Rocking a SECRET (23 page)
Authors: Crystal Perkins
“Oh, I definitely will. And just so you
know, I want the biggest wedding in the history of the world.”
“Whatever you want, love. Did you find your
present?”
“The dress? I can’t believe you picked it
out on your own.”
“Well, I did. It’s cool to know you’ve been
wanting it, though. I guess I know you pretty well.”
“I guess you do.”
He walks past me, and I see him pick up a
box from the bed. A beautiful Tiffany blue box. “I thought you’d
like this, too.”
I take the box from him and open it. My
mouth falls open as I stare at the most beautiful bracelet I’ve
ever seen. It’s a cuff made up of different panels. Each one has a
different pattern. Some round diamonds, some square, and some
rectangular with small round diamonds in rows between each panel. I
don’t even want to know how much it cost. Because I really don’t
care. I love it.
“Stella? Do you like it?”
“Like? I love it. I more than love it. It’s
beautiful and amazing.”
“Yes! I aced the birthday test.”
“Test?”
“Yeah. You know, the ‘is he really a good
boyfriend’ birthday test.”
“No, I don’t know. But if there is indeed a
test, you definitely got an A+.”
* * *
Kace
Stella’s birthday party was an overwhelming
success. Her friends all had a great time. The girls went crazy
over her bracelet, which got me a few glares from the guys. What
can I say? I know my woman, and I’ll always make sure she has what
she wants, even if she doesn’t know she wants it yet.
A couple of months ago, I was dealing with a
blackmailer and a different girl in my bed every night. Now I have
love in my heart and a Bombshell in my bed. Plus a brother, a
father, as well as the coolest future mother-in-law ever? Yep, life
is good and it’s only going to get better.
Mason
When I told my friend Luke Griffin what I
thought was going on at the private school I teach at, I never
expected to be sitting in a conference room at the Corrigan &
Co. Foundation. Luke swore me to secrecy and told me about a
Society that’s part of the foundation. He said it helps women and
children, like the foundation does publicly. Just in a different
way. Since a high school prostitution ring covers both women and
children, he convinced me to come here for help. He said they’d
contact the police if they find anything concrete.
“Thank you for coming in Mason. Luke said
you think there’s a prostitution ring at your school,” the woman he
introduced as Reina says to me.
“Yes. And I’m pretty sure it’s student
run.”
“What clued you in?”
“I teach history, and wanted to do something
to engage the students a little more. I gave them a chance to write
anonymously about something that’s happened in history, or what
they’d like to see in the future. I got fifteen papers about why
prostitution should be legalized. And four that said it shouldn’t.
Those four talked about girls being intimidated and threatened if
they didn’t turn tricks.”
“I can see why you might be alarmed.”
“I started paying more attention to what was
going on, and I think I know who the leader of all this is. His
name it Kurt, and his dad’s one of the wealthiest men in the city.
I’m sure he has no problem finding clients.”
“Since you’re coming to us, I’m going to
trust that you’re not involved and confirm that Kurt is indeed the
person in charge.”
“How do you know that?”
“We’ve actually had someone undercover for
over a month.”
“What? Who?”
“Me, Mr. Wells,” my favorite student says as
she walks into the room.
Favorite because I can’t stop fantasizing
about her while she sits in my class twirling her pencil as I
teach. I’ve been beating myself up for lusting after a student. But
apparently she’s not a student.
“Isabelle,” I say, sounding way too relieved
for even my own ears.
“You sound relieved to see me.”
“I am. I mean, I…” This is so not going
well.
“Oh my God. You want to be the Ezra to her
Aria, don’t you?” Luke asks, looking at me with a smirk on his
face.
“Shut up, Luke. And how do you even know
about them? You don’t teach high school.”
“Olivia loves that show.”
“Can someone please clue me in,” Luke’s mom
says. When he told me she was part of all this, I told him I
already thought his mom was cool, but now I had even more respect
for her.
“Ezra and Aria are characters on a TV show,
Pretty Little Liars. He was her teacher, and they’re in a
relationship,” Isabelle tells her.
“So basically, Mase wants Isa,” Luke tells
her.
I want to die right now. Like seriously die.
After I kill Luke, of course.
“I didn’t come here for this. I’m glad you
know and are taking care of it. I’ll just be going now.”
I get up and walk out of the room, stopping
to lean back against the wall. Imagine my shock when Isabelle walks
into the hall after me. “Is it true? Do you want me?”
* * *
Isa
I can’t believe I followed Mr.
Wells—Mason—out into the hallway. But I needed to know. Because I
want him. I never understood the term “hot for teacher” until I
walked into that classroom and saw him. Honestly, I’ve never been
“hot” for anyone before, so I’ve been so freaked out every time I
walk into that classroom that it’s a wonder I could answer anything
when asked. Thank God for my super brain.
“Do you want me to want you?”
“What kind of question is that?”
“The kind that won’t get me into
trouble.”
“I’m 23, and not in high school.”
“The school doesn’t know that.”
“So we won’t do anything there. Or anywhere
else where someone could see us. If you
do
want me, that
is.” Who is this bold girl, and where the hell did she come
from?
He leans in close, so his mouth is only
about an inch from mine. “Your lips make me crazy. Especially when
you bite the bottom one while I’m lecturing.”
“Then kiss me.”
His eyes widen, and I think I may have gone
too far. I’m not usually so forward, but Tegan and Stella have
always told me I need to just go for it. So now I am.
When his lips meet mine, I silently thank
them for making me bold. And then I shut my mind off, and just let
myself feel. He holds the back of my head as he licks at my lips. I
open for him, and his tongue darts inside my mouth.
It’s better than I imagined it would be. For
all these years I’ve wondered, and now I know. My first kiss is
amazing.
As always, a big thank you to Dominique and
Gabi for being the best daughters ever.
Helen Williams, Jesse Gordon, and Ally
Murphy-Thanks again for everything!
Guil Claveria-Thanks for taking me out
shooting and teaching me a little about guns so I can try to be
realistic in the books!
Alesha Claveria-Thanks for your friendship,
and taking me to the amazing place with mac and cheese in a bread
bowl!
The Friends of the Society-You ladies are
AWESOME! Thanks for the support, and for always wanting the next
book!
To all the readers who pick up the books, I
couldn’t do this without you! Thanks for reading!
Crystal Perkins has always been a big reader, but she
never thought she would write her own book, until she did. She
lives in Las Vegas, where you can find her running author events
and selling books at conventions when she isn’t reading, buying too
many Sherlock t-shirts online or finding a place to put all of her
Pop! figurines. A mac and cheese connoisseur, she travels the
country looking for the perfect version, while attending book
conventions and signings as a cover for her research. The Griffin
Brothers series are all International Best Sellers, and she’s
thankful to the readers who made that happen!
Find her here: