s boy.”

I couldn’t help the satisfied curl of my lip. I was damn proud that I’d been able to buy this house for my parents. We used to live a little further out in a farm-style home that barely fit the five of us kids. Even though all of my siblings had moved out, now we had a gathering place where we could all come together comfortably.

“For the record, I bought my parents a mansion, and then my dad decided to move out. But yeah, I’d do anything for Anne and Tom.”

“Those are their names?” Gemma asked, and I nodded. She turned back to the window, wearing a soft smile. “I can’t get over how gorgeous it is.”

It was gorgeous. She was gorgeous, and the slight peppering of orange and red outside the window as the leaves hinted at fall was gorgeous, too. The sun was hitting the lake just right, making it glitter as we drove down the winding lane that eventually ended at my mom’s big, white lake home.

Gemma surprised me, seeming eager to jump out of the truck as soon as I parked it in the driveway. But I caught her wrist right as she was about to open the door. Chloe had already leaped from the car, running to see my mom, but that was fine.

“I told you I have three brothers, right?”

I probably should have brought this up earlier, but talking about my family hadn’t been high on my priority list.

“No,” Gemma laughed. I wasn’t sure why she laughed because nothing about my brothers was funny. They tried to be funny a lot, but they rarely succeeded. “Chloe told me, though. What are their names again?”

“Theo, Sully, and Blake,” I said before warning, “Don’t listen to a word any of them says. They think they’re hilarious, but they’re really not. Especially Sully. He’s a software engineer, but I think he actually just sits around all day and thinks of ways to annoy me.”

“So stay clear of Sully. Got it,” Gemma said, clearly amused.

“He’s the tallest but the youngest,” I said. “Dirty-blond hair that probably needs to be cut. Blake is the oldest, and he acts like it. Then it’s Nat. Then Theo, who’s only a little more than a year older than me.”

“I’m never going to remember that,” she warned with a giggle.

“Honestly, it’s better that way,” I said dryly.

“Are any of them married? Have kids?”

I shook my head. “A bunch of bachelors,” I said ruefully and then frowned when I noticed Gemma’s smile fading.

“Do they know I’m pregnant?”

I shook my head. “No, but I could tell them. Just so they know in case, I don’t know, you need anything.”

They would be the ones spending time with her tomorrow at the game—not me. It would make me feel better if they knew, but I wouldn’t force Gemma to share something she didn’t want to.

“Sure, you can tell them.” Gemma nodded after a long pause, seeming confident about it. “I think it might be nice not to feel like I’m hiding something for once.”

“Okay,” I said, relieved.

With that, I stepped out of the truck and around the back to grab the girls’ luggage.

Time to bring Gemma into the chaos that was the London family.

My mom was the first to fuss over Gemma, which didn’t surprise me at all. My dad flashed one of his genial smiles reserved for occasions like this. And then, to my massive irritation, all three of my brothers crowded Gemma and simultaneously introduced themselves in rapid succession.

Chloe was my little savior, though. She pulled Gemma out of my brother’s clutches and dragged her up the stairs to show off her room, which my mom had gone all out in decorating just for this visit. I had a feeling she hoped that if Chloe loved it, Natalie would bring her home more.

The rest of my family trickled into the living room, where we usually hung out. I followed and, after glancing back to make sure Gemma was still upstairs with Chloe, turned to address them all.

“Gemma is pregnant,” I said, wanting to get to the point quickly.

“Holy shit.” Theo straightened in his seat, and I realized maybe I should have started this conversation differently. “You’re gonna be a dad?”

“I knew it.” Sully shook his head, a silly grin on his face as if he couldn’t believe he’d guessed something right. Well, wrong. “Damn. Who would have thought you’d be the first brother to become a dad? Well, actually, considering—” I glared at him, and he cut himself off. “You know what? Never mind.”

Meanwhile, my mom had slapped a hand over her mouth, and my dad put a hand out as if to steady her, even though she hadn’t moved an inch. He, on the other hand, tipped to one side slightly before righting himself with his grip on Mom’s shoulder.

“You need to move home,” she gasped once her hand dropped. “I’m not having another one of my grandkids living on the goddamn East Coast.”

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Were none of you listening when I told you she’s not my girlfriend?”

Blake scoffed, running a hand through his dark, wavy hair. “She doesn’t need to be your girlfriend for you to put the you-know-what in the you-know-where.”

“Immature asshole.” I grabbed a pillow off the sofa and threw it at my brother.

“Just explaining to you how reproduction works,” Blake muttered.

They liked to do that. Pretend that because the rest of them were in high-intellect careers and I was a football player, I didn’t know shit.

“Gemma was pregnant before she moved in with me, and I’m not the dad,” I said sourly. “Like I said, we are not together.”

“Oh my God, Noah Lancaster London.” My mom slouched onto the couch’s armrest. “Don’t—don’t…do that.”

Theo leaned back in his chair again. He was a big dude, bigger than me, and I never understood why he hadn’t pursued football further than high school. But he was happy working as a professor for the U and making all the college kids swoon after him.

“So you just decided to come over here and proclaim that the girl you’re bringing home is pregnant for funsies, then?” he probed.

“I’m not bringing her home. She’s only coming because of Chloe. And I wanted you all to know she was pregnant before someone said something that made it awkward.” I looked pointedly at Sully. “She’s not taking shots with you before the game.”

Sul cocked his head to the side in thought. “What about, like, one shot?”

“No.” I glared at him. “And I need you to look after her at the stadium tomorrow.” I eyed my other two brothers. “Make sure she doesn’t get shoved around in the crowds, okay?”

Theo gave me a lazy salute. “We will protect the princess Gemma, the first of her name.”

