by Angel Lawson
I tugged at his lapels. “You literally just put this back on.”
“For you? I’ll take it off again.”
God he was so cute.
“We have to go in,” I said. “The guys are here.”
He nodded. “They’re definitely going to want to see you in that dress.”
It was sparkly, covered with a million silver sequins. I carried my tiara in my hand, ready to hand it over to the new winner.
“Heaven!”
I spun in the direction of the voice. Amber and Ginger strolled up.
“What are you doing here?” I asked after giving them both a hug.
“Ginger wanted to see where we grew up.”
Amber and Ginger…they were a real thing now. They’d moved into a suite with Samantha after I withdrew. Sam didn’t have a roommate right now, saving a spot for my return next semester.
“How are you doing?” Amber asked. It took her a long time to believe me when I told her I didn’t blame her for being MIA during a lot of my drama. She had a life and I was really good at keeping secrets.
“Better. I think every day is a little better.”
“I can’t wait until you get back.” She squeezed my neck.
Oliver held up his phone. “We need to get inside. The guys are getting antsy.”
I took a deep breath and with Oliver and Amber at my side, going through the door wasn’t as difficult as I expected.
The inside of the school seemed smaller too, and we took the back hall to the side of the stage where the other Allendale boys were waiting. They each wore a suit, of various shades. Jackson looked deadly in black. Hayden like a dream in charcoal, and Anderson found a color of light gray that brought out the green in his eyes.
“Damn,” Jackson muttered when he saw me. He gave Oliver a dirty look. “No wonder you’re late.”
Oliver grinned like the cat that caught the canary. It wasn’t lost on anyone. If Oliver broke through the mental health sex embargo, then the others knew their chance would come soon.
Yeah, I was as excited as they were.
“You guys look pretty handsome, too,” I said, walking by and running a hand over their chests. “Who knew when you took off those T-shirts and uniforms you’d clean up so well.”
“I did,” Ginger said. “I mean, I’m not surprised.”
Amber beamed and kissed her on the cheek. Ginger turned and kissed her on the lips. The rest of us watched, eyes wide.
“Huh,” Anderson said, watching them more closely than necessary.
I punched him in the gut and he shrugged sheepishly.
“College is about experimenting,” Hayden said, then coughed. “You know, if you’re not in a committed relationship.”
Ms. Rivers, the vice principal, walked up the stage stairs and stood in front of the microphone. My life had come a long way in the last year but one thing remained the same…
“Welcome back, last year’s princes and princess,” she called, waving us on the stage. Amber pushed my back and Oliver took my hand.
Even if I felt like it at times, I wasn’t alone. Even if my brain tried to fight me, I had these guys at my back. There was one thing for certain, we were The Allendale Five. Forever.
Epilogue
Summer
“Are you sure about this?” Anderson asked. We sat in his car while the others waited in the dusty parking lot.
“Hanging out with the four of you shirtless all afternoon? How could that be a bad idea?”
“Reeves…”
Uh oh, when he used my last name, it meant he was fed up. “Yes, I’m sure about this, but if you have a problem I respect that. I know this is hard for you, too.”
He leaned his head back in the seat, his long hair flopping in his eyes. I brushed it away, letting my hand linger on his cheek. “There are bad memories out there, Heaven.”
“My therapist says we should make new memories. Better ones.”
He nodded and took a deep breath. After a moment he grabbed my hand, kissing my fingers. “Okay, let’s go.”
The sun was hot when I got out of the car; the air salty and humid. I heard the rumble of waves and yeah, it caught me off guard. I paused and four sets of eyes watched me carefully.
“I’m fine.”
They nodded and continued their watch.
I loved them for it.
They were loaded down for the day, beach bags, coolers, blankets, and umbrellas. I wanted to make a day of it. Fun. Silly. Everything the last time we were here wasn’t.
