by S. K. Rose
With a nudge to my arm, Kane holds out a clear cup full of red punch. I take a big drink, almost choking as the liquid goes down with a burn.
“Holy crap, is this spiked?” I gasp.
Kane makes a strangled noise with his throat. “Shh, the ‘rents are right there, you narc.” He jerks his head toward our parents who are both holding back their laughter.
I giggle and shove his shoulder playfully. “You’re an idiot.”
The music and lights dim, and Kane gestures to the middle of the dance floor. “May I have this dance?”
I do a little curtsy and let him lead me away from the refreshments and our sighing mothers. A projected light from above paints the room with little stars that oscillate around and around. Soft music floats down from the stage, and I wrap my arms around Kane with a shy smile. His hands find my hips, and Wren begins to sing Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.”
We share a secret smile as I remember the way he joked about the importance of slow dancing to an Aerosmith song on our first date.
My heart overflows with happiness, and I lay my head against his chest and know without a doubt that this is a night that will change everything. A dance I will never forget.
Kane’s chin rests on the top of my head, and his palms slide to the small of my back. “I didn’t go to battle against Sauron or anything for you, but I bet Aragorn never recreated a prom for Arwen. Just saying,” he boasts, smiling against my hair.
I shake my head at his Lord of the Rings reference. “God, you’re such a nerd.”
“Yeah, but you love it.”
And I do.
“You know, I’ve been wondering about your gamer name lately. Where did RedWyrm come from?”
“Well, as you know, I wasn’t exactly miss popular back in grade school. Kids called me Bookworm, which was fine until it got shortened to Worm.” I wrinkle my nose at the memory. Kids are fucking mean. “Instead of letting them win, I swapped out one little letter, and Worm became…”
“Wyrm,” Kane finishes. “From creepy crawly to a badass dragon. Fitting.”
I smile against the fabric of his jacket, beaming to hear such pride in his voice.
“I’ve missed you so much, Freckles. There’s so many things I would do differently with a second chance.”
“Like wear pants instead of tights at EkoCon?” I ask sweetly.
He chuckles. “Damn, you looked so sexy as an elf. Just the memory is fucking me up…”
My eyes widen as I feel him harden with excitement. “So what do teenage couples usually do after prom is over?” I ask in my most seductive voice.
“Generally speaking, there’s a forbidden hotel room involved…”
“I could get onboard with that,” I whisper.
Without hesitating, Kane digs into his pocket and pulls out his phone. I giggle as he taps away on the screen before shoving it back into his slacks. “So, uh, we done here, then?”
I laugh and smile big when the song changes to a more upbeat one. “A couple more dances, cowboy, then I’m all yours.”
Taking my hand, Kane throws me into a spin, and once I’m back in his arms, he wears a peculiar look on his face.
“What?” This damn nerd better not be having second thoughts already. I have no qualms kicking his ass in front of his entire family. Zero.
His hand still wrapped around mine, he spins the ring around my finger and brings it up for a better look. “You put the ring I gave you back on?”
I slide my hand out of his grasp and hide it lamely behind my back. “I’m a girl, we like jewelry, what of it?” I clear my throat and look anywhere but his eyes.
“You...you wanted to get back together anyway, didn’t you? Even after my bullshit?”
“Maybe a little.” I shrug.
“Oh my god.” A hand slides up his cheek and lands on his forehead. “I spent a day and a half throwing a prom, and you had already forgiven me.”
“I hadn’t forgiven you,” I snort. “I just...I knew that against all reason, I still wanted to be with you.”
“So the prom…” he says slowly.
“Certainly sealed the deal.” I grin, and the relief on his face is evident. Heaven forbid a man do work when he could have weaseled his way out of it. “I bet you tossed your ring out eons ago…”
“Think again.” Hooking a thumb under his collar, he tugs out a chain that holds his ring. “I never took it off,” he admits.
Wearing what I know is the cheesiest smile in existence, I reach up for a kiss and let him guide me into another spin with a laugh.
Everyone moves to join us on the dance floor. Julie is grinding on her fiancé, Mr. and Mrs. Decker are doing something that looks suspiciously like the Cabbage Patch. Max and Nessa are dancing and laughing, much to Wren’s obvious displeasure. Jack is shouting for everyone to watch as he does the worm.
Just like that, I realize I possess everything that was missing from my life. I’m in love with the sexiest nerd in the universe, I have not only one but two families now that love and accept me for me. EkoTek was blown away by my skills, and if I keep up my grades, I’ll be working there in no time.
All of this because Kane Decker blew into my life and refused to take no for an answer.
Yanking his collar, I pull him in for a deep kiss. I ignore the hoots and hollers of our friends and family and kiss him with the passion reserved only for the man who changed my life.
“I’m gonna go show the girls who the prom queen is with my wicked dance moves,” I say breathlessly in his ear.
Cupping my cheek, he grins and places a soft kiss on my forehead.
