Текст книги "Kiss Me"

Автор книги: Jillian Dodd

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Текущая страница: 20 (всего у книги 20 страниц)

“Oh my, it is so good. Seriously, almost orgasmic.”

Even though he threatened me with torture of some kind, I couldn’t sit at the dinner table and eat naked.

But after eating cake, I do suggest the hot tub. The water is warm and all the city lights are gorgeous in an urban way. Not the beach, but very pretty.

“This is really romantic,” he tells me.

“Yeah, I like it.”

And then he starts kissing me again.

And we all know where that leads.

Monday, September 26th

One. Perfect. Horny. Detail.

Ceramics

I elbow Jake. “I heard you and Whitney got back together.”

“And I heard you and Dawson got together.”

“We went shopping. Had dinner. If that’s what you mean.”

“Aww, come on, Monroe. Give us some of the dirty details. Dawson never tells us anything good.”

“Does that mean he tells you stuff that’s bad?”

“You know what I mean. You were all alone in what he described as the ultimate party loft. He said the place gave him a boner just walking in at the thought of the sin that could be accomplished there.”

“Hmmm, well, that explains things.”

“Explains what?”

“Why he was all hot and bothered the minute we walked in the door. Here I thought it was me.”

“Come on. One detail. One. Perfect. Horny. Detail.”

I roll my eyes at him. “If Dawson had his way, we would’ve been naked the whole time.”

“So you were naked all weekend?”

“Maybe.”

“If you were naked, that means you did it,” Bryce says.

“Not necessarily. Maybe I’m like a piece of art. You can look but you can’t touch.”

“Dawson is too fucking happy to have just looked,” Jake says.

“Maybe he’s into art,” I say with a raised eyebrow.

“Maybe he’s into you.”

“So tell me what Whitney said.”

“We didn’t actually get back together yet, but she did say she was sorry. Says she will apologize to you.”

“You know that she won’t.”

He nods. “She also says she was just looking out for him.”

“And you believe that?”

He scrunches up his nose and laughs. “No, but she seemed very eager to please me.”

Bryce pats him on the shoulder. “Dude. Makeup sex is the best.”

“So I might as well enjoy it. Make her pay a little,” Jake says.

“Jake, you crack me up. You’re using the one person who uses everyone else, and you’re getting away with it. You might be a better salesman than I thought.”

Bryce cracks up laughing and our teacher shushes him.

As we’re walking toward the student center for lunch, Jake and Bryce tell me they have to go do something for football real quick, but that Dawson wants me to wait at the table for him. That they’ll be there shortly.

“Um, no thanks. I don’t have a death wish.”

“Just sit there, Monroe, and don’t let her give you any shit.”

I sigh big. “Fine.”

I’m actually kind of excited to see Whitney. I hope she looks me up and down and gives me a dirty look. It will mean that I look good. Today is the first day that I haven’t worn one of Kym’s looks. I’m wearing a look I put together myself. As you would expect, it started with a new pair of shoes: deep red suede Louboutin T-strap platforms with leopard heels. I paired them with the plaid skort, a cream-colored Dolce & Gabbana ruffled-front silk blouse, red silk headband, black cardigan, and a fun Juicy Couture charm bracelet.

As I’m confidently walking to the student center, I get a photo texted to me from Garrett.

I pull it up and see another photo of Vanessa with Bam. His arm is wrapped around her and she’s smiling coyly. She looks really happy. And I can’t help but hope that she is. I look a little closer and notice that she’s cropped them out of a group of people. I can see numerous body parts behind and around them.

Me:  Another photo. Why?

Garrett:  Look closely. At the arm on Vanessa’s right.

I enlarge the photo.

And feel like I’m going to throw up.

Not only is a scrolly Abby tattoo clear, but Vincent has a new one.

Up on his wrist.

A chaos tattoo just like mine.

Me: Holy shit! He got a tattoo just like mine??!!!

Garrett:  What? I just saw Abby. 

Me:  The Chinese symbol on his wrist is in almost the exact location as Brooklyn’s. It makes me feel sick. Do you think the security B has is sufficient or have they cut back too?

Garrett:  I think while he’s out of the country he is fine. I already suggested more undercover security for when he is back in the states. Promise me you won’t go see him.

Me:  I promise. I’m sorry, but that’s just fucked up.

Garrett:  My thoughts exactly.

Just like a good little mutt.

Lunch

I walk in a daze to the student center. Aiden stands in front of me. “Are you okay?” he asks me.

“Huh?” I say distractedly. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine. My friend is safe. It’s all good,” I try to say convincingly. “Hey, I heard you were the one who told Riley about what Whitney did. That was really nice.”

He gives me a dazzling smile. “Well, I promised to be nice to you. Will you meet me in my room tonight for tutoring?”

“I appreciate it, Aiden. And, uh, sure.”

