Messed Up and Magic: (A New Adult Romance Novel)

by Stone, Holly

  “Get a room,” Jamie shouts from his place next to his brother, and Jack laughs loudly.

  “We’ve got a room, and you’re sleeping on the sofa two meters from it later,” he says.

  “Gross,” Jamie says scowling.

  “Here, have a cake and stop moaning,”

  Jamie takes a cake and bites into it, his eyes rolling in pleasure. “That is good,” he says, cake crumbs dropping onto his shorts. “Not quite as good as my mums, but close.”

  Jack shakes his head, mouth filled with cake and frosting. “Amy’s are the best,” he says.

  It’s been eight months since I came back to North Riding. Eight months since Jack was arrested and cautioned. The best eight months of my life.

  The air is thick with the smell of freshly mown grass and the sound of laughter and contentment. We’ve all come so far, but life’s a long journey, so hopefully we all still have far to go. Things aren’t perfect by any means. Jack’s mum has yet another looser boyfriend, but now Jack’s out of the house it doesn’t affect him as badly. He visits once a week but doesn’t pass judgement on her choices and keeps his frustrations for when he comes home. Jamie met Tina a few months ago but doesn’t really have any interest in staying in touch. I guess she wasn’t what he was hoping for in a birth mother, and that’s fine. It’s up to him. Dad and Jess are getting married. It’s weird on a daily basis but I’ve accepted that it’s happening. Soon, it might not only be Jack dealing with the arrival of a new sibling! The thought makes me shudder.

  We stay at the park for a while, until Lee gets a phone call from his girlfriend and rises to leave. Jack and Jamie grab their bags from the changing rooms and we walk back to the flat, stopping at the Chinese for a takeaway. We all slump onto the sofa with plates of sticky ribs and sweet and sour chicken and watch a DVD of an action movie that Jamie has been desperate to see. I flick through Pinterest, looking for more cake inspiration to add to my growing pin-board. At about 11pm I get Jamie’s bedding and Jack sets up the sofa. When Jamie comes back from the bathroom in ratty football shorts and a well-worn t-shirt, he looks so much like Jack did on that first night that it makes my heart skip.

  We say goodnight and Jack and I slip into bed, me in my boy-shorts and one of Jack’s t-shirts and Jack in boxers that cling to all the best places. We curl into each other, as is our way, me slipping my face against his neck and breathing him in. He hooks his leg over mine and strokes my back absentmindedly at first, but as his hand slips lower to squeeze my bottom I know what he wants. “Take them off,” he says, pulling at the elastic of my shorts and I do, wriggling out of them with so much enthusiasm, he laughs.

  “I’m surprised you have the energy after all that running,” I say.

  Jack gives me a withering look. “When have I ever not had the energy?”

  I shake my head and grin, kissing him hard on the lips. “Never, baby. You’re in your sexual prime and I’m not complaining.” He slaps my bottom affectionately and I climb onto of him, pulling the t-shirt over my head. Jacks eyes go lazy, filled with lust and appreciation. I stroke over my nipples, cupping my breasts and squeezing them together. He swats away my hands and takes over until I’m writhing on top of him. “Come here,” he says, pulling me down until we are chest to chest and he rolls me until I’m in my favourite place: underneath him. His cock is rock hard against my clit and he nudges his hips against me a few times, watching my eyes as they roll with pleasure. When he spreads my legs wide with his hands and moves to slip his tongue between them I have to cover my eyes with my hand and clamp my mouth shut so the moans that want to escape my lips don’t come out and alert Jamie to what we’re doing. Jack knows my body so well now that he can make me come quickly with soft strokes against my clit and his fingers pushing in just the right places inside me. He knows how to prolong my pleasure too, only moving to take his own when I’m wet and ready. Tonight I roll over onto my stomach and let him take me from behind. He holds me tight against him as he moves hard inside me, pushing out my breath with each thrust. Everything is so hot and slippery, so real and beautiful. He whispers my name when he comes, kissing my neck, telling me I’m beautiful and that he loves me and that I’m the best thing that ever happened to him.

  I bask in his love, every day.

  When he slips out of me I feel a pang of sadness because I am happiest when we are joined. As if he knows this, Jack snuggles in behind me, holding me flush with his firm chest, arms tight around my ribs.

  “I love you,” I tell him, caressing his arm, his hand, his fingers. He squeezes me tighter as though he wants to clutch at my love and never let it go.

