Crushed (The Rushed New Adult and College Romance Series Book 2)
Page 21
The candle reached me. Beside me, Victoria nudged me to accept it. I'd been entranced by the letter. I was shaking so badly, as I reached for it, I was afraid I would put the flame out. Or drip wax all over myself. Or start crying. This was my story. Mine and Dakota's. But that couldn't be. I hadn't invited him here. He wouldn't be so bold.
Kelly paused as I took the candle from Victoria and the flame flickered in my trembling hands.
When I tried to pass it to Sarah, she shook her head. "It's not for me."
Dakota stepped into the dining room from where he'd been hiding in the hall. He carried another rose and a black velvet jewelry box. "Baby, I love you. You were never my cover girlfriend. You were always the real thing for me. The only thing.
"You mean more to me than my frat and my fraternity brothers. More to me than anything. I couldn't bear to lose you." He walked up to me until he was standing directly in front of me. He opened the box. A gold necklace with his Tau Psi letters sparkled in the light of the candle I held. "When you invited me to the crush, it gave me hope. Would you do me the honor of wearing my letters?" The look in his eyes was sincere and so hopeful it made me want to cry.
I'm not a fool. I recognize deception when I see it. There was none there. Just love for me, and hope, shining in his eyes, like I held his heart in my hand.
I knew what I wanted. And it wasn't to crush it. Tears of happiness welled in my eyes. I nodded. "Yes. Yes. Yes!"
Beside me, Vics took the candle from me and the rose from Dak. Dakota pulled the necklace from the box, handed the box to Victoria, and held the necklace out to put it on me. "May I?"
I turned my back to him and lifted my hair so he could fasten the necklace. When it was on, I spun around, threw my arms around his neck, and kissed him as my sisters cheered and laughed and dabbed their eyes.
I forced myself to pull away and look into his eyes. I had to tell him. "I love you."
He grinned and pulled me to him.
I rested my head against his chest, hearing his heart beat for me.
Victoria was standing next to me, still holding the rose, the candle, and the jewelry box, and beaming like she was lit from the inside.
"You?" I mouthed to her.
She winked.
I owed her.
I tipped my face to Dakota for another kiss. I was his. And he was mine. And that was all that mattered.
Stinger
Morgan
I wore Dak's letters constantly. To class. At the house. To parties. I found myself fingering the necklace all the time and smiling at what it stood for. I loved that guy with all my heart, and wanted absolutely everyone to know. This Double Deltsie was off the market. Seeing how vulnerable Dak had made himself and how he risked everything for me in front of my house made me realize how much he loved me, too.
So. Maybe people and conventional wisdom were wrong. Hookups could lead to true love. And jealous exes could be terrible bitches. But in the end, love wins.
Since the night of the crush, I owed Victoria everything for going behind my back and inviting Dakota to the crush. That was what sisters were for, right? Especially sorority twins.
Social probation, which had seemed like the worst thing that could have happened to me, had given me a genuine relationship with the girls in my house. I was no longer the feared bitch of the house. They were truly now my family of sisters for life. Social probation had given me even more—the love of my life.
I had a lavalier necklace with my Double Deltsie letters that my mom gave me my freshman year. There was some debate in Greek circles whether it was appropriate to wear both necklaces together or at the same time. The general rule was that they should never be on the same chain. The rest was a gray area. So I sometimes wore both necklaces. But I never put the two pendants on the same chain. Even still, they belonged together.
I was rushing to The College Grind on a clear February morning a few days before Valentine's Day when I spotted Seth across the street. I'd barely seen him since he'd moved out with Zach. I waved to him. "Seth! Seth!"
He didn't hear me and kept walking. Guys, they never heard when you called.
I shook my head and dashed across the street to catch him. My breath was coming in large white puffs in the cold air as I caught up to him and tapped him on the shoulder from behind. "Hey, Seth! Are you stuck up now that you've left us to live with Zach? Have you forgotten your Double Deltsie roots?"
He stopped and turned to face me. He frowned, puzzled. "You're the second person to call me Seth today. I must look like a Seth?"
I realized my mistake—this guy was Seth's doppelganger. But on closer inspection, about ten years older.
"Ohmygosh!" I laughed. "Sorry! Not like a generic Seth. You look so much like my friend Seth it's uncanny."
His smile was just as dazzling as Seth's. He even had the same dimple in his right cheek. "I've been mistaken for him at least a dozen times since I arrived on campus. But not by such a gorgeous girl."
I felt myself blush. I was intrigued. "Are you new here? A transfer student?"
His laugh was contagious and charming, flirty—like Seth's. "New, yes. Student, no." He extended his hand for me to shake. "Dr. Ian Foster."
I was stunned. On campus, being a doctor usually meant only one thing. "You're a professor?"
He looked way too young and hot.
He laughed again. "I get that a lot." He paused. "And you are?"
I smiled back at him. "Morgan Peterson."
I have to introduce him to Seth, I thought.
# # #
So What's Next?
More romance, of course! The third book in the Rushed New Adult and College Romance Series will be available in January 2015. It will be another standalone new adult romance, but Zach, Alexis, Morgan, and Dak will be secondary characters so you can see bits of their story continue to unfold. And here's a teaser—book three will feature Seth's romance.
If you enjoyed Crushed and haven't read the Reckless series yet, you'll want to read Reckless Longing right away. It's available now! Or (and this is the best value) get The Reckless Series Complete Collection, which includes all three books in the series, for a substantial savings—up to 44% off the regular price of buying each book separately!
Would you like to know when my next book is available? You can sign up for my VIP list at http://www.ginarobinson.com.
Thank You!
Thanks for reading Crushed. I hope you enjoyed Morgan and Dak's story!
Reviews and word of mouth help other readers find books they might enjoy. If you liked this book, please tell a friend about it or write a review.
About the Author
Gina Robinson is the award-winning author of the contemporary new adult romances Rushed, Reckless Longing, Reckless Secrets, and Reckless Together and the Agent Ex series of humorous romantic suspense novels. She's currently working on the third book of this series. Look for it in January 2015.
Connect with Gina Online:
My Website: http://www.ginarobinson.com/
Twitter: @ginamrobinson
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GinaRobinsonAuthor
Look for the third book of the Rushed New Adult and College Romance Series in January 2015!
Also by Gina Robinson:
New Adult Romance
Crushed
Rushed
Reckless Longing
Reckless Secrets
Reckless Together
Contemporary Romance
Echo Bay Christmas
The Agent Ex Series of Romantic Suspense
The Spy Who Left Me
Diamonds Are Truly Forever
Live and Let Love
License To Love
Love Another Day
Surfer Sailor Lover Spy—Maui, a short story
And more spylicious romance
Spy Candy
Spy Games
Lipstick Spy School, a short story
Fun, flirty contemporary women's fiction
<
br /> Pink Slipper
Historical Romance
The Last Honest Seamstress
The Union
The Escort
Table of Contents
Crushed
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Stinger
About the Author
Books by Gina