The Sweetest Fling (A Stupid Cupid Book) (22 page)

A scuffle sounded outside the door.

Claire jerked her eyes open. “What was that?” she whispered.

Jace pulled his mouth away. “What was what?”

“I think someone’s coming.”

Jace slipped a hand up Claire’s thigh. “No one’s coming. Don’t say no.” His mouth pressed to hers. “Say yes,” he said against her lips.

Her eyes fluttered under the vibration of his voice. Damn. How could a handful of whispered words do this to her? Another scuffle and a tap sounded.

Claire’s eyes widened then shut as Jace’s hand grazed over her shirt tickling all the right places. “Relax. We’re safe as kittens. I promise. No one’s been up in this room in ages. And I need to taste you, so stop distracting me.”

Claire grinned at the soft scold and let her head thunk against the door. She shoved her hips to meet his, willing his hand to move closer. He hesitated, his eyes light with mischief. His thumb trailed up her inner thigh. One finger lifted the hem of her panties.

Click, click, clack. “Jace?” Helen Fletcher voice carried down the hall from the stairs.

“Sheesh,” Jace said, his hand going still. He looked down at Claire clearly debating whether or not to stop. Claire’s body clamored so close to the edge, a few small gyrations, a press of his hand and she would explode on the spot. But she kept still, her eyes on Jace, the intensity in his eyes leaving her a little more breathless.

The click-clacks drew closer. Helen called out again. The clicks stopped. Claire’s body seemed to get even wetter, even hotter, at the anticipation and risk of being caught. She didn’t want to stop.

Jace smiled wickedly, moving slowly--achingly slowly--in and out of her. Claire gasped, bit her lip again, and leaned into the sweet pleasure.

The clicking stopped. Silence wrapped around them, amplifying Claire’s panted breaths, the moist sound of her sex as Jace slipped a finger in and demanded her climax forth.

Claire gasped, bit into her hand to stop the moan rippling up her throat from coming out.
Yes, oh yes, ohhhh God...
Her body quaked, her knees buckled as climax swept through her limbs.

“Jace?” Helen Fletcher voice was distant and insistent.

Quickly, Jace withdrew his hand, leaving a satisfied throbbing behind. Claire dropped her skirts, panic rising, competing with the flush of vibration from her climax. What had she been thinking? What would Helen say?

“In here, Mom,” Jace answered and kissed Claire before opening the door.

Claire could have socked him in the shoulder, but fighting to smooth her features and calm her body before her future mother-in-law raised both brows higher than the Alps took over.

“There you two are.” Helen stepped into the shadowed room and smiled tightly at her son. “They’re about to cut the cake and toss the bouquet. You don’t want to miss that, now do you?”

Jace and Claire obediently chimed, “No,” and, “Of course not.”

“We’ll be down in a minute. I just wanted to show Claire my high school yearbook picture real quick. She bet me that I didn’t look like the school’s biggest nerd next to Tyler.”

Claire took her cue. “Oh, please. Everyone in high school does. But, I can’t believe that you ever had an ugly duckling stage.”

“Oh, Jace,” Helen chuckled. “Do you mean that braces picture? The one with that unfortunate haircut?” She turned to Claire. “Twins. One of them always wants to look different then gets mad when they aren’t the exact same. I swear.”

“Unfortunate? She buzzed half of it clean off.” Jace took hold of Claire’s hand, sending a tingle of warmth up her arm. The flight of butterflies in her belly quieted and for possibly the millionth time in their last year together, wonder whispered around her.

“It grew back in a week,” Helen teased, winking at Claire. “Right after we got photographic evidence.”

She’d been so thoroughly welcomed into the Fletcher fold that her own family’s coldness became bearable. Her parents were coming around, though. Slowly. Very, very slowly. Once the wedding cancellation storm blew over and the summer months allowed people to find other things to gossip about, Christmas this year had only been
a lot
awkward.

She didn’t imagine her mother would ever almost walk in on the two of them only to make a joke. Or be able to joke with Jace about anything, but maybe a dinner without excruciating silence and disappointed head shaking could be in their future.

