Some Like It Geek: A Really Big Set of Romances

by Box Set

  “Oh, shit.” Ellie turned and beckoned to the other girls. “We gotta go now.”

  It took a team of four people to get Cara into the poofy dress. She’d made most of it herself, and what she hadn’t been able to do, the other girls had helped with. It wasn’t traditional by any stretch of the imagination, more like straight out of Padmé Amidala’s wardrobe. Cara had come up with the concept on her own, after a day of Star Wars marathons.

  “The dice!” Cara patted her pocket. She’d insisted on them for exactly this reason. “They were here a minute ago.”

  “Nope.” Ellie reached into her pocket. “I got you these. Something borrowed and blue.”

  “Thanks, Ellie. You’re the best.” Cara gave Ellie a squeeze.

  “You’re going to be late,” her mother scolded.

  “Okay, I’ll go first with the flowers,” Tamara said. “Rashae will help you up the stairs, Ellie and your mom have the train. We’re ready? Let’s go!”

  They proceeded single file up the narrow staircase to the roof of the building. Nate had finally shown her the owner’s gem of a retreat, after she’d moved in proper like. A container garden lined the edges of the roof and strings of lights wound over the top, held up by a wooden pergola. The cardboard cutout of the Millennium Flacon shielded her from view of the rest of their guests. The sun was just beginning to dip, bathing the sky in brilliant saffron and orange tones.

  Cara took a deep breath, her wedding party slipping away to their seats until she was alone. She gripped the flowers someone had handed her in one hand and the dice in the other. A part of her wished her father were here, but he’d chosen to leave them, just as she’d chosen Nate. This was her future. Where she wanted to be.

  This was it.

  She was getting married, and she didn’t regret a single thing.

  The low, thrumming of drums began.

  She swallowed her laugh and took a step forward, out of the shadow of the Falcon and into view as the Star Wars theme song blast through the loudspeakers.

  Half the attendees had opted to dress in robes or armor. It was a Star Wars wedding after all, because who could expect them to do anything else?

  Cara and Nate locked eyes and she froze.

  This was right.

  It was perfect.

  And as crazy as it might be, she was glad they weren’t waiting.

  She blew out a breath and walked forward to her future.

  Ellie slid into her seat next to Bryan.

  “She got it?” Bryan whispered.

  “Yes. Did Nate?”

  Bryan jerked his head in a nod.

  They both sat up a little straighter.

  “Will the couple now please roll for initiative?” Somehow the officiate, dressed as Obi-Wan Kenobi, got that line out without laughing.

  Ellie grasped Bryan’s hand and held her breath.

  First Cara, then Nate gasped.

  “Natural twenties,” Obi-Wan announced.

  Ellie slumped back in her chair.

  Thank goodness.

  She’d rolled the weighted dice enough she had a good feeling they’d land on a decently high number, but she still had nightmares of one or the other rolling a one or something crazy. And that couldn’t happen. Nate and Cara’s wedding had to be perfect.

  Ellie let go of Bryan’s hand and finally allowed herself to enjoy the spectacle of her best friend’s wedding. She’d never had people in her life like Nate, Cara and the others, and Ellie meant to do everything in her power to keep them, and that meant getting a handle on her life.

  “What are you doing later?” Bryan whispered.

  “Going home. Alone.” Top of Ellie’s list, no more friends with benefits.

  Nate waved goodbye to the last of their guests and turned to climb the stairs. Since Cara had scored a good job off the bat, they’d opted to wait a while for a honeymoon. Which was fine with him. They had time.

  He let himself into the apartment and stopped.

  “Wow…”

  “I know. I know!” Cara scurried around, still wearing a silvery gray tutu. “Stuff is everywhere.”

  Nate hadn’t seen the inside of his apartment since yesterday, when the girls descended to tackle the last-minute dress stuff. Judging by the netting, ribbons and stuff everywhere, they’d also constructed several portable buildings. Or something. With that group, who knew?

  He caught Cara around the waist as she tried to dart past and whisked her off her feet.

  “Nate!” She squirmed, but he wasn’t letting her go.

  “Worry about it later.” He carried her to the sofa and sank down, cradling her against him.

  “We got the Falcon inside. Mom and Dad were able to pull down the decorations. Your Dad wants to do lunch tomorrow—”

  “Cara.” Nate tugged on her hair.

  “What?”

  “Relax. Everything’s fine.”

  “Is it? Is it done?”

  “It is.”

  “Thank God. Nate, I never want to do that again.” Cara buried her face against his chest. Wedding planning, moving and working had taken its toll on her, but the benefit was that she had been too busy to worry if they were doing the right thing.

  “Well, don’t ask me to marry you again and we won’t have to.”

  “Not funny.” Cara chuckled and snuggled closer. “What about those rolls? I’ve never seen dice roll that many twenties. It was weird, right?”

  “Mm.”

  “What?” She peered up at him. “You know something.”

  “I’m pretty sure those dice are weighted.”

  “No.” Cara gasped and sat up. “But that means…”

  “It means our friends care a lot about us and wanted to make everything perfect.” Nate tugged her back to his chest, close to his heart where she belonged, before she could decide cheating dice nullified their vows.

  “I didn’t think of that. Who did it?”

  “My guess?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Ellie.”

  “Oh. Huh. I could see that.” Cara threaded her fingers together with his. “I saw her and Bryan talking.”

  “Yeah, he still thinks he has a chance with her.”

  “And you don’t?”

  “Ellie’s…Ellie.” Nate shook his head.

  “I don’t know.” Cara hummed a moment. “I think…opposites attract.”

  Nate chuckled. There was a truth. He stood and Cara clung to his shoulders.

  “I’m done talking about our friends, Cara-bear Vaughn.”

  “I like the sound of that name.” She twined her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “I got you a surprise.”

  “Oh? Is it a naughty one that’ll make you blush?”

  “Yes.”

  Nate grinned. Fantasies had nothing on his reality. A lifetime with Cara, was just the start.

  About the Author

  It can never be said that NYT & USA Today Bestselling author Sidney Bristol has had a ‘normal’ life. She is a recovering roller derby queen, former missionary, and tattoo addict. She grew up in a motor-home on the US highways (with an occasional jaunt into Canada and Mexico), traveling the rodeo circuit with her parents. Sidney has lived abroad in both Russia and Thailand, working with children and teenagers. She now lives in Texas where she splits her time between a job she loves, writing, reading and fostering cats.

  Newsletter: http://sidneybristol.com/newsletter/

  Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CheesecakeReaderLounge/

  @sidneybristol

  Sidney.Bristol.Romance.Author

  www.sidneybristol.com

  Also by Sidney Bristol

  Gone Geek Series List

  Beauty and the Geek

  Mr. Purr-fect and the Geek

  The Jock and the Geek

  The Gamer and the Geek

  The Adorkable Girl and the Geek

  Twisted Royals

  Beauty and the Geek

  Gone Geek 1

  P
rofessor Steven Kipper is used to the stares, the mut-tered insults. Monster. Disgusting. Gross. It's all he's ever known. Relationships suck when his date won't even go out in public with him, which is why he hasn't bothered. That is until her. The woman on the internet who gets his every quirk. He's hooked on a person he's never met. The way she gets his jokes, the uninhibited sexuality and…just talking to her. She's everything he's ever wanted, only she's a stranger. Unless he can convince her they should unplug and take their virtual relationship off-line.

  Tamara Roh has heard all the insults from slut to whore and they bore her. She refuses to let other people define her. Life's tough in the gaming industry, and if she can't handle a few insults the haters will chew her up and spit her out. Her only haven is with her friends and in one very explicit chat room. On-line she can be anyone she wants to, even the normal girl-next-door who just happens to get off on dirty talk, erotic gifs and video chats from the neck down. She might not be able to trust guys in real life to see past the Hot Asian Girlfriend stereotype, but with her internet beau anonymity is her safety net. The only problem is…she's falling for a man who thinks she's someone else.

