Shades of Pink

by 33 authors

  “Let’s just relax. Maybe a movie?”

  “Sure,” she said, bending down and sorting through his collection.

  She popped in Pirates of the Caribbean, and then she sat next to him. When he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, Lexi rested back against him.

  He had seen the movie a hundred times, but he couldn’t have told anyone a thing about it this time. All he could think about was the feel of Lexi in his arms, the touch of her breast against him as she adjusted in her seat, the feel of her fingers caressing his hand. His mind was set solely on the woman lying next to him, and it all felt right. He didn’t feel rushed or unsure about what to do next or where to go from here. It just felt right.

  Too soon, the movie ended.

  “I think I have to go home and study. I’d like to stay, but I think that philosophy paper is calling my name,” she said, standing and stretching.

  “That’s all right. Maybe you can come over tomorrow?” he asked.

  “Sure. Sounds good.”

  She put her shoes back on and grabbed her purse, and he followed her to the door.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow then,” she said. She had a smile on her face when she turned back to him for their obligatory good-bye hug.

  When she moved forward to wrap her arms around him, his hand found the smooth shape of her jawline. She stopped when he touched her and stared up into his eyes. He was sure that he saw surprise written on her face. The last time she had tried to kiss him, he had backed off.

  “Jack,” she said, her voice coming out breathy and needy.

  It was addicting. He wanted to keep leaving her breathless.

  He pushed his fingers up into her hair, and her eyes closed of their own accord. His other hand moved to circle her waist.

  “Lex,” he whispered, hearing the urgency in his voice.

  Tilting her head up to him, he bent down and kissed her mouth. She tasted like strawberry lip gloss and every addictive substance on the planet. He couldn’t get enough.

  He pulled her hard against him and angled his mouth, so he could trace his tongue across her lips. She moaned into him and opened her mouth. As their tongues connected, he wondered why he had waited this long. Their kisses were urgent, like they had both been waiting too long for this. Still they weren’t rushed as their lips melded together and moved in uninterrupted unison.

  Lexi drew his bottom lip in with her teeth, and he nearly lost it. In that moment, he was using every ounce of self-control to stop himself from just grabbing her, throwing her back against the wall, and taking her right then and there.

  He kissed her deeply, hungrily, like how a starved man devours food. He could never and would never get enough of the way she tasted and felt.

  How he pulled back, he didn’t even know.

  When he kissed her now swollen lips one last time, she was putty in his hands. She wrapped her arms around his middle as much to steady herself as to hug him good-bye…and he really, very seriously considered keeping her here. She didn’t really need to study today…did she?

  “Jack,” she whispered.

  “Yeah, Lex?”

  She sighed pleasantly like there was nowhere else in the world she wanted to be. “I like when you call me that.”

  “Then, I’ll never stop.”

  Jack smiled and drew her in closer. He didn’t care if everything seemed to be spinning off axis. He only cared that he was hopelessly falling for her. And all he wanted was to stay exactly where they were with his arms wrapped around his girl. Because when he was with her, there was nothing and no one else.

  “I think…I think I have to really go this time,” Lexi muttered.

  She hugged him tighter and then released him. He kissed her one more time on the lips, and then she opened the door.

  With a sad smile, he watched his Lex walk out the door. He had this strange feeling creeping through his chest. It started at there and blossomed out to his extremities. She had ignited something in his body that he would never forget—just like he would never forget the way her hand fit perfectly in his, those soul-searching brown eyes, the taste of her pink lip gloss, the intoxicating nature of her presence.

  It reminded him of his parents, and it scared him shitless. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He couldn’t let himself feel this. He couldn’t let it sweep him away. But she swept him away.

  His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he reluctantly shut the front door before he answered. “Hello?”

  “Jack?” Danielle called into the phone. Her voice was shaky and cracked when she had said his name.

  He could hear her tears through the line. She sounded like she had been crying for a while. He wanted to be angry with her. She had been bitchy after all, but just the way she had said his name sounded pitiful.

  “Yeah, I’m here.”

  “Jack, baby, oh my God, what did we just do? I’m so, so, so sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to say anything like that to you. I never want a break. I love you. I love you so much.” She broke down into tears again, and he waited for her to recover herself. “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. You’re my world. I can’t live without you.”

  “Danielle…” he said awkwardly, thinking about Lex’s lips on him all over again.

  “Please, please, please, Jack! I could never live without you. Ever. I’ll come up this weekend and visit. I don’t care if I have to be all alone most of the time. It will all be as it was. Don’t force this break for no reason!” she blubbered. Her tears came heavier, and he sighed. “At least, let me talk to you in person. You owe me that much, Jack.”

  “Danielle…”

  “I’ll come up on Friday. We should talk about it. Please, Jack!” she gasped out.

  “All right. All right. We’ll talk,” he groaned, hating this whole thing.

  He hated when girls cried. Danielle knew he hated it, and she was using the waterworks to her advantage.

  Danielle continued to talk in his ear, but he barely heard her. What was he doing?

  He was pretty sure his future had just walked out that door.

  ~~~

  K.A. Linde is an independent author who enjoys writing novels that keep you guessing to the very end. She studied political science and philosophy at the University of Georgia and received her Masters in political science in 2012. She enjoys dancing in her spare time. She plans to finish the third novel in the Avoiding Series and the Record Series along with her future endeavors. She currently resides in Georgia with her boyfriend and two puppies, Lucy and Riker. www.kalinde.com

  SEE ME

  Zoe York

  Ember and Gage are on the cusp of big life changes. He shows up with champagne and tequila, and their celebration turns hot and heavy. When morning comes, Ember isn't sure satisfying a crush is worth putting their friendship on the line.

  ~~~

  Gage Hunter updated his status:

  Congrats to my pal Ember. Four exams down, one to go. Way to go, baby girl!

  Ember clicked on the notification box, not surprised to see a handful of likes from total strangers by the time her Facebook page refreshed. Gage had groupies. How weird was that? He didn’t even have an album out, but social media was changing how celebrities and fans connected.

  She knew better than anyone that Gage was something else up close and personal. Even through the anonymity of the internet, he probably made each of his fans feel the same way she did. Special. Like she had his undivided attention. Even beautiful, although Gage had never shown any interest in her beyond friendship. His still referring to her as baby girl underscored that fact in a big way.

  They were the same age. She was actually two months older than him, although by the time they met in grade nine, he was already taller, and by the time they graduated high school, he was a good deal bigger too, at least through the upper body. There’d been one mortifying afternoon where he’d pulled on her jeans after swimming, and they were too big in the hips. He’d laughed hysterically. She hadn’t spoken to him for a week.
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br />   She moused over the status update again, wondering if she should reply, when an instant message popped up in the corner. A wicked thrill dashed from her heart to her girly bits at the sight of his bad-ass rocker avatar.

  Gage: Are you studying?

  Ember: Nope. Last exam is Modern Canadian Literature, and it’s an open book essay. I’ve got my notes ready to go.

  Gage: You know we’ve got a show in the city tomorrow night?

  Ember: Uh, yes! I already have my tickets. I’m bringing a girlfriend. Try not to hit on her.

  Gage: Ouch, you wound me.

  Ember: If the shoe fits…

  Gage: Got any plans tomorrow during the day?

  Ember: Only if you’ve made them for me—I assumed we might catch up. But it’s okay if you’ve got other stuff to do, too.

  He didn’t respond right away, so Ember clicked on his name and flipped through some of the most recent pictures. Gage on the main stage at a folk festival, mid-afternoon. He’d been so proud of that gig. Gage and three blond fans. Ha. Gage and more fans. Gage and—she paused that thought when a knock sounded at the door. Her celebratory pizza was a bit early. She clicked back to the chat window.

  Ember: brb, my pizza’s arrived.

  Gage: Pizza!

  She shook her head and giggled as she jogged to the door. The delivery person knocked again, this time in a sustained pattern. She yelled for them to hang on a second, and grabbed her purse.

  A third round of knocking began just as she swung the door open, and her bitchy snapback died on her tongue as six feet of wicked awesomeness loomed over her, waving a bottle of pink champagne in one hand and a bottle of tequila in the other.

  “Gage!” She dropped her purse and threw herself against his body. She breathed in his spicy cologne and underlying Gage-ness. His chest was warm and hard under her cheek. “You’re here! I thought you weren’t coming until tomorrow.”

  “Surprise, baby girl.” He gave her a quick squeeze with his forearms before she stepped back. Then he waggled the bottles at her. “I should have waited until all of your exams were done, but we’ll be in Kingston and then Ottawa after that, and you were crowing on Facebook earlier so I thought it was safe tonight.”

  She hopped up and down on the spot, clapping her hands. “Oh my god, this is the best surprise. And I’ve got pizza on the way!”

  He chuckled. “I know, you said. Let me guess, vegetar—“

  “Shut up, it’s good for you. And if you’d told me you were coming, I’d have ordered something else for you too.”

  “And miss a full-on Ember-being-surprised body hug?” His slow, sexy smile covered his whole face, crinkling his eyes and sharpening his jaw. “That was totally worth a few mushrooms and peppers on my cheese wheel.”

  She stepped back. She might do something stupid if she stayed too close. Like let herself think his smile was intentionally sexy, and not just an innate part of Gage. Unfortunately, stepping back just meant she could see the whole package. Heavy-sole Doc Martens, faded black jeans anchored by a heavy leather belt, and a soft grey t-shirt that pulled up just enough to show off his slightly fuzzy abs when he lofted the bottles above his head again.

  It would be totally possible to lose herself in the fantasy of that strip of skin, soft over hard, but Ember knew better. She’d spent most of high school longing for Gage. The distance and limited friendship of the last four years had been a good thing. She’d dated, and honestly enjoyed herself. But with the intensity of the last term of her last year of university, it had been a while since she’d gotten laid. As Gage pushed past her, she took a deep breath of his scent and blamed her hibernating sex drive for choosing this moment to wake up.

  She glanced down at her sweat pants and oversized t-shirt, both emblazoned with the University of Toronto logo. Well, there wasn’t any risk of Gage being unexpectedly drawn to her tonight, so their relationship was safe. She shook her head, and half of her ponytail fell out. You’re a classy girl, Ember. She yanked at the elastic and followed him down the hall, head down, arms in the air, as she tried to rectify the mess on top of her head.

