by MK Schiller
“Yeah? A little too nice. I saw the way he looked at you. Not that I can blame him.” He took off her coat and let out a slow whistle at the sight of her black cocktail dress. “I love you in this dress, but you have no idea how much I wanted to rip it off all night.” He ran his nose down her neck and kissed her shoulder. He grazed his teeth against her skin, a gesture that usually elicited a moan from her. “I can’t wait until this weekend. You, me, and a beach.”
She tried to smile, to play along with his sexy banter, but she’d been a ball of nervous energy all day. “I think there will be other people there, Kyle. It is Montauk in May.”
“I won’t notice them. As far as I’m concerned, you and I are the only people in the world.”
The temperature dropped at least ten degrees and her mouth went dry.
Kyle noticed. He put a finger under her chin and tilted her face. “What’s wrong?”
“Just tired.”
“Lanie Carmichael, you think I can’t tell when you’re lying to me? You’re never too tired for sex. I thought I had an appetite.”
He had a point there. Each time she was with Kyle, she felt her passion deepen and her inhibitions loosen. Sex had become her favorite pastime. Kyle often remarked how lucky he was.
“Well, it’s not that.”
“Then what? You’ve been out of sorts all day. Did the nauseas come back?” He felt her forehead with the back of her hand. “I can make you some tea.”
“No, no, I’m fine.” She said, though it felt as if someone was rolling a bowling ball inside her stomach.
“Are you nervous about making partner? You’re gonna be amazing.”
“I know.”
He laughed and kissed the tip of her nose. “And so humble too.”
She genuinely smiled this time. “That’s not what I mean. The firm is such a good fit for me. It’s where I belong and making partner is just the icing on an already awesome cake.”
It was. She was able to pick out her own cases, set her own schedule, and most importantly not play the corporate games required by her previous firm. She specialized in cases involving women’s rights, especially in regards to discriminatory practices. Her clients trusted her because she identified, but they chose her because she usually won.
“They are lucky to have you.” He kissed her forehead. “So am I.”
the courtroom, she prepared for hours, each statement carefully calculated and weighed for it’s merits, but she could never be so guarded when it came to Kyle. He held her against his chest. She took a deep breath, sniffing the spicy scent of his cologne. “I’m pregnant.” There, she’d said it.
She felt him go stiff against her….not in a good way. She scrambled through the rest of it.
“I just found out today at the Doctors. I’m not sure how it happened. I was careful. You know how careful I am with the pill. I did some research and there are a lot of reasons it doesn’t work.”
“Lanie..” he whispered softly.
“We’ve never talked about this. We’re still….adjusting to this new life and it’s a lot, I know. But I love you and I want this baby.”
“Lanie..”
His green eyes were deep orbs of concern, but she refused to give into his fears. She already loved this baby. How could she not? It was the best of her and him. “We can do this. I know we can.” She choked up on the last words.
His lips quirked. He hugged her close. “Of course we can. We’re gonna be the most kick-ass parents.”
“What? You’re…you’re okay with this?”
“I’m happier than I’ve ever been. There is no one else for me. And yes, if you’d asked me two years ago about children I would have laughed in your face or sprinted for the door. But now…I’m a very different man. ”
She backed away slowly, as if afraid she was misunderstanding. “We’ve had so many changes in such a short time. This is not a future either of us had planned.”
“Sometimes, life fucks up your plans. Sometimes, that the bet thing that can happen to a person. There are so many things I wish I could change about our past, Lanie. But the one thing I know for sure is that meeting you in that sports bar that night was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Every anxiety and fear she’d held onto all day melted away. She wasn’t just nervous about Kyle’s reaction, but surprised by her own. All her life, she’d felt that motherhood wasn’t for her. Truth be told, she wasn’t even sure about intimacy and relationships for God’s sake. But as soon as the doctor told her, she’d known this was what she wanted. “Me too, Kyle.”
He dragged his hand through his hair. “Can you handle some more change?” He looked toward the bedroom.
She arched her brow. “What did you have in mind?”
He laughed. “Not that, smartass. Stay here for me.” He ran toward the bedroom almost tripping over the coffee table, a clumsy move for someone who was usually so agile.
When he came back he clutched a light blue box in his hand. She slapped her hand over her mouth to keep the emotion inside.
“I was going to save it for this weekend, but I can’t.” He dropped to his knees right in front of her.
“Yes!” she screamed. “A million times yes.”
“I haven’t asked yet.”
Her legs shook and a single tear formed in the corner of her eye. Here was a moment most girls dreamed of since they were young, but Lanie never did. Not once. She had no frame of reference. All she knew was this was right. In him, she’d found the family she never had. “Ask me…please.”
“Oh hell, Marry me, Lanie Carmichael. Let me love you now…and forever.”
“Yes, Kyle.”
She fell to her knees. He kissed away her tear. She fell into his arms, knowing that every single do-over had brought her to this place.
Thanks for Reading!
MK Schiller Books
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Other Books from MK Schiller –
The Scars Between Us
Kiss the Sky
Eight Days in the Sun
Where the Lotus Flowers Grow
Unwanted Girl
The Other C-Word
The Other P-Word
Variables of Love
http://www.mkschillerauthor.com/books/
Excerpt from Tin Man’s Dance
A new adult novella by MK Schiller
Book 1: Kissing Bridge Series
Tin Man’s Dance
MK Schiller
The one time Lilly Franklin rewards herself with a front-row concert ticket is turning into an epic fail. Not to mention the tall, cocky boy who claims her front-row seat is all wicked smiles, long legs and tug-worthy hair. Well, he's messing with the wrong girl. But as the night wears on, Lily starts to see a softer side of former marine, James “Hutch” Hutchinson. A side that makes her shed her loner inhibitions along with her clothes.
There is a difference between trouble and troubled. In Hutch, she has found both.
Hutch lost more than a leg in the Iraqi dessert. Returning to school on the GI Bill wasn’t exactly in the plans…but plans change. Now he only wants to meet the mysterious dancer, but he’s forgotten how to talk to women, especially one as graceful as Lilly. So armed with a plan that even a twelve-year-old would laugh at, he steals Lilly’s seat.
Only fair since she stole his heart first.
But Lilly has plans, too. As if Hutch’s life wasn’t already a sh*t storm of sacrifice.
How can he give up the one thing that’s made him feel real?
Chapter 1
Hutch
I never planned on college, but with a GI bill burning a hole in my back pocket, Uncle Sam’s blessing, and nothing better to do, here I was. Well, that along with Mom’s encouragement and my brother’s insistence I’d enjoy myself. I didn’t exactly fit in—a twenty-four-year-old freshman in a tiny town with a liberal arts co
llege, obtaining a degree in English Lit, the only subject I didn’t suck at in high school.
I never expected to end up in this Martha Stewart version of a bachelor pad that belonged in the glossy pages of the kind of catalogue I wouldn’t wrap fish in, let alone read. Blake owned the condo. Blake, roommate number one, who I referred to as “spoiled rich boy.” Not just in my head, but aloud, too. The crazy thing was, he identified himself that way. I kind of liked that about him. Noah, roommate number two, was more like me—a working stiff trying to get a leg up in the world. Then there was Grayson, roommate number three, who mostly kept to himself.
I usually jogged outside, but the rain had changed my plans today. Rain fucked with my joints and caused my scars to sting. I ran on Blake’s treadmill instead, listening as he jabbered on about parties, girls and well…party girls. As usual, he switched gears as smoothly as my manual clunker.
“C’mon Hutch, I scored an extra ticket.”
“Richie Rich, why the fuck would you think I am remotely interested in attending a dance recital?”
He placed another weight onto his bar. “I want people to be there for my sister. My parents can’t make it. Not a lot of people go to these events, especially when it’s competing with a campus football game.”
I never thought of Blake as the kind of guy that looked out for others. Still, I had no desire to go. She wasn’t my sister, after all. In fact, I’d planned on hanging out with some other buddies tonight. It was gonna be a rager with Jose Cuervo supplying the drinks, Jimi Hendrix providing the tunes, and Albert Camus’ The Stranger bringing in the entertainment portion of the evening. I’m not an alcoholic, but lonely and numb were two sides of the same coin. Lately I’d grown very close to ol’ Jose.
“There will be hot girls there,” Blake added, wiggling his brows.
“I’m not interested in girls.”
My reflexes ran slower these days. Blake titled his head to the side, a flicker of understanding or rather misunderstanding forming on his features. “Oh, sorry man. I didn’t realize you were gay.”
Shit.
“I’m not gay,” I said, an octave too loud. “I’m just not interested in girls right now.”
“It’s cool man. You don’t have to hide.”
I sighed and revved up the speed on the mill, searching the room for my phone. “I have plans tonight.”
“Oh yeah, with who?”
With three dudes.
I stopped the treadmill to readjust. “Can you hand me the lube?” I asked, gesturing toward the tube on the table beside Blake.
Okay…so that sounded gay.
Blake tossed it to me. I sat on the workout bench and applied a generous amount where I felt the limb tightening on me. The front of my shirt was drenched in sweat, thanks to the ten-mile run, but I still had another five to reach my goal.
“I watch you stay in every night while everyone else is having a good time. This is college, G.I. Joe. You need to get out there sometime.”
Blake didn’t fool me. Obviously, he didn’t want to go alone, and he’d already run through his gamut of friends until my name popped up. In truth, I should go. I owed Blake a lot. If I wasn’t living here, I’d be uncomfortable as hell, cramped in a tiny dorm room. Plus, there were some very nice amenities at Casa Richie Rich. I may be only twenty-four, but my mental age had me pondering if I should apply for social security benefits.
I thought about it. Why the hell not? At least I’d have something to tell Colton when he came to visit. He often said my self-imposed exile from society wasn’t healthy.
“Yeah, okay. What time?”
