Текст книги "Shiver : 13 Sexy Tales of Humor and Horror"

Автор книги: Belle Aurora

Соавторы: Penny Reid,Ruth Clampett
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Текущая страница: 24 (всего у книги 39 страниц)

Chapter 9

The neon Peckers sign blazed as I pulled into what was usually Mickey’s Bar. I took one last look into the car’s visor mirror to check the lipstick I’d applied ten times. Yep, it was still red.

I inspected my chest to see if my nipples were saluting. Bingo. I think my appearance will be Thomas approved.

My hands sweat as I walked across the parking lot in my stilettos. I opted for the pair that screamed, “do me” the loudest and these won. After seeing Thomas last night, I realized I had no shame where he was concerned. I wanted him and I knew he wanted me.

Smoothing my dress and blown out hair, I opened the door, walked inside and found the placed packed. Nothing said Girls Night Out like a room full of peckers supporting a hooters’ fundraiser.

I spotted Mel standing by a pub table. She was talking to what appeared to be a doctor. A hot, hot doctor I might add. He was undressed in just his scrub pants with a stethoscope wrapped around his neck. Something told me he’d like to have Mel’s legs wrapped around them instead.

“Hi Mel,” I broke into their conversation.

“Trish,” she shouted above the TV in the bar. The damn thing was blaring loud.

“Mel,” I hugged her back and helped her stand. “Looks like you starting the party early.”

“Dr. Talbot insisted I take shots off of his abs.” Dr. Talbot gave me a knowing smirk. The kind that says I’m getting lucky tonight.

“I bet he did.” I laughed. “Hi, I take it your Dr. Talbot.” I held my hand out to him, he took it in his, and kissed it. The hot doctor appeared to have quite the bedside manner.

“Nice to meet you,” he replied to me. “Mel told me you were here. Welcome back.”

Dr. Talbot turned to Mel and held her hand in his. “I need to get back to being a Pecker. Remember I’m driving tonight.” He kissed her on the cheek and I swear she swooned.

I watched her watch him walk away. Yep, she was a goner like me.

“So Dr. Talbot,” I thought she could finish my sentence and fill in the blanks for me.

“Yes. He’s so dreamy.” I didn’t know who she was. Mel didn’t do swoony or dreamy. “He’s the one.”

“The one? As in china and linens?” I asked and wondered why I was just hearing about him now.

“Already picked them out and I’m wearing ivory,” Mel giggled. “Mrs. Jared Talbot. Sounds perfect.”

“Who are you and when did you meet this man?” I placed my hands on my hips and waited for her reply.

“This is our first date sort of. I stopped by work today and he told me he was driving me to the event. He also told me we are going out tomorrow night as we drove here. I have a date for Halloween!”

“Oh my God. I think you’re either drunk as hell or in lust. Likely both.” I started laughing. Amused at how bossy her hot doctor was. Must be a common trait found in the men here.

“I’ve had a crush on him for two years. Two long years!” I saw her looking over my shoulder and smiling at someone. The angle of her eyes meant they were likely tall and looming right behind me.

I felt a hand on the small of my back and knew in an instant who it was. A shiver ran through me before I turned. I glanced down at my chest and saw all systems were a go with his simple touch.

I turned around and his hand followed across my body as I did. “Hi, Thomas.”

“Hi,” he said in a low, sexy voice as his eyes found that I’d obeyed him in the bra department. “You look great. Nice dress.”

He took a strand of my hair between his fingers and twirled it around one. “Beautiful.”

“Thanks,” I could barely speak as I stood there in front of him. His shirt was missing and my brain seemed to have disappeared too.

He was perfect. The kind of man who makes Michelangelo’s David look like an out of shape sloth. A toned chest, led down to a distinct six-pack with hard ridges that needed exploring or licking. I bit my tongue to control myself.

Gathering all the will power in the world I could muster, I brought my eyes back up to his. I swear his eyes were laughing at me. I reached up to give him a teasing tap on his arm, but my traitor hand wouldn’t leave his body and my fingers tightened around his bulging bicep.

“Hey remember me?” I heard a voice calling from somewhere and realized it was Mel. I’d completely forgotten she was standing there with us. A lust trance perhaps?

“Hi Mel,” Thomas said. A smile busted across his face. “I wanted to tell you that the silent auction is swinging into gear.”

