The following is part 10 an extended sneak peek of:

love me

The Keatyn Chronicles: Book 4

by Jillian Dodd

Friday, October 21st

I need some cake.

10:30am

Most of the classes today have very few people in them, most of us are working, getting everything set up for the PSW/Greek-themed weekend.

I find Peyton in the cafe overseeing its transformation. There are huge black canvases draped on the walls. Art students are using projectors to beam classic sculptures onto the wall and are tracing them with white chalk. Others are drawing thick Greek columns and filling the fake windows with views of a bright blue ocean.

“Hey,” she says. “It’s looking great, don’t you think?”

“It really is. I just stopped by to check it out. Brad gave me a list of stuff to do. I have to go make sure the audio equipment is all ready for the movie tonight and that the gym is set up.”

“I heard that you’re hanging out with Dawson tonight and my brother tomorrow night.”

“That’s the plan, yes.”

“Do you think dating them both is a good idea? I mean, usually when you date more than one guy, you make sure they run in different circles, you know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. They both say they are okay with it. So, until I can figure out what to do, it’s how it will have to be.”

She leans in and whispers, “So I was flirting with hottie Cooper this morning.”

“Peyton, don’t do that.”

“Why not? There’s no one here I want to date.”

“What about Brad?”

“Hmm, let’s see. Pretty little boy Brad versus a manly tattooed hottie. Um, no. Besides, I’m pretty sure that he was flirting back. Whitney wants him too. But I’m not going to let her win.”

“Peyton, look, this thing you have going on with Whitney. I know what you’re trying to do. And I swear, it’s going to backfire on you.”

“No way. I’m not afraid of her anymore. You were right. It’s silly of me to let her hold that over my head. I was a minor. What good would it do if it came out now? Sure it’d be embarrassing, but pretty soon I’ll be at college far away from here. And her. By the way, I saw what Dawson did in front of your dorm.”

“What do you mean?”

She grins. “Looks like you have two boys trying to woo you.”

I decide to stop by my dorm to see what she’s talking about before I make my way down to the gym.

Maggie is outside, writing all over the sidewalk with chalk.

“Doesn’t it look amazing?”

“It’s really pretty,” I tell her, looking at all the messages the girls in our dorm have written to welcome the prospective students. “How was the library with Jake? I asked him about it and he wouldn’t tell me. He always tells me.”

She grins, full on. “It was good. Very much a friend thing. I’m pretty sure we are in the same boat.”

“The friend boat?”

“Yeah. You still in that with Aiden?”

“I’m not sure. I think he maybe wants to be more than friends. He said some stuff last night that makes me think he does. Like he talked about forever. Does that seem weird to you?”

“Forever? No. I mean, not if you like him a lot. But wait. I thought that you went to the game last night with Dawson?”

“I did. And I was bad. Again. I told him we weren’t going to anymore, but we did.”

“You have no willpower.”

“You’re right. Dawson is like me satisfying my sweet tooth. When I’m having something sweet, I love it, but then when I’m done, I feel guilty.”

“Because of the calories?”

I laugh. “Yes. Dawson is a five layer chocolate cake with ganache filling. Impossible to resist, but leaves you feeling a little guilty after.”

“He stopped by here earlier. Did you see it?”

“Peyton said something about it.”

Maggie grabs my arm and pulls me toward the dorm. There on the first step, near where he always sits and waits for me, is a huge pink heart. It says: Dawson + Keatie = Forever.

And just like that, Dawson’s sweetness makes him impossible to resist.

I need some cake.

Me: Saw the heart.

Dawson: I love you.

Me: Think you could sneak away?

Dawson: Why?

Me: I’m craving you.

Dawson: My room, as fast as you can get there.

There are a lot of people coming and going, so I don’t look the least bit suspicious when I sneak into his dorm.

He’s sitting on his bed, his shirt already off and looking freaking hot.

The second I walk through the door, he scoops me up, practically throws me on the bed, and attacks my neck.

“Did you see your brother’s neck? He has new hickeys over the old ones.”

“Did you see my brother’s stomach?”

“We’ve never done that, you know. Given each other hickeys.”

“You’ve given me a couple little ones before,” he says, as he sucks hard on my neck. “Want me to give you one?

“Not really,” I laugh. “You know, I think I ruined us when I took things too fast.”

“You think we’re ruined?” He quickly rolls off of me.

“Not like ruined, just like we missed out on all that. The wooing, the dating, the kissing for hours, all that.”

