Then Kiss Me

by Jade C. Jamison

  His eyes glinted. “Well, you’ll need room for your artwork too. How about we split it?”

  “Deal,” I said, holding out my hand to shake. He grabbed it and laughed and then pulled me into an affirming kiss. It was a kiss that said forever, and that’s all I needed to know.

  Also by Jade C. Jamison:

  Remember Riley from Tangled Web? Now you can read his story!

  Everything But

  High school English teacher Erin Lancaster is stuck with the unwelcome job of filling in for the injured cheerleading coach, but she wants to back out when she discovers she has to be auctioned as a date during the annual spring fundraiser. She’s horrified to find her rock star crush Riley Schultz will be playing emcee for the event, but she’s even more shocked when he also happens to be the highest bidder for her affections, and sparks fly when she discovers that maybe their attraction is mutual. Will one week together be enough for them to quell the flames, to enjoy everything but?

  Enjoy the following excerpt from Everything But:

  “Can I walk you to your car?”

  Erin couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face. “If you really want to.”

  Riley dropped his voice as he pushed the door open for her. “Yeah, I do, but I also need an excuse to get away, if you catch my drift.”

  She nodded. Well, that didn’t do much for her ego, but she couldn’t fault him for honesty. “So…do you ever get used to that?”

  “What? The girls?”

  “Well, yeah, but also the attention.”

  “Yes and no.” She started walking down the stairs in front of the school and he followed suit. “I mean…at first, it was cool. Crowds of people surrounding us, and, yeah, mostly girls. And I got more of the attention than the other guys, because I was the face for the band, if you know what I mean. But after a while, you realize you have no privacy anymore, and people don’t respect your need for it. They figure you’re famous, you deserve the attention you get. And sometimes I’m cool with that. It comes with the territory. But a lot of times it’s unwanted. Sorry, but if I’m buying my niece an ice cream cone, I don’t want someone with a camera snapping pictures of it, and I sure as hell don’t want a bunch of girls screaming and pawing at me when I need to keep my eye on a four-year-old child who’s trusting me to take care of her.”

  Erin nodded. “Understandable.”

  They continued walking across the parking lot. It was dark out, but there were plenty of lights in the parking lot to guide their way. It was a little cool out but not too chilly, and Erin knew hot days were just around the corner. This time of year it was pleasant, reminding her of one of the reasons she’d wanted to remain in Colorado. Cool, crisp air in the spring and fall, surrounded by the extreme weather that made her appreciate the in-between seasons even more. “But, hell. You didn’t want to hear me whine about how my life sucks.”

  Erin laughed. “I asked.”

  Riley’s head moved up and down slowly. “True. You did. But what about you, Ms. Erin Lancaster? What’s your life like?”

  She shook her head, glancing his way but afraid to get sucked in by those piercing brown eyes. She looked back in front of her. She saw her tame car just across the way, because there weren’t many cars left in the lot. Her car was a small white sedan, very teacherly, and the only reason she’d ever bought it was because it was conservative. She needed a reliable car and she didn’t need to blow money on something just because it was pretty or sporty, even if she wanted to deep down. “Oh, probably pretty much what you think it is. I teach a bunch of high school kids throughout the year and usually find a part-time job during the summers to keep myself busy. I also do a little academic writing during my breaks, writing literary analysis for journals…just for the fun of it. But…uh…I do a little camping and go to concerts during the summer, and—”

  “I thought so.”

  “Thought what?”

  “You acted like you recognized me.” They reached her car and stood beside it.

  “You could tell?” She felt her face grow warm.

  “Well…it was a guess. A good one, apparently.” She felt her lips twitch into a smile but she was afraid to say much more. Riley cleared his throat and she allowed herself to drown in his gaze. Oh, shit. That was dangerous, because now, being the only thing in his eyesight made her feel captive. Her heartbeat kicked up a notch and she felt her mouth start to water. And the seconds dragged on and she started to feel more nervous. Part of her just wanted to kiss him, famous rock star or not. She’d seen his picture a thousand times, but it couldn’t do justice to the real Riley Schultz. He was magnetic and…hot. She felt her extremities begin to tingle as her brain tried to figure out something to say. She found that her back was almost pressed up against her car door and she saw him lean slightly forward. His eyes had taken on a dreamy, sleepy look and she thought he really was going to take her in a passionate embrace. She knew then that she wouldn’t have protested. But he said, his voice low, “So what am I supposed to wear to this thing tomorrow night?”

  She swallowed, regaining her composure. “You know, I’m really not sure. I’ve never done this before. I’m just filling in for the real cheerleading coach, and so I’ve never been to one of these.” She took a deep breath. “If I had to guess, it’d be like a real date.”

  He nodded and he looked pure rock star again, cocky and oh-so-self-sure. “So…like this?” He waved his hand in a semi-circular motion, indicating himself from head to toe.

  Erin took the invitation and looked him over from top to bottom…not that she hadn’t done that already, but how could she resist? And where the hell had this boldness come from? But she did it just the same…took in his reddish-brown mussed-up hair and…fuck…he had a few cute little freckles on his cheeks that she’d never noticed from media pictures or CD covers. And his facial hair was gone, all but the sexy soul patch just underneath his lip. He had a noticeable Adam’s apple that was right about eye level and, sure enough, he was wearing his dog tags. She’d have to get a closer look at those tomorrow if he’d let her. She made a note to herself that it could be a conversation piece when they had a lull. He was wearing a plain black t-shirt but up close she could see the definition underneath…not that it mattered. She knew exactly what his torso looked like, having seen pictures of him shirtless at concerts, sweaty and… She gulped. She was getting distracted again. She forced her eyes to continue down farther. Faded Levi’s, not too snug but not baggy at all. Black sneakers. She couldn’t tell if they were Converse or something else, but she knew she’d better drag her eyes back up pretty quickly.

  When she met his eyes again, his lips spread into a grin. Shit. He knew what she was thinking. He had to. But maybe she could play it off. “Well, uh…where you come from, that might be acceptable date attire, and, I suppose, the teens wouldn’t mind, but I’d guess you might want to be a little more conservative. Maybe a button-down shirt at least?”

  He nodded. “Got it.” He moved his head forward a little again, and she felt her breath catch in her throat. She began to doubt she’d ever be able to breathe normally again. But he stopped, his lips close enough, his breath warm on her cheek, his arm braced on her car, and said, “What are you planning to wear on our date, Ms. Erin?”

  She swallowed again, well aware of the powerful effect he was having on her. She didn’t know if it was just part of his personality or if it was because he was the big, bad rock star. It didn’t matter really. He was having the effect and analyzing why wouldn’t change it. “Uh…I’m not sure yet. Like I said, this was kind of a last-minute thing for me.”

  “A dress?”

  “Well, yeah, I have to wear a dress.”

  His lips turned up into a half-grin. “You don’t have to, Erin. That’s a societal expectation, and you forget…my job’s all about rebelling against expectations. You wanna wear a bikini tomorrow night, I wouldn’t object.”

  She wasn’t quite sure how to take his statement, but she was pretty s
ure he was fucking with her, just like he had all the young women onstage tonight. Maybe he thought he was so clever, she’d never notice. Needless to say, the smoldering feelings she’d had just moments earlier iced up. “I’m sure you wouldn’t, Mr. Schultz, but I can assure you I’ll wear something date appropriate.”

  He raised his eyebrows, a look of amusement causing a twinkle in his eye. “Mister? Fuck…that’s the second time I’ve been called that tonight. What the hell?”

  Erin turned in the tight space between Riley and her car, but as she moved back to open the car door, she backed into Riley. “Apparently, I and others are trying to show you the respect we expect in return.” She turned her head slightly to the right to catch his eye.

  His left arm wrapped around her waist and held her up against his body. She could feel his strength and it made her feel instantly weak. The coldness she’d felt? Gone in a second, replaced by furious desire. But she couldn’t let it show. She refused to play the helpless victim in his cat-and-mouse game. Still…he was proving to be irresistible. “Oh, I respect you.” She felt his breath on her neck and then he said in her ear, “I just think maybe we could have a little fun together too.”

  You might also enjoy these books by Jade C. Jamison:

  Tangled Web

  Stating His Case

  Fabric of Night

  Worst Mother

  MADversary

  Got the Life (Nicki Sosebee #1)

  Dead (Nicki Sosebee #2)

  No Place to Hide (Nicki Sosebee #3)

  Right Now (Nicki Sosebee #4)

  One More Time (Nicki Sosebee #5)

  Lost (Nicki Sosebee #6)

  Innocent Bystander (Nicki Sosebee #7)

  COMING SOON:

  Blind (Nicki Sosebee #8)

  Old House

  Also by Jade C. Jamison:

  They make sweet music together, but can it last?

  MADversary

  Megan Walker doesn’t plan to attend her high school reunion, but her best friend Lisa begs her to come along. Megan doesn’t want to risk running into her old boyfriend Tyler Green, a man who has since become rich and famous as the frontman of a heavy metal band called Madversary. Lisa convinces her that Tyler would never show up for something like a reunion, so Megan gives in, only to regret it. Because when Tyler does show up, the spark reignites, and she doesn’t know that she can bear letting him go again.

  Enjoy the following excerpt from MADversary:

  Megan kept looking around. “Do you remember Lisa French?”

  Tyler said, “Your best friend, right? How could I forget?”

  “Well, she doesn’t look much different today. You’d recognize her. Have you seen her tonight?”

  “No. Is she here?”

  “Yeah. She’s my ride, but I haven’t seen her since we got here.” She stretched her back and then her neck, rolling it around. “Guess I’ll have to call a cab.”

