When Chad saw the recording he smacked a hand over his forehead. “That didn’t go the way it looks, Leah. I swear. You know Sonya and I have that whacked out drama class together. We were videoing a scene for it. That’s it.”
“You were totally making out with her,” I said through clenched teeth.
“For the scene.”
“You can choose any scene, Chad. Why that one?”
“Because—because Sonya chose it. She said to get the best grade we needed some heat.”
I growled, “So you made out with her.”
“For the scene!!”
He said the words as I was grabbing my books from his locker.
“Where are you going?” he asked, trying to stop me from leaving. He blocked my way, trying to grab the books back—my books.
“I’m going to my own locker,” I told him, trying my hardest to keep my voice from hitching. “Sonya’s been trying to get her claws into you ever since you and I got together.” I huffed, though tears were threatening to spill from my pooling eyes, “—it looks like she finally succeeded.”
“Leah—”
“Get out of my way,” I growled. Extremely loud. (Which is probably why he did it.)
He shrunk back against his locker, getting out of my way. “Fine. Go cool off,” he muttered.
“Cool off?” I whipped back to him. “I’m totally cool. In fact, I’m chilled to the bone—by that kiss. And your betrayal. And the fact we are now officially broken up.”
“We are not,” he said, like he vetoed that idea. “It wasn’t my fault Leah. Besides, it was just a kiss.”
“Really?” I squinted at him. “Just a kiss? That’s what you think? You think I’m going to ‘cool off’ and then I’ll see that it’s okay that you kissed someone else? ‘Cause, hey, it was no big deal, right?—just kissing.”
Confusedly, he nodded.
“We’re so over,” I told him and marched to my locker with my stack of books.
Then this hot new guy asked if I needed help and … you know the rest.
CHAPTER 3
First period starts right as I stagger in the door. I collapse into the nearest seat since I’m late … and, you know, wobbly from being spectacularly kissed.
You’d think the dreamy spell from that seductive kiss would have broken by now (or at least cracked a little) due to my confrontation with Chad … but no. I’m still in a deep swooned stupor over it. The daze isn’t even lifting as Chad continually texts, begging me to ‘get a grip’ and listen to him.
Dazed, I read his latest: “It was just for the production class, Leah. I needed the grade to be an A. You know heat sells. The only reason I didn’t tell you about it beforehand was because I didn’t know beforehand. Sonya had everything set up—and then she sprung it on me.”
My heart in shambles, I read his continual texts while attendance is called. I’m not listening, though usually I do. I mean, it’s our first day of the new semester—so new classes with new people. Usually I find it kind of exciting, but today—not so much. I don’t even look around the room. I’m too busy trying not to cry; well, and swooning over a kiss. (It’s a confusing combination.)
Still, even with all that going on in my heart and brain—still, I hear the teacher call the name, “Kade Kole.”
My head jerks up.
I used to know a Kade Kole. Years ago he had been my stepbrother and soul-mate. Sadly, in seventh grade he moved far away when his dad divorced my mom.
I glance to the back of the class where the word “here” is called in reply to the name.
Oh. My. Gosh!!!!
I almost fall out of my chair.
Barely able to breathe, all the air whooshes out of me, and my heart slams against my chest … because—because—oh my gosh!
Kade is the hot guy I just kissed!!!!!
Kade!!!
I kissed my sweet little stepbrother.
Face-palm.
He’s sitting in the next row, two seats back from me. He gives a shy little smile at my shocked expression, then the most adorable tiny wave.
But here’s the thing: he’d been looking straight at me when I turned around—like he’d been sitting here in class waiting for me to notice him. It makes my heart explode.
Confused, I whip back around in my seat to stare at … well, anything but my stepbrother. And his sexy eyes and seductive stare. (They have my heart pounding all wild—it’s disturbing.)
While I’m in my sudden cloud of agitation and complete perplexity, I get a text.
It’s not from Chad this time. It’s from Kade: “I tried telling you.”
Heat flows over my skin, especially from his next words:
“—but then you got my mouth all busy.”
I go up in flames.