Black stared at me as if waiting for a punch line. If he didn’t quit being so annoying, he might just get a punch right to the gut.
“Seven. I’ll leave your ticket at Will Call.
Chapter 2
Hutch
The student theatre was a small venue, the seats designed for girls and scrawny dudes. I felt like fucking Gulliver in Lilliput. I looked over the program once more. Shit, how did Richie Rich manage to talk me into coming to this modern dance deal?
Blake and I warred over the armrest. I finally conceded, slumping low in my seat. After a few performances, he shoved me awake.
“What?”
“What do you think of that girl?” Blake pointed toward the back stage where a chorus of identical looking dancers lined up. “That’s my sister.”
“The one in the black pants?”
“Um…no, that’s a dude.”
“Oh.” Squinting my eyes, I saw that he was indeed correct.
“The girl on the right.” There were ten girls prancing in some kind of menacing Riverdance jig.
I didn’t want to spend the next fifteen minutes trying to figure out who she was. “Sure.”
I tried to feign interest, but I just wasn’t into it.
“The girl in the blue has a nice ass.” I commented just to make impolite conversation.
“That’s my sister.”
“Man, I’m sorry.” Someone shushed us. Thank God, cause my mouth was best when locked.
“It’s okay. Do you want an intro?”
Smooth move, Richie Rich. “Are you trying to set me up?”
“Well, I figured an ex-Marine...”
Did he honestly think Devil Dogs were good dating material? “First off, there is no such thing as an ex-Marine and secondly, I have no interest in seeing anyone right now.”
“Suit yourself.”
The applause woke me, signaling the finished act. I yawned, wondering how many goddamn routines I’d have to suffer through. My left leg fell asleep, which was a very bad thing in my world because my right one wouldn’t work on its own.
“Now, performing their East meets West choreographed Snake Dance, Lilly Franklin and Joseph Bernard.”
A shirtless dude in sparkly orange Aladdin pajamas was on his knees before a large wicker basket. He faked played a flute as some kind of Bollywood music started up. I sighed, sinking back into my seat.
The basket popped open.
Out came the kind of girl that can only spell trouble for a guy like me. You know how you think you’re hearing normally, but then your ears pop, and you realize you hadn’t been? Well that’s what happened to me, except with my eyes.
The girl twisted her body like a snake, but that was the only thing reptilian about her. She untied the long sparkly pink scarf around her waist and wrapped it around the guy, pulling him closer to her. He grasped her waist, picking her up in one swift move. A shimmering light blue, body-hugging tank top and purple pants, similar to his but much tighter and shorter, showed off her exceptional body. You’d think all those competing colors would wash out her natural beauty, but they didn’t.
Her shiny black hair, twisted into several long braids contrasted with her pale skin. She swung her hips and tapped her feet as if her body naturally moved that way. I borrowed a pair of binoculars from the couple behind me. She wasn’t tight skin over bones. She was curvy, voluptuous with full hips, round breasts and a plump ass…the way a woman should be.
They performed a high octane, energy-filled dance. The kind of thing I wouldn’t find remotely interesting, except that I did. I didn’t understand the words to the music, but the story they told required no translation. A charming girl who refused to be charmed despite the pathetic guy’s lame attempts. I should heed the warning.
I struggled with an odd balance of jealousy, awe, and fear when he picked her up, held her high into the air, and swung her legs across his shoulders. He held her with an intimacy that made me feel like a voyeur intruding on their private moment.
You drop her, Aladdin Pants, and I’ll kick your ass.
She was fearless, though, her body wrapping around him in effortless grace. I could only imagine the years of practice to perfect that kind of deceit. When he put her down, she fell to her knees. I almost stood, worried she’d hurt herself, but it was all part of the act. She rotated the stage in a perfect circle in that positi
on until she bounced back up on her feet. God, her knees had to be sore as hell. That kind of stamina was nothing short of…stimulating. Yeah, my dirty mind just went there.
Blake’s elbow connected to my arm. “Glad something got your attention. So you interested in the guy?”
“Shut up, Van Snooty, I’m not gay.”
Someone else shushed us.
I gave her a standing ovation…or at least one part of my anatomy did.
“You ready to bail?” Blake asked, gathering his coat.
“I think I’m going to stick around for a while.”
I wouldn’t give up a minute of looking at her. I had glanced at the program out of boredom when we first got here. Time well spent. Lilly Franklin was also the finale.
I had to wait through a fucking intermission and five more routines to see her again. No doubt she needed the rest after the first dance.
The latter half of the program consisted of individual performances. The auditorium was almost empty after the intermission, allowing me to snatch a seat in the front row. I wondered what it was about her that made me stay. I’m no romantic. Hell, as long as I was being honest, I didn’t mind admitting I was compiling masturbation material for the lonely nights that awaited me.
She was just a pretty girl who could dance. That was all. I repeated my mantra until she appeared on the stage again. She wore a blue silk robe that stopped above the knees. She padded to the microphone her chest heaving. Are you nervous, Lilly?