I walk through the lunch line then sit down exactly where Whitney told me not to. I say hey to Peyton, hoping she can be my buffer.

Whitney leans in front of Peyton and says in a fake sad voice, “I will admit, I was a little jealous that you were catching Dawson’s attention, but now I just feel sorry for you. I’m actually glad that Jake left because now I’m free to go to homecoming with Dawson. He and I totally bonded in the limo. You should have heard us talking about all the fun we had at the last three. And we’ll be King and Queen this year, so it’s only natural.”

I see Peyton narrow her eyes. I’ve heard her talking in dance about how she hopes to be Queen this year. She sits up a little straighter and raises her chin slightly in the air. It’s a move I totally recognize. She’s about to stand up to Whitney.

“I don’t know,” she says. “He seems pretty crazy about Keatyn. And the way he calls her Keatie is so adorable.”

Whitney narrows her eyes slightly, but it doesn’t stop her. She snarls at me. “He’s just using you. Surely you’re a smart enough girl to realize that. He’s not going to fall in love with you.”

I don’t get to answer. She turns away from me and speaks directly to her friends. “He freaked out about the photos of them on Facebook. Do you really think he’s going to ask her to Homecoming and be stuck with those pictures for the rest of his life? Plus, his parents will be here, and they adore me. No way he’s going to introduce her to Fred and Sharon.

I sit up a little straighter. “I got to meet his parents. After he and Jake ditched you, we went to New York.”

“Oh and stayed with his mom and dad. That must have been so romantic,” she sneers.

“Actually, we only met them for lunch on Sunday. We stayed at my loft.”

“With your parents?” she laughs. “Even better. If he weren’t so well-mannered, he’d have run the other way. He’s asking me, so don’t get your hopes up. And why are you sitting at my table?”

“Just to be clear. We stayed at my loft. Alone. And you’re right. It was quite romantic. And I’m sitting here because he asked me to.”

“Just like a good little mutt would.”

I’m about to unleash my fury when the dean stands up in front of us and taps on a microphone. “I have a few announcements,” he says.

The table I’m sitting at is the first table in the center of the room. It looks out over a large empty area that is used as a sort of stage. The cheerleaders sometimes do little skits here on game days. The dance team has performed during lunch. The swing choir did their thing just last week. I glance back and notice that Riley and Dallas aren’t at their usual table either. They must have had to do the football thing too.

The dean makes a few announcements that we’re not really listening too, but then I hear him say, “Keatyn Monroe, it’s come to my attention that you’ve been seen canoodling around campus with Dawson Johnson.”

Canoodling? What does that even mean?

I turn around in my seat and face him. Wondering why the hell he would say such a thing in public. If I’m in trouble for kissing Dawson on campus, wouldn’t he call me into his office?

He continues. “I know you’re new, but we have very high standards here.”

I hear Whitney break out in laughter. “This is priceless.”

The dean continues. “You’re about to see just how high.”

Then the room fills with the sound of stripper music. The dean drops the microphone and starts dancing to the music.

He doesn’t dance well.

I wonder what the hell is going on. Is this some kind of new girl hazing?

Is someone going to jump out and tell me I’ve been punked?

I glance at Peyton. She shakes her head at me. She has no idea either.

The dean sticks his index finger in his mouth then touches it to his ass. Like it’s sizzling hot.

My jaw drops to the ground and I half scream and cover my mouth with my hand, laughing. The side door opens and a bunch of boys dance in. Jake, Riley, Bryce, Dallas, Tyrese, Ace, and some other football players.

They line up next to the dean and do a naughty striptease dance, pulling their school blazers off and tossing them to the ground.

The students behind me start clapping and screaming.

I shimmy my shoulders to the music.

“For God’s sake,” Whitney whispers loudly over the music, “stop shaking. You look ridiculous. If you’re going to sit at this table at least try to have a little decorum.”

I flip her the bird over my shoulder. Then I stand up, pump my fist in the air, and go, “Woooh!”

All the guys except for Jake strip off their oxfords, the dean included, and swing them above their heads like lassos.

Jake comes dancing up to our table and crooks his finger at me. I skip up to him as he pulls me into his hips and grinds against me.

“Unbutton my shirt,” he says.

I grin at him and quickly unbutton all of his buttons. I even drop it low in front of him and shake my ass a little. He pulls me up, puts my arms up in the air, and slides his hand down the sides of me. I run my finger down the front of his shirt totally getting into it.

He pushes me back a little and says, “Get ready.”

The music switches and the lyrics scream, Aaaaare yooooou readyyyyy? The crowd behind me yells back, “YES!” Then a fast techno beat blares through the speakers.

The dean jumps out from the line and rips his t-shirt straight down the middle. On his white pasty chest is a red painted H.

Jake follows suit. Ripping his shirt down the middle. On his chest is a red O.