I mean, I used to watch cartoons with the guy.
When I can finally breathe semi-normal I text: “You let me KISS you!!!”
He replies, “Ew, right?”
Of course he’s being sardonic. I mean, since I moaned in his mouth and he had to hold me up to keep me from swooning at his feet.
I stare at his words, my heart pounding. I don’t know what to say. So … I don’t say anything. I mean, this is all like—whoa! Not only did I randomly kiss a guy, which was weird enough, but it ends up he was once my brother—and we used to build snowmen in our backyard together, and catch frogs, and have burping contests, and sit beside each other all fidgety during church. I face-plant my desk.
Kade texts: “It seemed like you liked the kiss as much as me—which was a lot, by the way.”
After a moment, he texts, “Leah … I liked it a lot.”
I’m tempted to say: “Me too.”
Because I did. Duh. I liked it an astonishingly lot. Like, it had been the best kiss I ever had. Ever. I mean, even now it still has me swooning. But—but it was wrong … right?
While I’m burning with shame and bewilderment (and steamy memories of the kiss), I get more texts from Chad.
He keeps swearing he didn’t ‘technically’ cheat on me. It was just for the grade, that was the only reason he went along with it—and that Sonya sprung it on him.
Grrr! I actually believe him. Because, well, leave it to Sonya to try to get me to dump Chad so she can go after him.
Face it, I really don’t want to hand him over to her.
It would be like she won.
And really, well, I know he needs a good grade in that class or he can’t play football for the rest of the season. He’s been really sweating over his grades. Especially in that class.
Now that I’ve had time to look at it more clearly I can (slightly) see his side. Maybe. Sort of. A little bit. I guess.
Plus, well, I really, really like him. A lot.
Well, I did.
Until about a half-hour ago.
Only …
You know what? Kade is a way better kisser. Waaay better. I mean, that kiss he planted on me blew my mind. And knocked my socks off. And all those other sayings that mean ‘Holy smokes!’ and ‘WOW!!!’
Still … he was once my sweet little brother.
And used to be my very best friend.
So it’s … awkward.
And, yeah, wrong.
Yet … I kissed him.
I will never, ever be able to erase that (hot) memory from my tortured (swooning) mind.
I slink down in my seat.
I get another text from Chad. “Will you please forgive me Leah? Please? I realize what I did was beyond stupid. I don’t know why I went along with it. I really don’t.”
I know why—because Sonya is a sneaky skank.
When I don’t text him back he writes: “Please forgive me, Leah. Pleeeease. I’ll do whatever you want. Do your nails, rub your feet, clean up your dog’s poop in your backyard….”
The boy knows how to win me, I’ll give him that.
Chad texts on, “Will you please forgive me Leah? Please? It was just one kiss.”
My heart twists a
nd sinks and all that angst-y stuff, because I really had liked him. I squeeze my eyes shut, then type, “That was one kiss too many.”
I block him from my phone, then slink down in my seat.
Tears forming in my eyes, I press my forehead against the cold desk. This is starting out to be the world’s best semester.
(Not.)
CHAPTER 4
All during class I keep sneaking little peeks back at Kade. His eyes are on me every time I look, and they kind of light up each time he catches me peeking.
I don’t really understand my confusing heart—why it gets so excited to see Kade get excited to see me.
I mean, it’s Kade. So, yes, of course I’m delighted to see him again. I had loved the little guy like a—well, like an actual little brother. But now things have changed. So much. For one thing, there is no way you could call Kade “little” anymore. And for another, the word “brother” does not come to mind when I sneakily gaze upon him—this gorgeous creature. In fact, “Sex God” screams in my mind way louder than anything remotely close to “brother.” Maybe it’s because I kissed him. And it was spectacular.
… But even if I hadn’t kissed him, I still don’t think I could look upon him without having fantasies about kissing him. And without drooling.
Which is so strange.
I mean, it’s Kade.
