Title: Lessons from A
One-Night Stand
Series: The Bailey’s 1
Author: Piper Rayne
Release Date: February
7, 2019
Published By: Self
Category: Contemporary
– Romance – Saga
Type: Digital –
Paperback – Audio
Rating:
Heat:
Blurb:
If you’re
a guy like me, and you find yourself having banged your sexy new boss—the
school principal—in the back of your Jeep one drunken night, here’s a few
takeaways based on my experience...
Lesson One: Always get her FULL name.
Lesson Two: Consider asking what she does for a living.
Lesson Three: Find out why she’s moved to town. Get details. Details are crucial.
Lesson Four: Don’t alter her bio in front of an auditorium of high school students unless you know she has a sense of humor for that sort of thing.
Lesson Five: If you ignore Lesson Four, apologize instead of flirt when you’re sent to the principal’s office.
Lesson Six: NEVER sleep with her again.
Lesson Seven: Pay attention to this one—it’s the most important of them all.
Don’t fall for your one-night stand.
Class dismissed.
Lesson One: Always get her FULL name.
Lesson Two: Consider asking what she does for a living.
Lesson Three: Find out why she’s moved to town. Get details. Details are crucial.
Lesson Four: Don’t alter her bio in front of an auditorium of high school students unless you know she has a sense of humor for that sort of thing.
Lesson Five: If you ignore Lesson Four, apologize instead of flirt when you’re sent to the principal’s office.
Lesson Six: NEVER sleep with her again.
Lesson Seven: Pay attention to this one—it’s the most important of them all.
Don’t fall for your one-night stand.
Class dismissed.
By reading any further, you are stating that
you are at least 18 years of age.
If you are under the age of 18,
please exit this site.
Favorite Lines:
“It’s funny, if I
believed in love at first sight, I might’ve thought I felt it.” ~
Holly
“I need you. That’s all
I need in this life. You next to me when I fall asleep and you there when I
wake up in the morning. And all the hours in between.” ~
Austin
“Have you ever felt like everything
in your life, all the pieces, finally fit? Like you’d found that last piece of
the puzzle?” ~ Holly
Vocabulary Word:
Incesant
in·ces·sant | \ (ˌ)in-ˈse-sᵊnt \
Definition
of incessant
Excerpt:
The
handsome guy on stage with his jaw hanging wide open, shock and awe in his
eyes?
That’d be me. Austin Bailey. Eldest brother of the Bailey clan, guardian to my younger siblings, biology teacher extraordinaire, baseball coach, good neighbor, and all-round pretty great guy.
Before we dive into the fact that karma just raised its middle finger at me, you should hear how my day began.
Today started like every other day. I woke up, got ready, prepared breakfast for my ungrateful twin sisters, Phoenix and Sedona, then we all hopped into my Jeep to head to school.
Of course, Phoenix didn’t eat the pancakes. Her exact words, if I remember correctly were, “They taste like cardboard. Can’t you just follow the recipe?”
Sedona ate the pancakes, but as soon as we pulled into the parking lot of Lake Starlight High School, where they’re seniors, her appreciation for me ended. “Park in the back, I don’t want to be seen stepping out of this monstrosity.”
I’ve learned that there’s no pleasing a teenager, especially a female one—no offense, ladies, but her comment still irks me. How is my Jeep embarrassing? It has a snorkel so when I off-road, I don’t have to spend my money on a new engine and can instead afford to buy her whatever new outfit she wants. She should be grateful, thanking me. But she’s seventeen. Pleasing her is impossible.
I purposely park in the first row and honk my horn to announce our arrival, because pissing off Sedona is one of my top five favorite things to do. I’ll miss that come next year.
Phoenix’s stomach rumbles as she exits the car. Sedona has already raced off to the nearest entrance as if that creepy IT clown is following her.
I stroll toward the door, reloading my emails on my phone, hoping I received the response I’ve been waiting for and that it contains good news. Elijah, my star pitcher, cuts me off.
“Coach, I need some advice.” He runs his fingers through his long hair.
“How to cut your hair? Come see me. I’ve got clippers in my office.”
It’s like a contest these days for the kids to see who can grow their hair and look the most unkempt. I don’t get the appeal, and Elijah is the worst of them all.
“No, Coach, Becca broke up with me.” There’s a hitch in his voice. His eyes scour the courtyard, where most of the kids hang out until the first bell rings.
I stuff my phone into the pocket of my jacket. “Why?”
“Well…” He runs his fingers through his hair again.
For the love of God. Next season if I’m still here, I’m making a new rule—if your hair covers your eyes, I’m your barber.
Of course, then JP’s mom will call to complain. She always calls. I think if we changed the flavor of the performance drink we give them from strawberry to lime, she’d call. You know the type. She probably still wipes his ass to make sure he did it right. And though I understand that the Andrews family has had its share of heartbreak, she was like that before and after.
I push JP’s mom out of my head because just the thought of dealing with her will give me a headache. “What’d you do?”