  Mr. Purr-fect and the Geek

  Gone Geek 2

  When veterinarian Raul is reunited with his lost cat he gets more than he bargained for in Miranda, the sassy woman who wipes the floor with his subpar gaming skills. But Miranda doesn’t know if Raul is flirting with her, or if he’s the stalker she’s lived in fear of for years. Is he the crazy cat guy of her dreams, or does he want her—dead or alive?

  Author Note: This title was previously called The Vet and the Geek and was featured in the Crazy Cat Ladies anthology. It has been re-titled for this release.

  The Jock and the Geek

  Gone Geek 3

  Samantha Grant is at a dead end in life. Fired from her job because her father happens to be the Secretary of State is just the icing on the cake. At least she has Monster-Go to fill her empty hours. Except she's not the only one playing the augmented reality phone game. Her ex, the jockiest jock of all is, too. And he just happens to be on the rival team. She'll take this competition to a whole new level in the name of winning the title as the best Monster Master in the Capital.

  Oliver Falcón is in love with his boss' daughter. The problem is, she hates him with the passion of a thousand, fiery suns. He broke her heart to protect her once, and now he wants her back. Strategy has always been his gift, and this time he's got a plan to not only win Sam back, but show her just how much he belongs in her world. He's gone geek, and he's never going back. Past secrets haunt the former lovers, and as much as Oliver wants Sam back in his arms, he'll break her heart again if it means protecting her.

  The Gamer and the Geek

  Gone Geek 4

  Rashae Grant should be over the moon. Her life-long dream of creating original art for a board game is finally happening. Except the campaign manager, a sinfully sexy Irishman, can't seem to stand her. At every meeting she's talked over and her designs picked apart. What's the point of getting to work on her dream if she doesn't even recog-nize it anymore?

  Declan Loveridge has staked everything on the success of this project, and if pulling it off means he has to breathe down Rashae's neck, he'll have to ignore the way she smiles, the twinkle in her eye and how she makes him laugh when he shouldn't. One ill-advised kiss turns into many, and soon the holiday nights are heating up from more than just the kettle.

  Friends with benefits is the perfect solution to their problems. Disagreements are better solved between the sheets, but Declan has never been a man to settle, and Rashae doesn't know how to lead without her heart. While the lovers are busy creating a masterpiece, another kind of artist is out to take them for everything they've got. A scam turns into a scandal this holiday season in The Gamer and the Geek.

  The Girl Next Door

  Forrester Brothers, Book 2

  C. Jordan

  About This Book

  The Girl Next Door - C. Jordan

  When ex-Navy SEAL Derek Forrester takes a job working security at a local sci-fi convention, he’s thrown together with his next-door neighbor, Katie Jones. A good girl—not his type. But he wants her anyway.

  And now she’s wearing racy costumes.

  Shy, geeky Katie only comes out of her shell when cosplaying. She can be a different woman—a sexy, confident one. One who can be as bad as Derek wants.

  Author’s Note

  Welcome back to the Forrester Brothers series! When I was asked to be part of box set with a bunch of other geek-loving authors, I knew immediately that tough ex-Navy SEAL Derek Forrester had to be the hero of my book, and his heroine was going to be a bit shy, a bit geeky, and was going to come out of her shell in a big way. The SEAL next door meets the geek next door—and unlikely sparks started flying! As soon as Katie Jones hit the page, she drove Derek insane in the best possible way.

  I hope you enjoy reading their story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

  ~C. Jordan

  Chapter One

  Sacramento, California

  “Thanks for going to water aerobics with me, Katie. It’s tough to get around town while Esteban’s recovering from his bunion surgery.”