“Well, well, well.” She glanced back and forth between Thomas and I. “There is definitely something major going on here between you two.”

“I agree,” said Thomas. I’d turned around to face Mel and felt Thomas backing into me. He wasn’t touching me but I knew he was super close. I was tempted to back into him fully… And I did. Why not?

“I agree too.” I said in a shaky voice.

“Trish, remember what we were talking about yesterday?” I knitted my brows confused. “Better start picking out the china and linens.”

A woman about forty came up to Mel and told her she was needed to help with something up by the front door. Mel followed behind the woman and I realized then that she did go as Kim Kardashian. She had to have been packing a couple pillows up the back of her dress.

“I can’t believe her,” I couldn’t stop laughing. “I thought she was kidding about going as Kim.”

“I think her doctor friend approved though. Who are you supposed to be?” Thomas asked.

“Me?” He nodded. “I’m Gretchen Rossi from the Real Housewives of Orange County.”

“You’re nothing like those gals because you’re definitely real in the areas that count.” I loved his blunt, bordering on dirty, talk.

“Been watching Housewives shows in your spare time?” I teased and he pointed to the TV screens above the bar. Real Housewives shows were playing on all of them.

“I came in earlier to help set the place up and suffered through about fifteen minutes. Like I said the real housewives aren’t that real.” He lowered his lips to my ear. “I prefer what you have baby.”

Damn. I wanted to find the coat closet and show him how real I was. His words and the way he spoke them were like Kryptonite to me, making me weak. This man had turned me from a streetwise city woman into a hussy on the street corner.

“You have to stop talking to me like that in public, or…”

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll drag you off somewhere in private. A girl can only take so much.” I teased with a wink. I didn’t want him to know I wasn’t kidding.

“Hold that thought. I need to help out the other Peckers. I am the master Pecker after all.”

“I bet you are.” I spit out a laugh and let my eyes travel downward to Pecker land.

He bent down and kissed me on the forehead. “Get a drink and have fun.”

“I want to try the Peckers Passion drink Mel told me about.” I waggled my brows.

“That can be arranged.”

He walked away to join the other Peckers and I looked over at Mel who smiled at me and shook her head. She knew I was a goner too.

Chapter 10

I’ve had three strong Peckers Passion drinks since I sat down. One after the other and I was very buzzed. The kind of buzz that was dangerous around a hot guy like Thomas.

He hasn’t spoken a word out loud to me since our encounter by the pub table. Instead he has talked to me with his eyes, finding me no matter where I was in the room. I wasn’t used to this kind of attention and I had a hard time processing it. I felt like a tightly wound-up spring that would come undone with the slightest touch, his touch to be specific.

I was sitting with a few girls that I knew from high school, and they couldn’t stop gushing over the changes in me and how “big city” I now looked. I had to laugh, because my turquoise dress, teased-to-within-an-inch-of-its-life hair, and heavy make-up were the furthest thing imaginable from my normal New York City attire. I’d strayed far from basic black, but my teased hair was the topper. No one wore hair like this in the city.

“Can I have your attention please?” Mel stood up before the crowd with a cordless microphone in her hand. “I’d like to thank you all for coming out tonight to support the hooters this Halloween. Can we have a big round of applause for all the helpful Peckers with us tonight?”

Everyone clapped while I laughed at the whole scenario. I worried I’d fallen into a bad romantic comedy movie. Peckers. Hooters. It was all Looney Tunes.

“So far this evening we have raised twenty thousand dollars. One of our own Peckers, Dr. Jared Talbot, has pledged to match every dollar we raise tonight. Please come up front Dr. Pecker, I mean, Dr. Talbot.” The room broke into applause and laughter.

Dr. Talbot scooted up next to Mel. “Thank you Dr. Talbot for your generous donation. How can we ever repay you?”

Mel’s face blushed as Dr. Talbot whispered something into her ear. As he pulled away a corner of her lip curled into a smile. I would wager Aunt Marge’s house on what I thought he said. I’m pretty sure it involved her hooters and his pecker.

“It was my pleasure to help raise more money for Breast Cancer Awareness. I’ve seen it claim way too many women’s lives. I only wish I could do more.”

Mel took back the microphone and had a look in her eyes like she wanted to jump Dr. Pecker. I had to admit he seemed like a great guy by donating to the cause.

Mel cleared her throat before continuing. “We have one more treat for you all tonight. My brother, Officer Thomas Brooks, has agreed to sing. He’s been an in-the-shower singer most of his life, but I’m encouraging him to do something with the great voice he’s been given. Give it up for Thomas.”

Thankfully, I chose a seat that faced the front of the bar. I clapped with everything I had as Thomas approached Mel. The women at the other tables were a little too enthusiastic to see Thomas sing. But in reality I didn’t have a claim on him…yet.

“Thank you, ladies. I want to hand it to my sister for putting this evening together. I’ve watched her prepare for months. Great job sis.” The entire place sounded in applause once again. “I’ve decided to sing ‘Every Breath You Take’ by the Police. Hit it Mac.”

Thomas began to sing, and he never once took his eyes off me. The room and the people around us faded away. I became caught up in the words and their meaning. He had been acting just like the song since I walked inside the bar, watching every step or move I made. Was he telling me I belonged to him?

I had chills as he walked to me with the microphone in his hand. He started the last part of the song standing right in front of me.

Embarrassed I sunk down into my chair, but it only made him come closer. When he started singing the chorus, he reached for my hand. As the last word of the song left his lips, he pulled my hand to his mouth and kissed it.

“For fuck’s sake, give the woman a real kiss.” Someone yelled from behind us.

“All right with you?” Thomas asked. I nodded and gave him the okay with my eyes.

He placed the microphone on the table and took my other hand. He lifted me from my seat and pulled me into his arms. I wrapped mine around his neck as he wrapped his around my waist, bringing me into him. I smelled the scent of his skin as my cheek made contact with his chest. All musky male and divine.

I raised my head and met his eyes. He looked down at my lips before he descended. When our lips touched, I melted into him. He pulled me tight against his body and we kissed like no one else was in the room.

My fingers weaved through his hair and traced the strong lines of his neck. I could feel the flexing of his muscles under my fingertips.

“All right, all ready.” I heard from the right.

“Get a room you two.” A voice said to the left of us. But I wasn’t going to pull away from his kiss. I wanted it to never end.

Thomas broke the kiss slowly and gave me one last, quick scorcher. “I didn’t want to stop.”

“Me either,” I whispered with my arms now embracing him at the waist.

“Really you all. I think every woman in this place needs to change her panties after watching that kiss.” Mel said under her breath as she grabbed the microphone off the table.

“Thanks again for coming out tonight ladies. Check the silent auction items before you leave to see if you’re a winner. Until next year.” Mel said into the microphone.

“I promised Mel I would help her with cleaning up.” I was sad to have to break out of our little bubble. The feeling inside it was beautiful.

“Funny thing. She asked me to help with clean up too.” Thomas shook his head. “That sister of mine is a schemer.”

“True, but she means well and this time I think she might be right.” He smiled after I exposed my true feelings, and I sighed in relief. I wasn’t used to placing everything out on the line with men. But with Thomas I felt safe.

“Let’s get this place cleaned up. Whatta ya say?” Thomas asked.

“Lead the way.” I motioned with my hand.

We started in the kitchen area, mingling with the hired wait staff. I think we were more a hindrance than a help, because they told us to go stand by the freezer.

“I think we just got kicked out of KP duty.” Thomas said with a chuckle.

“We are sad,” I laughed.

Thomas reached his arms around me and I saw a glint of silver in his pocket.

“Are those handcuffs?” I pointed to the metal.

“Yes, a cop can never be too prepared.” He reached in, took out the cuffs, and let them dangle from a finger. “I think I might have to make an arrest tonight. I heard there was some lewd kissing going.”

“Yes, very lewd. Filthy as a matter of fact. My mother would’ve been shocked.” I giggled and held out my wrists in surrender. “Are you going to take me back to your jail?”

“I’m off duty and would rather take you back to my bed.” The silver metal was cool against my skin and I knew I was in trouble when I heard the cuffs click together. “But I’ll settle for a date first. Tomorrow night I’m taking you out for dinner. Then maybe later, we can put these cuffs to good use.”

“Sounds perfect. I’m in need of a thorough forking after your kisses.”

Epilogue

Here’s Tommie…

A year has gone by since I arrived in town. The trip here was a freaking nightmare. I was trapped inside a plastic box for eight hours, and no amount of screaming made my owner have mercy on me.

But things have become more normal since we moved. We live in an old place with tons of mice. They keep me rather busy. Caught a big bad one this morning.

A tall man started coming around after we settled in. I think he lives here now. He has this strange notion we are buddies, and always tries to pet and hold me. He brings me awesome treats, so I put up with it.

The tall man keeps my owner busy playing games all day and night in the big bed. I have to jump on their heads in the morning to wake them up so I can get some food.

Jumping on heads is my favorite trick. I always get their attention when I pull that move.

I’ve been sprawled out in the middle of the hallway waiting for them to finish shaking the bed. It seems to be taking them longer than usual today.

I give up and stroll into the room across the hall from them. This room has the best smell in the house. They’ve been moving new things in here about every day.

Yesterday it was a bed with tall bars. It reminded me of my box but it’s way bigger. There’s a chair in the corner with a curved bottom that makes it move back and forth.

Sometimes my owner sits down in the chair while the tall guy sings to her and rubs her feet. I do like his singing. It might be his one good quality other than the treat giving.

I hear a creak in the floor by the shaking bed. I think they’re up. I waltz into the room and see my owner easing out of the bed with the tall guy’s help. I’ve noticed she doesn’t move like she used to. She’s grown this big thing around her middle. I’ve seen the tall man talking to it. Very odd.

Well, I am going to see if they will fill up my food bowl, then I’m taking a nap. That’s how I roll.

About the Author

Thanks for reading Peckers. I hope you enjoyed it. I never thought I would write anything from a cat’s point of view!

If you would like to check out more of my books,visit my website for store links. I have a completed series, Touch of Tantra, and with the exception of the novella, the series is in the man’s point of view.

I’m brewing up more books in my cauldron, so please sign up for my mailing list to keep up-to-date on my tricks and treats. I promise to never spam your inbox.

Enjoy the rest of the anthology,

Liv

Connect with LIV MORRIS

Website: http://www.livmorris.com

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Email: mailto: [email protected]

Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/VY_k9

Other Books by LIV MORRIS

THE COMPLETED TOUCH OF TANTRA SERIES

Adam’s Apple (Book 1)

Temptation (Book 1.5)

Adam’s Fall (Book 2)

Love in the City (The Complete Collection Boxed Set)

Bewitched
by Daisy Prescott

A crush. A love spell. What could go wrong?

Copyright © Daisy Prescott 2014, All rights reserved.

eBook edition

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover Design by Daisy Prescott

Front Cover Photos: Edyta Pawlowska; Elnur Amikishiyev

Edited by There for You Editing/Melissa Ringsted

Proofed by Proofing Style, Inc./Marla Esposito

First Digital Edition October 2014

One

“Hester Pryne was a slut.”

“She was not. You’re a Neanderthal asshat!” My chair scraped across the worn wood floor as I stood and shouted. I was shouting in my New England Fiction seminar lead by a man in a tweed jacket with elbow patches. What was wrong with me?

“Miss Bradbury, please sit down,” Professor Philips scolded me from the head of the long, mahogany table.

I crossed my arms and my chest heaved as I stared down the tree troll known as Luke Hamilton, aka self-proclaimed ‘Big Man on Campus’ and golden-boy. “Professor Philips, how can you just let him spout off all that bull– nonsense about Hester Pryne being a slut? She didn’t have sex with herself.”

“That’d be hot,” Hamilton snorted from a few seats away. His golden-boy blond hair drooped over his forehead as he doodled boobs with A’s on them in the margins of his book.

Disgusting. I couldn’t figure out why he was even in this class. Reading didn’t seem to be his thing. The only things that appeared to interest him were boobs, keg parties, and himself.

“It takes two people! Two. Hamilton and his hand don’t count as two people. Argh! He’s missing the point. Hawthorne wasn’t slut shaming Hester.” I flailed my arms around in some sort of awkward orangutan mating dance.

A cough at the opposite end of the long table drew my attention, and the spell of my frustration dissolved. The sound came from Andrew Wildes, resident brooding, quiet, serious, handsome, slightly dangerous man of mystery. Or maybe he was just quiet. There was something about him I found fascinating, like the dark hero in one of the Brontë sisters’ novels. Blushing, I sat down in my chair, straightened a stack of note cards and my post-it note filled copy The Scarlett Letter.

“Do you have something to add to the discussion, Mr. Wildes?” Dr. Philips asked.