I kicked off my shoes and felt the sand burning into my flesh. It felt good. Alive and pushing past every ounce of anxiety I had started to run, leaving the boys behind for the edge of the world. What was almost my grave.
I peeled off my sundress and took the first tentative step—the water was still cold but July cold, not winter cold, and it was very different. Titling my head up, I felt the sun heat my nose.
Footsteps sounded behind me and a pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist. I leaned back into the solid chest with my eyes closed. “Thank you for saving my life,” I said, feeling his heartbeat against my back. Shadows crossed and more footsteps came and soon we were a circle at the edge of the sea.
“You’re the strongest of us all, Heaven Reeves.”
I blinked, taking them all in. My friends. My lovers. My protectors. My saviors.
With a grin on my face I broke free, pushing past them for the water. They stilled, afraid, but that’s why we were here. To fight our fears. To cleanse our souls. To make new memories.
I curved my finger, drawing them to me.
I wanted them to be in every last one of mine.
The End
(Except keep reading for one extra little scene. Rated R+)
Once Upon A Time…
“Hey,” I said, trying to keep my voice down. The hallway was quiet and I didn’t really want to alert the residents that I was out here. “Any chance I can crash here tonight?”
Oliver rubbed his face and then head, eyes blinking in the bright hallway light. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, Amber and Ginger are just…busy…”
He raised his eyebrows in understanding. “Gotcha. Sure, come on in. Jax is asleep.”
It was after midnight and I’d just come from a bio study group with Anderson and a few other classmates. I heard the moans before I opened the door and had no interest in interrupting my roommate and her girlfriend. Anderson had an early practice and I didn’t like doing the walk of shame to or from Hayden’s frat. Oliver and Jackson’s dorm was easier to get in and out of.
Sometimes it was nice to have a couple options.
He widened the door and I entered their small room. I’m hit with the mixture of soap, musky boy, and lingering sweat from all their workouts. Two single beds—one on each side. Oliver’s had a reading lamp attached to the headboard. Jackson laid flat on his back, book splayed on his chest. I smiled and turned to Oliver, fighting a laugh.
“He looks so cute,” I whisper, hanging my bag on his desk chair.
His arm wrapped around my waist. “You look cute.”
I kicked off my shoes and shrugged out of my jeans, leaving them on the floor. Oliver got back in bed, pushing his back against the wall, making room for me in the tight space. He’s an excellent spooner, something I’ve known since the beginning of our relationship.
He pulled me to his chest, my butt nestled between his hips. I felt the size of him. The growth and the tremble of want stirred in my belly. He pushed aside my hair and peppered my neck with warm, soft kisses, and I twisted around and whispered, “Stop. We can’t do this with Jax over there.”
“He’s asleep,” he mutters. “And I can be super quiet.”
I caught his eye. “Maybe I can’t.”
His lips were on mine and he declared, “Challenge accepted.”
Again, he pulls me to his chest, hard length against my backside. His hands push up my shirt, cupping my breasts. His thumbs rolled
over my nipples, tugging them into hard peaks and I stifled a moan of satisfaction.
Slowly and quietly, I slipped my panties over my hips and down my legs, pushing them away from my feet. I wanted to feel Oliver’s skin on mine and I reached between the folds of his boxers, pulling out his hard length. The silky skin is hot and taut and when I release him it jabbed into my back. He fumbled a little, that heat-seeking missile searching for the space between my legs. I shifted, adjusted until we were flesh to flesh.
“Damn, you’re wet,” he breathes into my ear, his hand clenches my stomach. “Warm.”
I didn’t say a word, eyes shut, terrified to look at the bed across from us, at Jax sleeping peacefully, while the two of us were playing dirty games.
Oliver’s hand dipped between my legs, rubbing the sensitive spot. His cock pushed at me, into me, and I gasped when he entered. I bit my bottom lip and my eyes popped open and all I saw in front of me was Jackson’s handsome, surprised face.