  Tyler slid his hand across the table and covered Megan’s hand with his. Oh, shit. She’d managed to keep most strong feelings for Tyler at bay all night and had, in fact, enjoyed how sweet he was. She’d started feeling that friends only was just fine, but feeling the heat radiating from his hand…

  She looked up from his hand to his eyes. She thought he was feeling the same way now too, that there was a chemistry between them they’d forgotten about, and all it took was one touch. She looked in his eyes and forgot about him as an old high school boyfriend or even as a friend. She felt her pulse quicken and she was surprised he couldn’t feel it through her wrist. Her beating heart felt loud in her ears. She parted her lips to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. He asked, “Do you want me to call one for you?”

  Or not. Yep, she was now in the friend zone. Fuck it. “No, thanks. I got it.” She stood and felt the effects of the alcohol. “It was nice seeing you again, Tyler.” She did a small wave and turned around.

  Wobbly legs or not, Megan took a deep breath and forced her eyes open wide. She walked toward the doorway that would lead to a hallway. She only hoped she could find her way to the front entrance. It didn’t matter, though. She just had to get out of there…and fast.

  “Hey,” she heard Tyler’s voice behind her as she felt his hand on her shoulder. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “Well, you just got up all of a sudden. Why are you in a hurry now? Will your cab turn into a pumpkin or something?”

  She forced a smile. She didn’t realize her emotions had been that close to the surface. She didn’t want to be that obvious. “No. I just need to get home. Feeling tired. It’s been a long day.”

  “Well, let me at least walk you outside.”

  No need to be a bitch. She said, “You can catch a ride with me to your hotel if you want.” She used her phone to find the number of the cab company in town.

  “I’m staying here, so no need. But thanks.”

  She nodded as they got close to the revolving door. She dialed the number and told the woman on the line where she was and said she needed a ride. The woman said, “We’ll have someone there in about fifteen minutes.”

  Megan hung up the phone and walked farther out toward the pavement where someone stood at a podium. “Do you need your car?”

  She smiled. “Nope. Just waiting on a cab.”

  She saw the attendant staring at Tyler as he walked up behind her. She could tell the attendant recognized him. She looked over to Tyler and said, “Look, you don’t need to wait with me. I’m okay.”

  “I want to, Meg. I don’t know the next time we’ll get to hang together, and I’d kinda like to maximize our time alone. The next two days…we’ll probably be bombarded with people. Tonight, though, everyone had certain people they were looking for and we weren’t on their radar.” He. He meant he wasn’t on their radar. Megan didn’t know that there would be lots of people searching for her.

  She looked at the ground and kept walking. She didn’t want to be close to the attendant, have him scrutinizing their every move. She saw a park bench a few feet away and started walking toward it. She didn’t know what to say to Tyler. She only knew that he harbored no feelings for her, while she still had hidden feelings she’d forgotten about. She just wanted to go home and be alone. She might cry in her pillow or lie awake for hours, but that didn’t matter. She just needed to be by herself, whether she cried or not. Finally, reaching the bench, she said, “Suit yourself. I’m afraid I won’t be much company, though.”

  She caught his eyes and his were searching hers, looking for something. She felt her lips part slightly as though she wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out. There was a dull, throbbing ache in her core, and she felt like she’d starve the rest of her life without tasting him again. She took a deep breath of the cool night air and closed her eyes. It would be okay. Tyler Green would leave and her life would go back to normal.

  But when she opened her eyes, Tyler’s nose was close to touching hers. He was leaning over, his body close, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her at the back. “That’s too bad,” he said, “because I was hoping to spend a little more time with you.”

  All air escaped her lungs as Tyler’s lips met hers, enveloping them in a kiss. He was warm and electric, and she felt adrenaline rush through her veins, making her fingertips go numb and causing her to wake right back up. This was not the kiss she remembered, though. It was slow and sensual and, like the music he wrote today, more mature. His tongue explored her mouth, and she felt her nipples grow rock hard in response. But if she’d read Tyler right earlier, a kiss would be all she’d get.

  So she planned to enjoy kissing him until her cab got there. Her hands finally responded to her brain’s demands and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her body right up to his, and Megan realized the Tyler Green of today was not the boy she’d dated back in high school. There was nothing sweet about his kiss; it was ravenous and greedy.

  She was nearly brea
thless when the cab arrived and she didn’t know how she managed to become aware that it was there. She couldn’t bring herself to pull her body away from his, but she had to.

  Tyler unlatched his lips from hers and whispered in her ear, “Should we tell the cab to beat it?”

  That was all she needed to hear and it didn’t matter if she was just going to be the friend Tyler loved and left. She needed him and she wanted him now.

  Acknowledgements

  Thanks to my good friend Sara Novack, also a fantastic nurse and awesome medical consultant. Because I’m a believer in (mostly!) realism, she keeps my medical shit in check! Thanks, girlfriend!

  Thanks also to my Facebook fans for their input regarding the book cover. Extra special thanks goes out to Kristie L. DeCola, Sara, and Kriston Case-Graham. You were a lot of help, girls, and I can’t thank you enough!

  Connect with me! I don’t bite (well, not too hard anyway)!

  Visit Jade’s website:

  http://jadecjamison.com

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  Table of Contents

  BOOKS BY JADE C. JAMISON

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Part I

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven