Eat Your Heart Out: A Romance Charity Anthology

by Skye MacKinnon

  “Cheers?” I proposed, holding up my glass.

  “Cheers,” Julie responded, clinking her cocktails against mine.

  Not sure what else to say, I took a sip from my drink. The fruity taste was refreshing but I could tell it was probably made from frozen cherries.

  I put the glass back on the coaster, watching it draw a ring into the cardboard. “This is good.”

  “Agreed. Not as good as my Cherry Berry Bingo, but very good.”

  I chuckled. “You sold a lot of those today?”

  “Loooads. How did your juice go?”

  “Flew off the shelves. I barely had time to press them, I was basically throwing oranges at people,” I joked, realising she’d managed to dispel the stiff and awkward tension effortlessly.

  She laughed. “It was a good day, huh? Got to love what the sun does for a business like ours.”

  “For sure.”

  She took another sip from her drink and looked at me from over the rim. “So… shall we get to know each other a bit better or are you going to be hostile again?”

  “What do you want to know?”

  Mischief danced in her twinkling eyes. “How old are you?”

  I snorted. “Old enough. Which is twenty-six.”

  Julie hummed. “Nice. I turn twenty-eight this year. What do you like to do?”

  “I like… running. Swimming. Watching a good sob movie. And juice, obviously.” Relaxed by the conversation, I got more comfortable in my seat and returned the question. “What about you?”

  “I’m not much of a swimmer but I enjoy a good run, mostly because it gives me time to listen to music. I love listening to music and singing along.”

  “You a good singer?”

  “Not at all. Unless you like listening to a dying cat.”

  “That happens to be my favourite sound,” I joked.

  She laughed out loud, almost choking on her drink. “You’re funny.”

  I felt my cheeks heat up and leaned in closer. “Yeah?”

  She brushed her hand along my cheek, drawing me in closer. “Oh, yes. Very…” She pressed a soft kiss on my lips, her mouth warm and soft. “Funny.”

  Despite the shortness, it was an intimate and wonderful kiss. I savoured the feelings it elicited from me, basking in the growing warmth in my stomach and the flutters in my chest. I hadn’t been kissed in a long time. Too long.

  Julie released a slow breath. “Was that alright? Not too soon?”

  “Very…” This time, it was my turn to move closer and capture her lips. “Alright.”

  She chuckled, suddenly a little shy. “Better than alright, I hope.”

  “Much better,” I reassured her. I didn’t even have to lie or embellish, I could still feel the kiss sizzling on my lips, leaving me wanting more. Much more.

  Chapter 8

  One drink easily became two and two was quickly followed by three. It was the fourth drink that was special. I was serving the fourth drink at my place.

  I wasn’t exactly sure how I went from not dating my competition to inviting her over to my house but life wasn’t a straight-forward road. Sometimes, things just happened and I wanted this to happen.

  “Sorry for the mess,” I said as I handed her a glass of fresh orange juice. I’d offered her an alcoholic beverage but one look at the oranges in the fruit bowl had made up her mind.

  She accepted the drink and immediately took a sip. “Ahh… There’s nothing better than fresh juice.”

  I laughed as I put my glass against my lips. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  “Mmmm…” She licked her lips, humming in appreciation. “I’ve been meaning to ask, are these Castillo oranges?”

  Surprised, I looked at her. “They are… How did you know?”

  “The taste.”

  “Wow, I’ve never met anyone that could tell oranges apart like that.”

  She chuckled as she took another sip. “I should know, I grew up with them. My grandfather would kill me if I couldn’t recognise a Castillo orange.”

  “Your grandfather…” The pieces slowly clicked together. “Don’t tell me your grandfather owns the Castillo orange grove. They’re the best oranges in the world.”

  Julie beamed proudly. “Our family has been in the fruit business for a looong time.”

  “Wow. I’m…” I put my half-finished glass of juice down, too in shock to drink. “Wow.”

  Amused by my lack of words, she finished her juice and pulled me closer by my waist. She rested her hands on my hips, her eyes smouldering. “You want to talk oranges all night or want to do some squeezing of our own?”

  I tried to hold my laugh. “I’m sorry?”

  She snorted, triggering laughter in both of us. “I don’t know where that came from. Oh my goodness, please forget I said that. That was so cringe.”

  I didn’t know if it was the alcohol or the moment but it felt like the funniest thing I’d ever heard. I buckled and laughed so hard, it hurt my stomach.

  It wasn’t until I had tears streaming down my cheeks that I managed to compose myself and pulled Julie into me. She had the biggest grin on her face as I kissed her, encouraged by the buzz.

  I opened my mouth, deepening the kiss and she moaned against my lips. While the laughter still hung in the air, there was a seriousness to both of us that framed the importance of the moment. We were having fun and joking around, but this wasn’t a joke.

  Her hands ran along the small of my back, teasing the hem of my shirt up. With every passing second, the kiss intensified and sent sparks up and down my spine.

  Even though I only just met her, she felt familiar. Her soft skin, the way our hands fitted together, the way her lips moved against mine. She tasted like oranges and smelled like summer, my two favourite things combined.