I open the door to the hallway. With it being Monday morning, my fellow teachers nod, gripping their coffee mugs like life vests.
A group of three girls lingering around one locker follow Elijah as we head down the hall. I’m not blind. He’s kind of a big deal around here, and I can guess what path his teenage hormones led him down. They’re tricky fuckers to manage.
“You know Sara Pylar?” Elijah asks in a tentative voice.
See? Too bad I can’t bet on my players’ screw-ups. I wouldn’t be working here, that’s for sure. I’d be a rich man.
I open up the door to my classroom, and Elijah heads in first.
Do I know Sara Pylar? Of course, I do. She’s usually the one in the short skirt with her finger twirling a strand of her hair. The worse her grades are, the more bubble gum she chews while she asks to move to the front row so she can see the smart board better. Sara would eat up and spit out a kid like Elijah if he ever tried to tangle with her.
“Yeah, I know Sara.”
He sits in the chair next to my desk. “There was this dare…”
“Nothing good comes from those.” I cross my arms.
“JP was razzing me about how I’ve only ever kissed Becca and that when I go to college, we’ll break up and how the girls at college are on another level.” His eyes widen, silently asking me.
I went to college. I played in college, and at one time, I thought maybe I’d hit the majors. Then family responsibilities brought me back to Lake Starlight. Now I teach and try to advise kids like Elijah not to make the mistakes I did. Then again, youth is your free pass to do stupid shit.
“Girls in college are the girls you went to high school with but a little older.” I sit in my chair, grabbing a pen.
“He said I’d regret not having experience.”
My gaze lands on the clock. Elijah has about five minutes before first class bell. I hold up my hand to stop him from rambling. “Listen.”
Elijah is good enough to be drafted first round, and this town can’t wait to see him succeed. He’ll have plenty of temptation come his way over the years, and he needs to decide now how he’s going to handle it.
“Did you kiss Sara?” I ask.
“No, but…”
“I’m gonna guess here and tell me if I’m wrong.” He closes his mouth, so I continue. “You let your friends get to you. JP, whose mom probably follows him on his dates you do realize, tells you that you don’t have enough experience and should kiss another girl.”
He’s nodding and smirking because everyone knows JP’s mom will probably put up spy cameras in his dorm room next year.
“You thought, ‘Hey, what if Becca does break my heart and fall for someone next fall? Where does that leave me?’ So, you went into a bedroom or somewhere private with a very willing Sara. Then Becca somehow walked in on you right before you finished debating in your head if you were going to kiss her?”
You see me trying to make it seem like he would never cheat on Becca? Probably bullshit. He’s seventeen. He would’ve kissed Sara and blown his relationship with Becca into smithereens and only realized what a mistake that was down the road.
“Exactly. Coach.”
“Now you have to grovel.” I check the clock one more time. Three minutes until first bell.
“I did. I went to her house. I texted her.”
I stand to let Elijah know he’s leaving before my class arrives. “Sorry,” I smack him on the back. “You need to pull out the big guns.”
His shoulders slump.
“Just think of what makes Becca happy, why she fell in love with you, and you’ll figure it out.”
“How do you know, Coach?”
I open the door and wait for him to walk through. “Because I was you at one time. And another piece of advice?”
He waits for me on the other side of the door.
“Don’t go listening to your friends. They usually give shit advice, and honestly, you usually get a lot more experience with a girlfriend than by flipping around with multiple girls. Teenage boys have shit for brains. Don’t listen to them.”
I really don’t want to know how far he’s gotten with Becca. Especially with Phoenix and Sedona being the same age as Elijah.
He looks at me sheepishly. “Well, we have—”
“That’s a conversation I don’t want to hear and no one else should either. Don’t be a dick and kiss and tell.” The bell rings. “Go to class.”
He turns around. “You mean assembly.”
“Assembly?”
We walk out into the hallway where everyone is filing toward the auditorium.
“Yeah, remember Principal Miller had the baby?”
Shit. Now I’m running my fingers through my hair. All the teenage angst had me forgetting that we have to meet the new principal of Lake Starlight High School this morning. The last principal I’ll ever be under because next year I’m heading to the college level—I hope.
“Yeah. Go. You don’t want to be late.”
“Thanks, Coach… for everything.” He jogs down the hall, catching up to his friends.
I turn to go through the back entrance since I’ll have to sit in a chair in front of all the students so that we can appear as a united front for the new principal. A symbol that says we have their back.
I run smack-dab into Fay Murphy, the office assistant. “Hey, Fay.”
“I’m so happy I found you.” She seems a tad flustered, and her face has that beet-red overlay she used to get when Principal Miller reprimanded her for not refilling her stapler.
Working without that dictator will be a nice change. Let me tell you, pregnant women do not like it when they have to give up coffee—something we all paid the price for.
“What’s up?” I keep walking because we’re going to be late if we don’t hurry.