Ho? Do they think I’m a ho because I’ve been canoodling or whatever with Dawson? What is this, the freaking Scarlet Letter? Is he trying to make an example out of me?

Riley jumps up in line and goes next. On his chest is the letter M. And on down the line, boys rip their shirts off, reveal their chests and a red letter. E. C. O. M. I. N. G.

I read them across. HOMECOMING?

Is this some sort of skit to get people excited for homecoming? Like, to sell tickets or something? But then, Dawson slides in at the end of the line.

He has a bouquet of the palest pink tea roses in his hand, just like the ones I admired at his house.

I hear Peyton next to me go, “Ahhh, that is so adorable.”

Dawson walks over, hands me the bouquet, then he very slowly and oh, so very sexily, rips his shirt off too. On his chest there is a ?

He tilts his head at me and gives me a smoldering grin. “What do you say, Keatie? Will you go to homecoming with me?”

All of a sudden I feel sort of choked up.

But then I scream out, “Yes,” jump into his arms, and give him the kind of kiss that is definitely against the school’s decency policy.

I hug all the homecoming letter boys and even the dean, who now seems surprisingly cool.

Dawson takes my hand and we sit down at the table.

Peyton is gushing about how crazy it was to ask that way.

Whitney says, “How’d you come up with something so tacky, Dawson? You always asked me in a classy, dignified way.”

He rolls his eyes at her. “You mean a boring way? Keatie is a lot different than you, Whitney. I love that she doesn’t give a shit what people think, so I knew she’d get a kick out of it.”

Ace says to me, “I loved how you started dancing with Jake.”

Dawson looks straight at Whitney. “Some girls know how to have fun.”

The tension suddenly feels thick. I figure I better change the subject.

“And the dean! Ohmigawd! I really thought I was in trouble at first. Then I thought it might be like some new girl hazing. But I didn’t think the dean would be involved in something bad. So I just went with it. And when he took his shirt off. I about died! Did you see how white his chest is?”

Everyone at the table starts laughing.

“Told you she’d love it,” Jake says, elbowing Dawson.

“I did love it.”

Everyone starts focusing on their lunch.

I run my hand up Dawson’s thigh under the table.

Whitney scowls at us. “Ohmigawd, we’re trying to eat here.”

Dawson kisses my check then whispers in my ear, “You better stop rubbing my leg, or I’m not gonna be able to stand up. I’m hard as a rock.”

“Mhmm. Too bad we have class,” I say, messing with his hair. His face is close to mine. Our cheeks touch as we whisper in each other’s ears.

“I keep thinking how sexy you looked naked all weekend. I'm having a hard time focusing in class.”

“Then maybe you should start focusing on what's gonna happen tonight.”

“What’s gonna happen tonight?”

“You know.”

“I wanna hear you tell me,” he growls.

“You’re naughty.”

“I’m horny.”

“As many times as we did it this weekend, you shouldn't be horny for weeks.” I run my hand across the back of his neck and down his back.

“Tell me, please.”

“I’d rather surprise you.”

“I love your kind of surprises.”

The end . . . well, for now.

Book three: Date Me.

Coming soon!

Author’s Note:

Reader reviews are so important in helping to get the word out about our books.

If you loved this book, please leave a review wherever you purchased it.

And to entice you further:

When I get to 50 Reviews, I’ll post the outfits Keatyn wears in this book on my website.

When I get to 150 Reviews, I’ll post a Sneak Peek for Date Me.

And no matter which team you are on: 

Team Aiden, Team Dawson, Team Dallas, Team Damian . . . 

If you are on boy overload after reading this book, there is help.

Join the Keatyn Chronicles Boy Discussion Group on Facebook.

Acknowledgements

It’s really hard to believe that I didn’t include acknowledgements in my very first book. Since then, the list of people who have been on this journey with me grows longer.

First to my readers: I wouldn’t still be on this journey if it weren’t for you. You message me, write amazing reviews, tweet me, and tell your friends about my books. I can’t thank you enough for that.

For the book bloggers who have been with me from the beginning. Judith Tanini and Ellen Spivey at I Love YA Fiction, Mollie Harper at Tough Critic Book Reviews, Heidi Bennett and Julie Bockover at The Readiacs, Jennifer Howell at Late Bloomer Online, Morgan Maulden at Eating, Reading, & Dreaming, Melissa Mosloski for being awesome, Leslie Fear and everyone at The Indie Book Shelf.