  Eager to make the most of the moment, I trailed kisses down to her neck and inhaled her scent. I could tell she’d been working hard all day but I didn’t mind. If anything, it turned me on more.

  I pressed my lips on her sensitive skin, nipping at it, and then kissing it better. I could feel her moans rumble through her, feel her breathing shallow as she pressed herself harder into me.

  “You have a bedroom somewhere?” she murmured, her hands threading through my hair.

  “I’m sure we can find one,” I teased, capturing her in another kiss.

  With my hand on her waist, I guided her towards through my flat and into the hall leading to my bedroom. There weren’t many good reasons to leave a perfectly fine glass of orange juice sitting out on the counter but a beautiful woman was definitely one of them.

  The door shrieked softly as I kicked it open and we stumbled over the carpet, luckily landing on the bed. The mattress dipped from the weight but broke the fall.

  With her body on top of me, her hair tickled my face and I giggled into the nape of her neck. She brushed the red locks back and captured me in another kiss, letting the joy bubble up in our chests.

  I couldn’t remember the last time there’d been so much laughter in my bedroom. And it’s only going to get better from here.

  I lazily traced invisible patterns on Julie’s bare stomach, relishing in the afterglow. There was different strain in my muscles than from before and the two left me desperate for a hot shower or a good soak. But that involved getting up and the last thing I wanted, was to move away from the redhead.

  “Mmmm,” she hummed softly, her fingers playing with my hair. “That was… Mmm.”

  “Was that enough squeezing for you?” I joked, earning an embarrassed chuckle.

  Julie pulled the sheets up to her face and snorted. “Shut up.”

  “You’re so cute. Are you blushing?”

  “You’re teasing me.”

  I pressed a kiss on the back of her hand. “You seemed to like my teasing earlier.”

  Her satisfied smirk wiped the embarrassed look clean off. She stretched her limbs with the elegance of a cat and practically purred. “What time is it?”

  I fis
hed my phone from the sea of clothes to check. “Almost two.”

  “Oh wow… We took our sweet time.” She rotated her shoulder and shook out her arm. “I’m going to feel that in the morning.”

  Her comment made me snicker as I waved my fingers of my dominant hand. “That makes two of us.”

  “Hey, question. Could I take a shower? I’ve been in a hotel for a couple of days now and I hate hotel showers,” she asked as she rolled onto her side.

  “Sure, the bathroom is through there. There are spare towels in the cabinet under the sink.”

  Julie yawned as she slipped out of the bed and stretched demonstratively. There was a confidence to her that had nothing to do with her beautiful body and lovely curves. It was the kind of confidence usually earned after sleeping with someone for a while and becoming used to each other’s bodies and blinded to the imperfections. While we explored each other thoroughly, I was sure there’d be plenty more secrets to discover, for both of us. Still, that didn’t stop her from parading naked through my room, seeming perfectly content.

  I watched her leave, admiring the sway of her hips, not able to keep the smirk off my face. That was one fine woman.

  Unable to stop smiling, I relaxed into my pillow when I heard the shower run. The first hints of sleep tugged on me but it seemed rude to not stay awake, at least until Julie was ready to leave… or climb back into bed. I didn’t really mind.

  Listening to the fall of the water only added to the drowsiness and I fought to keep my eyes open, barely managing. Caught between two worlds, I snoozed until the bathroom door opened and Julie rained droplets on my face.

  “Hey!” I laughed, glad to be snapped out of sleep’s grip. “Good shower?”

  “Excellent, oh, that was so much better than the hotel. I honestly don’t understand how they can get away with such terrible water pressure.”

  “People don’t stay long enough for it to matter?” I suggested, pushing myself up from the bed and pulling Julie back down with me. There was an ease to her, a sense of familiarity I never had with strangers. Spending time with her was effortless and it made me hopeful that perhaps, life didn’t have to be so lonely.

  Julie squirmed out of my grip and rolled onto her stomach, the towel barely covering her. She propped her head up and looked at me, a remnant of a smile lingering on her face. “So…”

  “Yes?”

  “Shall I call a cab or…?”

  I folded my arms under my head, weighing the options against each other. “I can call you a cab. Or you could stay and we can walk together to the festival in the morning.”

  “I suppose we are going to the same place,” Julie thought out loud.

  “Hmm-hmm.”

  “And you’re sure you wouldn’t mind?”

  I gestured to the side of the bed she was in. “Plenty of space. And hotel beds suck even more than the showers.”

  The thought of having to return to her room seemed to sway Julie’s mind as she settled into the bed. “Thank you.”

  “No problem. I’m going to turn off the light,” I said, reaching out to the night lamp on my side. With a click, the darkness surrounded us and teased the sleep back to the surface. My eyes grew heavy as I listened to Julie’s breathing, surprised by how comforting it was to share my bed with someone again. Maybe it was weird to find reassurance in the presence of someone that was a stranger mere days ago but the rhythmic breathing was a nice reminder that I wasn’t alone. That even if this didn’t work out, I was capable of moving on and putting myself out there. With my mind full of hopeful thoughts, I drifted off to sleep, eager to see what the morning would bring.