“We need you to introduce Principal Radcliffe.” She peers behind me then pushes up on her tiptoes to whisper in my ear, “Malcolm, I mean Vice Principal Ealey, called in this morning. I think he was still…”
Fay doesn’t have to finish the sentence. Malcolm Ealey went through a public divorce last year and has been spending a lot of his time at the Lucky Tavern, drowning in a helluva lot more than his sorrows. That’s why, even though he should have become our temporary principal, the school board decided to hire someone new.
“Why me?”
She hands me a piece of paper. “The kids look up to you, and everyone thinks that the kids will welcome Principal Radcliffe if you introduce her.”
Her. Another woman. Hopefully this one is well-caffeinated and not pregnant. We’ll all stand a better chance that way.
I accept the piece of paper, looking over what I need to say. “Fine.”
I’m not scared of public speaking. I’ve got two teenage girls at home. You don’t know a hostile environment until you’re trying to break up a fight between those two.
“You’re the best, Austin.” Fay squeezes my forearm then walks down the hall.
My footsteps slow as I read over the new principal’s bio. What the hell is a Yale graduate doing in Alaska at Lake Starlight High School? After skimming over her education, I fold up the paper. I can wing it from there. Besides the kids couldn’t care less about what’s printed on that sheet.
Heading into the auditorium, I search out the face of our new principal, but I know everyone here.
“Her meeting with the superintendent is running a tad late, so if you could stall, I’ll tap you on the shoulder when it’s safe to announce her,” Fay informs me.
“I’m not a zoo keeper.”
Fay laughs.
I will not miss this part of my job next year.
Before I realize it, I’m in front of the podium, clearing my throat and introducing myself, as if everyone here doesn’t already know who I am. Sedona rolls her eyes and looks away. I have no fucking clue why she’s so embarrassed of me. I mean, look at me. Six foot two, two-ten, short, neat haircut. I work out four times a week, hike, bike, ski. My muscles aren’t from just the gym…
Okay, before I keep sounding like a male-seeking-female want ad, let’s get on with how my day went into the shitter in a matter of twenty minutes.
I tell a few jokes, and the kids loosen up a bit. Maybe I should rethink the whole college baseball coach thing and go for stand-up comedy. I’m pretty good at this.
Fay taps my shoulder, and thank God, because I’m running out of material.
I pull the paper out of my back pocket and clear my throat one more time. “All right, everyone. We all know that Principal Miller has left us to enjoy her new baby, so we’re welcoming a new principal into our school. Our new principal for the remainder of the year is Dr. Radcliffe. She graduated from Yale with her doctorate in education. She comes here from the lower forty-eight, so make sure you give a big Alaskan welcome!”
About half the kids in the auditorium clap while the rest of them stare at the stage with an expression that only a bunch of unimpressed and uninterested teenagers can manage.
Time to grab their interest and get them to buy in. “Principal Radcliffe’s hobbies include streaking during football games, ferret racing, and taking surveys for money.”
The kids roar with laughter, finally looking as if they’re interested and want to be here. Fay steps up and nudges me.
“Sorry,” I mumble. “We’ll bring Dr. Radcliffe out to explain her hobbies in more depth.” I turn from the podium at the sound of heels clicking across the stage.
This is the part where my mouth drops open and my testicles jerk up, seeking protection.
See the auburn-haired woman walking right toward me? The one who looks as pissed off as Sedona did when I honked my horn in the parking lot this morning?
Yeah, that’s my new boss.
The new principal of Lake Starlight High School.
I don’t believe in kissing and telling, but I’ll tell you—this is the first and only principal I’ve ever given an orgasm to in the backseat of my Jeep.
That’d be me. Austin Bailey. Eldest brother of the Bailey clan, guardian to my younger siblings, biology teacher extraordinaire, baseball coach, good neighbor, and all-round pretty great guy.
Before we dive into the fact that karma just raised its middle finger at me, you should hear how my day began.
Today started like every other day. I woke up, got ready, prepared breakfast for my ungrateful twin sisters, Phoenix and Sedona, then we all hopped into my Jeep to head to school.
Of course, Phoenix didn’t eat the pancakes. Her exact words, if I remember correctly were, “They taste like cardboard. Can’t you just follow the recipe?”
Sedona ate the pancakes, but as soon as we pulled into the parking lot of Lake Starlight High School, where they’re seniors, her appreciation for me ended. “Park in the back, I don’t want to be seen stepping out of this monstrosity.”
I’ve learned that there’s no pleasing a teenager, especially a female one—no offense, ladies, but her comment still irks me. How is my Jeep embarrassing? It has a snorkel so when I off-road, I don’t have to spend my money on a new engine and can instead afford to buy her whatever new outfit she wants. She should be grateful, thanking me. But she’s seventeen. Pleasing her is impossible.
I purposely park in the first row and honk my horn to announce our arrival, because pissing off Sedona is one of my top five favorite things to do. I’ll miss that come next year.
Phoenix’s stomach rumbles as she exits the car. Sedona has already raced off to the nearest entrance as if that creepy IT clown is following her.
I stroll toward the door, reloading my emails on my phone, hoping I received the response I’ve been waiting for and that it contains good news. Elijah, my star pitcher, cuts me off.
“Coach, I need some advice.” He runs his fingers through his long hair.
“How to cut your hair? Come see me. I’ve got clippers in my office.”
It’s like a contest these days for the kids to see who can grow their hair and look the most unkempt. I don’t get the appeal, and Elijah is the worst of them all.
“No, Coach, Becca broke up with me.” There’s a hitch in his voice. His eyes scour the courtyard, where most of the kids hang out until the first bell rings.
I stuff my phone into the pocket of my jacket. “Why?”
“Well…” He runs his fingers through his hair again.
For the love of God. Next season if I’m still here, I’m making a new rule—if your hair covers your eyes, I’m your barber.
Of course, then JP’s mom will call to complain. She always calls. I think if we changed the flavor of the performance drink we give them from strawberry to lime, she’d call. You know the type. She probably still wipes his ass to make sure he did it right. And though I understand that the Andrews family has had its share of heartbreak, she was like that before and after.
I push JP’s mom out of my head because just the thought of dealing with her will give me a headache. “What’d you do?”
I open the door to the hallway. With it being Monday morning, my fellow teachers nod, gripping their coffee mugs like life vests.
A group of three girls lingering around one locker follow Elijah as we head down the hall. I’m not blind. He’s kind of a big deal around here, and I can guess what path his teenage hormones led him down. They’re tricky fuckers to manage.
“You know Sara Pylar?” Elijah asks in a tentative voice.
See? Too bad I can’t bet on my players’ screw-ups. I wouldn’t be working here, that’s for sure. I’d be a rich man.
I open up the door to my classroom, and Elijah heads in first.
Do I know Sara Pylar? Of course, I do. She’s usually the one in the short skirt with her finger twirling a strand of her hair. The worse her grades are, the more bubble gum she chews while she asks to move to the front row so she can see the smart board better. Sara would eat up and spit out a kid like Elijah if he ever tried to tangle with her.
“Yeah, I know Sara.”
He sits in the chair next to my desk. “There was this dare…”
“Nothing good comes from those.” I cross my arms.
“JP was razzing me about how I’ve only ever kissed Becca and that when I go to college, we’ll break up and how the girls at college are on another level.” His eyes widen, silently asking me.
I went to college. I played in college, and at one time, I thought maybe I’d hit the majors. Then family responsibilities brought me back to Lake Starlight. Now I teach and try to advise kids like Elijah not to make the mistakes I did. Then again, youth is your free pass to do stupid shit.
“Girls in college are the girls you went to high school with but a little older.” I sit in my chair, grabbing a pen.
“He said I’d regret not having experience.”
My gaze lands on the clock. Elijah has about five minutes before first class bell. I hold up my hand to stop him from rambling. “Listen.”
Elijah is good enough to be drafted first round, and this town can’t wait to see him succeed. He’ll have plenty of temptation come his way over the years, and he needs to decide now how he’s going to handle it.
“Did you kiss Sara?” I ask.
“No, but…”
“I’m gonna guess here and tell me if I’m wrong.” He closes his mouth, so I continue. “You let your friends get to you. JP, whose mom probably follows him on his dates you do realize, tells you that you don’t have enough experience and should kiss another girl.”
He’s nodding and smirking because everyone knows JP’s mom will probably put up spy cameras in his dorm room next year.
“You thought, ‘Hey, what if Becca does break my heart and fall for someone next fall? Where does that leave me?’ So, you went into a bedroom or somewhere private with a very willing Sara. Then Becca somehow walked in on you right before you finished debating in your head if you were going to kiss her?”
You see me trying to make it seem like he would never cheat on Becca? Probably bullshit. He’s seventeen. He would’ve kissed Sara and blown his relationship with Becca into smithereens and only realized what a mistake that was down the road.
“Exactly. Coach.”
“Now you have to grovel.” I check the clock one more time. Three minutes until first bell.
“I did. I went to her house. I texted her.”
I stand to let Elijah know he’s leaving before my class arrives. “Sorry,” I smack him on the back. “You need to pull out the big guns.”
His shoulders slump.
“Just think of what makes Becca happy, why she fell in love with you, and you’ll figure it out.”
“How do you know, Coach?”
I open the door and wait for him to walk through. “Because I was you at one time. And another piece of advice?”
He waits for me on the other side of the door.
“Don’t go listening to your friends. They usually give shit advice, and honestly, you usually get a lot more experience with a girlfriend than by flipping around with multiple girls. Teenage boys have shit for brains. Don’t listen to them.”
I really don’t want to know how far he’s gotten with Becca. Especially with Phoenix and Sedona being the same age as Elijah.
He looks at me sheepishly. “Well, we have—”
“That’s a conversation I don’t want to hear and no one else should either. Don’t be a dick and kiss and tell.” The bell rings. “Go to class.”
He turns around. “You mean assembly.”
“Assembly?”
We walk out into the hallway where everyone is filing toward the auditorium.
“Yeah, remember Principal Miller had the baby?”
