Hot & Nerdy

by Shannyn Schroeder

  Layla couldn’t argue with that. When she asked Felicity why she needed to get married, though, Felicity didn’t have an answer. She simply said she wanted to spend her life with Lucas. Charlie pounded on the hotel room door and Lucas opened it wearing only a pair of pajama bottoms.

  He took one look at Felicity hanging on their shoulders and said, “What the hell happened to her?”

  “We had a good time. Just get her into bed.” Charlie pushed past him while he held the door.

  Felicity released their shoulders and flung herself at Lucas. “Hey.”

  He caught her waist and held her as she pushed against him and rose up to meet his lips. He gave her a quick kiss.

  “You got this?” Charlie asked.

  “Yeah. Although I can’t help but notice that the two of you are far from drunk.”

  “Not our fault she can’t handle her booze.”

  Layla didn’t respond. She felt a little guilty that they had done that to Felicity. She waved at Lucas and ducked out the door.

  When the door shut behind Felicity’s friends, Lucas took a long look at her. “How do you feel?”

  “Good.” Her grin was sloppy. She was drunker than she’d been at his brother’s wedding.

  “Did you have fun?” he asked as he led her to the bed.

  “It was so much fun being with Layla and Charlie again.” She sat heavily on the bed.

  Lucas tugged at her shirt to get her undressed. She fumbled to help, but only made the process take longer.

  “I’m gonna miss them so much after vacation’s over. They’re leaving me, Lucas.” She reached out and patted his cheek. “You won’t leave me, will you?”

  A sudden sharp thought hit him and he swallowed it down. “Not a chance.” He smiled at her, hoping to put her at ease and erase whatever melancholy was bringing her down.

  He’d gotten her naked and thought briefly of trying to get her into a nightshirt, but decided he didn’t want to attempt it. He told her to scoot back on the bed, and he covered her with the blanket.

  She trailed her fingers down his chest. “You’re coming to bed, aren’t you?”

  “In a little bit. Get some sleep.”

  He sat beside her, holding her hand until she fell asleep. When he was sure she was out, he changed into workout clothes and went to the gym. A run on the treadmill would help him get his head on straight.

  When Layla and Charlie first arrived at the room with Felicity, he’d assumed they’d just had a good time celebrating the engagement. Now, though, he had his doubts. He thought Layla and Charlie might’ve been trying to talk Felicity out of marrying him, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.

  They didn’t know him well enough to not like him, which meant that they were worried about Felicity. And he’d begun to wonder himself. She was going to miss her friends as they all headed into the next chapter in their lives. He didn’t just want to be the anchor she used to not feel abandoned.

  He wanted to marry her because he loved her and wanted to spend his life with her. His feet thumped rhythmically on the belt of the treadmill, and he focused on his options. He could marry Felicity this week like she’d asked and he knew in his heart that they would make it. They loved each other and understood each other. But part of him had a nagging feeling about whether it was the best move for Felicity.

  If he backed out now, what would it do to her? To them? Would she feel like he was leaving her?

  For the first time in a long while, Lucas didn’t know how to fix things. The answer didn’t magically appear. There was nothing to maneuver or people to handle. It was just him and Felicity needing to decide what was best for their future.

  He used the locker room shower so he wouldn’t wake Felicity and, instead of going back to the room, he went for a walk. The flashing lights and loud people didn’t help his thought process.

  They needed to make a decision by morning. They’d both left messages for their parents to call. If they decided getting married wasn’t the right move, their parents didn’t need to hop on a plane.

  He stayed out until the sun came up, and had a cup of coffee at a diner. He knew what he wanted to do, what was probably right, but he worried about Felicity. His phone vibrated in his pocket.

  He fished it out and saw that it was Felicity. “Good morning.”

  “Where are you?” Her voice was croaky and rough.

  “I worked out and went for a walk. I lost track of time. I’m grabbing coffee, but I’ll be back there soon. How are you feeling?”

  “I’m gonna kill Layla and Charlie when I see them. My head is killing me. Did I do anything stupid last night?”