  Katie Jones smiled down at the old woman who leaned on her arm. She ignored the fact that her wet hair was creating an uncomfortably moist patch on the back of her shirt, and that she’d forgotten to bring a change of clothes with her to the YWCA, so she’d had to put her shorts and top on over her damp bathing suit. Though it was a balmy afternoon, every time the breeze kicked up, it sent a cold chill over her skin.

  She patted the other woman’s hand. “Of course, Mrs. Gomez. I’m sure your husband will be driving again soon.”

  “I just hate taking the bus.” Mrs. Gomez wrinkled her nose. “The drivers are maniacs.”

  Since the elderly lady said that about anyone who didn’t come to a complete stop at every intersection and drive at least five miles under the speed limit, Katie decided to steer the conversation away from driving. “Yeah, I’m not a fan of the bus either. The one thing I don’t love about these condos is they’re too far away from the light rail.”

  Other than that, this complex was perfect. Built in the 1920s, it was classic Spanish Colonial Revival in design. She liked that the building was just one story tall and only had about ten units, so she didn’t feel crammed in amongst other people. Each condo faced a beautiful inner courtyard filled with lush greenery and a central fountain. She loved the red tiled roof, the thick, white stucco walls, the carved wooden panels on everyone’s front door, and the huge windows that let her look at the courtyard when she was working at her desk. On many evenings, all her neighbors came out to sit on their small terra-cotta-tiled patios to enjoy the courtyard and the warm California weather.

  “Good afternoon, ladies.”

  The deep voice snapped Katie back to the present. She turned to find three large men approaching, but her attention focused on the one speaking.

  Derek Forrester. Ex-Navy SEAL, current next-door neighbor, and the star of her midnight fantasies. Not that anything would ever come of those fantasies. He was drop-dead gorgeous. She’d seen a handful of the dates he’d brought home since he moved in a little over a year ago, and they were every bit as gorgeous as he was. A guy like Derek didn’t go for too-tall, too-plump, too-shy girls like Katie. It was just a fact of the universe, like the sky was blue and two plus two equaled four. Simple, obvious, no need for further explanation.

  Right now, she had six feet, three inches of long, lean muscle coming her way and she let herself enjoy the view. Even with a basketball propped on his hip, the man managed to look graceful and predatory at the same time, like a stalking panther. Just watching him walk across the courtyard was enough to make Katie’s brain short circuit and her tongue stick to the roof of her mouth. It didn’t help that all he wore was a pair of clingy mesh basketball shorts that left little to the imagination and sweat slipped in slow beads down the hard a
ngles of his bare chest.

  Sweet baby Jesus, she was going to have premature hot flashes any minute now.

  She flushed and jerked her gaze up from his chest to his face. He had a short goatee, and she’d wondered far too often how it would feel against her skin. His eyes were a startling pale blue that contrasted with his deep brown skin, and she always felt pierced to the core whenever he looked at her.

  Clearing her throat, she ducked her head. “Hi.”

  “Who do you have there?” Mrs. Gomez lifted her cane to point at Derek’s companions. “They’re almost as pretty as you.” She jabbed her walking stick at the man on the left. “That one even looks like you.”

  Derek’s eyebrows arched while the men one either side of him made scoffing noises. “Yes, he does. Mrs. Gomez, this is my less-pretty cousin, Trevor, and my friend, Rob.”

  “Nice to meet you.” The old woman gave them a flirtatious grin.

  Rob had auburn hair, pale skin, and a multitude of freckles that made him appear sweet and innocent. But one look in his eyes, and Katie saw the same dangerous glint that Derek had—like he’d seen too much in his life to be anything but jaded, and he was more than ready to handle any situation, no matter how hazardous. Trevor looked a bit younger than the other two, but he also had a world-weary air about him. He had similar features as his cousin—same sharp cheekbones and square jaw, same dark skin, but his eyes were a hazel green-gold instead of blue. Less pretty or not, Katie doubted anyone had ever kicked this man out of bed for his looks. Or at all.

  His gaze focused on her and he smiled. “I don’t think we caught your name.”