Shit. Now I’m running my fingers through my hair. All the teenage angst had me forgetting that we have to meet the new principal of Lake Starlight High School this morning. The last principal I’ll ever be under because next year I’m heading to the college level—I hope.
“Yeah. Go. You don’t want to be late.”
“Thanks, Coach… for everything.” He jogs down the hall, catching up to his friends.
I turn to go through the back entrance since I’ll have to sit in a chair in front of all the students so that we can appear as a united front for the new principal. A symbol that says we have their back.
I run smack-dab into Fay Murphy, the office assistant. “Hey, Fay.”
“I’m so happy I found you.” She seems a tad flustered, and her face has that beet-red overlay she used to get when Principal Miller reprimanded her for not refilling her stapler.
Working without that dictator will be a nice change. Let me tell you, pregnant women do not like it when they have to give up coffee—something we all paid the price for.
“What’s up?” I keep walking because we’re going to be late if we don’t hurry.
“We need you to introduce Principal Radcliffe.” She peers behind me then pushes up on her tiptoes to whisper in my ear, “Malcolm, I mean Vice Principal Ealey, called in this morning. I think he was still…”
Fay doesn’t have to finish the sentence. Malcolm Ealey went through a public divorce last year and has been spending a lot of his time at the Lucky Tavern, drowning in a helluva lot more than his sorrows. That’s why, even though he should have become our temporary principal, the school board decided to hire someone new.
“Why me?”
She hands me a piece of paper. “The kids look up to you, and everyone thinks that the kids will welcome Principal Radcliffe if you introduce her.”
Her. Another woman. Hopefully this one is well-caffeinated and not pregnant. We’ll all stand a better chance that way.
I accept the piece of paper, looking over what I need to say. “Fine.”
I’m not scared of public speaking. I’ve got two teenage girls at home. You don’t know a hostile environment until you’re trying to break up a fight between those two.
“You’re the best, Austin.” Fay squeezes my forearm then walks down the hall.
My footsteps slow as I read over the new principal’s bio. What the hell is a Yale graduate doing in Alaska at Lake Starlight High School? After skimming over her education, I fold up the paper. I can wing it from there. Besides the kids couldn’t care less about what’s printed on that sheet.
Heading into the auditorium, I search out the face of our new principal, but I know everyone here.
“Her meeting with the superintendent is running a tad late, so if you could stall, I’ll tap you on the shoulder when it’s safe to announce her,” Fay informs me.
“I’m not a zoo keeper.”
Fay laughs.
I will not miss this part of my job next year.
Before I realize it, I’m in front of the podium, clearing my throat and introducing myself, as if everyone here doesn’t already know who I am. Sedona rolls her eyes and looks away. I have no fucking clue why she’s so embarrassed of me. I mean, look at me. Six foot two, two-ten, short, neat haircut. I work out four times a week, hike, bike, ski. My muscles aren’t from just the gym…
Okay, before I keep sounding like a male-seeking-female want ad, let’s get on with how my day went into the shitter in a matter of twenty minutes.
I tell a few jokes, and the kids loosen up a bit. Maybe I should rethink the whole college baseball coach thing and go for stand-up comedy. I’m pretty good at this.
Fay taps my shoulder, and thank God, because I’m running out of material.
I pull the paper out of my back pocket and clear my throat one more time. “All right, everyone. We all know that Principal Miller has left us to enjoy her new baby, so we’re welcoming a new principal into our school. Our new principal for the remainder of the year is Dr. Radcliffe. She graduated from Yale with her doctorate in education. She comes here from the lower forty-eight, so make sure you give a big Alaskan welcome!”
About half the kids in the auditorium clap while the rest of them stare at the stage with an expression that only a bunch of unimpressed and uninterested teenagers can manage.
Time to grab their interest and get them to buy in. “Principal Radcliffe’s hobbies include streaking during football games, ferret racing, and taking surveys for money.”
The kids roar with laughter, finally looking as if they’re interested and want to be here. Fay steps up and nudges me.
“Sorry,” I mumble. “We’ll bring Dr. Radcliffe out to explain her hobbies in more depth.” I turn from the podium at the sound of heels clicking across the stage.
This is the part where my mouth drops open and my testicles jerk up, seeking protection.
See the auburn-haired woman walking right toward me? The one who looks as pissed off as Sedona did when I honked my horn in the parking lot this morning?
Yeah, that’s my new boss.
The new principal of Lake Starlight High School.
I don’t believe in kissing and telling, but I’ll tell you—this is the first and only principal I’ve ever given an orgasm to in the backseat of my Jeep.
Highlight:
“Holly,”
he says my name as though he knows me.
Okay, so he kind of does. But knowing I have a racing stripe under my panties is not the same thing as knowing me.
“Hello. Austin, right?”
He smirks, biting the inside of his cheek. “Yeah.”
“Nice to see you again. Thank you for that humorous introduction. Really got the kids’ attention.”
