Extreme devotion, p.1
Extreme Devotion, page 1
Extreme Devotion
Steele Family Romance
Cami Checketts
Copyright
Extreme Devotion: Steele Family Romance
Copyright © 2019 by Camille Checketts
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.
Edited by Daniel Coleman, Lisa Lee, and Jenna Roundy.
Cover art by Novak Illustrations
Contents
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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
Epilogue
About the Author
The Committed Warrior
Also by Cami Checketts
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Sign up for Cami’s newsletter and receive a free ebook copy of The Resilient One: A Billionaire Bride Pact Romance at www.camichecketts.com.
Chapter One
Jex Steele adjusted his helmet, said a quick but heartfelt prayer for safety, and pedaled his mountain bike slowly around the parking lot at the top of Kauai’s Waimea Canyon. The parking lot had been cleared of vehicles; the cars lined the winding road below it. His fans were held back by temporary barriers that sectioned off the parking lot, clamoring for a picture of him or begging him to stop and talk or take a selfie. He gave the crowd nothing more than a wave. After the upcoming stunt, which would be broadcast onto the huge television screens set up throughout the parking lot, he’d mingle and mix with the crowd, hold babies, give little boys tips on extreme sports, and fend off the too-aggressive women. His faithful followers knew that he didn’t talk to anyone before the event—except for his closest friend and business manager, Pearl.
Pearl was the only one in the parking lot, besides the camera and safety crews. Today only some drones and his helmet camera would be recording because of the dangerous route. He never wanted to risk anyone else’s safety as he did stunts or adventures for his YouTube channel and social media posts.
He pedaled up to Pearl. The cameras were rolling, and it was time to tease and flirt with her. The crowds loved their interactions as much as they loved his stunts. He couldn’t blame people for loving any view they could get of Pearl, but he didn’t flirt with her for better ratings. He flirted with her because he’d fallen in love with her over the past six years of working together, and he kept praying that someday, somehow, she’d move past friends and co-workers and fall for him. Every other woman seemed to fall for him. Why not Pearl?
“I love you, Jex!” a woman yelled from the crowd.
“Marry me, Jex!” someone else yelled. Then there were so many shouts that he couldn’t even try to distinguish them.
He waved, but his smile was only for Pearl. She was tall, almost five-ten, and she always wore heels. He still had her by several inches at six-three. He adored her for wearing heels, even though he teased her about it too, especially when they were in some primitive spot where her heels were sinking into the mud. Then he’d get the opportunity to pick her up and carry her. He teased her mercilessly on those days, but he would never complain about any chance to touch her.
As he approached her, he saw that she was dressed impeccably, as always. Today she wore a blousy polka-dot black-and-white shirt with a red pencil skirt. Whew. He had to pray hard to keep his focus on her gorgeous face. Her highlighted brown-and-gold hair was twisted in a funky updo, and her unique teal-colored eyes lit up as she said, “Hey, boss.”
“Hey, beautiful.”
Her cheeks turned pink. Man, he loved her. The shouts of brazen women in the crowd now begging to have his baby were drowned out as he drank in Pearl’s sweet smile.
He climbed off the bike, propped it against a nearby fence, and eased closer to her. The crowd finally quieted in anticipation as his mic picked up his and Pearl’s exchange.
“Is today the day?” he asked.
She arched her eyebrows, pretending he hadn’t asked the same questions before each stunt for almost a year now. “The day?”
“The day you agree to change your last name to Steele? One syllable has to be an appetizing offer.” He hoped he was an appetizing offer, not just that she’d go from Pearl Davenport-Jacobsen to Pearl Steele and save hand cramps when she wrote thank-you cards.
She smiled, and he awaited her answer. His questions rarely changed, but her answers varied day to day. Sadly, none of them had been anywhere close to an acceptance … yet.
“I might consider it …” Her teal eyes sparkled at him.
His eyebrows were the ones shooting up now, and his pulse started racing. She’d never “considered” before, usually just shot him down with a cute little grin. “If?” He licked his lips and stepped in closer. The crowd was so quiet he could hear his shoe scuff the asphalt. Everyone loved their interludes—part of the experience, he supposed—and since he had a mic on, everybody could hear it. He didn’t care about fans, his producers, or money right now; all that mattered was Pearl and her response.
“If you take me to JoJo’s for shaved ice tonight, it might be a start to warming me up to the idea.”
His stomach lifted and his blood ran so hot he felt like he was on fire. He could fling himself off a two-thousand-foot cliff in a wingsuit and not experience the adrenaline rush and excitement of this moment.
He tried to play it cool, but that was an almost impossible order. His dream woman was maybe agreeing to marry him. “I could arrange that,” he said in what he hoped was a smooth, calm, confident voice.
She grinned and ducked her head slightly in the sweetest, most attractive gesture ever made by womankind. It was her signature move, and he loved it almost as much as he loved how such a professional, with-it woman could also be innocent and fun and absolutely perfect for him.