  So it was a total surprise when she ran head first into his six-pack.

  Or what she presumed was still a well-defined set of abdominal muscles. It had been a while since she’d seen him without his shirt on.

  “You okay there, baby—”

  “Don’t call me that.” She hated that nickname. A flush of embarrassment rose up her neck and warmed her cheeks. “I’m going to go get changed.”

  “Hey, Ember. I’m sorry. Look, I know I’ve crashed into your place on your night off. Please, don’t get changed. In fact, if you’ve got a pair of sweats for me, I’ll put them on and we can eat pizza and be gross together.”

  It was the right thing to say at the wrong moment. Or the wrong thing to say at the right moment, maybe. The reminder that her best friend was now so far out of her league it wasn’t funny still hurt. She winced. “No, really, let me get dressed. I’m not drinking champagne like this.” She waved a hand down her body, then tapped it lightly on Gage’s chest to indicate he should move out of her way. Her fingers wanted to linger, but she spurred herself on to her room anyway. Stupid fingers. Stupid hard chest and nice soft t-shirt. Stupid, awesome Gage with his stupid, wonderful surprise visits.

  By the time she was through her little mental rant, she was undressed and smiling in front of her closet. A bottle of champagne and a bottle of tequila. This was probably going to be a lot of fun, once she got out of her head. She dug through her underwear drawer, looking for the stretchy lace boy shorts that her sister had convinced her she should have for when she wanted to feel sexy. That was exactly what she wanted tonight.

  Not that Gage thought she was actually gross, of course. But after that comment, she needed a little pick-me-up, and hidden sexy underpants would do the trick.

  She slid the hot pink lace up her legs and twirled around. She needed to do something nice for her sister, the smarty-pants. She didn’t have a matching bra, but a basic black one would do. Black went with everything.

  Ripped blue jeans and a v-neck black tee completed the outfit, and she was brushing her hair when she faintly heard a knock at the front door.

  Gage beat her to it, handing cash over in exchange for the pizza, and he waved off her protests. “Let me treat you. I haven’t explained the tequila yet.”

  She raised an eyebrow in question.

  “The champagne is to celebrate you finishing your degree. An accomplishment, I should tell you, that seriously humbles me. You are the smartest person I know.” She opened her mouth to chide him, but he reached out with his free hand and placed his finger over her lips. The touch was functional, but it still sparked her libido again, and she leaned back, pressing her lips together in an effort to rid herself of that damn tingling sensation.

  He shot her a short quizzical look before continuing. “The tequila, though, is to celebrate some good news that I just got.”

  She stared at him, waiting for the rest of the sentence, but he just grinned. “What? Gage, don’t just stand there, what’s your good news?”

  “Well, after we do our road trip out east, we’re coming back to Toronto and recording a single. In a studio, with a producer. Which we’re going to release. Soon.”

  She didn’t need to let the words sink in. This was what Gage had been working toward for so long, as soon as the word “single” hit her ears, she was bouncing up and down and making happy noises. When he finished, she squealed and as he put the pizza down on the counter, she threw herself onto him again, this time getting some air.

  Gage seemed better prepared for her as well this time, and he easily picked her up and held her tight to his body as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She pulled his head into her neck, loving the way his normally shaved pate was a bit stubbly against her hands. “Congratulations,” she whispered, her mouth just above his ear. Happy tears rolled down her face and splashed onto his skin, and he laughed silen
tly against her.

  “Are you crying?”

  “In a good way, I promise.”

  He squeezed her tighter still. “Funny timing, eh?”

  “That we both have something to celebrate?”

  “And that I’m going to be in the city for a while, and you won’t need to be studying all the time…maybe we can get some quality Gage and Ember time in, what do you say?”

  Gage, in the city. Gage and his groupies, right in front of her. Some of her euphoria slipped away. “Yes, of course. I’m so happy for you.”

  She pushed on his shoulders, and he relaxed his arms, letting her slide down his body. As soon as her foot hit the ground, she turned in the circle of his arms and reached for the pizza. Without looking at his face, she asked him to grab glasses for the champagne, and she opened the box.

  He paused for a moment behind her, as if he sensed the shift in her mood, but then he stepped away and a cupboard door opened and glasses clinked together.

  They settled in front of the TV, side by side but not touching. Two oversized servings of champagne later, the bottle was empty and Ember was happy.

  “You know what we should do?” She leaned toward Gage with exaggerated motion. He raised his eyebrows, both of them, which she thought was strange, but she took that as an unspoken response and plowed ahead anyway. “We should go clubbing.”

  She put an extra flourish on the last word, and his eyes got really wide. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, baby girl.”

  “Not tonight, Gage. And I told you not to call me that. I mean, when you’re here for a while.”

  “Sure.”

  She scowled at him, but somewhere midway through the expression her lips curled into a smile and she started laughing. “Are you humouring me?”

  “No, of course not.”

  “Why don’t you want to go clubbing with me, Goran Gage Hunter Matlovich?”