AMessofPickles

"Are you finally admitting that you did, indeed, flirt with me when we first met?" Aaron interrupted, his eyebrows raised and lips curling into a smirk I knew all too well.Taking a deep breath as if steeling myself for what I was about to say next. I lifted my chin up to face his intense gaze head-on, and provoked, "What if I did? What then?"He seemed taken aback by the hinting challenge in my tone, and his eyebrows flattened as he released a sigh."Well, then I guess you must have found me attractive that day." The humor was back in his tone but there was a strained undercurrent to our conversation that had me on my toes. His eyes seemed to darken as they pinned me in place."I wasn't the only one flirting that day," I replied, my eyebrows quirking up in defiance. For a moment we paused as my silent dare was thrown into the air. We were closer now than we were before and I could have counted his eyelashes at our distance.***Jessa Bradford has been waiting for years to finally become the captain of her boarding school's cross-country team. But when Grace Worthington School for Girls is forced to team-up with the rival all-boys boarding school, Bennett Preparatory, for a statewide charity competition, things spiral out of control fast. Now Jessa has to work together with her arrogant, co-captain Aaron Rush to bridge the gap between their opposing schools. When they aren't busy trading insults, will they ever find time to work together? Or will their hard work fail with the rivalry?…

AMessofPickles

He narrowed his gaze, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "Tell me to stop, and I'll stop."Vienna felt her thighs clench at the quiet command in his tone, and, before his words fully registered in her mind, Vienna felt his fingers move again. He was no longer holding back, his actions were unapologetic. Purposeful, even.A whimper tore through her at his sensuous movements while her eyelids fluttered shut. She heard Dante swear quietly in response, his voice sounding strained in the small room.She should have said something, but the burner phone was long forgotten. Instead, the only thing on her mind was Dante standing right in front of her with one hand in between her legs. ***Dante never had much patience for troublemakersVienna was never very good at following the rules. But when it came to the Family, they were both loyal to a fault. With her father's rapidly declining health jeopardizing the stability of the mob, Vienna DeLaurentis is forced to wed Dante Vena for her own safety and to reinstate a joint Chicago Mafia. Unfortunately for her, Dante is far from the gentleman he pretends to be.And, to Dante's chagrin, Vienna is far from the obedient fiancé he expects.…

AMessofPickles

Suddenly, another body slammed into her, sending her things careening across the floor. And her phone― her precious phone― was falling, slipping out of her grasp and cracking on the concrete floor. One particularly heavy textbook managed to land directly on her foot, and she flinched in pain."What the fuck!" she snapped, her gaze immediately locking onto her assailant.Dark (perfect) brown eyes glared right back at her, and she scowled deeply when she recognized the person standing before her."What the hell?" Theodore scoffed at her tone. "You're the one that ran into me."Katya rolled her eyes, irritation coating every nerve of her being. "Well then you should have fucking moved."His eyes widened in disbelief while stepping back so she could bend down to pick up her things. With her heart in her throat, she picked up her phone carefully, only to see that the screen was shattered."Jesus, it was just an accident."Katya growled up at him, inexplicably irritated that he didn't even bother to help her with her things. Irritated that he was responsible for her damaged phone. "Yeah well, next time it would great if you didn't stand in the middle of the hall like a dipshit."His eyebrows flew into his hairline, before furrowing together in anger. At his annoyance, everything about him seemed to tense and stiffen. "Well maybe you should watch where you're fucking going next time, Katie."Her teeth gritted together. "It's Katya."*****He thinks she's stuck up. She thinks he's a hypocrite. When the cheerleaders of Alderidge High are forced to become "guardian angels" for the football team, head cheerleader Katya Richards, and star quarterback Theodore Rodgers don't exactly get along. Too bad she's supposed to be his good luck charm.…

AMessofPickles

"Wait!"She yanked at her arm, but he just tightened his grip and stepped closer to her. "You...? You're the girl from last night?"Even though she had already acted guilty, she still attempted to maintain a straight and innocent face. "What girl? What are you talking about?"He paused for a second, his eyes roaming her face with such intensity that she squirmed and blushed under his piercing gaze."You're lying," he decided with narrowed eyes.She finally ripped her arm from his grasp and growled, "What's it matter to you, anyway?"He didn't seem to have an answer for that, and his hand immediately sought out the back of his neck in sheepish unease."I...Look I didn't mean to scare you away last night," he finally settled on. He dropped his raised arm, and shoved both of his hands deep in his jean pockets. She couldn't help but notice that a slight tinge of red covered his high cheekbones.Beverly crossed her arms, and replied, "You didn't.""Well then why'd you run?"****Sometimes he can't sleep. Sometimes she paints the town. On the one night that Beverly Banks and Landon Ford bump into each other, they realize that they don't always have to wander the 2 AM streets alone. Sometimes they like to have company. Sometimes they hold hands under the glow of flickering lampposts. Sometimes they cling to each other. Sometimes their love is so vibrant, even the walls color. Three-shot.…

AMessofPickles

"You jealous, babe?" he asked, eyebrow waggling arrogantly causing her stomach to flip and then constrict."Fuck off, Kaiden. You're the one that dragged me all the way over here-"His hand came up to snag at her waist as he pressed his chest against hers. Her defensive palm stood no chance, and was crushed unpleasantly in between their aching bodies. She could almost feel each and every ridge of his abs..."Maybe I missed you."Gia forced herself to roll her eyes, ignoring the way her body seemed to tighten at his words. His voice had dropped an octave lower and it sounded distinctly like the voice he used with all of his sluts."Don't fucking touch me, asshole," Gia hissed more insistently, pushing against his chest with the hand pressed against him. If anything his hold on her hips and waist stiffened, and she squirmed against him.*****Kaiden and Gia were friends with benefits.Well, more like enemies with benefits. However, Gia stopped gaining benefits when she realized she was starting to fall for Kaiden -- the biggest playboy of them all. Can she stay away from him? Or will he draw her in like all of his other heartbroken exes? Or maybe, just maybe, he might like her too. Not that he'll admit that anytime soon.…

AMessofPickles

"In the past, most empress's did not take a husband until they needed an heir to aid the line of succession. She had no need for a man in her life. But her aggravation was thrown out the window once a figure entered the room. And, for the first time in her life, Azaria's breath rattled in her chest at the sight of the man standing before her." One-shot.…