“Does that mean …” The answer to his other question, which she always responded to in the negative, might just change today. Forget riding a bike on the ledge of a two-thousand-foot drop-off on each side. If she’d say yes to his other standard question, he was going to focus on kissing the beautiful Pearl Jacobsen-Davenport. This could be the most important moment of his life. The stunt could wait all day, for all he cared.
She met his gaze, her teal eyes gleaming. He often thought it was a gleam of desire, but then she’d reject him, and he’d be left wondering if she was simply playing for the crowd or if she just liked to toy with him. She was an angel … with a teasing side that kept him coming back every day, begging like a dog with his tongue hanging out.
“Mean what?” She tilted her head, and the desire in her eyes morphed to a challenge.
Jex chuckled easily, but his insides were churning and he felt like his future was riding on this question. He stepped even closer, cupped her smooth cheek with his palm, and said, “Will you give me a kiss for good luck?” He held his breath as he awaited her answer. How many days had they repeated this pattern, and how many days had he tasted disappointment instead of her sweet lips? He didn’t waste time calculating, but it was around a year ago that he’d grown brave enough to ask her these questions every day.
Pearl’s gaze dropped to his lips, then returned to meet his eyes. His heart leapt and his pulse was racing as she leaned closer to him. His other hand went naturally around her trim waist. She placed both of her palms on his chest, and he caught his breath. This was happening. Him and Pearl. Forget the stunt. If she’d kiss him, agree to marry him, he’d sweep her off her feet and find a preacher somewhere on this beautiful island, and they’d be married on the beach at sunset. Every muscle tightened as he waited for her to say yes to his question—or even better, answer by kissing him. How he’d dreamt of kissing her.
Her pulse was pounding so fast, he could see it thrumming in her neck. He ran his fingers down to that pulse point and brushed it. She let out a soft gasp that made his own pulse speed up. The smooth skin of her neck was so appealing. He wanted to kiss it, after he kissed her lips.
She arched up, sliding her hands around his neck, but instead of going in for the kiss, she darted her lips around to his ear and said, “Not today. Ask again tomorrow.”
The camera must’ve picked up her answer, because the crowd roared in disappointment. Jex barely heard it. Nothing could match the disappointment rolling through him in dark waves.
She released him and stepped back. “Be careful,” she whispered.
Jex swallowed hard and nodded to her. He grabbed his bike and waved jauntily to the crowd. “Another day, another rejection from the beautiful Pearl,” he said.
They screamed back at him, clapping and hollering answers he couldn’t distinguish. He glanced at Pearl, wondering if rejecting him was simply routine for her, an automatic response. It hurt him every time, but he was Jex Steele and he had to push on and do his stunts like the brave madman he was. Brave. Ha! If he was brave, he’d go for a kiss at night, when he and Pearl were alone, but somehow her rejection in front of millions of people was easier to stomach than a rejection when it was just the two of them.
He gave her a wink and a grin, as if his heart was
He cruised down the trail pell-mell, dodging rocks and jumping over tree branches on autopilot. Not today, not today. The words echoed in his head. What day, then? Why did the only woman he wanted reject him outright? Tonight, he reassured himself, they’d go to JoJo’s, then for a walk on the beach. Maybe he’d finally get brave enough to claim a taste of those full, pouty lips. They’d become close friends over the past six years of working together, and yet he never tried to kiss her when they were alone every night. His brothers would say he was the biggest wimp they knew, and they’d be right. It was easier to put the charade in a video that millions of people would see rather than be rejected in private and know she truly didn’t want him.
“Where’s the dialogue from our favorite extreme sports guy?” Pearl’s voice asked in his earpiece.
Shoot. He’d been stewing about her and needed to get his head in the game.
The muddy trail suddenly dropped ten feet. He and the bike dropped with it, no problem, but the vicious drop-off he had seen on the virtual ride his safety guys took him through this morning appeared on his right. He flirted with it but brought the bike back in control and shot off through the bramble bushes, almost to the spot where the trail narrowed to a couple feet wide with game-ending thousand-foot cliffs on both sides. “Whew, friends, that was a close one. Guess my brain’s a bit muddy with another rejection from my dream woman.”
He heard her soft laugh in his ear, but her voice was tart. “You’ve got so many takers, I’m sure one woman doesn’t matter much to you.”
He shot out of the bushes, and the trail narrowed and the world fell away on each side of him. People called this a creepy-crawler hike, because some hikers’ fear of heights overcame them and they literally crawled on hands and knees rather than walk upright on such a dangerous precipice. He supposed most people would say he was insane to be biking it, but it was a normal day of work for him. He felt alive and invigorated. He was on top of the world, like usual. If only he could get Pearl to fall for him.
“Ah, that hurts.” He spoke into his mic. “Pearl thinks I’ve got too many women after me, but you all know she’s the only woman I want.” He pedaled furiously toward the end point, his bike solidly on the trail. With his skill set he was in little danger, though it was a brutal drop. He looked down into nothingness. No coming back from that one. The views of the Napili mountains, the insane greenery deep below him, and the beautiful coastline beyond were inspiring. “I guess I’ll have to just prove I’m devoted to her.”
“That would be a miracle,” she said.
Jex smiled jauntily. “Well, love, I specialize in miracles.”
She let out a small gasp, obviously watching the cameras as he flew toward the dead end of the ride: a rounded and flat spot that seemed suspended in the air with sheer green cliffs on all sides. The only way back to safety was the thin trail he’d just pedaled along to get here.
Gripping his hand brake, he realized he was coming in faster than he’d planned on. He hadn’t had his head in this game. Pearl was the only thing on his mind. The best mountain bike tires anyone could buy chewed up the muddy surface, trying to gain traction and keep him and the bike from plunging off the rapidly approaching edge. Chances of survival if he went off were nonexistent, but that was what he did—face death every day to give people a thrill and let them live vicariously through him.
The bike flew toward the ledge and he grinned. He released the bike handles and kicked off the seat, reversing his trajectory and flying into the air just like he planned. The trick was landing in the middle of the trail. A half foot too far on either side and he’d plunge to his death. Flipping in the air for added effect, he watched the bike plunge over the edge. He couldn’t worry about losing a favorite mountain bike. He had to stick this landing. Focused on the muddy spot, he bent his knees and landed only a few inches off-center. Pretty sweet trick, if he did say so himself.
He heard Pearl’s scream as his momentum and the slick mud carried him toward the edge once again. His stomach tumbled, but he didn’t let fear enter the equation. He rotated over onto his hands and knees, grabbing at nothing. Was this it? Would he plunge down into the beautiful greenery below and never get that chance to kiss Pearl?
Digging into the mud with his fingers, he clawed around in the softness, praying, hoping. Come on—in all this greenery, there had to be some kind of branch or a rock ledge. His body slid off the side, and he could hear Pearl screaming into the headset. “Jex!”
Jex didn’t want to leave her; it wasn’t his time. He was scratching viciously for something to hold on to; any microsecond now and his body would be completely separated from anything solid. He felt a root with his fingertips and clamped on to it. His body jerked violently, and his shoulder felt like it would be wrenched out of its socket, but the root held. His feet and lower body dangled over the side of the sheer drop-off. “Yes!” he hollered, punching the air with his other fist.
Clinging to the root, he vaulted his body back onto solid ground, stood, and lifted both hands over his head. Tilting his head down so the camera would pick up just how far he would’ve fallen, he said, “Wow, that was a ride, my friends!” He gave a pretend shudder, but there was no fear in him. He’d come off the victor, like he always did. He truly did specialize in miracles—though maybe it was more likely that his mom, his little sister Lottie, and Pearl prayed him safe every day.
Jex turned and jogged back up the narrow trail, anxious to see Pearl. Maybe she’d be so distraught over this near-death experience that she’d fling herself into his arms.
“Jex?” Pearl’s voice in his ear.
“Yes, love?”
“Are you okay?” Her voice trembled and gave him some hope that she cared for him as deeply as he did for her.
“Never better. We might need to get hold of our sponsor at Yeti. It appears I’ve lost another mountain bike.”
Pearl let out a gurgle that might have been a strained laugh. “You’re insane.”
“It’s what you love about me.”
Jex picked up his speed down the thin trail. As he waited for Pearl’s answer, he made it through the bramble bush section and then reached the ten-foot drop-off where he’d almost lost the ledge earlier. He grabbed roots and branches and scaled it easily.
“It’s not what you love about me?” he finally asked.
“Let’s just say that after that little stunt, I’m not going to be rushing to change my last name, even with the appetizing one-syllable offer.”
Jex’s gut churned. Dang. “We’re still on for JoJo’s?” He wasn’t ready to give up. How many years had he been in love with his beautiful assistant/manager, yet she’d kept him at arm’s length? He’d tried to date other women, hoping to either find someone he liked well enough to transfer his desperate affection from Pearl, or maybe make Pearl jealous enough to declare her own affection. Neither had worked. Over the past six months, he’d given up on dating anyone else and increased his flirtations with Pearl. He knew no one but Pearl would do for him, and he’d been so close today. Curse him getting distracted and almost going over the edge. It was a normal day’s work for him, and he knew it would get millions of views, likes, and shares. Great for publicity, but not so great for his relationship with Pearl. Instead of flinging herself into his arms like he dreamed, Pearl often closed off emotionally when he had a near-death experience. His ratings and earnings went through the roof, so you’d think she’d be happy.
“We’ll see.” Did her voice sound a little choked up? If his luck today held she would get emotional and throw herself into his arms. A guy could hope. “Just get back here safe, please.”
