Adjournment (The Fate Series) (47 page)

“That means the girl who dresses like that is a snob.” He takes a bite of his. He reaches onto the floor next to the bed and lifts up a can of soda, flicks the top a few times, and opens it before passing it to me.

“You know
me
too well.” I smile taking it from him. “And I am not a snob.” Taking another bite, I think it over.

I was snob… that’s what this weekend, what Simon, taught me.

Even though moments ago we were intertwined with each other and I was practically… well you know… we fall into a comfortable silence while we both continue to eat. It’s amazing, without anything to say I feel okay sitting here with him. On most dates when this happens I’m struggling with excuses to get out.

But this isn’t a date…

No, this is far more intimate than a date…

Clearing his throat, he begins to speak.

“Molly is going back with Dean in our limo, and that is why Chase and I will be joining you and Morgan,” he informs me. I’m about to take another bite when I pull the sandwich from my mouth and gape at him.

“Are you just bribe feeding me?” I glare at him.

Laughing as he chews, he waits until he can swallow to speak.

“The soda was the bribe… the sandwich is lunch.” He smiles waving another can in my face.

“Fine… but first the drink.” I snap my fingers at him.

“No, no… I know your tricks, you can have this when I am securely in the car.” He stands up grabbing the dishes and walks out.

Jackass…

“This is silly, why do you two get your own limo?” I shout at Jacob.

I can’t sit next to Simon for that long and not become insane… I mean just smelling the man makes me crazy.

“Because we got our own here. Take your butt back to that one.” He points at the limo Simon is leaning against.

Wrinkling my nose, I look from the limo to Jacob. “Come on… you won’t know I’m there,” I plead with him.

“You’re right, we won’t… because you
won’t
be there. Goodbye.” Jacob’s hands grab my shoulders. He spins me around and pushes me back to the car.

Two hours in a car with Simon…

That’s two hours of me fighting the urge to kiss him…

Two hours of fighting the urge to straddle him and rip his clothes off.

How does a man as irritating as him do this to me?

“Why do you hate me, Jacob?” I pout, stomping my feet with every step I take.

“I love you, but I don’t want to ride with you. You understand.” He gives me one last push before running back.

“Oh, yeah! Well you… suck,” I trail off as I watch him get into his car and it pull out of the driveway.

My shoulders droop.

Dragging myself over to my parents, I give them a hug.

“Don’t even ask to ride with us. Our vacation isn’t over until we’re home.” My mom giggles, grabbing my father’s tie.

All I have to do now is keep that visual the entire ride back, and I will be fine.

“I will make sure never to ride in your car again,” I gag and shake my head.

“Miss Chandler, are you ready?” Earl smiles at me.

Earl! He will help me.

I perk up, skipping over to him. “Earl!” I smile, he leers at me.

“Can I sit up in the front with you?” I ask, my shoulder raise slightly.

I’m too cute to say no to right now.

“I like having the divider up. If you sit with me Mr. McAllister will annoy you and me. It’s not you—”

Rejected…

“Yeah, yeah… I’ve heard this line,” I cut Earl off with a wave of my hand as I walk to the end of the car where Simon stands waiting with a big, fat, stupid smile on his face.

My stomach flips with excitement.

“Knock it off,” I internally yell at it.

Lexi walks over to me, meeting up before we get to him. She looks pleased, rested, and the complete opposite of how I feel.

“I’ve done something terrible in my life,” I mumble before I’m close enough for Simon to hear.

“I think it’s Fate,” Lexi giggles next to me.

“I think Fate took a holiday,” I groan.

Lexi gets in first while Simon and I have a standoff. With a bright smile he gestures for me to get into the car. “After you, Pet.”

Getting in I feel his hand skim over my ass before he pinches it.

“Simon, I will break your hand if you do that again,” I snap, my lips forming a wide smile that he can’t see.

He lets out a laugh and once inside the car he pats the seat next to him.

Here we go…

Panties… stay!

Stomach don’t even think about it.

“So, we were discussing a reality where I don’t exist… you know just because you don’t see me doesn’t mean I’m not there,” he whispers against my knuckles before pressing them into his lips. Heat emanates up my arm and across my entire body.

How does he manage to make something creepy sound sexy?

“So here is to a reality where I exist.” He hands me the can of soda and taps it with his.

I’m going to regret asking this, but I need to.

“Why now? Why wait ten years?” I turn my head to look at him.

What if I had gotten married and had children and did the whole girly American dream thing? What does he think, I was just sitting here in my tower waiting for him to show up? Okay, I sort of did that but I’m sure I would have eventually dated someone…

Maybe…

Oh, who the hell am I kidding?

“I look it as a state of Adjournment.” He thoughtfully twists a strand of my hair between his thumb and finger.