My skin prickled and I grabbed Oliver’s hand, trying to still his moving fingers between my legs. Nope. Not a chance, he made no effort to stop. Why should he? He had no idea Mr. Peeping Tom was watching us from across the room. His face was burrowed in my neck as he thrusted his hips slowly against my ass. He was deep inside me, moving at the most painfully, pleasurably slow rhythm; my whole body felt like it may burst at any moment.
I held Jackson’s gaze while my lips parted and I panted with every thrust. His lips quirked up in a dirty grin. He pushed aside the book lying on his belly and lifted the covers, revealing a very hard, full erection straining at the front of his pants.
There was no mistaking I’d brought him to this predicament.
My eyes darted down. He didn’t hesitate for a beat before his hand moved across the cotton, stroking his length. Oliver’s teeth pressed into my shoulder as he contained his own passion and I cried out from the sheer intensity of it all.
“Sorry babe,” Oliver whispered in my ear. I lifted my hand and caressed his neck, desperately not wanting him to stop. Jackson and I stared at one another. It was clear he didn’t want to stop either.
He exposed himself, pulling his cock from his shorts. He didn’t make a move toward me and holy crap it was sexy watching him, while feeling the slow, sensual moves between Oliver and me.
I thought I was experienced. Adventurous. I’d asked to push the limits. To explore fantasies, but this one had never crossed my mind.
I’d been missing out.
I watched. Damn, I watched. His fingers moved nimbly. Sure. Not that I’d doubted it but, Jackson definitely knew how to take care of himself. It was different than how I’d do it. Slower. Harder. He stroked the length of his cock as leisurely as Oliver moved in and out, painfully slow.
My skin grew hot, ignited by what I saw. Felt.
Jackson’s erection grew impossibly hard; red and straining. His thumb spread the fluid at the tip, his other hand gripped the side of the bed. Jaw tight to keep quiet. His blue eyes narrowed and glazed, never lifting from mine. His lips parted and occasionally his tongue flicked out over his bottom lip. He was beautiful; red-cheeked and overcome. Oliver’s hand moved from my belly to my breast, tugging and pulling at my nipple. His breathing increased, our motions grew erratic. He tried to stay quiet, breath hot against my back. The coil of desire tightened, every nerve a live wire. Jackson’s hand pumped faster, quicker, harder, and his jaw nearly snapped under the pressure.
“Fuck,” Oliver mumbles against my skin. “Fuck, Heaven.”
I cried out silently, consumed by all of it. Everything. I bit my bottom lip and gripped Oliver’s hand, hearing his low groan rumble in my ears as he spilled inside of me. My eyes never left Jackson’s until he shoved his face in the pillow and came hard by his own hand.
He quietly wrapped his shorts around the mess and lifted the blanket back over his heaving chest before giving me a sly wink. I steadied my own breathing and felt Oliver’s forehead on my back as he pulled himself together. Jackson rolled over, turning to face the wall, shoulders heaving silently. I blinked, wondering what the hell just happened other than the fact I’d never experienced something quite so arousing.
Oliver tugged me to his sweaty chest and kissed my neck. “You were quieter than I expected,” he said, wrapping his arms around my waist. “I thought for a minute we were going to wake him up.”
I turned to face him. “Would you have stopped if he did?”
“Hell no,” he laughed. “Jax is a pervert, he’ll be pissed to find out we had sex next to him and he didn’t realize it. That fucker would totally want to join in.”
Oh, I had no doubt about that. Not anymore. I looked up at him. “Would that be so bad?”
His breath caught and he raised an eyebrow. “Is that something you want?”
“Maybe.” I shrugged. Feeling the love and intensity from one of my guys was a lot to handle. I didn’t need more, but want? Yeah, it could be something to explore.
“We’ll talk about it,” he said, wrapping his arms around me. “With everyone, but babe, if you bring that up you better be ready for the response.”
I smiled into his chest. “I know. Trust me. I know.”