  “You’re never stupid with me, babe.”

  “You really know how to charm a girl. Bring me a huge coffee, please. I think I’ll need it.”

  Lucas carried the coffee to the room and thought about what to say. When he opened the door, Felicity sat at the table, wearing her glasses and looking as bleary-eyed as he felt. He set the cup in front of her and then sat in the opposite chair. “We need to talk.”

  She held up a finger signaling him to wait, and took a long drink of coffee. When she put her cup down, she asked, “About what?”

  He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and looked into her eyes. “Why did you ask me to marry you?”

  “Because I love you and I want to spend my life with you.”

  “But why yesterday? Why now?”

  She blinked a few times and took a deep breath. “I’m not sure. We were up in the tower, looking out over the city. You had your arms around me. My friends were near. It just felt right.”

  He was so afraid of fucking this up, but he pushed the words out anyway. “Is it possible you asked because you’re afraid of being alone? Because Layla and Charlie are moving away from home for good?”

  Her lips thinned as she pressed them together and she spun her coffee cup in slow circles. Her eyes darted to him and away. “Maybe,” she answered softly.

  He left his chair and knelt beside her, taking one of her hands. He tucked her hair behind her ear to see her full face. “I love you. But I don’t think we should rush into this. Being afraid of something isn’t a reason to get married.”

  She didn’t open her mouth, but she nodded.

  “That being said, I do love you, Felicity. And I want to spend my life with you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the jewelry box. “Will you marry me?”

  She flinched at his words and her forehead wrinkled. God, how he loved that funny wrinkle.

  “But . . . I thought . . . You just said . . .”

  He opened the box to reveal the ring. “I said we shouldn’t rush to get married now. I didn’t mean that I don’t want to marry you. I want everything with you, Felicity. Let’s get engaged and choose a date. If Vegas is where you really want to get married, we’ll come back here.”

  She smiled and blinked back what he hoped were happy tears. “You mean you’d get on a plane again, just for me?”

  “I’d go anywhere for you. Is that a yes?”

  “Of course it’s a yes. But if I’m going to be a bride, you’ll need to come up with a whole new formula for success.”

  He stood and pulled her into his arms. “No new formula. We have each other. That’s all we need.”

  If you liked Hot and Nerdy, don’t miss any of

  Shannyn Schroeder’s O’Learys series,

  available wherever eBooks are sold!

  MORE THAN THIS

  When a lonely teacher teams up with a handsome

  bartender for some outrageous acts, they both

  get more than they bargained for. . . .

  Learning her ex-husband is going to be a father, Quinn Adams is determined to have a baby of her own—without the partnership of a man. But her sister and friends believe she needs to focus on herself first, and step out of her comfort zone by completing a list of adventures. Challenge number one is to go on five dates within two weeks. After a few disastrous atte
mpts, Quinn’s ready to give up—until sexy bartender Ryan O’Leary offers his assistance.

  Ryan has always been the dependable one in his family, often at his expense. But lately, he’s been longing for a life—and a woman—of his own. Though it seems all Quinn wants is friendship, Ryan can’t ignore the explosive chemistry he feels between them. In the hopes of becoming closer, Ryan offers to help out with Quinn’s list. But when she asks him for a serious favor, he’s afraid it will jeopardize his chance to become more than friends.

  A GOOD TIME

  A passionate free spirit and a sweet-talking playboy sound like a match made in heaven—until life gets in the way of all the fun and games. . . .

  Indy Adams values her freedom above all else. She works hard to support herself, moonlighting as a waitress while she fights for her first big sale in the Chicago real-estate market. The last thing she needs is to be tied down, so she doesn’t think twice about declining her philandering boyfriend’s marriage proposal. Besides, she just landed a new client, a wealthy lothario—exactly the kind of guy who would understand her no-strings approach....

