by Alexa Riley
Hallowen Bites
Alexa Riley
Contents
Halloween Bites
Halloween Treats
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Epilogue
Buy Me 2
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Epilogue
Riding Red
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Epilogue
Taking What’s Wicked
WARNING!
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue
Read Me Romance
Stalk the Author
Copyright © 2020 by Author Alexa Riley LLC. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email to [email protected]
http://alexariley.com/
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Edited by Aquila Editing
Halloween Bites
Halloween Treats
by Alexa Riley
Raven Treat is an elementary school teacher with a secret crush on the uncle of a student. She's been lusting from afar, but little does she know he's been taking steps to make her his.
Jack Bates has been obsessed with Raven since the second he saw her. The Halloween school dance is his opening to make her his and make sure she never gets away.
Warning: Their story is fast, hot, and sugary sweet! Grab some candy corn and throw it in the trash... Then get some chocolate and snuggle up with this adorable read!
Chapter One
Raven
“Miss Treat?”
I look up from the stack of papers I’m grading to see Scott Grayson standing in front of my desk. His sandy blond hair is a mess, and a smudge of dirt is on his cheek. He clearly had a good time during the extra recess the class has earned today. His bright blue eyes sparkle with mischief, and I know what’s coming.
“Everything okay, Scott?” I glance over at the clock and see I still have a few minutes until the class has to come back to collect their things at the end of the day.
“My uncle Jack was asking about you again.”
My cheeks warm as a smile spreads across Scott’s face. I have to give it to the guy, he’s relentless. Maybe a little bit of a romantic at heart. I didn’t know third graders played matchmaker, but apparently this one does. Whenever Scott has a moment to talk to me, it’s always about his uncle Jack and just how wonderful he is.
I have to stop myself from asking how his uncle is, because I’m sure he’ll run and tell him anything I might say. Then again, who knows what he’s telling him. For all I know, he didn’t ask about me at all and Scott is making this up all on his own. I’m not sure I want to know what he’s telling his uncle about me.
“Did you have fun during the extra recess?” I try to change the subject because I don’t want to think about how my heart does a little flutter every time Scott brings up his uncle. Or how I feel a little weak in the knees when he sometimes shows up to pick him up from school. It makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. In all kinds of places. It’s how I always feel when his eyes are on me.
I don’t understand why he watches me, though. Jack is one of the hottest men I’ve ever seen in my life. He’s been the topic of conversation at more than one staff lunch here at Hartwood Elementary. I know more about him than I probably should at this point as all the female teachers here can’t seem to stop talking about him. Even a few male teachers, too.
I know that at the age of thirty, he’s a well-respected architect in the city. He was recently named one of the most eligible bachelors in Seattle, has his own charity that helps under-privileged kids go to college, and is more active in his nephew’s life than half the dads around here. All that perfection and it’s not even counting how handsome he is. So he’s definitely not looking at me.
I’m the new third grade teacher who’s a little overweight with no plans to change it. I’m not giving up sweets for anything, not even to get into a smaller size. I wear thick-framed glasses because my eyesight is terrible, and I’ve got uncontrollable curly hair that always gets in the way.
I’m so shy and inexperienced when it comes to men, I can barely say hi to him when he tries to talk to me. Maybe he’s looking at me and wondering why the school would hire a teacher who is so shy she can barely speak. Maybe that’s why he was asking about me. He’s probably worried Scott isn’t getting the schooling he should be. And for what some of the parents pay to send their children here, I can’t even be upset about that.
Scott does the cutest half eye-roll at my change of subject. “He asked if you were going to be at the Halloween party.”
“Of course I’ll be there. I wouldn’t want to miss seeing what you’re dressing up as.” I smile back at him, not taking the bait. This kid is good.
We both turn and look as students start to pile into the room.
“Everyone get your stuff. Don’t forget your agendas. Your spelling test is tomorrow,” I tell them over the noise as they move about the room, doing as I say.
“I’ll tell him you’ll be there,” Scott says excitedly. He seems happier about this than the actual Halloween party. “He’s right, too, Miss Treat. You do have pretty eyes.”
With that, Scott turns and runs towards his cubby to get his backpack. My face warms once again.
The bell rings a moment later, and the kids file out of the room, leaving me thinking about Scott’s innocent words. And also thinking about what I’ll wear to the Halloween party. I haven’t given it much thought. My mind has been on making the chocolate candies I’ll be bringing.