He stuffs his hands in his pockets and rocks back on his heels. “Yeah, sorry, I just thought it could use some spicing up.”
“So, you won’t mind if I send you my resume? You know, since I need to look for another job after Principal Miller returns? Maybe you can spice that up too.”
He laughs, his smirk growing. “All right, I deserved that. Truce?”
“Do most women give in so quickly, Austin?” I cross my arms, my blazer pulling on my shoulders.
His gaze floats down my body, concentrating on my breasts for a few moments, then he meets my gaze again. “Most times. You did on Saturday.”
I’m clenching my jaw so hard my teeth might turn to dust, but I ignore his reference to Saturday night. “That’s a pity then, because all is not forgiven here. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to head to my office and get some work done.” I spin on my heel and head off the stage.
“Holly! Hold up.” He jogs to catch up to me and lightly grasps my elbow.
“Yes?” I flick my gaze to where he holds my arm, and he drops his hand.
“I just… I don’t want to start out on the wrong foot. I do apologize for ambushing your bio. I really am sorry.”
Now he knows he can’t railroad me. It was a hard lesson for me to learn in life, not to please people by constantly accepting apologies that hold no weight.
“Thank you. I appreciate it. I’m sure I’ll see you around the halls.”
I walk down the row of chairs until I’m safely in the hallway, at which point I suck in a breath.
Am I really going to have to work with him day after day until the end of the school year?
I bet you’re happy you’re not me right now. I would be.
**********
I’m not in my office for five minutes before my cell phone rings on my desk. My mom’s name flashes on the screen.
Damn it. I need this right now like I need a yeast infection.
“Hey, Mom,” I answer, sitting down in my desk chair. Ouch. My teeth dig into my bottom lip as I inhale quickly from the stabbing pain centered on my tailbone. I guess Alaskan high schools don’t have the budgets for comfortable office chairs that colleges do.
“Good afternoon, or I guess morning for you.” She laughs. “I was checking in to see how you’re settling in.”
“Well, remember I started my new job today?”
“Oh, that’s right. You should’ve called this morning to remind me.”
You know that phrase the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree? Yeah, that doesn’t apply to my mother and me. She’s laid-back and believes everything takes care of itself. And I… do not.
“I had a lot to do,” I say.
“You always do.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I tap my pen on my desk in agitation.
I swear that a mother’s ability to say only three words and still get under her daughter’s skin is a special talent bestowed by the heavens.
“Nothing, sweetie. How’s the weather in Oregon? Cold?”
Now you know—I lied to my mother.
I know, I know, but I do have my reasons.
I cross my fingers. “Yeah. Good thing we went shopping for that winter coat you told me to buy.”
“Told you. You should listen to me more often. I did raise you.”
I ignore her taunt. “How are you doing?”
“I’m good. I’m heading into the restaurant for the lunch service. I miss you.”
The hardest part of coming here was leaving my mom. That, and lying about it. But she doesn’t always understand why I have to do the things I do, and I don’t want to hurt her.
“I miss you too. How about we Skype during The Bachelor tomorrow night?” I ask, dropping my pen on my desk.
“Perfect. You make a pizza and I’ll make one. It’ll be just like we’re together.”
A knock sounds on my office door and I glance over to see Fay standing there.
“It’s a date then. Have a great day, Mom.”
“You too, sweetie, love you.”
“Love you.”
I hang up, guilt eating away at my stomach. What she doesn’t know is best in this case. In a few months, I’ll be back in Florida and she’ll never be the wiser.
I wave Fay in.
“I’m sorry, Principal Radcliffe, but—”
“Please call me Holly.”
“Principal Miller said that shows a lack of respect for authority.”
God bless this sweet woman’s heart. “I insist. Call me Holly.”
“Okay… I hate to interrupt, but Coach Bailey has asked to be penciled into your schedule. You have an opening during fourth period, and he has a break as well. I wanted to make sure that was okay.”
I never want her to feel afraid of me, so I smile sweetly. “Of course, please pencil him in.”
I say that while thinking that he needs to stay the hell away from me with his sexy smile and tall, strong build. I could grab Fay by the lapels of her silk jacket donned with shoulder pads and scream in her face, “Do you have any idea how magical his fingers are? I’ll cave, Fay. How much is one woman supposed to resist?” But I’m a professional, so I’m not going to do that.
“Great. I’ll stick him in then.”
Visions of when Austin stuck it in me come to mind, and I feel my face heat.
She smiles and shuts the door when she leaves my office. If I wasn’t in a fish bowl in the middle of the front office, I’d let my forehead fall onto my desk.
So far today, I’ve been humiliated in front of my new school, stood face-to-face with a guy I let finger-fuck me on Saturday night—in his Jeep, no less—and lied to my mother… again.
This move is working out exceptionally well. What more could a girl ask for?
Okay, so he kind of does. But knowing I have a racing stripe under my panties is not the same thing as knowing me.
“Hello. Austin, right?”
He smirks, biting the inside of his cheek. “Yeah.”
“Nice to see you again. Thank you for that humorous introduction. Really got the kids’ attention.”