“Her name is Briggs, as in sister of Julian Briggs, who doesn’t even know she’s here. So you better protect her, or my ass is dead.”

All three of my brothers chuckled at that. So typical that my friend kicking my ass would make them laugh.

“But no touching,” I clarified.

Theo put his hands up, enacting innocence. “No touching. Just protecting. Got it.”

“And that’s the only reason you care…because of Julian, right?” Blake drawled, still stuck on the earlier part of the conversation.

I rolled my eyes at him.

“Does her baby daddy know you’re gunning for his role?” Sully added, wiggling his eyebrows up and down.

“Her baby daddy is a deadbeat, so I really don’t care what he thinks.”

Theo leaned toward Sully, cupping his mouth to whisper conspiratorially in my other brother’s ear, but he did it loud enough for everyone to hear. “Did you notice how he didn’t deny the other part of that question?”

“I’m not gunning for the role,” I groaned. “There, happy?”

Sully and Theo grinned widely. “Extremely,” one said while the other nodded.

They didn’t believe what I was saying, but I didn’t care. I could hear Gemma and Chloe coming back down the stairs, and Sully was already on his feet, walking toward my roommate.

“So,” he started, throwing an arm around Gemma’s shoulders. My fists clenched. What did he not understand about no touching? “It’s been about ten years since I had to live with Noah here, but I can’t imagine it’s gotten much better. Tell me, how’s he doing about cleaning his nose hair trimmings from the sink?”

I shoved Sully just hard enough that he lost his footing, his arm falling from Gemma’s shoulders.

Grabbing her hip, I tugged her back toward me slightly.

“Don’t listen to a word any of them says,” I reminded under my breath.

But she just laughed and looked at Sully. “We actually have separate bathrooms, so I wouldn’t know.”

Sully pretended to ponder that like it was the biggest letdown. “Hm, probably for the best.”

“Probably,” Gemma repeated with a grin like she thought this whole little thing was mighty funny.

I disagreed.

“Let’s bring your stuff downstairs,” I said before this could descend further into madness. With her luggage in one hand and her hip in the other, I urged Gemma toward the basement stairs. “We’re both staying down there tonight.”

“Is your family going to think it’s weird if we’re staying, like, together,” she whispered as we disappeared into the finished basement.

She said the word together like it was such an awful idea.

“Well, there are two separate rooms,” I explained, “but I’m gonna tell you right now that my family doesn’t care. I’m sure they probably think we’re fucking.”

And God, wasn’t that the dream.

Her breath caught. She stopped in front of the full bar that faced the lakefront, where we hung out a lot when I visited during the summers. The living room walked right out onto the lawn leading to the dock, and down the hall were two bedrooms connected by a bathroom.

“What?” Gemma breathed with wild eyes.

“That’s what they think I do.” I shrugged. “I hook up with girls.”

Plus, my family never missed a thing. And the way I just grabbed her away from Sully was probably all they were talking about now.

I led Gemma into the first bedroom. It was a full, sweeping suite with views of the lake and its own patio. A big bed sat in the middle of the room with a baby blue comforter spread across it. The whole room was decorated in neutral and blue hues. Modern but cozy.

I may have bought the house, but I didn’t play a role in decorating it. That was all my mom, and she made this place feel like home, even if it was completely different from where I grew up.

“You can sleep in here, and I’ll be in the connecting room. I’m sorry I won’t be here tomorrow night since the team is flying back late after the game, but I promise my mom is so excited to have you. And she’s so grateful that you brought Chloe.”

Gemma blinked as she looked around the room. If she was worried about staying here tomorrow night without me, she didn’t show it. I wasn’t even sure if she heard what I’d said. Her mind seemed to be somewhere else, and her voice came out in a rasp when she spoke. “So am I going to need earplugs for when you hook up with the local girls?”

I rolled my eyes. “I have no plans to do that.”

“No?” She arched a brow, twisting around to sit on the edge of the bed. Then she leaned back like she fucking owned the place and crossed one leg over the other. The result? Getting to see her dress slide up those pretty, long legs. “I thought that was what your away games were for. Hooking up.”

I jerked my eyes back to her face. “What are you talking⁠—”

The way she simply cocked her head to the side stopped my words. Because I did say that back when she first moved in. And what a fucking lie that was.

“I haven’t hooked up with anyone at my away games this year,” I said truthfully. “Not unless my hand counts.”

My hand and the memories of Gemma’s breathy moans had satisfied me on far too many nights this season.

Gemma stared at me, lips parting with unspoken words.

I could tell she wanted to ask. She wanted to know what I thought about while my hand was around my cock, and man, I wanted her to ask, just so I’d have an excuse to tell her.

But she didn’t ask me, and I broke our eye contact, wondering if this was a terrible idea. We’d been alone for all of five minutes, and I was already ready to say things I shouldn’t.

Maybe Gemma should stay upstairs.

But I didn’t want her thinking she had to stay with Chloe; she wasn’t here to babysit her. Her only job was to get her here. And if Gemma slept upstairs, she’d be surrounded on all sides by my brothers. And there was no way in hell I’d let that happen.

No, I wanted her next to me.

Even if it partly tortured me.

Swallowing, I kept my gaze trained on the gorgeous redhead in front of me.

“It gets cold down here sometimes, so there’s a heater there if you need it.” I pointed to the space heater in the corner.

Gemma nodded, but the way she was watching me told me that she didn’t think she’d need it.

I didn’t think I’d need it, either.

There was enough goddamn heat between us that we’d probably be able to feel it through the wall.

There was a reason I’d made it this long without doing something I’d regret with her, and it had a lot to do with the many walls and large number of square feet between my room and hers in our apartment.

But tonight?

Tonight, sleeping might be impossible.