He settled down, tired from a long day, and fell asleep quickly. My heart continued to race, long after his breathing slowed. I carefully extracted myself from his arms and tiptoed across the room to the tiny bathroom they shared with the guys next door. I’d just cleaned up when a shadow crossed the threshold. I spun, crashing into Jackson’s strong, solid chest.
“Just wanted to kiss you goodnight,” he said, linking his fingers with mine and pulling me close.
“Sure you deserve it?” I asked. “You’re a naughty boy.”
He smiled against my mouth. “You like me that way.”
I did. I really, really did.
He kissed me goodnight and tucked me back in bed, tight in the arms of his best friend and roommate. In a few moments I was surrounded by the soft snores of these men, never feeling so safe, so close, to anyone in my life.
I snuggled against him, feeling the wave of exhaustion setting in, and looked at Jackson’s pretty face—there were worse things to see before falling asleep. Once again, I was reminded of the uniqueness of this relationship. If there was one thing the Allendale Four had taught me, it was that there was more than one way to love.
Good news! Due to the amazing reviews and comments in my group, Angel’s Antics, I decided to create a full three book series of The Allendale Four, The Road to Heaven, Book 3 is available for preorder on Amazon now!
Make sure you check out my other books, Raven Queen’s Harem and The Supers of Project 12 both series complete! or any of my other books, located on Amazon.
Readers,
I can’t tell you how much the outpouring of support for A Piece of Heaven meant to me. I wrote the book during a challenging time with my family where we were dealing with many of the issues in the book. The fact I could mix my love of reverse harem with the hard realities of teenage anxiety was a perfect mix. And due to your support I had the motivation to continue Heaven’s story, building to her relationship with the Allendale Four while exploring the fact that mental illness doesn’t just go away. It’s a long road with many ups and downs. It’s not something with a quick fix and it may take years or a lifetime to find stability but unlike some novels or movies I wanted to show that you can rely on people in your life. You can rely on yourself. There is hope. Or at least I hope there is hope.
I thank you all but especially my Facebook group, my beta, Jennifer, my editor Vanessa at VCedits, Angstyg for my amazing covers, as always (she really gave Heaven a face and I love that!), Lisa Swallow for support and all the other RH authors that help one another be the best we can be.
See you soon! Make sure you follow my group for updates and details. I have a few new projects in the works.
Angel
Grab a book by Angel Lawson Today!
Angel Lawson Books
(Re
verse Harem)
A Piece of Heaven: The Allendale Four
(Contemporary YA Reverse Harem)
Holding on to Heaven: The Allendale Four Book 2
The Road to Heaven: The Allendale Four Book 3
(Releases Fall of 2018)
Raven Queen’s Harem:
Raven’s Mark (Part 1)
Ebony Rising (Part 2)
Black Magic (Part 3)
Obsidian Fire (Part 4)
Onyx Eclipse (Part 5)
Midnight’s End (Part 6)
*Raven’s Gift (Holiday Novella)
Huntress: Trial of Gods
The Elites: Supers of Project 12
Sentinels: Supers of Project 12 (Book 2)
Rogues: Supers of Project 12 (Book 3)
Heroes: Supers of Project 12 (Book 4)
The Death Fields: A Post Apocalyptic Thriller
The Girl Who Shot First
The Girl Who Punched Back
The Girl Who Kicked Ass
The Girl Who Kissed the Sun
The Girl Who Broke Free
The Girl Who Saved the World
Creature of Habit Series (Paranormal Romance)
Creature of Habit (Book 1)
Creature of Habit (Book2)
Creature of Habit (Book 3)
A Vampire’s Seduction (Ryan’s Story Book 4)
A Vampire’s Fate (Sebastian’s Story Book 5)
The Wraith Series (YA Paranormal Romance)
Wraith
Shadow Bound
Grave Possession
Urban Fantasy
The Lost Queen
Vigilant
Contemporary Romance:
