by Iris Morland
Jubilee ducked into the kitchen and only found Trent and Lizzie kissing, which made her roll her eyes as she hurried out. She wandered outside, rubbing her arms from the chill. She should’ve brought a jacket, but it would’ve ruined her costume.
Her dress swished as she moved, and her heels almost got stuck in the mud from the latest rainstorm. Leaves crunched under her heels, the perennial sound of autumn.
Harrison’s house wasn’t as large as her parents’, but it certainly wasn’t a tiny bungalow, either. He had a swimming pool in the back, along with a small garden next to the pool that allowed a measure of privacy.
Jubilee had always wondered if Harrison hadn’t installed the garden on purpose for his own rendezvous.
She was about to give up when she heard someone mutter something. Coming around a bend, she found Heath sitting on a bench, his legs outstretched, his arms crossed. He started a little when she approached.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” she said, breathless. The moon had edged him in white light, and it was rather absurd, but it made him seem mysterious. Like a prince from a fairy tale.
Don’t be an idiot, she admonished herself.
“Jubilee, what are you doing out here? You’ll freeze.” Standing, he shrugged out of his sport coat and draped it over her shoulders.
She noticed that he didn’t linger in touching her. In fact, he seemed to toss the coat onto her instead.
Pulling the coat closer, she inhaled his scent from the fabric. The residual warmth enveloped her, making it seem like he was embracing her.
“Thank you,” she murmured. “What are you doing out here? Howling at the moon?”
His lips quirked. “Not exactly, just have a lot on my mind.”
“Like what?”
He blinked in surprise before looking away. “Nothing that should matter to you. It’s cold out here—let’s go inside.”
“No.” At his confusion, she added, blushing, “No, I mean, we can stay out here. I’m not cold now. Are you cold?”
It took him a long moment to reply. “No, I’m not cold.”
Ask him out. Ask him out. Ask him out. The words were on the tip of her tongue, waiting to jump into the deep end. She felt her toes curling over the edge of the diving board.
“Heathwillyougooutwithme,” she blurted.
“What?”
She took a deep breath. She thanked the darkness for hiding her bright red cheeks. “Heath, will you out with me?”
His stillness sent her hope spiraling down, down, down. He cleared his throat, pushed his fingers through his hair—hair that was the same color as the russet leaves of fall. “Jubilee, I’m flattered—”
She held up a hand. Suddenly, she wasn’t nervous: she was irritated. God, when would people treat her like an adult?
“But I’m Harrison’s sister. I’m too young. You already have somebody else. I get it.”
“No—yes. Kind of.” He sighed. “It’s complicated.”
She didn’t know what caused her to do what she did next. Maybe it was insanity, or sheer bravado. Maybe she was just tired of being pathetic and lonely.
Or maybe she wanted to show Heath that he was making a mistake.
Slipping out of his coat, she moved toward him, until only an inch or two stood between them. She heard him catch his breath, and she exulted in that quiet sound. It meant he wasn’t as uninterested in her as he’d like her to think.
Jubilee didn’t say another word; talking seemed pointless. Her heels gave her extra height so that she wasn’t much shorter than Heath now. And before she could think about what she was doing, or the consequences, or that all of her brothers were only yards away, she tangled her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck and kissed him.
He froze when her mouth touched his. Then, a split second later, he hauled her against him and ravished—positively ravished—her mouth until she couldn’t catch her breath.
And then, as soon as it had started, it ended.
He was panting, and so was she. Her body sizzled.
“You need to go,” he said, his tone harsh.
He wanted her—she knew it. She bit back a smile.
“This is never going to happen.” He picked up his coat and flung it over his shoulder. “Don’t do that ever again.”
Jubilee’s initial bravery wilted in the face of his disdain. Perilously near tears, she replied, “Then you shouldn’t have enjoyed that kiss as much as you did.”
His face was stark in the moonlight. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have.” His tone gentler now, he said, “Go back to the house.”
“Fine.” She sounded childish, and it frustrated her even more. Turning, her ankle turned on the soft ground, and Heath caught her before she fell.
“I’m fine.” She blushed, humiliated. Wrenching her arm away, she stalked away, her dignity in tatters.
She went to the bathroom again and sat on the toilet seat. Forcing the tears back, she pulled herself together. Anger stirred in her belly, and she was rather tempted to smash a vase sitting on a shelf overhead.
“He’s a coward,” she told her reflection. Reflection Jubilee was flushed, her lipstick smeared, and her hair a mess. She looked like hell.
After she put herself to rights, she pointed at herself one last time. “Don’t get mad,” she commanded. “Get even.”
