I expectantly part my lips for his kiss. “It is.”
“Mr. Stone. Ms. Risk,” calls the assistant principal. “A little more space between you and a lot more paying attention. It’s time for you to get onto the field.”
I deflate and wrap my hand on Ryan’s bent arm so he can escort me out underneath the glaring lights. I wanted Ryan to kiss me. I needed him to kiss me.
Over the PA system, our names are
announced and Ryan leads me to the fifty-yard line. People yell and scream, the loudest cheers HC TITLE-AUTHOR
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coming from the section where we left
Lacy, Chris, and Logan.
“When you win,” says Ryan, “don’t forget
you said you’d keep that tiara on your pretty little head all night.”
My eyes widen as I realize how I can get
exactly what I want. We stop in the middle of the field and I turn to him. “Kiss me. Not just a peck. The real deal.”
Ryan glances around at the bleachers full of hundreds of people. “Excuse me?”
“I, Beth Risk, do double dog dare you to kiss me in front of all these people.”
Ryan’s eyes brighten and the arrogant smile that makes my heart trip over itself spreads across his face. “Are you forgetting dare etiquette? You have to dare before you can double dog dare.”
I roll my eyes. “Fine. I dare you to kiss me.”
“And if I do?”
“If I win homecoming, which I won’t, I’ll wear that damn tiara for a week straight.”
He cradles my face with both his hands. His lips whisper against mine and I ache for him to kiss me. My mind whines that he won’t do it, but then he nibbles on my lower lip. His mouth HC TITLE-AUTHOR
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parts and the two of us move our lips
hungrily in time with one another.
In between gasps of air our names are called as the winners. I feel Ryan’s lips tug into a smile before he says one word: “Can.”
*
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Acknowledgments
To God—Isaiah 61:1
For Dave—Because I still own the first
baseball cap I ever saw you in.
Thank you to…
Kevan Lyon—everybody should have
someone like you in their corner. Your advice and guidance have been extremely valuable to me. Thank you. I will never forget that this all began with you.
Margo Lipschultz—Thank you for caring as
much about my characters as I do. You are absolutely brilliant and I’m a better writer because of you.
Everyone who has touched my books at
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Harlequin Teen, especially Natashya
Wilson. You guys have made this experience fantastically memorable!
Matt Baldwin and Mike Baldwin with
Future Pro: Thank you for welcoming me into your indoor training facility and for taking the time to answer my questions on baseball.
Angela Annalaro-Murphy—Thank you for
loving Beth first. It was your faith and
friendship that kept me writing.
Shannon Michael—How many times did I
end up on your back porch with my head in my hands wondering if I was headed in the right direction with the story? Thanks for the laughs and friendship.
Kristen Simmons—I couldn’t have done this without you. It’s amazing when I think of the laughter and tears we’ve shared since we met.
This book is for you.
Colette Ballard, Kelly Creagh, Bethany
Griffin, Kurt Hampe, and Bill Wolfe—you
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guys are more than a critique group. You’ve become family. Kelly and Bethany, thank you for holding my hand through my debut year.
Kurt and Bill, thank you for pointing out when “a guy wouldn’t do that.” Colette, thank you for the endless hours of laughter, support, and extra reads.
Louisville Romance Writers: It was you
guys who first put me on the path toward
publication. Thank you for continuing to light the way.
Again, to my parents, my sister, my Mt.
Washington family, and my in-laws…I love
you.
My biggest thank-you is to the fantastic
authors I’ve met, the booksellers, the
librarians, the teachers, the book bloggers, and my readers. Thank you for taking the time to spread the word and for the messages, tweets, and emails you’ve sent to me. You remind me why I write.
To A, N, and P. You know who you are and
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you know that I love you more than my
own life.
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Don’t miss Isaiah’s story, CRASH INTO YOU,
coming soon
from Katie McGarry
and Harlequin TEEN!
Turn the page
for an exclusive two-chapter sneak preview….
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Rachel
THE DRIVER’S SEAT of my Mustang is one of the few places where I find peace. I guess I could go on some tangent about how my older brothers influenced my love of cars, but I won’t, because it’s not true.