by C. L. Stone
“I don’t have a water bottle this time.”
“No, something better.” He held my face in his hands and gently brought his mouth to mine in one last kiss. “So you don’t forget me,” he whispered.
“I don’t think you have to worry about that happening. Ever.”
As I made my way through the partygoers, I couldn’t help but smile at the jubilant faces. There was something about the dawning of a new year that always seemed to bring both friends and strangers together in celebration. It made me hopeful that maybe, just maybe, everything would turn out okay.
This time, the bouncer immediately moved the velvet rope aside to let me through to the VIP room. Much like that first night, Cole was the center of attention in a group of admirers. He looked my way and winked before gesturing to “our couch.”
When we were about a foot apart, he gave me a lingering once-over. “You look even more stunning than the first time I saw you.”
“Thank you. The shoes make the outfit.”
Cole pulled me into his arms and shot me a wicked grin. “I dream about the day I get to see you in only those shoes.”
My pulse spiked, and I tried to stop myself from imagining that very thing. Not the time or place, Emma. Instead, I raised my mouth to his and forced myself to keep the kiss short and somewhat sweet.
We sat down on the couch, and I stole a glance at the people nearby, wondering if they were watching us. If anyone was paying attention, they could have easily seen me kiss Shane, then Nicholas, and now Cole. Was it odd that I wasn’t particularly bothered by that? Or, did I merely feel safe from prying eyes in the relatively dim light of the club?
Xavier appeared in front of us with a small tray. “Would you like another sidecar? Champagne? Something else from the bar?”
I shook my head. “I better slow down, or I won’t make it to midnight with my wits intact.”
“Mr. Reid?”
“Oh, it’s Mr. Reid now, is it?”
“Only for tonight,” Xavier said with a huff.
Cole laughed. “I’ll take a beer.”
“Coming right up.”
“I’m not sure I would have pegged you as a beer-lover, especially after our champagne date.”
He shrugged. “I’ve learned a lot about all types of alcohol for the club, but I’m a beer man at heart. I’ve even invested in a few breweries.”
“In other words, you want an excuse to drink and call it work?” I teased.
“You got me.” His expression changed, the almost-constant grin gone. Was that uncertainty I saw? “Actually, I look for small businesses that are just starting out and invest when they really need the backing. Shane and Nicholas did that for me when I was attempting to launch Strike, and now that I have the extra income, I try to pay it forward.”
“You, Cole Reid, are always surprising me.”
He leaned in and nipped my ear with his teeth. “Good.”
“This isn’t that kind of club, you two,” Xavier interrupted, handing Cole a bottle of beer with an unfamiliar label. “And, I’m supposed to remind you that you’re expected outside in a few minutes.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked, looking between the two men. “What’s happening now?”
Xavier grinned. “Time to meet up with your other boyfriends.”
I looked up at him in shock.
“What? I know all about your torrid foursome, and trust me, I’ve never been more jealous of anyone. You go, girl!”
My cheeks burned, but I laughed in spite of myself.
Cole rolled his eyes. “Get out of here.” After Xavier strolled away, he intertwined our fingers and squeezed. “You ready?”
Ready as I’ll ever be. “Yes.”
He led me down the back staircase, and when we were out of sight of the main floor, he nudged my back against the wall. “Is it my turn for a kiss yet?”
“Your turn? And, I already kissed you.”
“Well, considering your lusciously swollen lips, I’d say that Nicholas, and probably Shane, got a real kiss. Which means it’s my turn.”
I didn’t disagree, and Cole took his time caressing my lips while he slid his hands up my sides until his thumbs rested on the underside of my breasts. He prodded my mouth open, then matched each stroke of his tongue with those of his thumbs grazing over my sensitive nipples.
All too soon, he dropped his hands and released my mouth.
“That’s just mean,” I whimpered.
“Consider it a preview for the next time I get you alone,” he replied hotly, before tugging me toward the glass doors.
When I stepped once more onto the patio, my heart fluttered with nerves and anticipation. Soft music played over the speakers, and candles and rose petals were scattered around a seating area away from the windows. The countdown to midnight was nearing, and I knew it was time to go all in.
Nicholas and Shane were already sitting on one couch, so I asked Cole to join them. “I have something to say, and I need to be able to look at all three of you.”
“Should we be concerned?” Shane asked.
“Maybe? I don’t know. You’ll have to tell me.”
I paced a few steps one way and then back the other, practicing my speech in my head. But, the words seemed to get more jumbled the longer I kept them bottled up. Finally, I halted and took my time looking each of them in the eye.
“The other day, I told you this was too difficult. Every time I’m with any of you, I’m worried about how it’s going to end. Because, it has to, right? I either have to choose one of you and break up with the others or say goodbye to you all.
“Here’s the problem. I know it’s too soon, and I can’t believe I’m saying this . . .” I inhaled, then slowly exhaled. “. . . But I have feelings for all of you. They’re real, and deep, and like nothing I’ve ever felt before.” Not giving myself a chance to back out, I kept going. “So, what if I don’t choose? What if I keep dating all of you, but instead of it being a temporary solution . . . it just is?”