“Give em’ hell, Freckles.”
Epilogue
Kane
Six Months Later
“Ooh ouch baby,” I growl.
“Yeah, you like that? Wait till this next move.”
“Fuuuck.”
“You know how I like it.”
“Such a tight fit, my god.”
“I’ve been practicing,” she purrs.
“Damn right you have. Okay, get ready, I’m not done with you yet.”
“Give it to me, Karnage.”
“Oh, I’m going to give it to you so hard you won’t know what hit you.”
“Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!” I toss down the controller and glare over at the red headed devil swirling a lollipop between her lips. “How do you keep killing me?”
“Stop getting backed into that corner, you noob. Oh, and learn some better moves, do a combo or something; it’s just embarrassing.”
“You know this week of my internship has been insanity, you can’t just take it easy on me for once, can you?”
She shrugs. “Probably not.”
Someone in the room clears their throat. “What the—what the fuck just happened?!” Wren stammers, his neck a deep shade of red.
“You never banter a little when you game or what?” I snap.
“Do you even hear yourselves?” Wren asks in exasperation.
Vanessa, or Nessa as I’m finally allowed to call her, purrs from his lap. “Kinda turned me on, mi amor.”
Wren shakes his head but smiles at his girlfriend. “You’re all a bunch of freaks.”
“Vamanos. You said that was the last round. You know you can’t be late,” Nessa scolds.
Scarlett makes a sound of irritation as she whips to face her best friend. “Last time. Promise. You guys go ahead, and we’ll be right behind you.”
With a pointed look, Nessa sighs but gets to her feet. Hand in hand, she and Wren grab their things and walk out the door.
“Good. A chance to redeem myself.” I grab the controller from the floor and lean forward in my chair.
Scarlett moves to block the screen, eyes glinting with mischief. “Not really what I had in mind for this round.” When I raise an eyebrow, she shrugs. “Our banter kinda turned me on, too.”
I laugh and shake my head. “If we’re late to your sister’s wedding, she’s going to kill you. And me.
Double homicide.”
“Guess it will have to be a quickie.” She hikes up her pink Maid of Honor dress with a wicked smile.
She squeals as I yank her onto my lap. “I always knew you would be trouble.”
After a few seconds, her hand presses to my chest, pushing my lips away from her soft ones.
She leans in close and whispers in my ear before catapulting off my lap with a wink—
“I’m gonna put on the elf ears.”
THE END
Want to get updates?
Want to get updates, teasers, and sneak peeks from S.K. Rose?
Join SK’s Reader Group and be sure to subscribe to her Newsletter.
Notes
Psst...Not a Gamer?
1 Grind: Okay pervert, yes, your mind probably went straight to the “bump and grind” definition, but in games, this is not the case. Grind means to do something over and over to acquire gold or armor or whatever for your character. Think of “the daily grind.” I know, super exciting, right?
Chapter 1
1 Loot: The goods or rewards you collect in a game; it can be anything from healing potions to weapons.
Chapter 2
1 Noob: Amateur hour, baby, means you’re a novice or inexperienced (or just plain suck donkey balls).
2 A type of video game where you go around shooting people and stuff. Pew pew.
3 Toon: This is the little character you’re controlling and pretending to be in a video game.
4 Troll: Someone who deliberately stirs up drama for shits and giggles. An asshole.
5 Gold: The in-game currency for Tactical Heart. Want to buy cool shit for your character? Better get that gold baby.
Chapter 4
1 Stats: Statistical information on an item that tells you if it’s badass or total garbage.
2 Raid: A mission where a number of players work together and try to accomplish a feat or defeat a powerful enemy. Teamwork, baby!
3 AFK: Away From Keyboard.
Chapter 7
1 MMORPG: Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (Damn that was a mouthful). Basically, there are role playing games where you can play with lots of other people.
Chapter 8
1 Grind: Okay pervert, yes, your mind probably went straight to the “bump and grind” definition, but in games, this is not the case. Grind means to do something over and over to acquire gold or armor or whatever for your character. Think of “the daily grind.” I know, super exciting, right?
2 Gank: When a group of players gangs up on a lone player and kills him. It can also refer to being taken out by a single character if there is an unfair advantage (such as a huge difference in player levels).
3 OP: Over powered. Strong as shit, unfairly so.
Chapter 13
1 When you come back alive after being dead in the game.
2 HP: Hit/Health points, how much life you have before you’re dead as a doornail.
Chapter 16
1 A nonplayer character. Complete artificial intelligence, there's no mouth breathing player pulling the strings behind these toons.
Chapter 24
1 A negative status that gets placed on your toon, like poison that does damage over time. It ain’t fun bro.
Chapter 25
1 Aggro: When a hostile group of monsters takes notice of a certain character and actively tries to take that person out.
Acknowledgments
Sweet mother of dragons, I actually finished my first romantic comedy! After my Remember the Reaper duet it was refreshing to switch to something so lighthearted and fun. I love Scarlett and Kane and was more than excited to let my nerd flag fly. I hope you had some laughs and enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Tweedles: Katie Murrock and Katie Silvi, it was a no brainer to thank you ladies first. Taking on the role as not only my group admin but now as my PAs is an adventure to say the least. I’m picky and forgetful but you guys are always there to put me back on track and help with whatever I need. You’re both amazing and such wonderfully sweet women. It has been an absolute joy getting to not only work with you, but have you as such close friends that I can trust with anything.
Husbeast: So many things have changed since you encouraged me to pursue my dream of writing. We got married and now we are expecting a sweet baby boy. Our life has begun this crazy, amazing new chapter and through it all there’s one thing that hasn’t changed─your unwavering support. You encourage me to write what makes me happy, to do whatever I need to do to find self-fulfillment and happiness. Truth is, I’ve found all of that with you and the family we are creating. Writing, following this dream of mine, that’s just an added bonus. I love you in this and every parallel universe.
Pae: Crazy year for us ain’t it? Between baby Sam being born and baby Paige being incubated we have both been crazy busy. Yet, in all this craziness you still find time to read my words and help fuel my inspiration when you scream and demand for more. You get my insane rants and freak outs more than almost anyone and I’ve realized it’s because I’m comforted by your friendship. You are my anchor in choppy waters and I love you so much. Thanks for being my British Bae.
Kat: Thank you for helping me branch out of my little bubble and create a feisty Puerto Rican character. I loved getting to ask you questions and learn more about your culture. It was extremely important that I made her authentic and I would not have been able to do that without my very own Nessa. Love you pendeja.
Aussie Queen: Julie, as always, you have been an amazing friend and mentor as I learn the ropes of writing. I appreciate all your (constant) guidance. I have no clue where I would be without you. Most importantly, CHECK OUT THAT SEXY COVER!! You did such an amazing job and I could not be happier with how it turned out. You’re the best and I’m so glad to call you a friend. Love your beautiful face!
TEAMSK: Tweedles, Jennifer, Samallama, Ashley, Terri, Jordan, Angela, Briana, & Chantal You ladies ROCK! Thank you all for busting your humps to help me spread the word about the book. I appreciate each and every one of you and the hard work that you did to support this book. Ya’ll the real MVPs!
BETAS: Yeri, Dravena, Rebecca, Danielle, & Karen You tore up my first draft with your questions and comments and the book improved by leaps and bounds because of it. No rock was left unturned and I loved the passion you guys brought forward. Thank you for all your excitement and help you beautiful butterflies.
Octoposse: What can I say about my BOOK TRIBE?! You guys make me smile and laugh every damn day. I have created so many friendships and had thousands of interesting and hilarious conversations with you ladies. I know it might be a little crazy but you guys are seriously like a second family to me. If someone were to ask me what the best part of becoming an author was it would hands down be the creation of this reader group. We lean on each other in hard times and celebrate each other’s successes. I appreciate you all SO MUCH for your constant support and words of encouragement. You guys are MY KINDA CRAZY!!
P.S. Dark SK LIVES ON FOREVER, MUAHAHAHA!!!
P.S.S. Not really though. I think Preggo Sk killed her for good *sigh*
Nemesis AKA Grandma Shade: What the fuck would I do without you?! Seriously I turn to you for damn near everything in my life and I can’t imagine it any other way now. We give each other a lot of shit, our interests are night and day, and yet you’ve become one of my closest friends. Thank you for the ridiculous amount of help you gave me while writing this romcom, not including the never ending encouragement when I struggled with the story.
Don’t get me wrong, you’re a total asshat, but you’re my asshat.
Mel AKA Queen of Booksmacked: Hey there, lifelong friend here. Just wanted to say thank you for, well, everything. You have taught me so much about the book world and yet it seems like there’s still so much I have to learn from you. Aside from being my social media guru, you’re a wonderful friend that I am incredibly lucky to have in my life. You’re also my absolute favorite person to vent/gossip
with LOL!
Oh and if anyone reads this who’s in need of an amazing (judgement free) book group, look no further- https://www.facebook.com/groups/BookSmackedBangers/ be sure to tell them I sent ya.
About the Author
Remember the Reaper is S.K. Rose’s debut series. Crowned with Guilt is the first book in the series, and the conclusion is Cleansed with Fire. Rose lives in the hellish desert of Arizona with her newly appointed husband and two obnoxious cats. When she’s not writing, Rose enjoys reading, gaming, swearing like a drunk sailor, collecting swords, and obsessing over the magnificent sea creature: the octopus. Check out the links below to creep around and stalk her!
Connect with S.K. Rose
Official Website
Merchandise
Facebook Reader Group
Other Books by S.K. Rose
Remember the Reaper Duet
Crowned with Guilt (Book 1)
Cleansed with Fire (Book 2)
Both available on Kindle Unlimited
