My phone buzzed.
I looked down at a text from Matt. “Are you up? I need to seeyou.”
My heart started racing. If that wasn’t a sign, I didn’t knowwhat was. “Actually, I can’t sleep.”
“Too busy thinking about me?”
I smiled. One of the many reasons why I was falling for him. Hewas good at making a heavy situation feel light. “Always.” I didn’t want tolie.
“I’m coming over now. Keep that train of thought. I have animportant question for you.”
“What kind of question?”
“You’ll see.”
I wanted to be able to push him away. I did. But my body hada mind of its own. There were suddenly butterflies in my stomach instead ofthat twisting guilt. And my pulse was racing. I couldn’t turn him away even if Iwanted to. Maybe Tanner was right. Maybe Matt and I were always supposed to betogether. It was just a long, hard route to get there. But sometimes thehardest loves were the everlasting ones. The real ones.
Another text came through. “What are you wearing?”
I laughed out loud. “The usual. A very sexy pair of sweatpants.”I was crying a minute ago and now he had me laughing. I ignored the way mystomach twisted. I wasn’t just falling for him. I was in love with MatthewCaldwell.
“Perfect. Just the way I like you. Are you rocking that sexybun too?”
“Don’t you know it. I’m all ready for you.” I was smiling sohard it hurt.
“Just for the record, whatever you’re wearing won’t be on forlong.”
I felt my cheeks flush. “Is that your question? Whether ornot I’m ready to go all the way?”
“I’d probably word it more on the lines of are you ready forme to properly worship your body. I hope the answer is yes to that. But that’snot my question. And it’s okay if you’re not ready.”
I was smiling so hard my cheeks hurt. What was he going toask me? “I’m ready.”
He sent about ten eggplant emojis which made me laugh again.
“It’s a shame that we’re just friends, Matt.”
He sent ten more eggplant emojis. He was such a dork. ApparentlyI loved dorks. “Could I have a side of fries with that eggplant?”
“What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t bring friesand tulips with me?”
Well, that was that. He was officially perfect.
The call button buzzed. I hit the button to let him up.
I was ready for this. I was ready for him. I glanced in themirror real quick to make myself look at least a little more presentable. I hadno idea what Matt was planning. But I had a feeling it involved me repaying himfor our little elevator shindig earlier. He’d promised he was getting out ofthe thing with Poppy. Maybe that was it. But honestly? I’d sneak around withhim for a few days. Hadn’t I already been doing that? That was probably thequestion.
He wasn’t hiding me like some dirty little secret. He wasn’tthe same guy he was in high school. We’d both changed. And somehow wound up apretty perfect fit.
He knocked on the door. I put on a little lip gloss and thenhurried over. I looked out the peephole just as my hand grabbed the doorknob.
Oh my God. “Puta mierda.” My hand froze. I blinked andstared at the peephole again. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t behappening. But every time I blinked, nothing changed.
The butterflies in my stomach turned to lead. I felt like Iwas going to be sick. What the hell had I done?
I threw open the door. I wanted to curse and scream and cry. Iwanted to hit the redo button. I wanted to be doing anything other than staringat the ghost in my doorway. A ghost that very much was not a ghost at all.
No.
It wasn’t possible.
Never.
And yet…
Nunca.
“Brooklyn?”
* * *
Brooklyn’s back! Brooklyn’s back! If she’d come back a fewweeks sooner, everything would have been perfect. But now… Oopsies. Things areabout to get messy.
Will Matt go back to Brooklyn? Or will he stick withKennedy? And most importantly…where the heck has Brooklyn been this wholetime?! Find out in Book 5, coming May 12, 2022. CLICK HERE to pre-order your copy!
We also need to talk about Tanner and Nigel. They might betwo of my favorite characters that I’ve ever written… So I’m giving them anentire book! That’s right - TSSP is all about Tanner! And it’ll be availableAugust 12, 2021. CLICK HEREto pre-order your copy and learn all of Tanner’s secrets!
While you wait, see what Matt was thinking when he first met Brooklynback in high school. CLICK HEREto get your free copy of Matt’s point-of-view in Matthew Caldwell -The Untouchable.
The Untouchables.That’s what everyone called us. The nickname had followed us around since wewere kids. I wasn’t sure who started it, but the premise behind it was simple. Myfriends and I could get away with murder. Literally. That’s what happens whenyour parents own the two biggest companies in Manhattan.
We were untouchable.And I was…sick of it. I was sick of the lies and the secrets. I was sick of thepedestal we had to stand on. And I was sick of the girls throwing themselves atmy feet like I was some sort of god. I was tired of being untouchable. Especiallywhen all I wanted was someone who would never belong in my world…
CLICK HERE toget your free copy!
Temptation
Matt was a naughty boy and had a crush on Penny. But let’sbe honest…Penny was never going to turn her back on James. Not aftereverything Penny and James have had to go through to get their happily everafter.
CLICK HERE to start Pennyand James’ love story. And unlike Empire High…that series is actually complete. So you can read straight through!
Shy student Penny Taylor always follows the rules. At least, that’show it appears to her classmates. But she has one illicit secret – she’s fallenhard for her professor. And she’s