He used to be all round and cuddle-y. I’d teasingly call him my “teddy bear” … though secretly I’d really think of him like that. He was soft and sweet and comfy—my favorite blankie. Yet also my favorite plaything and playmate. I used to be able to get him to do anything I wanted—anything—even play dolls with me! (Though he’d groan about it, and resist with all his might. Still, in the end, he’d do it—always. Though he’d beg me to get to the “plot,” like he seemed to think at some point there would be zombie attacks and the apocalypse and a good portion of my well-dressed Barbies would get decapitated.)
I had loved him dearly. With all of my heart.
But now … well, I don’t know. Now I’m all messed up and confused.
The boy I used to know (and love) had been pudgy and sweet—this Kade sitting behind me isn’t. At all. There is absolutely no “pudge” on the boy whatsoever. And his kiss hadn’t been “sweet.” At all. Far from it. It had been mind-blowing. Awesome and spectacular.
… But so not sweet.
Just thinking about that kiss sends me into flames again, and has me needing to dunk my head in a bucket of ice water.
And take a cold shower.
Though I want to keep staring at Kade (forever), I refuse to look back at him again. It’s hard though. Only come on, it’s perverted. Gazing at him does disturbing things to my heart. Gets it all turned-on. But I don’t want to be turned-on by Kade.
So, of course, I refuse to look at him again until I can do it calmly. (Which face it, will probably be NEVER.)
While I’m sternly staring straight ahead—at nothing—I get another text from Kade. This one is apparently to explain how our encounter actually went down this morning—as though I’m not already up on it.
He texts: “To clarify: I’d just come over to your locker to say hi to you.”
When I squeeze my eyes shut, he texts more: “—got to admit, you said it in a much more thorough way than I had planned. I mean, that was a full-on hello.”
Going up in flames, I quickly text, “It was a mistake, Kade.”
His answer makes my heart sink: “Yeah … I admit it was.”
Ouch! Unexpected pain crashes through me from his words. Then my heart falls like a brick as he texts: “It shouldn’t have happened.”
He adds: “I’m sorry, Leah.”
I wish I could say the same—that I was sorry it happened too. But really I’m not. Now after facing his texts I’m stuck realizing the truth—the thing I’m really sorry about is that he thinks it shouldn’t have happened.
I know I’d kept telling my heart it was a mistake and wrong and all that—but now that I know how he feels about it, now my real, true, honest feelings are gurgling up to the surface.
Man, this blows.
Realizing I’m hot for Kade and his kiss … yet he thinks it’s a mistake and shouldn’t have happened.
I thump my head on my desk.
A lot of drama has gone down today … and it is only first period.
This is going to be a long day.
CHAPTER 5
In second period, I can’t concentrate. All I can think about is the astonishing things that have happened today. I saw Kade. Kissed Kade!! … And his eyes had lit up every time I peeked back at him. Thinking about that stuff now sends warm tingles gushing through me.
During first period I had been all wound up knowing Kade’s eyes were on me, that he was watching my every move. It had made it hard to think. Or breathe.
But now that I’m in second period just left with my thoughts and warm dreamy memories of Kade and all that stuff: His kiss, and mere presence, and stare—it all seems … unreal.
But spectacular.
Awesomely amazing.
Strange but undeniably true: it has totally eclipsed the fact Chad kissed Sonya. (!!!) And Sonya got exactly what she wanted—Chad free and available for snagging.
…. Okay, that still stings.
And sucks.
But hey, Kade is back!!
And he kisses amazing.
And his eyes lit up every time I looked at him.
Mmmm.
With tingles whooshing through me I quickly grab my phone and text Kade. “I take it back. I don’t think the kiss was a mistake, Kade.”
The way his eyes had sparked every time I looked at him in first period, and the way his heart had pounded and his breath had caught after our kiss—he couldn’t really think it was a mistake either. Not really and truly. He was just like me, though. Obviously. Needed time to adjust to the idea of it—he and me kissing. You know, after we had been so close, and our relationship had been sooo different.
So yeah, at first glance the situation seems like a huge mistake.
But it’s not. It’s perfect, actually. Puuurfect. That kiss he gave me—Mmmm. I want more of that. Yearn for it. And I’m now conveniently totally free and available to receive his delightful mouth. After all, there’s no more Cheating Chad in my life. (Thanks Sonya.) (Witch!!)