“We still on?” Apple says, breaking me from my thoughts as she enters my classroom. Her brown hair is pulled into a tight braid. Apple is just as eccentric as her name. I can never guess what she’ll wear from one day from the next. It all fits her, seeing as she’s the art teacher.
She is the only friend I’ve made since I moved here. The other teachers are nice, but Apple made it clear she wanted us to be friends as well as colleagues, and tonight is the first night are going to hang out outside of school. I’ve been looking forward to it. Her husband is out of town this week and she doesn’t want to go straight home to an empty house. I have a feeling an empty house is something that would drive Apple crazy. Apple likes to talk. A lot.
I’ve been in Seattle for over two months, and haven’t made any other friends at all. She’ll actually be the first person I’ve ever had over to my condo. I’ve never
had a place of my own and it’s exciting to have a space to call mine. Well, for the time being, that is.
When I first got to Seattle after I learned I actually got the job at Hartwood Elementary, I had to stay in a hotel until I could find a place. It wasn’t that bad, since I graduated college in the spring and left the dorm rooms at Berkeley to come straight here. I didn’t know where I’d finally land a job and didn’t want to put down roots until I knew.
It was hard, and most of the places were way out of my price range on a teacher's salary. I am lucky to have gone to college on a scholarship that had given me room and board. It left me without a giant pile of student debt, but my budget is still somewhat tight. Then I lucked out and found a place to lease in a fancy building that’s within walking distance of the school.
The only catch is I can only stay there until they find a buyer for the place, and I have to be ready to move at a moment’s notice. And I can’t be there if they need to show the place to a potential buyer. In the four weeks since I’ve lived there, it hasn’t happened once. That’s been a relief, because I haven’t had time to look for another place. I’ve been too wrapped up in my first teaching job.
“Yep.” I stand up, grabbing my cardigan off the back of my chair before sliding it on and smoothing out its wrinkles. “Just need to grab my bag.” I get it from the cabinet and bundle in all the papers I have left to grade.
“Miss Treat.” My head flies up at the sound of his voice. Jack’s voice. It’s deep and husky and not a voice that I would ever forget. It slides across my skin, making goose bumps rise. “Scott forgot his agenda.” A smile pulls at his full lips as his gray eyes roam over me, and his smile grows when they stop at the top of my head, reminding me I’m still wearing a pair of Halloween bunny ears. I quickly reach up and grab them off of the top of my head and try to smooth my unruly hair. My eyes go to Scott, who has a matching smile on his face.
I know he forgot it on purpose. “Go grab it,” I tell Scott, keeping my eyes locked on him, determined not to meet Jack’s. My knees are doing the weak thing again. My hand squeezes the poor bunny ears.
Scott runs towards his cubby, and Jack moves towards me, filling up my line of sight and giving me no option but to look at him.
“You’ll be at the Halloween party tomorrow?” he asks as his hand comes up to move one of my curls away, tucking it behind my ear.
My breath catches. He’s never touched me before. Heck, I don’t think he’s even been this close to me before. I open and close my mouth, and my face turns red. He leans in a little, moving his mouth to my ear.
“Breathe, Raven.” His warm breath hits the shell of my ear, and I do as he commands. “Now answer me, sweetheart.”
“Of course. Most of the teachers will,” I finally say, shocked I don’t stumble over my words.
He leans back, and I look anywhere but at his face. He’s so tall, I don’t have to try very hard. I barely come up to the middle of his chest.
“I’m only asking about you.”
My eyes snap to his. Gone is the playfulness, and something else lurks beneath his gaze. Something I can’t read.
“Yes.” This time I speak easily, but maybe that’s because it’s only a one-word answer.
“Good, we’ll have dinner after.”
“I—”
“Let’s go, Scott,” he says, cutting off my response. He turns and leaves without giving me a chance to tell him no.
“Oh. My. God,” Apple says. I’d completely forgotten she was in the room. “Since that man has been picking up his nephew, not once has he ever asked someone out. Or taken anyone up on an offer to go out.”
“Never?” I ask, suddenly interested in his dating life.
“Never. Not even when Becky asked.” Apple gestures to her boobs knowingly. As if I don’t know who Becky the kindergarten teacher is. She does have giant boobs that should be covered better during school hours, or maybe they simply look giant because her waist is so small in comparison. “I think he even told her she was being inappropriate.”