“Is that what you want? Shall I write Dawes across your stomach?” He immediately puts his lips on my stomach, which is exposed in my game day dance uniform. “Maybe I’ll just put my football number on you. Mark my territory.”

“Uh . . .”

“I’m just playing. Tell you what. We’re just going to make out right now. That’s it. So don’t get any of your naughty ideas.”

We kiss for a few minutes. But when he pulls me on top of him, our kissing gets deeper, and both our hips start that little movement toward each other. That movement I’m going to fight today.

“Keatie, you gotta stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“Every time you kiss me, you move your hips into me, and you keep making those sexy little noises. I don’t know how much more I can take.”

“Thats cuz you keep pushing my butt into your leg and moving it against me.”

I roll off him. Wrap both my arms up around my head. He puts his hand across my exposed stomach and then down inside my dance pants.

I moan, then sigh. Trying to shake this desire. “Remember, we’re just going to kiss. We’re just going to kiss.”

He runs his hand further down, pulling my pants down in the process. “I don’t think that’s gonna happen,” he says huskily, as I use my feet to kick my pants the rest of the way off.

He pulls off my thong while I try to undo his belt. I finally get it undone, unzip his shorts, and pull down the front of his boxers. When I do, he’s so hard, it like springs out at me.

He holds my hands down above my head with one hand, while he slides off his shorts and boxers.

Then he grins at me and says, “We’re just gonna kiss.”

I wrap my legs around his waist in agreement. “Yeah, we’ll just kiss.”

Dawson may not touch my soul, but the parts he does touch, he makes feel really good.

After we get dressed, Dawson says, “I’m starved. Let’s go get lunch.”

We’re now sitting at the lunch table, probably looking way too happy.

Bryce says to me, “So what’s going on with you two? I saw the it’s complicated thing, but then I heard you had a date with Aiden.”

“We’re allowed to date other people.”

“So are you still hooking up?”

Dawson says, “Um, we decided, for now, we’re just gonna kiss.”

“Yeah,” I say with a goofy smile, “just kiss.”

My phone makes a little email ding. I have a message from Grandma.

Grandpa says you want to know the difference between love and true love. Joan Crawford said this, “Love is a fire, but whether its going to warm your heart or burn down your house, you can never tell.”

Bryce goes up to get more milk. Dawson and I are the only ones left at the lunch table, so I ask him. “Do you believe in true love?”

“Uh, I think so, why?”

“Do you think you just know?”

“Like love at first sight? Romantic fairytale stuff? I though what we just did in my room was pretty damn romantic.”

“Our just kissing was romantic?”

“Hell, yeah.”

I tilt my head and look at him, like seriously?

“Okay, so it probably wasn’t romantic. It was hot. Sexy. That’s what all this is about, huh? The romance? We have the sex, but not the romance? Wasn’t last night romantic?”

“Last night, dinner was romantic.”

“So early dinner and then tonight after the game you’re mine, right?”

“I think already was yours.”

He laughs. “Naw, we just kissed.”

Just kiss.

1pm

After lunch I do all the stuff Brad asked me to then go to the small auditorium where all the student guides are meeting to get instructions about what we’re expected to do with the new students. Aiden sits down next to me as I’m studying the photos of the two girls who are going to be me and Katie’s roommates.

“So tonight, we’re doing dinner before the game, right? I have something special planned.”

“Oh, um, I didn’t know that you planned something. I was trying to be fair, so I told Dawson I would hang out with him for the Greek stuff tonight. Then tomorrow, all day—well, except for the party after curfew— I’m yours. Like, if you want.”

“Bryce told me you and Dawson decided you’re just gonna kiss for now.”

I blush and look down, hoping he didn’t notice.

“Uh, yeah. Just kiss.” I don’t want to lie to Aiden, so I add, “Well, we’re going to try.”

He narrows his eyes at me. “But you might not succeed?”

“We’re going to try. I don’t want to sleep with him, but . . .”

“I don’t like this.”

“Don’t like what?” I ask.

“You dating him one night and me the next. It sucks.”

“But you’re the one that said, Date us both. You gave me the idea.”

“Yeah, I know,” he says with a sigh as he runs his hand through his hair. “So are you okay with that?”

“Okay with what?”

“With me dating you one night and someone else the next?”

“Uh . . . I mean, it doesn’t thrill me.”

“That’s not really fair.”

“I know it’s not. You asked me if I was okay with it. I’m not really. But we’ve only had one sort-of date. You can do whatever you want.”

He sweetly puts his forehead against mine. “I haven’t dated anyone else this year. Don’t know why I’d start now.”