So, no. The kiss was totally not a mistake. Far from it. Which is why I text him: “I don’t think the kiss was a mistake Kade.”
After a long moment Kade texts back: “No, Leah. It was.”
Groan! I don’t get the problem. He said he doesn’t have a girlfriend, and the way he looked at me (and kissed me) I know he likes me. I know he does. A super, super lot. And I’m not talking brotherly.
I quickly type: “No, come on, don’t say that Kade! I’ve been thinking about it, and I’m glad it happened.”
When he doesn’t respond, I text: “Really glad.”
In third period, when he still hasn’t responded, I text more because I can NOT stop thinking about that yummy kiss, and the yummy way he had looked at me after it. Swoon! “I don’t think it was a mistake. I think it was awesome.”
My heart twists when he finally texts back, “An awesome mistake.”
Geez! After a moment, I teasingly type: “So you admit it was awesome.”
“It was.” But then he texts: “Leah … it can’t happen again.”
*****
We hope you enjoyed the peek.
Kissing Kade is available now
http://www.amazon.com/Kissing-Kade-Young-Adult-Romance-ebook/dp/B01CR66ED6
Summary of
Melanie Marks’ novel:
LOUDER THAN WORDS
When seventeen year old Summer Baker is stalked by her obsessed ex-boyfriend she’s forced to ask for help from her secret weapon—her “bad-boy” ex-friend, Mason … but that’s a lot of ex’s. Also, Summer’s not sure her heart can take re-connecting with Mason. Mason who had once—no matter how brief of time—bee
n her “stepbrother.” Mason with his smokin’ hotness and lingering stare.
Still, Summer is forced to call on him, and he comes to her rescue. Just like she knew he would. But the problem is: Summer has always had a secret crush on Mason. But—whoa!—suddenly he’s looking at her all hungry and longing-like. And he says all the right words to get her heart spazzing. It almost has her thinking he craves her too. Almost. But let’s face it, actions speak louder than words and Mason has put out zero action … unless you’re talking about action with other girls. He’s put out plenty of that. Grrr! He breaks girls’ hearts at lightening speed and has made-out with every hot girl at their school … that is, every hot girl except Summer. Because in Mason’s mind, Summer is off-limits. But that bites.
Louder Than Words is available now
http://www.amazon.com/Louder-Than-Words-Fall-Me-ebook/dp/B00I3OX6IS
Summary of Melanie Marks’ newest book:
Love Liam
http://www.amazon.com/Love-Liam-Young-Adult-Romance-ebook/dp/B01E9P8QW0
When hot, sexy Liam first met me I was disguised as a scrawny kid—a boy, actually. I didn’t really mean to fool him—well, I guess I kind of did. (Mean to, I mean.) I guess it was because I knew I needed him. Yet, I needed him NOT to love me … because somehow I knew he would. And I knew I would love him back. And I knew that would be my undoing. This is our story. How amazing it was to be loved by Liam.
(There is a peek at the first few chapters of this book after the following book info)
Summary of
My Brother’s Best Friend
By Melanie Marks
http://www.amazon.com/Brothers-Friend-Young-Adult-Romance-ebook/dp/B00ZQ0ZXYW
Kayla has loved sweet, gorgeous Ben since elementary school. Since he become her brother’s best friend, and helped her build her tree fort, and unplug the toilet … and do all the stuff she couldn’t get her brother to do. In fact, the only thing she couldn’t seem to get hot, yummy Ben to do was notice that she was more than his best friend’s little sister. THEN, in high school, right when it seems Ben might actually finally be noticing (maybe) that Kayla is a girl (and face it, adorable), Kayla’s beautiful, cheerleading, best friend, Sabrina, decides SHE wants Ben. UGH!!! Sabrina always gets what she wants … but what does BEN want???—the cheerleader, or his best friend’s forbidden little sister? He’s dating Sabrina, but more and more his lingering stare is on Kayla. (!!!)
Heartbreaker Hanson Page 19
