COCKY_Hard Limits Panty-Melting Romance_SOS Security Read online

  #COCKY

  Hard Limits Panty-Melting Romance

  Eva Greer

  EvaGreer.com

  Copyright © 2018 by EVA GREER

  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 reviews.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  The characters, events, agents, and agencies portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, or governmental agencies is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  This book is dedicated to all the authors harmed by #CockyGate.

  Please support Kevin Kneupper. He has filed legal proceedings to have the TM on the word “COCKY” rescinded. You can buy his books here. It’s a great way to support him and help support this cause, and all authors (well, except for the one who caused this movement to begin with).

  Tara Crescent is also an author who was harmed by #CockyGate. Her books are incredible and you can support Tara here.

  P.S. The scene in chapter one is based on real-life. Yes, it was my life that flashed before my eyes, and there’s not an ounce of exaggeration in this scene. Fortunately, I lived to tell the story.

  (Okay, everything up to the part about the Navy SEAL saving me is true.)

  Contents

  DON’T MISS OUT!

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  THERE’S MORE!

  22. UNEXPECTED SECRETS, A Free Chapter

  ABOUT EVA GREER

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  Chapter 1

  At first, the vista outside my car window seemed beautiful, incredible even.

  It was almost too much for me to take in and drive at the same time on this narrow, winding mountain road toward Emerald Bay.

  But then suddenly, I realized couldn’t feel my hands—one minute they were gripping the steering wheel (which I know only because I risked taking my eyes off the road for a microsecond to confirm they were indeed still there before gluing my eyes back to the road in front of me)—and the next thing I knew, there were numb.

  My face was numb, too, and the world was starting to go dark around the edges.

  It became obvious as I tried to navigate a tight left turn, that suddenly, absofuckinglutely nothing was there to stop my car from careening off the road and down the cliff. What happened to the guardrail? There was no longer anything between my car and the drop off to Hell.

  My heart was thundering in my chest, and escalating.

  I knew that I was likely going to die.

  I was going to die before I even made it to Emerald Bay—the whole point in choosing Lake Tahoe for my long weekend getaway.

  In a moment like this, you’d tell someone to breathe, right? All well and good, but I couldn’t breathe.

  I could not catch my breath.

  I knew if I didn’t pull over soon I’d go over the damn cliff.

  Moments ago there had been a guardrail between me, my car, and the sheer drop off the side of the mountain I was driving up—but now there was fucking nothing.

  How did that even happen? Did I miss a Guardrails End, Good Luck! sign?

  I had to pull over, or turn around, or die.

  There was no place to pull over on this steep, narrow mountain road with hairpin turns; there was barely enough room for my car, let alone a car coming down the mountain toward me.

  There was no place to turn around, either.

  I started to freak out, and I don’t freak out. I’m an attorney for god’s sake. I was made for high-pressure situations. I thrived on them. What the hell was happening to me?

  I was going to lose consciousness and go over the cliff. That’s what was happening.

  I fought the lightheaded sensations, and the increasing darkness at the edge of my vision. I fought it with everything I had.

  Cocky whined. He fucking whined, and I knew right then and there I had to try to make it, if only for him.

  My cocker spaniel didn’t deserve to die if my car hurled over the cliff because I lost consciousness during a panic attack. He was an innocent bystander, even if he was a cocky, pain in the ass dog.

  Was this a panic attack?

  I’d never had a panic attack before—ever—but I knew enough about them to know I was either having one now, or I was having a heart attack. Oh God, what if it was a heart attack?

  I was barely twenty-nine with a fit, healthy body, so it probably wasn’t a heart attack, but I found no solace in that fact.

  I had seconds to figure something out.

  Keep your eyes forward, I desperately willed.

  Was that really a turn around in front of me or was I imagining it? Was it a mirage? Or did those only happen in the desert?

  It didn’t matter because I knew I was running out of time even though I tried to tell myself not to look at the road that dropped off to oblivion just beyond the right side of my car.

  I tried to tell myself not to look, but it didn’t change the facts, or dizziness, or numbness in my body.

  I don’t know how I pulled off onto the narrow turnaround that I wasn’t even sure was real, but I must have.

  The next thing I knew, a visual of my car careening off the cliff filled my head (I know, weird right? Shouldn’t it have been my life flashing before my eyes?) But I digress.

  I pressed the breaks as though it were my last act, and shoved the gear into Park. I managed to push my foot down onto the emergency brake before I started to cry. Fuck cry… I s.o.b.b.e.d.

  The more I sobbed, the more I couldn’t breathe.

