I grab it, but pull her close. This isn’t a business deal. This is love, and I kiss her.
Kelsey sighs when she pulls back.
“I’ve missed you.”
“Not as much as I missed you.” Then I pull her onto my lap. There’s a lot of kissing and fondling to make up for. Not that I’ll really fondle her in a club, but I can sure do a hell of a lot of kissing.
“It’s about time.”
I pull back and look up. Christian is on the low stage standing at the mic, grinning at us.
“Let’s give it up for the two stubborn fools in the corner who finally made up.”
The crowd starts cheering as Kelsey hides her face in my shoulder. All I can do is laugh. Here I thought tonight was going to suck, but it may just turn out to be the best night ever.
“So, what are you doing later?” I whisper in her ear.
“I was hoping to take you home with me.” She looks up. “And, I might not ever let you leave.”
Kelsey
This is the best way to start off the new year—in bed with Alex, his arms around me, my head on his chest, my leg over his hip, and both of us naked. Last night was perfect! After we came home Alex made me come three times and if I hadn’t pleaded exhaustion, he would have made me come three more times. He wanted to make up for the time we were apart. I did my share of making it up to him too, so it’s no wonder he’s still sound asleep, and snoring.
Why am I not asleep? It’s nine in the morning, and we didn’t get to sleep until sometime around five. But, I’ve never been one who could sleep in, no matter how many times I’ve wanted to.
Well, I can’t just lay here. As much as I enjoy being with Alex again, I’m anxious to get moving. My energy has returned, and I don’t want to lay around in bed anymore. I did enough of that after our fight. If Alex were awake and keeping me entertained, it might be different.
With a smile I lean up on my elbow and look down at him. I get why he did what he did, and he gets why it was a mistake to do what he did, and it won’t happen again.
It never was about trust. It was all about me and trying to make things right. So even if I’m not happy about how he went about things, I can’t help but feel loved that he cared so much to try and fix it.
It turns out that it was actually a good thing. Mrs. Cross is going to hold onto the letters, and one day Brandy will know, about me, my feelings, and her adoption. She’ll know how hard it was for me. She’ll know that it was the right thing to do. Until that time, I’ll just have to go on with my life and pray that she doesn’t hate me when she learns the truth. And, I’ll keep writing to her.
I’ll never get back to sleep even though I should be exhausted, and slowly I pull myself away from Alex, careful so as not to wake him. There is no reason why he should go without sleep even if I do.
After grabbing my thick robe, I quietly leave my apartment and head downstairs. A cup of coffee and maybe some news, if it isn’t already over, to start my day.
What I didn’t expect was to see Dylan typing away on his laptop at the kitchen island.
“Morning,” I whisper as I come inside.
He shoves his glasses up on his head and rubs his nose right between his eyes. Half the time Dylan wears glasses, and at other times he doesn’t, and for a man who is all about neat, he’s looking a bit unkempt. His thick hair is a mess, and his beard could use trimming. Why hadn’t I noticed that before?
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” he says and then yawns.
There is half a pot of coffee on and I pour a cup. “Did you sleep last night?”
“A few hours.”
“What are you working on?” I try to look over his shoulder, but he shuts the lid.
“Watching naughty movies?” I tease.
His face turns red, but he doesn’t answer. Instead he fills his mug with coffee.
“Okay, since we won’t talk about what you were writing, or watching, let’s talk about Mary.”
He chokes on his coffee and then grabs paper towels to wipe up the drips.
“It’s not so much her, but you.’
I can’t help myself. I am so happy that I want everyone to be happy. I hate people like me, but Dylan is hot, and single, and my friend wants him. I’ve got to know why he doesn’t want her.
“Me?” He takes a step back.
“She’s clearly interested. You’d have to be living in a cave, in total darkness, and never look at her, not to know.”
His face colors again.
This is fun! “So?”
“So, what?” he counters.
“Why aren’t you interested?”
“He’s saving himself,” Alex grins as he comes into the kitchen. Despite going at it most of the night, my blood heats at the sight of him. All he’s wearing are loose pajama bottoms and no shirt
“Sod off,” Dylan says as he starts unplugging his laptop.
“Sod off?” I have to laugh.
“Bloody hell,” he mutters as he picks it up off the counter.
“Novel!” Alex proclaims. “He always slips into different dialects when he’s working on a novel. If he were writing an article, he’d be all foodie. Not that I’ve heard a foodie cuss word, but if anyone knows one, it’s Dylan.”
“Are you two quite finished?”
“No,” we say in unison.
“What don’t you like Mary?” I ask.
“It’s not that I don’t like her.”
“So, ask her out,” I insist.
“We have nothing in common.” He opens a lower cupboard and takes out a skillet.
I’ll probably only succeed in pissing him off, but he’s being so evasive. Something’s up. “How do you know until you have a conversation that lasts over five minutes?”
He straightens and then turns and focuses on me. His brown eyes hard. “What does her father do?”
Okay, he’s going to point out all the reasons they won’t work, and they’re all going to be bullshit. I should know. Alex should know. Then again, we both have the same type of shit in our past. “Her dad was killed in Iraq when she was ten.”
The hardness in his eyes softens immediately. “Her mom?” he asks slowly.
“Is some kind of engineer at Watervilet Arsenal Army Base.”
And, his defenses are back into place immediately. He straightens, nods and turns.
“That doesn’t mean you don’t have anything in common.”
Dylan blows out a sigh and turns again. “Look, Kels, I know you mean well, but I’m not interested in Mary or any woman.”
“Dude, why didn’t you tell me you were gay?” Zach cries has he comes into the kitchen. “I have so many friends that would just love to grab that ass.”
“I’m not gay,” Dylan bites out between clenched teeth.
“Prude?” Alex asks and then his eyes go wide. “You’re a fucking virgin. That’s it!” He rushes forward and pats Dylan on the shoulder. “It’s okay, really, and it explains why you’ve never had a girl up to that pristine room of yours, or at any time since we left Baxter.”
“Do you think if he got some he’d loosen up?” Zach asks, enjoying giving Dylan a hard time. “No wonder he spends so much time scrubbing and shit. He’s frustrated because his dick hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves.”
I grin. “Mary would be more than happy to help you out.”
“I’ll caution her to be gentle,” Alex adds.
Dylan is the only one not laughing.
“I’m not a fucking virgin. I am not a prude. I am not gay. She’s just not the girl for me.”
With that he heads for the doorway. “Fix your own fucking breakfast.” Then he grabs his laptop. “I’m headed out.”
“What do you think that was about?” Alex asks. “He’s usually not so defensive.”
“We hit a nerve. I’m just not sure which one and why,” Zach answers.
Now I feel like crap. I just wanted to know why he wasn’t interested in Mary. Now he’s piss
ed at me and the guys, and leaving.
I start to go after him to apologize but Alex grabs me. “Let him go,” he says.
“But he’s mad.”
“He’ll get over it.” Zach grabs a banana and heads out.
I turn to Alex. “I really do feel bad.”
He kisses me. “Let’s go upstairs, and I’ll make sure you feel all better in about ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes?”
“That’s about all I can last when I’m with you, but I’ll work on it.”
And, I’ll be more than happy to help him work on it. I lean in and kiss him. “And I promise to be gentle.”
He grabs my ass and lifts me, pressing my pussy against his hard cock. “Gentle is the last thing I have in mind.”
More
Dear Readers,
Thank you for reading STILL RATTLED. For more Madison’s story, watch for THE RATTLE BOX, available in September, 2016.
Sign up for my newsletter or visit my website to find a list of new and current releases at www.JaneCharlesAuthor.com.
You can also contact me online:
http://twitter.com/JaneACharles
http://facebook.com/JaneCharlesAuthor
If you enjoyed reading STILL RATTLED, please let me know and share it with others.
LEND IT – This e-book is lending-enabled, so please
REVIEW IT – I welcome all reviews of my books, so please, share your thoughts with others by leaving a review on the site where you purchased the book and on Goodreads. Afterwards, please email me at [email protected] so that I can thank you.
RECOMMEND IT – If you enjoyed this book, please recommend it to them for reading and let them know that there is more of the Rattled Series to come, and soon.
Excerpt - THE RATTLE BOX
The Rattle Box: Rattled #3 - Baxter Boys Series ~ Rattled
Copyright © 2016 by Jane Charles
Chapter One
“She’s here,” I whisper to Peyton Walker, my best friend.
Peyton leans around me. “Mrs. Dosek is here?”
“Yes.” The moment I see her, my heart begins to pound as my palms break out in a sweat. I swipe them against my jet black skirt, take deep breaths and try to compose myself. Maybe this time Mrs. Dosek will hear me play. Then maybe, if I play well enough, I can become one of her students. One on a small list of exclusive students, some of which have been accepted to Juilliard.
It’s my junior year of high school, and if I don’t get accepted to Juilliard before my senior year, I might never be. Music is my passion. The piano, cello and violin, though if I had to pick only one, it would always be the piano. I want to compose and play. That’s all I want in life, but all my lessons have been limited to what’s been offered in middle and high school band and orchestra classes. I need more if I’m going to go any further. More meant a private teacher, something my parents couldn’t afford. Maybe if they hadn’t adopted six kids, they might have the money for lessons.
It’s selfish, of course. Had my parents limited the number of kids, I may not have made the cut, and then where would I be? And, I wouldn’t trade my siblings for anything in the world. Well, except my youngest brother John, who spilled grape juice on my favorite white blouse this morning. Luckily I have two others or I would have been screwed. Black and white – orchestra colors. Judges frown on color, and if nothing else, I am a rule follower. Music is too important. Winning competitions is necessary. Each win and award is another item on my application to Juilliard.
The only thing I’m lacking is a private piano teacher. I need to become a student of Mrs. Dosek.
I had first heard of her when I was in seventh grade. She only took piano and voice students who had talent. And, she didn’t charge. Ever!
“I heard Brooke’s parents just offered Mrs. Dosek a thousand dollars a lesson,” Peyton whispers in my ear.
“Wow! That’s a ton of money.” Brooke’s parents were loaded, and Brooke was convinced she was the best pianist to ever grace the halls of my high school, East Central. She had a baby grand to practice on at home. I have an old upright that used to be a player piano, it was that old. The kind that once had music on the inside and played at the push of a button. Those guts are gone now, but it still plays well. Brooke has always looked down on Peyton and me as if we aren’t quite good enough, even though Peyton’s parents are probably as rich, if not richer, than Brooke’s.
“I know!” Peyton looks over my shoulder. “Mrs. Dosek turned them down. It’s not about the money but the talent.”
I glance at Peyton from the corner of my eye. “I bet Brooke didn’t take that well.” I hate Brooke, and I’m jealous of her. Not only do the teachers fawn over her, but she’s had private lessons since she was five. I’m glad Mrs. Dosek turned her down because that would have killed me if Brooke got lessons with her and I couldn’t even get the woman to notice me.
Peyton snorts. “Considering she thinks she’s the best of the best, no, she didn’t.”
“Well, Mrs. Dosek is here today.” I blow out a breath. “I just hope she stays to listen for a change.”
“It is weird that she always leaves right before your turn.”
It’s something Peyton and I have talked about before. I’ve seen Mrs. Dosek at several competitions and concerts but she always leaves before I play. How the hell can I get her attention if the woman doesn’t stay long enough to listen? “I emailed her again.” For like the umpteenth time.
“Response?” Peyton asks.
“Silence. It’s as if she has something against me or something. If she heard me play and wasn’t interested, that would be one thing, but since she never has, and we’ve never met, I can’t imagine what she has against me.”
“I’m sure it’s just a coincidence. I know other people who have emailed her too, and she didn’t respond to them.”
“At least I’m not alone.” Not that it makes me feel any better. I’m sure I’m just one of dozens of potential students trying to get her attention. “I just wish I knew the trick to get her to notice me.”
The pianist before me finishes, bows and then exits the stage.
“Good luck,” Peyton whispers.
I take a deep breath, clutch my music.
“Madison Cross,” the judge announces, and I step out onto the stage. I can’t help myself and glance to the seat where Mrs. Dosek had been sitting.
It’s empty and I catch a glimpse of her just as she exits the auditorium.
Tears spring to my eyes as I walk to the piano. Another opportunity lost.
After placing the music, I take a seat, as disappointment sinks into my belly. If I weren’t on stage, I’d completely lose it, but I hold my shit together and blink so the tears don’t fall, and I start to play. I can’t see the music, but I don’t really need to since I memorized these pieces long ago, starting with Brahms’ Lullaby—the first of my four Brahms’ selections for this afternoon. The judges want emotion, in addition to skill, along with four levels of difficulty. Well, I’ve got the emotion, and if even a quarter of it comes through in my music, I’ve got the competition beat. And, it’s Mrs. Dosek’s loss for missing it.
About Jane Charles
Jane Charles is a USA Today Bestselling author who has lived in the Midwest her entire life. As a child she would more likely be found outside with a baseball than a book in her hand. In fact, Jane hated reading until she was sixteen. Out of boredom on a long road trip she borrowed her older sister’s historical romance and fell in love. Eventually she penned one of the many stories that were always in her head and discovered her passion for writing. Jane is an author of both historical and contemporary and blames being a Gemini on why she can’t pick one over the other.
Connect With Jane
@JaneACharles
JaneCharlesAuthor
www.JaneCharlesAuthor.com
[email protected]
Jane Charles’s New Adult Romance
Baxter Boys
Ratt
led: Rattled #1 (Baxter Boys Series ~ Rattled)
Still Rattled: Rattled #2 (Baxter Boys Series ~ Rattled)
The Rattle Box: Rattled #3 (Baxter Boys Series ~ Rattled)
* * *
Baxter Academy
Valentine Wishes: The Legacy #1 (Baxter Academy Series ~ The Legacy)
Colors of You: The Academy #1 (Baxter Academy Series ~ The Academy)
Shadows of Memory: The Academy #2 (Baxter Academy Series ~ The Academy)
Casting Doubt: The Academy #3 (Baxter Academy Series ~ The Academy)
Between the Lines: The Academy #4 (Baxter Academy Series ~ The Academy)
Jane Charles’s Historical Romance
The Tenacious Trents
Compromised For Christmas
Landing a Laird
A Misguided Lord
A Perfect Gentlemen
Devil in Her Dreams
A Lass For Christmas
A Reluctant Rake
Lady Revealed
Lady Disguised
Lady Concealed
A Tenacious Trent’s Wedding
Lady Admired
Wiggon’s School For Elegant Young Ladies
To Walk in the Sun
Ghosts From the Past
A Gentleman’s Guide to Once Upon a Time
His Impetuous Debutante
His Contrary Bride
His Not So Sensible Miss
His Christmas Match
Muses
Her Muse, Lord Patrick
Her Muse, Her Magic
One More Haunted Evening
Still Rattled Page 29