To my amazing beta readers: Jessica Miremadi, you deserve your own paragraph for being the bluntest, meanest, pickiest, and sweetest beta reader of all. You catch the tiniest details. I once told you I read a book that I really enjoyed overall, but there was one single sentence in it that made me hate the main character. You’ve made sure that I don’t have any sentences like that and more. Thank you so much. And for my other beta readers, thank you for being honest with me and helping me create a book worthy to share. Partners in crime: Melissa Stewart-Allum and Mireya Sauer. It’s hard to believe you are half a world apart!! Heidi Bennett, Jacqueline Hansen, Beth Suit, Jamie Lynn McBryan, Alexandra Louk, and my daughter, Kenzie. And I can’t forget my mom. Thanks for reading countless versions of all my books. I love you.

To all the people who were at the Chicago book signing this fall: I have to admit, I was a bit worried about this event. There were so many authors there that I admire and who sell so many books. Thanks to all the fans that came there and made me feel like I belonged. To Kelley Edler for encouraging me to go, for coming along, and for risking a kidney in the process. To Jessica Miremadi for being my right hand. To Beth Suit and her amazing husband, John, so glad you came! To mother f*@#!ing Jen Sterling for crazy late nights and a possible “three sum.” To Rebecca Donovan and Dina Silver, you are two of the sweetest people I have ever met. Melissa Brown, Sarah Hansen, and Colleen Hoover for doing so much to make it happen. And everyone else: Can’t. Wait. Until. The. Next. One!

To my support team: Rebecca Peters-Golden for her flawless editing. Sarah Hansen of Okay Creations for beautiful, fashion-magazine-like covers. Jessica Miremadi for your amazing Polyvore boards. My daughter, Kenzie, for the coolest playlists, website, and blog.

I also want to thank a few groups that have been so supportive. You know who you are, and I can’t thank you all enough for your advice, support, hot guy photos, and love of reading: Destiny Makers, Hot Damn Sexy Authors, Bookaholics Anonymous, Naughty Henry Girls, and Book Broads. A big thank you also goes out to my writers group here in Texas.

And, lastly, to my family. Sorry for all the dinners I didn’t cook. The laundry I didn’t do. The house I didn’t clean. Thanks for picking up the slack and allowing me to get this book written and published in a few short months.  I couldn’t do any of this without you. Nor would I want to. Your support means everything to me.

You know, being friends with two cute boys does have its benefits.

There's Danny. Danny is a golden boy in every way. He has dreamy blue eyes and blond hair that always looks perfect. He's the boy every girl crushes on. The boy I get into trouble with and fight with. The hot quarterback no girl can resist. Being with Danny is like being on an adventure. He has a bright, contagious smile and abs to die for. He's pretty much irresistible.

Equally crushworthy is Phillip. Adorable, sweet Phillip. He has dark hair, a perfect smile, brown eyes, and the sexiest voice. He's the boy I talk to every night before I go to sleep. The boy who rescues me and tries to keep me out of trouble. The boy who irritatingly keeps getting hotter, and whose strong arms always seem to find their way around me. And when he gives me that grin, I can never say no.

One boy will give me my very first kiss.

One boy will teach me to make out.

One boy will take me to prom.

And, finally, one boy will ask me to marry him.

They will both be my best friends.

But only one of them will be the boy I fall in love with.

Only one of them is That Boy.

Click here to read That Boy.

The gorgeous engagement ring on my finger mimics my happiness.

I feel so sparkly, glittery, and full of promise, because I absolutely know he's that boy.

The boy I want to marry. My prince. My happily ever after.

But then our pastor starts asking lots of questions.

His parents say I haven’t dealt with my past.

I have horrible wedding disaster dreams.

I can’t find the perfect dress.

I have to manipulate him to get my way.

An old boyfriend asks me to run away with him.

My best friend says I'm going to ruin everything.

And forever starts to sound like a really long time.

Which totally freaks me out and makes me question everything I know.

Should best friends get married? 

Will my past affect our relationship?

Are my horrible dreams a warning?

Will I ever find a dress?

Could his sexiness be clouding my judgment?

Am I going to ruin everything?

Or is it just a case of cold feet?

And then I have to decide. Am I willing to give up on true love forever, or am I going to listen to my heart and marry him?

Click here to read That Wedding.

About the Author:

       

Jillian Dodd grew up in Nebraska, where she developed a love for storytelling, Husker football, and Midwestern boys.

She is the author of the That Boy series and The Keatyn Chronicles.

She currently resides in Texas with her family.

 Follow Jill on her website and blog:

Glitter, Bliss, and Perfect Chaos.

Sign up for Jillian’s mailing list.

Photo by Natalie Knabe of Natalie K Photography.

Flower Mound, Texas

I’ve always written scripts for my perfect life.

But no way could I have ever scripted this.

My life is so far from perfect, it’s not even funny.

All because of a stalker.

I’m at a boarding school, where I have to lie about who I am.

I can’t see my family.

I’m tutoring a hottie god that tortures me with his smile.

The most popular girl already hates me.

But there’s this boy.

This hot, sweet, sexy boy.

So I’m going to stop trying to script my life and just live it.

Because who knows how long I have left.