  I didn’t see the car pull up behind me. I didn’t hear the car door close or even notice a man standing beside my window.

  I don’t know how long he stood there, knocking on my window before I realized he was there.

  My whole body was shaking, I could not catch my breath, and tears and snot formed a river from my eyes and nose, down my chin, to the abyss beyond.

  It was Cocky—my Cocker Spaniel that finally brought me back to earth. He wasn’t allowed in the front seat because it wasn’t safe for him or me, but damn it if that pain in the ass cocker didn’t risk my wrath by jumping into the front seat and start licking my face.

  He just kept licking and licking my face until I finall
y pushed him away.

  (In retrospect, he might have been one of those dogs who liked the taste of salty tears and snot, but I’d rather to give him the benefit of the doubt.)

  Then the urge to vomit hit my stomach. It hit hard and fast.

  I didn’t know if my hands would obey my brain by opening the door or not, but if they didn’t, I’d end up throwing up all over my steering wheel and dashboard.

  It was that moment when I realized there was a face outside my window. Big topaz-blue eyes filled with concern stared back at me, hands holding a hanger, pushing it between my window and the car door.

  My hands were still numb, but they moved when I told them to. I hit the door lock with the back of my wrist and heard the lock click.

  The next thing I knew, the car door was opening and strong, warm, masculine arms scooped under my legs and behind my back, pulling me up and out of the seat, against his chest.

  “Whoa, whoa, babe. It’s okay, you’re all right. I’ve gotcha. Breathe for me, okay?”

  “I—I can’t!” I wailed through desperate gasps. “Throw up—“ I warned.

  But he didn’t push me away—he pulled me closer. All I could think of was a baby—when they are crying inconsolably, you swaddle them, and that’s exactly what he did to me while I sobbed into his chest, my entire body shaking, unable to process anything.

  He swaddled me in his big, strong arms and pulled me closer.

  “You’re all right. Breathe for me, babe,” he just kept whispering over and over again into my ear.

  “I’m—going—I’m going—to die,” I finally uttered between shudders, gasping for air.

  “You’re not going to die, I’ve got you. Now move your hand to your belly.”

  My hands clung to his tear-soaked t-shirt. I didn’t want to move them. I didn’t want to let go.

  “Just move one,” he encouraged. “Move it to your belly for me.”

  I could barely pry my fingers off, but I let go of his shirt with my right hand and pressed it on my belly.

  “Good, good job,” he soothed. “Now with your next breath, I want you to try to take it in deep enough that it makes your belly expand. Can you do that for me?”

  I nodded. It took a few tries, but I did it.

  “Good, now another one, slow breath into the count of three. Let it out to the count of three.”

  “I’m—I’m not having—a—a heart attack?” I heard a voice ask, not connecting the fact that it was mine.

  His warm chuckle vibrated in my ear, but it wasn’t unkind.

  “I don’t think so, babe, but if you are, you’re in good hands. I’m a doctor. Can you tell me your name?” His voice soothed me like a caress.

  “Avery,” I gulped. “Avery King.”

  “Beautiful name, babe. Now breathe.”

  After a few more breaths my hands started to tingle. My body wasn’t shaking violently anymore—there were just little tremors that spiked every few minutes rather than nonstop.

  “I think I’m okay now. You can put me down.” My words were stronger, less staggered.

  He held me right where I was.

  “Just give it a few more minutes, until the tremors stop. Keep breathing for me, babe.”

  Chapter 2

  I turned to look at the man leaning against my car as I paced off to the right, close to the road, and away from the cliff. His eyes were blue, like topaz. They matched the color of the water in Lake Tahoe.

  He was impressive. He had to be at least 6’3” tall with broad shoulders and dirty-blonde hair—cut short. Military short. Chiseled jaw with the perfect amount of stubble. And hot, did I mention hot and sexy? Hot as fuck. Confident. Maybe even full of himself, but compassionate, too, with kind eyes.

  Those eyes had reached right into my soul—or maybe that was the panic talking.

  His chest filled the t-shirt and left little to the imagination. Even in my current state, the word YUM came to mind.

  I shook my head.

  Clearly, I was feeling better, but something weird must have happened when I had that panic attack because I hadn’t thought of a guy as yum, not ever.

  The butterflies in my stomach were relentless. I hugged myself, willing them to settle.

  He leaned calmly against my car watching me pace. Cocky was right by his side, and his eyes were watching me, too.

  “What did you say your name was?” I asked.

  “Not sure you asked, Avery, but it’s Caden. Caden Stone.”