  Handsome, rich, and charitable, most women jump at the chance to even talk to video-game developer Griffin Walker, let alone date him. So he can’t understand why Indy wants nothing more than a few steamy nights together. Despite his romantic track record, Griffin longs for real love—complete with a home and family—and he wants it with Indy. But a blessing in disguise may lead them both to a life they never expected, and give Griffin a chance to show Indy that it’s okay to want more than a good time....

  SOMETHING TO PROVE

  Two ambitious people team up to prove themselves

  to their families—and find there may be more

  to their partnership than just business. . . .

  Elizabeth Brannigan is determined to show her father she’s capable of running the family business. Saving his struggling Chicago bar seems like the perfect project. But she’ll need a little help dealing with the rough crowd. Who better to assist her than the handsome co-owner of a thriving Irish pub? Of course, with so much work to do, there are bound to be a few late nights....

  Colin O’Leary’s father passed away before he could prove to him that he wasn’t a screwup. Now he wants to show his brother he’s responsible enough to own a bar of his own—and Elizabeth may be able to help him. But when their professional aspirations clash, tempers—and passions—flare. Are they mature enough to mix business with pleasure—or will they have to choose between the two?

  CATCH YOUR BREATH

  As kids they steered clear of one another—but now a

  beautiful, well-connected reporter and a sexy, driven

  detective are all grown-up and on the job. . . .

  Moira O’Leary’s work as a reporter gives her access to some of Chicago’s swankiest soirées. She knows how to navigate the jet-set crowd, and her style and confidence help her blend right in. But when her childhood crush starts popping up at posh events, her poise begins to falter—until she realizes she has the upper hand in a high-stakes game of secrets and seduction....

  Jimmy O’Malley has always tried to avoid his friend Liam’s little sister. Something about Moira spelled trouble. But he’s out of his element working undercover in Chicago’s high society, and Moira is his ticket to the inner circle. As sparks begin to fly—and their chemistry heats up—Moira gets dangerously close to his investigation. Will Jimmy be forced to push her away to keep her safe—or will they surrender to a desire that could leave them breathless?

  JUST A TASTE

  Grief has brought them together again—will love open the

  door to their future? When it’s an O’Leary in the picture,

  finding out is just part of the adventure. . . .

  Carmen Delgado is left reeling when her father dies. Taking care of him has been her sole purpose for so long, she’s forgotten what it’s like to have dreams of her own. And with steady, sexy Liam O’Leary inheriting a share in her dad’s successful food truck, Carmen is suddenly free to explore her life’s possibilities. She never expected Liam to provide the kind of temptation she’s not sure she can resist....

  A talented chef, Liam O’Leary has been itching to open his own restaurant for years—and the death of his mentor is a reminder that time passes too quickly. Gus’s Taco Taxi isn’t exactly what he dreamed of, but he can’t desert Gus’s daughter. Working side by side is an unexpected pleasure—and grownup Carmen is alluring in all new ways. Is love on the menu—or will old fears and insecurities drive them apart?

  Photo: Nicole Morisco

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Shannyn Schroeder is a former high school and middle school English teacher. She holds a BA in English and MAs in Special Education and Gifted Education. After having her third child, she decided to stay at home. She’s since worked as an editor for a couple of e-publishers and currently works as an editor for an education company that publishes online current events assignments. She juggles writing around the kids’ schedules.

  In her spare time, Shannyn loves to bake and watches far too much TV, especially cop shows. She started her first book on a dare from her husband and has never looked back. She came to reading romance later than many, but lives for the happy ending and writes contemporary romance because she enjoys the adventure of new love.

  Readers can visit Shannyn online at www.shannynschroeder.com and follow her on Twitter @SSchroeder_.

  LYRICAL PRESS BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  119 West 40th Street

  New York, NY 10018

  Copyright © 2015 by Shannyn Schroeder

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  LYRICAL PRESS and the L logo are trademarks of Kensington Publishing Corp.

  eISBN-13: 978-1-60183-336-5

  eISBN-10: 1-60183-336-9

  First Electronic Edition: April 2015

  ISBN: 978-1-6018-3336-5