All of it, the gossip, the embarrassment, the dress she had no place to wear to. All of it was worth this. She had Jace. Even Oliver seemed happier. That woman, Trina, and he were still dating. And Claire had long forgiven him for being...well...him.

“He really was a bit of a mess that year,” Helen was saying, and reached out and squeezed her arm affectionately. “But it was my fault. Tyler had his braces off first. And I wouldn’t let him get his braces off until the summer.” Laughter—and love—danced in her eyes. “I just wasn’t ready to see both my babies grow up, I suppose.”

“So you admit it then,” Jace teased, following his mother out the door. “You butchered my hair on purpose.”

Helen’s laughter echoed down the hall and carried with them down the stairs. “No, no. Not at all. I never claimed to be a hairdresser. But you insisted. Convenient how he forgets that part, Claire, but true enough anyway.” She let out a sigh as they reached the bottom stair. “One day you two will know. One day, you will have a baby. And then, mark my words, you will know.”

Claire couldn’t help herself. She hugged the older woman, unable to speak past the well of emotion lumping in her throat. But then, she didn’t need to.

Tyler’s voice trickled above the chatter of the reception guests. By the sound of things, he was lifting a toast to his bride. They hurried out the French doors and grabbed glasses of champagne from the nearest server.

“I just want to say thank you to my family. To my sister Ashley for having a baby on Anne’s last shift. To my parents for all their patience and support over the years. And to Jace, for helping me open my eyes so that I could actually see the most amazing woman on this earth then meet her.”

Claire raised her glass, clinked it with Jace’s and could only hope that all she felt, every last cent of the wealth of love she felt for him, showed in her eyes. Because words could not cover it. Not seven years ago when she fell head over heels in love with this man and not now.

Jace’s eyes shone, too. His hand shook hers, and he nodded at Claire. Yeah. Then. Now. He knew it, too. This kind of love was the very sweetest life had to ever offer.

**

“Just a little bit higher,” Millie called down.

AJ lifted his laced hands a little higher, grunting. “What is with this family and their backyard weddings?”

“I know, right?” She’d be the last to admit it, but she found it rather cute. The cinderblock wall she peered over gritted under her nails which made her scalp itch with irritation. But the view was worth it. “Okay.”

“So I can let go?”

“No!” He shifted her another inch up. Millie scanned the party for Ashley, who she missed most. From her bossypants ways to all her pregnancy quirks. She wasn’t pregnant anymore. She was chasing around a curly headed girl and looked to be loving every second of toddler mischief. “Just one more minute.”

She found the groom, Tyler, arm around his bride. She still thought she deserved credit for Tyler’s match. Her truth serum was what brought him out of the fog and into the light of his life—Ashley’s post partum nurse.

But with all the fuss matching Claire and Jace caused in Karma Court, why push it?

“I’m getting a hand cramp, Millicent,” AJ said, but there was too much tease in his voice to be taken seriously.

“I just need to see how Claire...” looked.

There on the small parquet dance floor, under the twinkle of strung lights—this time Chinese lanterns—danced Jace and Claire. Her breath caught a bit. A spot in her chest tugged. It was the night they’d met all over again. Only this time Millie got to see it with open eyes.

“Okay,” she said. “I’m ready.”

AJ lowered her to the ground. Millie wiped her cheeks before any of her make-up smudged. She had an engagement party to get to and mascara cheeks wouldn’t do.

“How do they look?” AJ asked, nodding his head toward the car.

She bumped her shoulder to his as they walked. “Stinking happy.”

He reached down and for a heartbeat, Millie thought he would take her hand in his. He didn’t. He grazed her hand then took her by the wrist, holding it up high. The two bracelets jangled up her arm as he shook it. “Five down,” he said, his gaze holding to hers.

Yep.

Two to go.

~~~

Acknowledgments

This book would not be possible without the faithful help and encouragement from my writer family. In particular, Carolyn McCray, Ann Charles, Kelli McCracken and Elena Gray. My deep gratitude and thanks go to each. Also, thanks to my Indie Book Collective family who have helped my books meet such amazing success.

I have the best fans in the world. To the HOT Club, thank you
so
much from the bottom of my heart. You are helping my dreams come true. Plus, you all are SO much fun!

Last but not least, thanks to my husband who has unwavering faith in me and to my children who have learned to share me with the voices in my head.