The End
Thank you for reading Someone to Watch Over Me! I hope you loved Rose and Seth’s story.
And don’t miss Jubilee and Heath’s story in Till There Was You.
Sheltered her entire life, Jubilee Thornton yearns to spread her wings and fly after a childhood marked by illness. Her first goal? To attract the attention of the handsome schoolteacher she’s had a crush on for years, Heath DiMarco.
One fateful night, Jubilee throws caution to the wind and kisses Heath—until he pushes her away and tells her they can never be together.
But fate has other plans…
One-click Till There Was You now!
Not ready for Someone to Watch Over Me to end? Sign up for an exclusive bonus chapter!
Find out what happens when Rose has a surprise for Seth after the Halloween party…
Be sure to sign up for my newsletter for so you always know when I have a new release.
And you can join me in my Facebook group Iris Morland’s Mermaids for exclusive reveals and giveaways.
Do you love free romances? Be sure to sign up for the Sugar and Spice Book Club, where you receive a free book every month! Discover new authors, new books, and enter to win awesome giveaways.
And turn the page for an excerpt from Till There Was You…
Enjoy this exclusive excerpt
From Till There Was You
After eating dinner and changing her clothes, Jubilee almost lost her nerve. What if Heath wasn’t home? What if he was home, but he told her to go away? How humiliating. Her stomach churned as she imagined all sorts of scenarios.
“Did I make myself a promise?” she said to herself as she began to put on her shoes. “I’m not going to let Heath beat me.”
She wasn’t going to be that shy wallflower anymore. The girl everyone overlooked. The girl everyone assumed was too delicate, too naive, to take seriously. She wasn’t going to be that girl any longer.
She only knew where Heath lived because she’d stopped by with Rose one evening a few months ago. She just hoped he was home at all tonight.
When she saw Heath’s car in his driveway and a light on inside the first-floor apartment, her heart started to pound. She almost lost her nerve right then. Taking a deep breath, she told herself to remain calm, cool, collected. She’d seen how Heath looked at her. She only had to use that desire to her advantage.
The moment Heath opened his door, Jubilee suddenly found all the words she’d imagined saying disappearing. His eyes widened in surprise, and he seemed just as speechless as she was.
“Jubilee? What is it? Has something happened?” he asked worriedly.
> A nervous giggle burst from her. She clapped a hand over her mouth. “Why do you always think something terrible has happened?”
“Because you’re at my house without telling me you were coming?”
“Good point.” She shivered, her breath puffing white in the cold air.
“Jesus, it’s freezing. Come inside at least.”
Jubilee followed him into the living room, the apartment cozy and warm. A bottle of beer sat on the coffee table, jazz music on in the background. She hesitated, not sure if she should sit down. Clutching her purse, she couldn’t help but notice that Heath wore a dark green sweater that made his eyes seem brighter. A five-o’clock shadow darkened his jaw, and his hair was long enough to curl against the neckline of his sweater.
Heath was lean, but rangy. He wasn’t as big as Jubilee’s brothers, who were all too tall for their own overly inflated egos.
“So are you sure everything’s okay?” Heath asked her. He looked tired, dark circles smudging the skin under his eyes.
Jubilee chewed on the inside of her cheek. Just say it. Don’t be a scaredy-cat!
“I wanted to start our lessons tonight,” she finally blurted.
Silence filled the room, except for the dulcet tones of a cello playing from the stereo. Heath didn’t react, except Jubilee could make out how tense his shoulders suddenly were. How, if she squinted, she could see his jaw tightening.
“I shouldn’t have agreed to anything like that. It was a mistake,” he said, not looking at her.
Her heart fell, but despite wanting to run back home like a terrified bunny rabbit, she forced herself not to back down.
“Why not?” She moved closer to him, looking up at him from underneath her eyelashes. Megan had told her about that trick, and based on Heath’s jaw tightening further, it worked. “We’re both adults. We can do what we want.”
“It’s not that simple. And anyway, I’m not some playboy. I’m a fifth-grade teacher, for God’s sake.”
“You’re saying I should go ask someone else?”
His fists clenched, but he finally shrugged. “If you’d like.”
“All right. Well, I’ll call Ash. He gave me his number, before you so rudely interrupted us. I’m sure he’d be more than happy to take me up on my offer.” Taking out her phone, she dialed his number. They both heard it ringing—once, twice—then Ash’s voice: “Hello?”
Heath took the phone from her hand and ended the call. “Not him, Anyone but him.”