A thousand more thoughts fought to spill from my lips. I understand if you think I’m insane. This is the most selfish thing I’ve ever done. It’s your fault for making the bet and starting this thing to begin with. I have no idea how it will work. But, I jammed my lips together and stayed quiet. I needed to give them time to absorb and respond.
Out of breath and energy, I sunk into the couch across from them. I longed to search their faces for a reaction, but my eyes seemed to be permanently affixed to their feet. Are they wearing matching shoes?
“Emma.” Cole’s voice was gentle. “Look at me.”
I lifted my head and kept my gaze focused on him.
“I can’t speak for Nic and Shane, but I would be happy to be one of your non-temporary boyfriends.”
“Do you realize what you’re saying, Cole?” Nicholas asked warily, and my heart plummeted when I saw the strain in his expression.
“I do. It’s not like I haven’t already considered it. Haven’t you?”
“Honestly, no.” Nicholas gave me a worried look, then turned back to Cole. “You know my family. This could get messy.”
“So, that’s it? You’re going to keep letting your family make decisions for you? I thought you were past that,” Cole said with exasperation.
“I am. I just . . . I don’t want Emma caught up in the middle.” He scrubbed his hands over his face in seeming frustration. “What are you thinking, Shane?”
Shane gave me an encouraging smile. "Strangely, it doesn't seem like a crazy idea. And, my dad and stepmom are all about the love, so they wouldn't freak out about it.”
I almost gasped. Love?
Calm down, Emma. That’s not what he meant.
I returned my attention to Nicholas and forced a smile. “It’s okay, Nic. I don’t want to pressure you into something—”
“No!” He jumped up and lifted me to my feet, tugging me close. “I meant what I said earlier. You are what I want.”
He absently stroked his th
umbs over my knuckles, obviously debating what to say, what to do. With each second that passed, my hope faded to disappointment. I thought I was prepared for one, or all, of them to reject my suggestion, but apparently not.
Finally, Nicholas straightened, and a determined expression crossed his face. “Yes, it’s complicated, but I know that it’ll be worth it.”
Tears filled my eyes, from relief or happiness, I wasn’t sure. “Really?”
“Really.”
Cole came up behind him. “So, are we doing this?”
Nicholas nodded. “I think we are.”
Shane wrapped an arm around my waist, completing the circle, then checked his watch. “Um, which one of us gets to kiss you at midnight?”
I laughed, my smile widening from sheer bliss. Now, that’s my kind of predicament.
Stay tuned for the next installment in the Risking It series. In the meantime, check out these other books by Autumn Reed & Julia Clarke:
The Stardust Series
Phoenix
Draco
Pyxis
Chamaeleon
A Note from Autumn Reed & Julia Clarke
Thank you so much for reading Raising the Stakes! To learn more about us, please visit our website or contact us at [email protected].
Also, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes details, and upcoming releases!
XO,
Autumn + Julia
About the Authors
Autumn Reed and Julia Clarke met at work and bonded over their mutual love of historic homes, photography, and good books. While they didn’t plan on co-authoring a novel, what started as daydreaming transformed into brainstorming and then actual writing.
Together, Autumn and Julia make the perfect pair, balancing impulsive with indecisive and attention to detail with an eye for the big picture. Despite their different personalities, Autumn and Julia share a common vision in their writing and love bouncing ideas off each other. They see the creative process as a challenge, a game, and delight in living in a world of their own creation.
For More Information
autumnandjulia
www.autumnandjulia.com
[email protected]
Meeting Them
Rebecca Royce
Dear Reader
Thanks so much for checking out Meeting Them (a Wings of Artemis story). If this is your first foray into the Wings of Artemis, don’t worry. The books are written so that each heroine and hero grouping gets their own storyline within the Artemis world. You do not have to have read either Melissa’s or Diana’s storylines to read Paloma’s. Of course, after you read this one, if you want to go back and read the others, that would be awesome.
If you have read Kidnapped By Her Husbands (#1), Rescued by Their Wife (#2) (Melissa) or Crashing Into Destiny (#3) (Diana) and want to know where Paloma’s storyline comes then think of it as sometime around the same time as Diana’s. With the pesky black hole screwing with time, it can be hard to pinpoint exactly when. But Paloma doesn’t yet know what’s happened to Diana, and Diana certainly has no idea what’s happening with Paloma. They’ll see each other again; don’t worry.
Look for more Diana and Paloma in 2017–January and February.
Hugs,
Rebecca Royce
1
A Lot of: I’m Sorry for One Lousy Screw
If I could go back to my seventeenth birthday and speak to myself, I would tell my younger self not to take Rocky Douglass up on his offer to show me the joys of sex. Today, on my twenty-second birthday, as I desperately tried to become one with the universe and feel it moving, I wished I had known how horribly disappointing Rocky would be in bed. Our liaison was totally not worth the endless punishment I’d earned. I would warn my rebellious teen self that my father would come through the door in a rage.
He would holler things to me I’d never unhear—slut, tramp, disappointment, embarrassment—and he would send me across the known galaxy to spend the next five years with the Sisters of the Universe mostly in silence, trying to get the said universe, and my father, to forgive me.