Maybe it was inappropriate. Not that I’m considering going. I should definitely not. I’m his nephew’s teacher, and I’m shocked he wants to go on a date with me. Things could get messy if it doesn’t work out, and by messy I mean me broken-hearted and crying every time I see him, because I’m an uncontrollable crier. If a puppy is too cute, I’ll cry.
“God, what am I going to do?” I ask her. I can’t go out with him. Not only would it chance breaking my heart, but the teachers would talk. They always talk, and more so when it’s about Jack and what he’s up to. I’m pretty sure they even read crap about him online. Maybe I should be reading the articles, too.
“Oh, you're going to dinner.” Apple has a giant smile on her face.
Why is everyone so excited to play matchmaker here? Even if I agreed to go on a date with Jack, I’d be so in over my head. I can barely form sentences around him, or stop myself from blushing like a schoolgirl. What would we even talk about?
“Stop overthinking it. I can see your mind going a mile a minute. We’ll have some wine and talk it out. Also, what are you wearing tomorrow?”
Crap, I forgot about my costume again. “Maybe we should stop for an extra bottle of wine,” I tell her, throwing my bag over my shoulder.
I have a feeling Jack isn’t going to go down easy when I inform him I won’t be going to dinner. I don’t think he’s a man who hears the word no very often.
Chapter Two
Jack
Scott runs through the front door and tosses his backpack on the stairs before heading into the kitchen. I follow him, hearing the sounds of my sister and knowing she’ll probably have something to eat.
I smile when I see Scott give her a hug and take a plate of something over to the table.
“Where’s mine?” I ask, placing a hand over my heart and pretending to be injured.
“On the table,” she says with a smirk.
My sister, Kim, is a damn good mom and always has food in the house, which is why I like coming here. She and her husband, Eric Grayson, have been married since they were nineteen. Eric works in pharmaceutical sales, so he travels a lot during the week. I like to help out when I can by taking Scott to school or picking him up, even though Kim is more than capable. She and Eric are still hopelessly in love. They have been from the day he transferred to our high school and they saw each other for the first time. I always wondered what that was like…until the day I saw Raven and it all became clear.
“Did you see her?” Kim asks, leaning up against the counter.
I take the plate she’s made for me and walk around to the breakfast bar and take a seat. I look over to see Scott playing with something at the dining room table. I want to make sure he’s out of earshot, though the kid seems to hear everything.
“I have a date,” I say proudly, popping a strawberry in my mouth.
She puts her hands over her mouth and looks at me in shock. “She said she’d go on a date with you?”
I grimace at her excitement. “Not exactly.” I think about how shocked she looked when I told her we were going out to eat. I smile. “But she’ll go.”
“Maybe I can finally start taking Scott to school then. I swear they probably think his parents have abandoned him. But in reality my brother has a crush on my son’s teacher and he’s borderline stalking her.”
“Borderline?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. She knows some of the things I’ve done to get Raven in my sights, but not everything.
“It’s probably better that I don’t know all the details,” she says, holding up her hands and walking into the dining room, where Scott is sitting. I watch from a distance as she leans down and kisses the top of his head and then sits beside him, asking him about his day.
I watch her and think about our parents and how proud they would be of her. Our dad died in a work accident when we were little, leaving my mom with a big chunk of insurance money to help provide for us. Kim and I were lucky that we
were both able to go to college and do what we wanted without having to worry about struggling financially.
When our mom passed suddenly from breast cancer last year, it was a big blow to all of us. We’ve managed to make it through, even though there’s an empty space in our family that can never be filled.
My mom always encouraged me to follow my dreams, so I did. I went to school and got my degree and then my Master’s in architecture. After I’d done that, I decided to open my own business, and have since become one of best architects in Seattle. I’ve been focused for so long on building my firm and creating new and exciting things that I let any sort of love life fall to the side. I haven’t had a girlfriend since middle school, and the last time I took a woman on a date, a Bush was president.
I’ve taken Scott to school every so often since he’s started. His school is right next to my offices, so it’s easy to pop over and pick him up and then run him home afterwards, saving my sister a trip. But one day when I walked into his class, I spotted Raven. That’s when I knew what my mom and sister had been droning on about all these years. That first spark and the feelings of protectiveness and love that come out of nowhere. One glance at Raven and I was instantly head over heels. She hadn’t so much as spoken a single word to me and I was already imagining her walking up the aisle towards me.