Andrew stared at his fingers, which tapped on the table in a patch of dust dancing in the mid-September sun. The rest of him remained in the shadows, making his thick dark hair and pale skin stand out in contrast even more. He never spoke in class unless Dr. Philips called on him, and his answers were often so odd, the majority of students ignored him. This would be interesting.

“Madison is right. Hawthorne wasn’t shaming Hester. The Puritans were. Hawthorne was more interested in sin and knowledge, exclusion and fear of the unknown.”

My jaw dropped open. Andrew defended me. He made my entire argument in two sentences. I didn’t think he knew I existed even though it was only a class of twelve students.

“Well said, Andrew,” Philips praised him. “You and Miss Bradbury are on the right track with your thinking.”

Hamilton scoffed and leaned back in his chair, letting the front legs rise a few inches above the floor. Under his breath he muttered, “Slut.”

Andrew’s head jerked in our direction. Behind his glasses, his brown eyes flashed to mine before they settled on Luke’s smug expression.

I wanted to wipe the stupid frat-boy grin off Hamilton’s face. My fingers twitched as I concentrated on resisting the urge to hurl my book at him. For once I would’ve loved to see him fall flat on his smugness. Clouds covered the sun, darkening the room’s only source of light. I scrunched up my nose and narrowed my eyes as I imagined him crashing to the floor. Luke’s chair tipped further back, past the point of balance. His arms flailed, struggling to stop the inevitable, but with a loud clatter, Luke and his chair smashed to the floor.

“Ha!” I looked around to see who heard my outburst. Most of my classmates were failing to stifle their own laughter as we stared at the empty spot at the table where Luke had been sitting. My eyes once again met Andrew’s. He dipped his head and pushed his glasses up his nose with his long, slender fingers, but his lips twitched and a dimple flashed in his cheek.

“Fuck, I think I hurt my head,” Luke moaned from the floor.

“Mr. Hamilton, remove yourself from the floor, please, so we can continue class.” Dr. Philips’ salty grey beard appeared to frown with his annoyance.

Luke grumbled and exhaled a few creative expletives as he regained his seat at the table. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from giggling with glee.

Class continued with other students piping in with their thoughts on Puritans and sex. I zoned out, remembering Luke’s fall and wondering if I’d wished it to happen hard enough to make it so.

After all, we were in Salem. Accused Witches were killed here, but today the streets were filled with shops selling magical potions, cauldrons, and books on Wicca to modern witches and tourists. Not that I believed in witches. Or magic.

“Next week we’ll be discussing The Crucible, Arthur Miller’s take on the witch trials that made Salem famous, or infamous as it were.” Philips stood and gathered his things.

“Great, more prudes and bitches,” Luke mumbled.

I shot him a look. “Seriously?”

He met my eyes and a slow, sinister smile spread across his beer bloated face.

“What are you smiling about?” I sneered.

“Prudes and bitches. This class could be about you.”

“Shut up, Hamilton.” I moved around him toward the door.

“If the names fit.”

I flipped him the bird over my shoulder without turning around.

“Aww, don’t be Mad. Oh wait, I guess you don’t have a choice,” he called after me, laughing at his stupid joke about my name.

“Argh!” I stomped down the hall. Outside of the glass doors large raindrops splattered the brick walkway. “Could this day get any better?” I asked myself out loud.

A pale hand with long, familiar fingers held one of those tiny collapsible umbrellas in my line of sight. “Here.”

I looked up to meet the dark eyes of Andrew. His lanky frame towered over mine. From his black Chucks to his almost black hair, he could have been a hipster, but he was too nerdy, too cool, too something, to be that trendy. Maybe it was the glasses; the thick black rims were not exactly stylish. His messy hair hinted at a lack of combing rather than bedroom shenanigans. He looked smart, if intelligence had a facial expression. Too-smart-for-his-own-good smart.

Andrew cleared his throat.

“Oh, thank you. I have my hoodie.” I reached behind to pull my grey hood over my hair. “I’ll be fine.”

“Okay.” He held my gaze as he stuffed the umbrella into his backpack. “No problem.”

Something about him made me tingle. He unsettled me, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. I hesitated before I gave him a small smile, and dashed out the door.

The rain sputtered into a mist a few yards down the path, and I pulled down my hood. Maybe my day had started to turn around. Smiling, I searched for Andrew in the doorway or on the steps behind me, but he’d disappeared.