“Adjournment?” I ask, my brow furrows. “Is this some sort of game to you?” I pull my hair from his fingers. 

I’m not speaking to him for the rest of the ride. Between his mouth and my mother and father it will be easy keeping my desire at bay.

“Of course not, Pet. I didn’t mean to insult you.” He exhales and looks back at my hair, his fingers beginning to twist it again.

“You think it’s going to be this simple?” I let out a small laugh. “That we are going to live happily ever after.” I feel hurt, angry, and hopeful all at the same time.

Dammit, I spoke to him.

Okay, ignore him.

His fingers stop moving, “Nothing about this game will be simple…” he says in a harsh whisper.

Everything stops, my heart stills and my blood goes cold as my eyes widen.

What the hell does that mean?

Watch for Book 2 in the Fated series

“Hanging Pawns”

coming September 2014

First I NEED to thank you the reader, for reading Adjournment. Thank you for taking a chance on a new author & I hope you enjoyed it! (Yes, book 2 will be out soon. Hehehe) I would also like to thank all the blogs who signed up for my cover release, my release day blitz, to review & to help spread the word. Thank you all for believing in my book enough to help promote and support it! It means the absolute world to me that you all work so hard day in and day out to help Indies like me!

Next, I need to thank my parents for being so supportive through this whole process.  Mom, thanks for being the constant reader in my life. I guess all those summer breaks spent having to do my Summer Reading List (school required) and making me write book reports on all of them (mom required) worked in my favor. Now who gets the last laugh? 

My husband and “Computer Roadie” as he has now come to be called. Thank you for somehow putting up with me after an all-nighter, those times of self-doubt and the occasional (we both know it was a lot more) screams of “What the hell am I doing this for?” You never let me give up and when I thought about just saying “screw it, I’m done” you would just simply threaten to toss my laptop into oncoming traffic which would snap me out of it. Thank you for not freaking out from being forced to listen to the same song on repeat for hours at a time while I wrote one scene and killing me when you realized you had learned the words to every Lorde, Florence and the Machine, Lumineers and Bastille song that is on the album(s).  Although, there was that one night we had battle of the speakers…

To my Grams, I really hope I did you justice. You are an inspiration, but more importantly you are MY inspiration and your advice to me will forever live on in the words of this book. Thank you for believing in me.

Thank you to my brother for spending hours on the phone with me to come up with names of characters. You never thought twice when answering the phone to “Quick, I need a good douchebag name.” You would just laugh and say “ok let’s see… tell me about him…” and away we would all go.  To the rest of my family thank you for your support and encouragement. (And for not giving me the look when you found out I was writing.) You’re excitement was heartwarming and just what I needed to help me start this.

My amazing betas and long-time friends, Jaymee & Melissa. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy lives to read my story!  For me letting someone else read my thoughts was scary. Putting it in your hands was terrifying… in the best way of course. Hahaha. Your notes and thoughts helped me to move past that. (I’m still nervous but I no longer rock in a corner twiddling my hair nervously between my fingers.) I can’t wait for you to experience the rest of the books and I hope I forever live up to your high expectations of writing.

To my writing group… Jessica, Kaye, Leia & Sam. I find it unfair to call you that because you are so much more to me. You are my best friends, my sisters, & my literary soul mates. You all were a prayer that was answered in my most desperate time and without you I would be still be lost in the forest of my mind struggling to figure out which way to go.

Thank you to my best friend, Liza for you have been so encouraging through this whole thing. You somehow how were able to deal with me through the highs and lows. I am forever in awe of you for that. Hahaha. You’re one of the smartest women I know and I am glad to call you my friend.

Kari, my AMAZING cover designer from Cover to Cover, THANK YOU for somehow seeing my vision through my “I like this photo but maybe like this… or like that… or I don’t know perhaps both? What do you think? How about you do what speaks to you.” HOW DID YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND THAT? I will never know, but I look forward to doing it again for the next books. HAHAHAHA! I will apologize ahead of time for most likely doing the same thing with the next covers.

Thank you to Jenny Sims from Editing4Indies for fitting me in last minute! I love working with you and I am sorry for making you cry! Hahaha. You are an amazing editor and I can’t thank you enough for helping me!!

Thank you Tami from Integrity Formatting!!! You did an incredible job on this book and have been such a life-saver!! How you stayed calm me with me, even after receiving four or five emails in a row with different ramblings was amazing. Hahaha I am so excited to work with you in the future. (Hopefully it goes smoother.) hehehe.

Ena & Jennifer from Enticing Journey, thank you so much for all your hard work with hosting my blog tour! You are amazing women who put in crazy hours to help promote Indies and this Indie is amazed by you both! I have to ask… do you ladies sleep? Hahaha. I look forward to working with you in the future!