  I turned on my side to look at Julie and despite the darkness, found her looking back at me. She smiled, her lips plump from being thoroughly kissed.

  That didn’t stop me from shuffling closer and capturing her in one more kiss. I trailed my hand up her hip, letting it come to rest in hers. My heart pounded as I watched the other woman and for some reason, I felt certain Julie was going to be an important person in my life.

  Epilogue

  7 months later

  There was nothing like waking up to the smell of oranges with a beautiful woman in the bed. I hummed into the pillow and pulled the sheets tighter, enjoying the rare morning that I got to wake up in an orange grove.

  It was a dream come true.

  I reached across to brush a stray lock of red hair out of Julie’s face, accidentally waking her up.

  “Mmmm… Is it morning already?” she murmured, rolling onto her side to face me.

  “It’s almost nine.”

  Julie jolted up, tossing the sheets back. “No! We overslept!”

  She tried to rush out of the bed but I caught her by the wrist and pulled her back in. “Oh, come on. One snooze isn’t going to hurt.”

  “It’s harvest season, Lisa. Harvest season!” She bolted to the window and pulled the white curtains back, letting the sun into the room.

  As she opened the window, a gust of wind wafted the fragrance of fresh oranges into my face and I inhaled the scent, letting it fill my nose. This was heaven.

  Drawn in by the smell, I got up from the large bed and joined my girlfriend by the open window, pulling her into me for a brief moment. I wanted to savour our trip to the Castillo orchard and I wanted to savour her.

  With my arms wrapped around her, I admired the sight. The sun was already high in the sky and cast a beautiful golden glow over the rows of orange trees in the grove. I had a lot of reasons to be thankful to the orchard. Not only did they grow the best oranges, the new owner was worth the trip.

  I pulled Julie in for a proper kiss and sighed, not quite able to believe I’d found someone that enjoyed juice and oranges as much as I did. And I’d almost missed out on her because of my silly no competition rule. In hindsight, maybe I should’ve always been dating people in the business since they shared my passion for fruit.

  With Julie in my arms, I was happier than I’d ever been. That was all a girl really needed. Love and freshly squeezed orange juice.

  — The End —

  I hope you liked this story about Lisa and Julie finding love. If you want to read more of this kind of cute romance, you should try out the rest of the Rainbow Central series. Try Love Is For Later, a friends-with-benefits to relationship romance or New Lease Of Love, an age-gap romance. Both books are set in Rainbow Central and you might recognise some familiar characters.

  You can get Love Is For Later on most major retailers => https://books2read.com/loveisforlater

  Or you can try Project Crush for free, where you’ll see more of Erin => https://books2read.com/projectcrush

  About the Author

  A creator at heart, Ari has always been in love with the idea of turning nothing into something. She wants to conquer the book world with stories that focus on inclusivity and diversity, writing what she likes to read. Whether it's adventure or romance, dragons and vampires, or princesses and students, there's something for everyone.

  You can find out more about her through her website or get in touch via her facebook group.

  Website: www.arizonatape.com

  Mailing List: www.arizonatape.com/subscribe

  Reader Group: http://facebook.com/groups/arizonatape

  Her Pointy Alien

  Margo Bond Collins

  Heat level: 4

  She has a sharp tongue.

  He has a sharp...everything else.

  If they can keep from cutting each other to shreds, their love could last.

  Ris has come to Earth to try to find a mate—but when he finds Ceri working in a bodega in The Bronx, she’s not at all what he expected.

  When Ceri awakens to find she’s been kidnapped by an alien covered with knife-sharp spines, she has an important decision to make—and she’ll have to be very careful!

  Her Pointy Alien is perfect for fans of science fiction romance who swoon over sexy aliens, crave happy ever afters, and want their alpha alien heroes to tumble
into unexpected, steamy insta-love with smart, sassy heroines!

  Her Pointy Alien

  Ris

  The problem with finding mates on Earth, I decided, is that they’re too damn fragile.

  Even though roughly half of them were pleasingly round and soft in all the right places, their skin was far too easily pierced. And when that fragile skin was pierced, humans leaked.

  Not to mention the fact that far too many of the females were prone to hysterics when they woke up on a Brieritin mothership.

  That kind of hysteria was why the Brieritin had not officially revealed themselves to the people of Earth, even though Earth held the only females capable of mating with the Brieritin warriors.

  The only females in the entire galaxy with viable DNA matches.

  If only my ancestors hadn’t spent so much time perfecting a warrior caste through genetic manipulation, we would still be able to interbreed with the rest of the Brieritin.

  But instead, by augmenting the battle caste’s warlike tendencies, geneticists had left us many fewer reproductive options.

  At last, thank the goddess, we had found Earth, with its primitive, aggressive people. The battle caste could continue to grow.

  And now it was my turn to find a mate. I glanced down at the genometer I carried, complete with its cloaking field designed to make me appear human—and a database that should have all the information I might need to blend into their society.

  Here in this overcrowded city full of too-tall buildings and far too many inhabitants, I should be able to track down at least a few females I would be genetically compatible with, right?