  “Okay, Caden,” I stopped pacing and took two steps toward him, then stopped, almost afraid to get too close to the man who’d swaddled me in his arms just minutes before. “Thank you for helping me,” I turned away when the tears threatened my eyes again. “I don’t want to keep you— “

  “What are you planning to do, Avery?” he asked calmly, arms folded across his massive chest.

  “I’ll be all right,” I assured him, blinking back the tears. I could feel his eyes on me, waiting, not wavering.

  “I will be, really, you can go.” I dismissed him with a wave of my hand.

  “I believe you. What’s your plan?” He asked, unmoveable.

  “I’ll head back down the mountain.” I shuddered. “I can’t go any further up,” I admitted, my voice soft. Sad.

  “Not advisable,” he agreed. “How are you planning to get down?”

  I took a deep breath, then another. It was still hard to get air into my lungs. “I’ll figure it out.” I let the breath out slowly, my lips pursed. “I can do it.”

  He nodded. “You can come with me.”

  “No, really, I can’t. I have Cocky— “

  He chuckled. “Cocky?”

  “My dog,” I managed a weak smile pointing to the traitor lying beside him. “He’s a cocky bastard—somehow it just fit.”

  Then he laughed. It was a beautiful sound, making me shiver.

  His eyes narrowed. “Come on, let’s get your bags. You’re coming with me.”

  My body moved instantly, instinctually toward him. Wait a minute, what am I even doing right now? I stopped. Since when did I let any man tell me what to do? Especially one I didn’t know.

  “I can’t do that,” I told him clearly. Thank God common sense took over.

  “Sure you can,” his eyes studied me. “Not sure you’re going to make it down this mountain driving your car, babe. Not sure it’s advisable for you to try, and I can’t drive them both.”

  “No, I suppose you can’t.” I agreed. I paced a few more steps than turned back to him. “I can do it.” I looked straight at him. “I’ll just hug the mountain on the way down. I won’t look,” I licked my lips, looking toward the cliff, “over there. The mountain won’t move, it’s a solid guardrail,” I explained, “it’s not going to disappear on me,” I added with half a smile, but then my brow furrowed. “Did I miss a sign about the fact that the guardrails would end?”

  “No, you didn’t. There used to be one, but— “ he hesitated, “but it’s not there anymore.”

  “Fell off the cliff…” I whispered. A shudder racked my body.

  He instantly moved to my side.

  “You’re coming with me, Avery,” he commanded. “Now. Let’s get your things. I’ll get your car off the mountain tomorrow.” His hand rested on my lower back, gently moving me forward, sending little shivers and sparks down my spine.

  Chapter 3

  We were silent for the first minute of the trek back down the mountain. My head was against the headrest, and my face turned toward the mountainside, eyes closed.

  “Hand on your stomach, Avery. Breathe for me.”

  I bit my lower lip but did as he asked. I hadn’t realized I wasn’t breathing, but he was right—I could feel panic starting to rise in my chest. I rested my hand on my stomach. It took a few attempts, but I finally got air into my chest, feeling my stomach expand.

  “Good girl,” he praised. “Now keep it up.”

  His head turned toward me, I could hear his voice directed at me
and my eyes flew open. “Keep your eyes on the road!” I gasped, eyes wide.

  “Babe, it’s okay. My eyes are on the road, okay. You’re okay.”

  “Shit, I’m sorry,” I brushed away a tear with a shaking hand, then grasped the handle of my door like it was a lifeline.

  “Do you get panic attacks often,” he asked softly.

  “I’ve never had one before. Damn, I didn’t know what it was at first—“

  I felt the tremors starting inside my body, you know, the kind that doesn’t show outwardly, but they are there.

  “I didn’t even know what was happening. One minute I was driving up this mountain, snatching glimpses of the lake, and the next thing I knew,” my breath hitched and I paused, reliving it, “suddenly there was no guardrail. No guardrail between my car and a long, cavernous drop-off.

  Simultaneously, a car came toward me, and I got lightheaded. My heart was thundering, and the world started getting smaller. I—I honestly thought I was going to die. I didn’t know how to keep it from overtaking me.”

  I took a deep, ragged breath. “Then I saw the turnaround just up ahead, and I thought it wasn’t real. I thought maybe it was a mirage, and life was playing a dirty trick on me, but I had to go for it even if it was.

  I honest-to-God I think I was seconds from losing consciousness. I don’t even remember pulling onto the turnaround,” I finished softly.

  I hugged my stomach with both arms, and Cocky started to whine in the backseat.

  “Cocky.” One word from Caden and Cocky simply lay down.