He stuffs his hands in his pockets and rocks back on his heels. “Yeah, sorry, I just thought it could use some spicing up.”
“So, you won’t mind if I send you my resume? You know, since I need to look for another job after Principal Miller returns? Maybe you can spice that up too.”
He laughs, his smirk growing. “All right, I deserved that. Truce?”
“Do most women give in so quickly, Austin?” I cross my arms, my blazer pulling on my shoulders.
His gaze floats down my body, concentrating on my breasts for a few moments, then he meets my gaze again. “Most times. You did on Saturday.”
I’m clenching my jaw so hard my teeth might turn to dust, but I ignore his reference to Saturday night. “That’s a pity then, because all is not forgiven here. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to head to my office and get some work done.” I spin on my heel and head off the stage.
“Holly! Hold up.” He jogs to catch up to me and lightly grasps my elbow.
“Yes?” I flick my gaze to where he holds my arm, and he drops his hand.
“I just… I don’t want to start out on the wrong foot. I do apologize for ambushing your bio. I really am sorry.”
Now he knows he can’t railroad me. It was a hard lesson for me to learn in life, not to please people by constantly accepting apologies that hold no weight.
“Thank you. I appreciate it. I’m sure I’ll see you around the halls.”
I walk down the row of chairs until I’m safely in the hallway, at which point I suck in a breath.
Am I really going to have to work with him day after day until the end of the school year?
I bet you’re happy you’re not me right now. I would be.
**********
I’m not in my office for five minutes before my cell phone rings on my desk. My mom’s name flashes on the screen.
Damn it. I need this right now like I need a yeast infection.
“Hey, Mom,” I answer, sitting down in my desk chair. Ouch. My teeth dig into my bottom lip as I inhale quickly from the stabbing pain centered on my tailbone. I guess Alaskan high schools don’t have the budgets for comfortable office chairs that colleges do.
“Good afternoon, or I guess morning for you.” She laughs. “I was checking in to see how you’re settling in.”
“Well, remember I started my new job today?”
“Oh, that’s right. You should’ve called this morning to remind me.”
You know that phrase the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree? Yeah, that doesn’t apply to my mother and me. She’s laid-back and believes everything takes care of itself. And I… do not.
“I had a lot to do,” I say.
“You always do.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I tap my pen on my desk in agitation.
I swear that a mother’s ability to say only three words and still get under her daughter’s skin is a special talent bestowed by the heavens.
“Nothing, sweetie. How’s the weather in Oregon? Cold?”
Now you know—I lied to my mother.
I know, I know, but I do have my reasons.
I cross my fingers. “Yeah. Good thing we went shopping for that winter coat you told me to buy.”
“Told you. You should listen to me more often. I did raise you.”
I ignore her taunt. “How are you doing?”
“I’m good. I’m heading into the restaurant for the lunch service. I miss you.”
The hardest part of coming here was leaving my mom. That, and lying about it. But she doesn’t always understand why I have to do the things I do, and I don’t want to hurt her.
“I miss you too. How about we Skype during The Bachelor tomorrow night?” I ask, dropping my pen on my desk.
“Perfect. You make a pizza and I’ll make one. It’ll be just like we’re together.”
A knock sounds on my office door and I glance over to see Fay standing there.
“It’s a date then. Have a great day, Mom.”
“You too, sweetie, love you.”
“Love you.”
I hang up, guilt eating away at my stomach. What she doesn’t know is best in this case. In a few months, I’ll be back in Florida and she’ll never be the wiser.
I wave Fay in.
“I’m sorry, Principal Radcliffe, but—”
“Please call me Holly.”
“Principal Miller said that shows a lack of respect for authority.”
God bless this sweet woman’s heart. “I insist. Call me Holly.”
“Okay… I hate to interrupt, but Coach Bailey has asked to be penciled into your schedule. You have an opening during fourth period, and he has a break as well. I wanted to make sure that was okay.”
I never want her to feel afraid of me, so I smile sweetly. “Of course, please pencil him in.”
I say that while thinking that he needs to stay the hell away from me with his sexy smile and tall, strong build. I could grab Fay by the lapels of her silk jacket donned with shoulder pads and scream in her face, “Do you have any idea how magical his fingers are? I’ll cave, Fay. How much is one woman supposed to resist?” But I’m a professional, so I’m not going to do that.
“Great. I’ll stick him in then.”
Visions of when Austin stuck it in me come to mind, and I feel my face heat.
She smiles and shuts the door when she leaves my office. If I wasn’t in a fish bowl in the middle of the front office, I’d let my forehead fall onto my desk.
So far today, I’ve been humiliated in front of my new school, stood face-to-face with a guy I let finger-fuck me on Saturday night—in his Jeep, no less—and lied to my mother… again.
This move is working out exceptionally well. What more could a girl ask for?
Review:
Holly is new to Alaska. She’s taken a
principal job for the remainder of the year, but she is also there to try and
connect with her father who abandoned her and her mother when she was a baby.