  Months ago Jack and I made the decision to accept that life isn’t ever going to be perfect. There are always factors outside of our control, but together we are strong. Now we are settled he’s starting to dream. When I found him browsing a website for information on how to train to be a social worker I had to swallow down a solid ball of emotion that wedged itself in my throat. Its baby-steps, but seeing him put himself first and start planning for his future makes me so happy I could cry.

  I often wonder what would have happened if we hadn’t locked eyes with each other that cold November evening when he had nowhere else to go. I fear I’d still be standing behind the counter of The Chubby Friar, surrounded by the decaying bones of my hopes and dreams. I dread to think where Jack might have ended up.

  The older I get the more I realise that it’s the twisty turns of life that make our passage so interesting. The hurts only make the happiness sweeter, at least that’s what Jack’s been teaching me. I once sent him a text describing us as Messed Up and Magic. I think that phrase is true of life in general. Through all the bad and the good, I wouldn’t change a thing.

  Life might be messed up but I know one thing for sure. When it’s just me and Jack, everything is magic.

  ALSO BY HOLLY STONE

  If you like your men RICH and DIRTY-MOUTHED then you’ll love the BILLIONAIRE BEHAVING BADLY SERIES!

  Taken by a Stranger - Find on Amazon here - U.S. / U.K.

  “I have dirty things on my mind and they all involve Rebecca Radley.”

  A chance meeting with a stranger in a bar leads to a scorching hot encounter that's exactly what Rebecca needs. Sensible decisions have brought her nothing but heart-ache in the past, and giving in to the sexy green-eyed man seems like the perfect way to exorcise her demons. And what an excellent job he does too!

  The trouble is that dirty little secrets have a habit of surfacing.

  Who knew a one night stand with a stranger would be this complicated?

  The Billionaire Behaving Badly Series is intended for 18+ readers who like sexy, alpha, uber-rich men with dirty mouths and a penchant for naughty bedroom antics! You've been warned in the best possible way!

  Check out the whole four-part series!

  Taken by a Stranger

  Watched by a Stranger

  Followed by a Stranger

  Held by a Stranger

  THROTTLE – A STEPBROTHER ROMANCE

  How far would you go for someone you love?

  Stand up for them? Shield them? Fight for them? Kill for them?

  Emma's been waiting for Jared for eight years. Eight years of knowing how much he's given up for her. Eight years of wanting him back. But when he's released from prison he doesn't call and doesn't visit. Then she finds a note.

  Jared went about as far as a person could go to protect the girl he loves, but now that he's free he knows she's better off without him. The last thing she needs is an ex-con like him to tie her down.

  Years ago, her stepbrother made the ultimate sacrifice, but will Emma ever be able to convince Jared that loving him is no sacrifice at all?

  This is a novelette featuring a sexy, tormented, tattooed hero and a heroine who's fed up with waiting. 18+ readers only.

  Buy or borrow now in UK here or US here

  About the author

  Hi! I’m Holly Stone. I live, work and write in London.
Writing isn’t my day job but I love creating characters enough to do it in my spare time. When I’m not working, writing or parenting I’m reading, day dreaming about my next book and trying to stretch time like elastic!

  I love people and chocolate and stories that grab you by the heart and squeeze. Before I became a mummy I travelled to cool places and studied ancient things and danced in heels and drank gin with orange juice. When my kids are grown I am planning to do all those things again, just wearing longer skirts!

  Contact Information

  I would love to hear from you. Contact me at hollystoneauthor@hotmail.com

  Find me on https://www.facebook.com/hollystoneauthor, Goodreads, and follow me on twitter(@hollystonebooks)

  Subscribe to receive updates on forthcoming book releases http://eepurl.com/bhF51T and I promise only to email you about really interesting things!

  Reviews help authors and readers alike. Please leave one if you have time. It would be much appreciated.

  Acknowledgements

  For my two amazing Beta Readers – Heather Savage and Cora West. Thanks for all your comments and support. You guys rock!

  For N.S. who reads everything I write, even at short notice. Love you.

  Playlist

  Arctic Monkeys – Do I wanna know?

  Blonde – I love you (feat. Melissa Steel)

  The 1975 – Sex

  Catfish and the Bottlemen – Tyrant

  The Stone Roses – She bangs the drum

  The Killers - All these things that I've done

  Paper Aeroplanes – Same Mistakes

  Amira – My Desire