So far neither has happened.
The wood floor cut into my knees, making them bleed. If I ever got away, I’d never spend a day kneeling anywhere. I wasn’t sorry I’d taken Rocky to my bed. I never would be. But I wouldn’t do it over, just the same. I’d said a lot of sorry for such a lousy screw.
One more year, then I’d be allowed to tell the Sisters I was never taking vows. My father could pay them all the money he possessed; they wouldn’t keep me here against my will. No amount of political pressure could make me take vows I didn’t feel. I didn’t want a life of meditation and good works. I’d be happy to help anyone anytime if I could. On my terms. Not to benefit the Sisterhood’s agenda. No longer would they force me to work for their causes.
I’d talk all I wanted. Eat what I wanted. Sleep until I felt like getting up. If I could figure out where to go, since my family had made it clear I’d never be welcome back with them. And Diana, my one true friend, had stopped answering my letters ….
“You see, Sister Sovereign,” the man behind the curtain addressed their leader. He didn’t know the entirety of the Sisterhood—initiates, sisters, and those being encouraged to take their vows like me—kneeled on the floor behind a curtain listening to the exchange. “You’re at risk here. I’ve come to offer my services in making your campus safe from risk.”
The red curtain kept me from seeing the man on the other side. His voice was low, pleasant, and polite. It had a gruff sound to it. He sounded young, but the timbre of speech meant nothing. He could be as old as time. Whatever. He was the first male voice I’d heard in over a year. Men didn’t come to the Sisters and speak. The staff who cared for the grounds in the few ways the Sisters and their captives—or as they preferred to call it: Initiates—couldn’t, knew better than to speak. They did their jobs and left without speaking a word.
I had never known how much I craved conversation until it had been taken away from me.
“Mr. McQueen, it is very nice of you to come by. Your generous donation certainly helped feed the homeless earlier this year. I appreciate your concern. But our grounds have stood where they are, safely, for two hundred years since we were founded here. They will continue to be a spiritual sanctuary for any who seek us for hundreds more. We do not require any kind of military protection. We never have. We never will.”
“Sister, you misunderstand me. I am talking about giving you, free of charge, a system capable of targeting and eliminating any ships or missiles attacking you. There would be no military presence here. Just a robot scanning your skies.”
She sighed loudly. I knew the sound; I’d heard it very often myself over the years. Usually directed at me. Sister was done with the conversation. “Thank you for your time. We are not interested.”
The man let out a loud, huffing sound before he spoke. “Well, you have my contact information. If you change your mind, and I hope you do, I’ll be happy to install a system for you.”
“Thank you. One of my Initiates will see you out.”
It took me a second to realize she meant me. I’d only recently gained privileges allowing me to be in public. Most of the girls I started with had gotten public sighting rights at eighteen. Of course, none of them had been in as much trouble as I’d been. With only a year left til I was allowed my freedom, they had to let me out at some point. Today was the day, it was my turn, and I was going to walk Mr. McQueen, silently, to the front gate.
The act made today the best day of my whole life.
I rushed forward, head down, then stopped abruptly to wait. I’d gotten a quick sight of him, which was easier said than done with my gaze kept low to the ground. The three-second glance told me he was tall and had brown hair with blond tips. He had an oval face, thick eyebrows, and a strong nose. He frowned, and I wondered if he ever smiled.
Just the basics. Look any longer and the off
icial sisters—some of whom had been angry captives like me when they’d first arrived—would scold or maybe beat me.
One more year. I wouldn’t make any more mistakes, and then I could be on my way.
“Follow Initiate Devereaux. She’ll take you where you need to leave us. May the Universe move for you, always.”
I walked with my head down toward the front of the campus with Mr. McQueen following close behind me. Pretty soon, he caught up and kept pace next to me instead of behind me. I’d not had a man so close to me in five years. My heart raced. I couldn’t screw up. I wouldn’t make a mistake. Every minute of every day was a test. I would fake it until I could get out. Then I’d find a way to put this whole nightmare behind me.
“Is there anything I can do to make her change her mind? It’s very important she let me install the system.”
I didn’t answer him. This was a test. They’d somehow told him to talk to me to see if I would falter. I would not.
“Can’t we talk quietly? I mean, I know we’re not supposed to talk. But I really think you would benefit by the system. Does she have something she likes? Chocolate? Booze? Help me out, please.”
I could have laughed. Sister Sovereign’s idea of a good time was cotton underwear. I knew that for a fact since it was my job to wash them. I didn’t answer. I couldn’t very well tell him even if I could talk. Girls had to keep some secrets, even when they hated each other.
A noise caught my attention. On the roof, the old men who had worked for the Sisterhood for forever were hammering into the rock roof. I’d never seen anything like the way someone had constructed this campus, and I suspected I never would again since it was completely asinine. Who put boulders on the roof?
The one they were manipulating started to slide. I saw what was going to happen when no one else did. “Move,” I shouted, pushing Mr. McQueen out of the way when I did. We both fell out of the way, the boulder scraping the back of my leg when it hit before rolling away. I screamed out in pain. I was hurt, but I would live. If it had hit the man desperate to install security, it would have killed him.
