Table of Contents

Dedication

Prologue

September 10, 2004

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Acknowledgements

My Amazing Readers

Next ~ A Kiss Series Novel

Copyright © 2015 by Rachael Brownell.

All rights reserved.

Cover Design by Marisa Shor of Cover Me, Darling

Interior formatting by Cassy Roop of Pink Ink Designs

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of the author as provided by USA copyright law.

This novel is a work of fiction. Names, descriptions, entities, and incidents included in the story are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, and entities is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United State of America.

ISBN: 978-1515001539

 

 

 

 

Dedication

For the optimist in all of us, the desire inside that pushes us to hold on when letting go is easier.

I RUN, AS FAST as I can. I'm not athletic. I don't play sports. I know he's going to catch me. That's what I want, right? For him to catch me?

My legs feel like jelly. I feel his hand graze my arms once, twice, then I'm caught. I should have started running sooner, faster. It doesn't matter. He would have caught me regardless.

"You shouldn't have let me catch you, Gracie." He pulls me back into his chest, lifting my feet off the ground, as the meaning behind his words begins to register.

"Who says I let you?" I know challenging him isn't a good idea, but I haven't learned how to filter my thoughts around him.

"I do. I know you can run faster than that. I think you wanted me to catch you."

"Really?" I say, struggling to break from his hold. It's no use. He's much stronger than me and since he's holding me off the ground, I can't use my legs for leverage.

"Yes, really. I think you knew what would happen when I caught you."

"And what is that?" I begin to struggle again and this time he lets me break free, but I don't get far. Two steps, maybe, before he's got a hold of my wrist and is pulling me back to him. This time we are chest to chest. I crash into the front of him and can't hide the way my body reacts. I'm sure he can see it, feel it. My breathing is ragged and it's not from running.

"Look at me, Gracie," he commands and I do as he says. Not because I want to but because my body wants to.

"Why do you insist on calling me that? It's not my name, you know?" I love it, though. I would never tell him that, or anyone else.

"Because. You're my angel fallen from grace. It suits you. You're beautiful and you know it. What I don't understand is why you want me?"

"Who says I want you?"

How the hell did he figure it out? No one knows.

"Your body says a lot of things. It's telling me right now how much you want me. The question is – what exactly do you want from me because there are a few things that I can offer you." He wraps his arms around me a little tighter as I contemplate how I want to answer him.

"Nothing," I say, trying to take a step back. He quickly moves his hand to my lower back and pulls me back in. I will myself to look away so that he can't see that I'm lying, but it's like I'm in a trance. His eyes are the lightest shade of green normally, but right now they look dark as night. I wonder if I stare at them long enough, if I would be able to see into the depths of his soul.

"That's a shame. I was pretty sure that you wanted me to kiss you. That's what this whole game of cat and mouse was about, right? You wanted me to catch you so that we could be alone, share a kiss and then go back to pretending that we don’t want each other?"

For a moment, I consider lying to him. I know that I can, the words are on the tip of my tongue, but why? I would rather tell him the truth and get what I want. What I want is him.

"What if that was my master plan all along? Get you to chase me, catch me and kiss me. Would that be so bad? Does that make me an awful person?"

"Not at all. I like a girl who knows what she wants. It's a turn on." The way he said 'turn on' makes me take notice of the way he's looking at me. Holy hell. If I didn't know better I would think that he was going to take me right here, in the middle of the woods. No one would be able to see us, but our houses are too close for comfort.

I open my mouth to reply, but no words come out. He's waiting. I can see that he wants me to make the first move, to take control, but I know that I can't. I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm sure he knows that this will be my first kiss. Yes, I'm a seventeen-year-old loser. I've never kissed a guy and now the hottest guy I've ever known, the object of my obsession for the past three years, is staring at me waiting for me to kiss him and I have no idea what to do.

I take a step back and lower my eyes to the ground. I'm embarrassed but not because of what didn't happen. I'm embarrassed because I just saw the realization flash in his eyes followed by the pity. The pity is the worst part.

"Gracie-"

"No! Stop calling me that. My name is Reagan. I'm not your fallen angel. I'm not your anything." I turn to leave, but I don't know where to go. I could head back to Luke’s house where Elliott and Kylie are probably still making out in the backyard. No thanks. I'm not even sure if they've come up for air long enough to realize that we left.

I feel his hand on my lower back again and my body shivers. It's over ninety today and my body frickin shivers when he touches me. Great! This was a horrible idea. I never should have let myself run with this one, literally.

"Turn around." It was meant exactly as it sounded – like a command.

"Why? What's the point, Luke? I don't want your pity. I don't want anything from you anymore. I just want to be alone right now."

"Turn. Around."

I turn to give him a piece of my mind, but I don't get the chance. Before I have an opportunity to speak his lips are on mine and my body is being lifted. I want to fight it. I want to push him away. I don't want to kiss him anymore. My body, on the other hand, wants all of those things. My legs wrap themselves around his waist. My arms wrap around his neck. My lips move in sync with his as if they know exactly what they are supposed to do. As far as first kisses go, I'm pretty sure this one is spectacular, but I have nothing to compare it to.

Bark scrapes the skin of my back as I hit the tree, but I don't care. I feel his body press into mine and I can't help but let out a moan. I'm not sure what he's doing to me, but it feels amazing. His lips are soft and gentle, but his body is hard and demanding. I never thought it could be both ways, but I like it. A lot. My body is having small seizures every time he touches me. I can't control it anymore.