~~~

Sneak Peek

Fierce Dawn

By Amber Scott

Prologue

Sadie Graves did not have time for this. But the fear shimmering in her sister Heather’s eyes sent guilt pinging through her. “What did she say?” Sadie asked, setting her backpack on her bed before flopping down next to it.

“It was bad this time, Sadie,” Heather repeated. “Real bad. It isn’t just end-of-the-world stuff anymore. She’s chanting about her daughters, about angels and vampires.”

Sadie rolled her eyes despite the dread clutching her belly. “I know she’s getting worse, Heather. But I don’t know what to do. You want me to get her committed or something? She’s our mother. I can’t live with that.”

“What about Aunt Molly?” Heather tugged at her ponytail, worrying the tips of her long hair.

Sadie hated that she didn’t have a better answer. One of them at least deserved a childhood. A sixteen and fifteen year old girl should be worried about boys and driving lessons not self-mutilation and social services. “Aunt Molly knows. I told her. She has her hands full already with Jen.” Jen, who was waiting for Sadie as they spoke. “Just make sure she doesn’t get a hold of scissors again. I promise I’ll be back before she wakes up.”

Slinging her backpack over one shoulder, Sadie stood to leave out the window, recognizing the revving engine outside as her cousin’s signal to hurry the hell up. Heather stood as well, her pajama hand me downs too big on her young, slim form. She dug under her pillow and shoved a book into Sadie’s hands.

“What’s this?”

“What do you think? It’s Mom’s. She tried burying it in the backyard. I dug it up.”

“Heather, she does this. She always has. I know it sucks, but you have to realize it’s nothing but words scribbled on paper.”

“Just read it, okay? Read it and tell me it isn’t different this time.”

Sadie glanced at the window, but seeing the urgency in Heather’s stance, dropped to her bed once again. Jen and the club would have to wait. Wouldn’t be the first time little sis did whatever she could to stop a good sneak out.

She paged through the journal, pausing at certain passages.

“…
three realms. He will come for my girls. Wings to steal them and use them…”

Alright, so the tone of her mother’s written mania had evolved a little.

“…
more than blood that’s a drug. Sorrows and sorrows….Feeding off souls and leaving shells behind….All the stories come true….three becoming two….hide the Book…hide the book….the Book….”

“She thinks she’s a prophet,” Heather said in a near whisper.

“And we know she’s not.” The heartache pinched her chest and burned her throat. “I don’t know what you want from me, Heather. I can’t do this. I’m sorry, okay? But in a couple of years we can get jobs and keep her safe and have some kind of life that is normal. Until then, we have to stick it out.” Or go insane as well. “Okay?”

Heather’s sense of betrayal showed in her intense gaze and crossed arms. Sadie knew the look, the same one from every time Sadie had played with someone else as a child or didn’t want to share a toy. Only this was worse. This, she honestly deserved. But Sadie couldn’t stay. If she stayed, she’d go nuts worrying about what to do. And how would that help?

It wouldn’t, she told herself again and again as she eased out the window and sprinted through the shadows to Jen’s car. It wouldn’t help.

Nothing would.

~~~

Chapter One

A shiver of wariness raced under Elijah Stokes’ skin. The compass’s needle spun erratically, finding no energetic trace of Lyric’s positioning. “Why would Lyric be cloaking?” he asked Holly, who sat to his right pretending to read. “Moreover, who would be helping him cloak?”

Holly put down the horror novel. Elijah ran his thumb over the gold-framed face before snapping the contraption shut. It fell with a thud against his chest, its chain jangling in the quiet of the library. He sensed danger coming, but couldn’t be sure his senses were on target.

“Trust me, if Lyric needs help, cloaking or otherwise, he’ll still know how to get it. Going rogue probably improved his skills.” Holly’s eyebrows furrowed. “And as for why, maybe he doubts how welcome he’ll be?”