To complicate an already complex situation, she engages in a one-night stand –
the most amazing sex of her life – a quickly discovers Mr. Amazing is one of
the teachers at her school. The attraction is palpable. Trying to stay away
from Austin is proving difficult and before too long, she’s agreed to a casual
relationship that will end at the end of the year because just like Holly,
Austin is headed out as soon as the year is over as well. He’s got plans and
she’s got to figure out her next move after she tests the waters with her
father. But things never tend to work out as planned and before too long her
emotions concerning Austin are completely caught up. He is exactly the guy she
imagines herself with if they were to have a future. But Austin has had his
life on hold for far too long and she refuses to be the reason he continues to
hold back for. The resentment she is sure he would feel toward her eventually
would be too much to bear. As much as it rips her heart out to do so, she
encourages him to chase his dream. Meanwhile, she decides to call Lake
Starlight her permanent home and try to figure out what this new life of hers
will look like without Austin in it.
Austin is finally within
reach of his dreams. Following the unexpected deaths of his parents, he ceases
his course toward pro-baseball to returns home to care for his younger
siblings. Now that the youngest of the Bailey’s is graduating high school,
Austin sets his sights on coaching ball at the college level. But the arrival
of Holly has him rethinking his plans. However, Holly never gives any
indication that she could feel more for him, so he continues with their
original plan. Enjoy one another for as long as they can and then part ways to
continue on their vastly differing paths. Graduation arrives quicker than
expected and before too long Austin is headed to California and away from
Alaska. But the closer he gets to his flight, the more doubt surrounds him. Is he
making the right decision? Could Holly be more invested than she let on? Is it
possible his dreams have altered without him realizing it? And should he remain
on course, or veer into uncharted territory and risk his heart and career?
I have not experienced a
Piper Rayne book before this read and I can say with confidence that it will
definitely not be the last. I was sucked into the Bailey vortex immediately and
didn’t want it to stop. Austin and Holly are so flipping likable that I
couldn’t help but fall in love with them both. Seriously, they were both
perfect. I couldn’t find a single thing about them that I disliked. Austin is
the perfect guy. He puts his life on hold and commits to raising his younger
siblings – all 7 of them who are still underage at the time of their parents'
tragic accident. He is well aware that he has to be a role model and that he
will have to find a way to comingle the brother/parent personas. He will never
have the relationship he would have had with them, but he doesn’t resent any of
them for it. He, in fact, counts himself as lucky to have been able to step in
and keep the family together and – for the most part – on course. But he also
had his own dreams and now that the twins are in their senior year in high
school, he is ready to leave the nest himself. While he is firm in his resolve,
his siblings are less than thrilled about the idea despite understanding his
decision. And then there is Holly. He could have never seen her coming and
suddenly she tilts everything off Austin’s axis. But Holly also understands
Austin’s sacrifice and his need to follow his dream so she puts on a brave
face, knowing he is going to blast her heart to smithereens with his departure.
I absolutely adored them.
The Bailey’s are a
spectacular family with each member being introduced even if a bit briefly.
Each one has their own unique personality and chosen path; each one sure to
provide a stellar read in the future. I look forward to being able to embark on
several journeys to come with this fantastic family. If I were to have any
complaint, it would be with Holly’s father. He was basically a douchnozzle.
Period. But he is also entangled with the Bailey family and I can’t help but
wonder how that will come into play as the series progresses. It has to on some
level and because of that, I am confident that we will see Austin and Holly
again as the books continue within this delightful series. Nothing about his
supposed family was ever confirmed and his reasoning for opening shop in this
area of Alaska was never revealed. My instinct tells me that there is more to
his story somewhere down the line. Even Holly’s mother joined the line-up of
characters, as well as her best friend. So we’ve got a ridiculous amount of
potential laid down with the foundation of this first book in series.
I found myself emotional
in several scenes within this book regarding Holly. From her father’s rejection
(or was it – maybe it wasn’t exactly what we thought) to her heart-wrenching
goodbye to Austin, to her emotional wreckage of trying to move on with Austin’s
departure from Lake Starlight. This book will hit you with all the feels. Holly
and Austin share scorching hot chemistry that burns up the pages. Between their
beautifully told story and the Bailey siblings, the enigma that is Grandma
Dori, and the secondary characters added from Holly’s connections to the
wonderful resident within Lake Starlight, you won’t want to end your time in
this whimsical little town. I was wrecked from the emotional torment the last
few chapters forced me into, but somewhat reinvigorated with the knowledge that
the epilogue was not goodbye but see you later. If you are on the hunt for a
great series involving a lovable family and their rise from the ashes after
being dealt a horrific blow, following them through their failures and
successes, then look no further. Piper Rayne is guaranteed to deliver. I don’t
know how I have never experienced the writing of this duo before, but you can
be sure I will be soaking in each book I can from here on out.
Kindle
version purchased for my own personal library.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I lurve comments! Say whatever is on your mind; just keep it respectful. I am always game for a conversation. :)