Read The Sweetest Fling (A Stupid Cupid Book) Online
Authors: Amber Scott
“Promise.” She glanced down an aisle, scanning the north end set of tables. Movement caught her eye. A shot of black. Tingles blossomed through her chest and belly.
He was here.
God, if she could tell Ben about the dreams. But she couldn’t. He’d devour every detail, particularly the secret message part. Who wouldn’t? But then he’d give her ‘the look’. That wary stare reserved for the certifiable that Sadie never wanted to witness again. Once in anyone’s life is too much.
“Yes, yes. He’s here,” Ben sang. He picked up his stride, took her forearm and pulled her into the closet sized office. “But I don’t think he’ll be coming back.”
“What? Why?”
“Huh-uh. First, m’lady, I bear a gift.” With a grand flourish, he bowed. Ah, Ben and his whimsy. “Three guesses,” he said.
She didn’t want to play this game. But Ben could be a pit bull with his gossip. “Okay, okay. You talked to him and he fell madly in love with you?”
“I like it, but alas, no.”
She hated this. “You followed him to his hotel and found his plane ticket and he’s leaving today.”
“Better.”
“He was on America’s Most Wanted.”
He crossed his arms, jutted his hip. “Bite your tongue, girl,” he mouthed. “Our boy may be bad, but not criminal!”
Sadie managed to laugh, pulling her favorite, limp-free cart out. “You met Cher and she’s leaving her wigs to you?”
“I wish.” Ben rolled his eyes but grinned.
“I give up. I have absolutely no idea.”
Ben leaned in. “Okay. But I’m warning you. Do not try to kiss me. Promise?”
Sadie nodded, adrenaline sparking in her veins.
“Are you ready?” His eyes glinted, his fingers twittering in the air. “I have his name.” He covered his loud gasp.
“His name? What is it?” Her heart hiccupped into triple time. Her cheeks flushed hot. She would die if anyone else witnessed how much this affected her. Ben binged on her reaction, prolonging the moment.
Before she went to strangle the name from Ben’s writhing body, he spoke. “Elijah. Stokes.”
Elijah? His sculpted features, his mahogany eyes, the shadow of stubble along his angular jaw. The quiet, serpentine way he moved.
She blinked hard, suppressing the urge to clap and squeal in delight. “Elijah Stokes?” Her tone sounded impressively even considering the riot in her belly.
A name shouldn’t mean so much. Yet it did.
Sadie sagged into a chair, struggling to compose herself. She bit her inner cheek. “Elijah, huh?” she said, forcing herself to sound casual.
Those mahogany eyes staring into the ether, his mind snared by some observation within the books he scoured week in and out, strong hands toying with whatever hung from the long gold chain around his neck.
Ben pressed his lips together, nodding, triumphant. “You’re welcome.”
“Elijah Stokes,” Ben affirmed, framing an air name plaque. “It suits him, don’t you think?”
“Definitely.” Now, for the more important question. “Why did you say he won’t be back?”
“Yeah, so, he came in yesterday and I made it my mission. I mean how long can you go on thinking of someone as ‘Angel Eyes’ or ‘Tasty Treat’, right?”
Maybe she’d strangle Ben after all. But she knew rushing him would shut him up. Plus, the name Angel Eyes gave her pause. No wonder she’d given him wings. “He was here yesterday?” Sadie lined her cart, her palms sweating. Maybe Cynthia would add Thursdays to her schedule. If she could get the microfiche machine down.
“Yep. Jealous much?” Ben started on a cart, too. “So, yesterday, I figured if I lingered around him long enough, his girl would say his name.”
His girl? Probably the honey-skinned one with runway legs. Sadie swallowed against the lump in her throat. “Oh?”
“Oh and she was wearing the most divine nude lace-up corset and these velvet jockey pants. Divine. I had to get a closer look. And I figured, if she didn’t say his name, I could go up and ask him, you know, compliment her, segue into an introduction. But I didn’t have to.”
Conversation? Yeah, right. Cajones, Ben did not sport. “So she said his name?” Lovingly? Passionately? Was it too much to hope she wasn’t his girlfriend?
“No. He got a phone call and answered ‘Elijah Stokes’.” Ben paged through a book before sticking it in his cart. “And then she said something about coming back one last time tomorrow, which means today. Come back for what, I couldn’t tell you, but I’ll be trying to find out, if you know what I mean.”
Last night’s hot kisses came into sharp mental focus. Her first cart alphabetized, Sadie hurried to finish the next. Keeping her hands busy tempered her rapid heartbeat.
“So, you’ll never guess who the history department….”
She tuned Ben out.
She couldn’t lose control over her reactions. She couldn’t let him see how much the idea of never seeing Elijah again panicked her. She couldn’t reveal all those dreams. And because she wanted to keep her only sort of friend, she couldn’t pad his already extensive Sadie files.
The books smelled fusty and good, the plastic covers crinkled against her fingertips. Sadie focused on the smells and the lull of Ben’s voice.
“I’ll start with this up on main,” Ben said, leaving her two more carts to categorize.
Sadie nodded and smiled tightly up at him as he strolled to the elevators. Sadie’s rush returned. The seconds crawled by as she waited for the elevator’s ding, the cart’s clank over the threshold, the groan of moving metal. Forever ended and she pushed the pent up energy from her tight lungs in a loud whoosh.
Alone at last. Well, alone with him—Elijah—at last. Save for the other patrons here and there, or, possibly, his “girl”. A pang shot through her. Was she his girlfriend? Not like Sadie could just go up and flirt with him yet, anyhow. What would she say? “You won’t believe this but I keep having erotic dreams about you. And you can’t keep your hands off me.”
Yeah, right.
Five minutes of composure-gathering later, Sadie wheeled her cart in his direction, determined to do what Ben couldn’t. To do what she previously couldn’t. To take a chance.
Would he notice her first? Maybe he’d look up as she passed and smile. What would she do? Smile back? Wave? What excuse would get her talking to him?
Nothing big. Chit chat. Or a question.
He wouldn’t be back either. Ever. The idea kicked panic into her stomach and determination into her heart.
She’d be med-free within days. Back to the strong woman she was before one minor, totally overblown freak out two years ago. Soon, she’d walk without tripping, speak without stumbling, high kick without falling over.
She’d be Sadie again. Kickass and confident.
She’d have a real shot at Elijah. At life.
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Fierce Dawn
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Copyright
Copyright 2012 by Amber Scott
Cover Art by Camelia Nedelcu
Edited by Carrie Smoot
Tholden Press
The Sweetest Fling
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the author and publisher, except for brief quotations used in critical articles or reviews.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
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About the Author
Dear Reader,
Thank you for coming away with me in this Cupid adventure. Since I was a little girl, it has been my heart’s dream to write and share timeless love stories, characters who surmount impossible obstacles. Millie’s antics will continue soon in Book Three and begin with Play Fling. For an extra dose of this mishap matchmaker, don’t miss 8 Hearts Beat As One, where Millie attempts to shave off a few sentence years a la speed dating.
I love to hear from readers and can be contacted at [email protected] or I can be found online on Twitter @amberscottbooks or Facebook. Visit my website, http://AmberScottBooks.com , for news, extras, freebies, contests and all my imaginary worlds.
Life is short. Laugh, and love, hard!
Sincerely,
Amber
Connect with Amber Online:
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BIO:
In between naptimes and dishes, Amber Scott escapes into the fates, loves and complications of her characters lives. A native Nevadan, she now makes her home in Arizona with her husband, two children and someday, many, many cats. She often burns dinner, is addicted to chocolate and still believes in happily ever after.
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