Jubilee rolled her eyes, taking her phone back. “Now you’re being an idiot. What do you want, Heath? That’s the real question here.”
“I know that if you get involved with Ash Younger, you’ll regret it.”
“Then fulfill your end of the bargain. You can vet the guys, but you have to give me lessons. Simple.”
“It’s not—” He blew out a breath before laughing softly. “How did I ever think you were sweeter than your brothers? You’re worse than them.”
She smiled at the somewhat backhanded compliment. “If you think they’re stubborn, you have no idea.”
Groaning, Heath collapsed onto the couch before patting the cushion next to him. “Sit down, then. I’m not doing this standing up. I’ll get a crick in my neck.”
“I’m not that short!” Jubilee sat down beside him, keeping a few inches between them despite what they were about to do. Her palms became sweaty, her breathing coming faster and faster.
“Don’t be nervous. Here, take a deep breath for me. In, and then out.” Heath’s gaze searched hers. “We don’t have to do anything, you know.”
“It’s not about having to do it; it’s about wanting to do it. That doesn’t mean I can’t still be nervous.”
His lips twitched. “Fair enough.”
Jubilee suddenly became overly aware of her own body. Where did she put her hands? On her lap? She crossed her arms, but that seemed even more awkward. She finally put her hands down by her sides and tried not to fidget like a kid bored in school.
“Where should we start?” Heath asked.
“I want to know how to attract men. How to flirt. What do you find attractive in a woman?”
“You didn’t seem like you needed help the other night.”
“And yet I ended up going home alone.” She pursed her lips. “So, answer the question.”
“Okay, well…” He considered. “I guess any guy will say they like women who are confident. Who can take charge, who know who they are.”
“And have big breasts?”
Heath coughed a laugh. “A nice rack is great, but not a requirement. And anyway, I prefer to call myself a breast connoisseur.”
Jubilee felt her cheeks heating up. Rifling around in her purse, she pulled out a notepad and started taking notes.
“Are you really writing this down?” Heath asked, incredulous.
“Yes, because I’ll forget everything. Now, keep going. I want to know everything.” She pointed her pen at him. “Don’t hold back. I’m not some delicate flower.”
“Beauty is one thing in a woman, but it’s that extra something that attracts me. Any man,” he added hastily. “A woman who has her life together, who can have a conversation.”
Jubilee clucked her tongue. “That’s boring. Are you really telling me some eighty-year-old crone with a mustache and bad breath would be attractive to you if she were witty and had a decent retirement fund?”
Heath laughed, and the sound filled Jubilee with delight. “Okay, fine, I’m not sure I could do bad breath. The mustache could maybe be overlooked.”
“You’re such a liar. Go on. How should a woman flirt with you? Make you want her?” Jubilee realized she sounded breathless as she asked the question, and she stared down at her notepad so Heath wouldn’t see her expression.
“I like when a woman teases. I also like when she touches me—nothing overt, but in small ways. And cleavage helps, too, although I prefer nice legs and long hair.”
Jubilee wanted to ask if he hated short hair—considering she’d just cut hers into a bob—but she bit her lip. “And what should she talk about?”
“Anything but her exes.” He smiled wryly. “That goes for the guy, too. Run away from guys who can’t stop talking about their exes.”
“Is that it? Just be pretty and touchy-feely, and you get a guy?” Jubilee was skeptical.
“Pretty much. Men are easy.” He leaned toward her slightly, making her catch her breath. “I’ll tell you a secret, though.”
She licked her lips. “What?”
“I love a woman’s neck. The pale curve of it. I love to kiss a woman right…here…” He pushed her hair to the side to expose the soft skin right below her ear. He blew a stream of air right there, making her shiver, but he didn’t kiss her. When he moved away, disappointment filled her.
Do you really want to attract men? Or do you just want to attract Heath?
One-click Till There Was You now!
Also by Iris Morland
Love Everlasting
including
The Youngers
Then Came You
Taking a Chance on Love
All I Want Is You
My One and Only
(January 2019)
The Thorntons
The Nearness of You
The Very Thought of You
If I Can’t Have You
Dream a Little Dream of Me
Someone to Watch Over Me
Till There Was You
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Heron’s Landing
Seduce Me Sweetly
Tempt Me Tenderly
Desire Me Dearly
Adore Me Ardently
About the Author
A coffee addict and cat lover, Iris Morland writes sexy and funny contemporary romances. If she's not reading or writing, she enjoys binging on Netflix shows and cooking something delicious.
Stay in touch!
* * *
irismorland.com
> Iris Morland’s Mermaids
Newsletter