I bite the edge of my lip, trying to suppress a smile.

He lets out a loud laugh. “You love getting your way, don’t you?”

My little smile breaks out into a full on one. I can’t help it.

He squints his eyes at me. “You like that I’m a little jealous.”

“Kinda.”

“You are a bad liar.”

“Fine, I like that you’re acting a little jealous because it shows maybe you do feel something. Dawson is always telling me and showing me that he loves me, but with you, I feel lost. I don’t know how you feel. I don’t know if you even really like me that much. You keep calling us friends.”

“Boots, love isn’t a cute pair of shoes. You can’t try it on to see if it fits and walk out the door wearing it.”

“I know that.”

“You told me sometimes true love takes a bit. Do you believe that?”

I scrunch up my face and think about it. “I guess I always thought true love would be instant. That you would both know in an instant and you’d be together. Like gravity.”

“But sometimes the girl is used to getting things instantly. And probably the guy too. And maybe they need to slow down. If they have forever there’s no need to rush it.”

“But I could get hit by a car or kidnapped by a psycho tomorrow and we’d never know.”

“You think you have sex to know? Sex isn’t love.”

“Maybe not. But it’s a big important part of it.”

“Just because you have sex doesn’t mean you’re in love.”

“Aiden, I don’t want this to be some competition. I just want to be with a guy that likes me. Who won’t hurt me.”

“Says the girl who is with a guy that has already hurt her, more than once.”

This comment immediately pisses me off.

I turn my back on him. “I gotta go, Aiden. See ya later.”

He grabs my shoulder. “You’re mad at me right now because you know I’m right.”

I give my face a passive, non-affected look. “Don’t act like you’re all better than Dawson. I chose him over you for a reason. Maybe you should think about that. And I’m not mad at you. I just have to go greet the prospective students.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Now I’m standing in a reception line, greeting prospective students as they arrive, with Aiden standing next to me.

Electricity is radiating from his stupid body.

Young girls are getting just as tongue tied around him as I do. They come over in little groups, supposedly to say hi to me, Ariela, and Maggie, but by the way they are giggling, it’s obvious who they want to see.

The shirtless goalie.

“So are you two going out?” an adorable blonde girl named Pressley asks Aiden, looking from me to him and blushing. Then she goes, “Uh, I mean, like, I, uh, saw you studying together in the library in the, uh, video. I can’t wait to take French. It’s such a romantic language.”

I look at Aiden, wondering how he’s going to reply. This is his chance to tell someone else what I want to hear. That he’s secretly in love with me. How we met. How it was instant. How if she comes here, it might happen to her. Her perfect fate.

“We have French class together,” he says with a radiant smile toward the girl, which causes her to turn a deeper shade of red. “She’s my tutor.”

“Oh,” she manages to reply. I can tell her dreams were just crushed along with mine. She wants to hear the fairytale. She wants to know if she comes here, she’ll meet an amazing boy.

I decide to give her hope. “I’ve been dating a really hot senior.”

Aiden starts to say something, but he’s interrupted by a loud voice.

“Daddy’s home!” Braxton bounds up to me, wraps his arm around my neck, and gives me a big kiss on cheek. “Did you miss me?”

I grin and kiss his cheek back. “Of course I did!” I turn toward Aiden and the girl, who is still standing there. “Pressley, this is Braxton. He’s for sure attending Eastbrooke next fall.”

Braxton gives her a subtle once over and appears to approve. He removes his arm from my neck and wraps it around hers. “Pressley, that’s a really pretty name,” he says. “Stick with me, baby, I’ve got this place wired.” He starts to lead her toward the small auditorium for their informational meeting, when I see Embry, the dark-haired girl he’s been crushing on from his school, arrive.

“Hey, Brax, wait,” I say.

I walk up to Embry. Unlike most of the girls who have arrived in packs, she is standing confidently by herself. I can see why she dates older guys. She doesn’t look like an eighth grader. Long hair, slim tight body, gorgeous eyes, and great teeth in a pretty smile.

“Hey, I’m Keatyn,” I tell her, introducing myself. “Are you here alone?”

“Yeah,” she says a little self consciously. “None of my friends want to go to a boarding school, but I think it looks really fun. I loved the video.”

“Thanks. We’ll get to talk a bunch later. You’re rooming with me and my friend, Katie, but now you have to get into the info meeting.” I lead her toward Braxton. “Do you know Braxton? I read that you go to the same school. And this is Pressley. She’ll be rooming with us too.”

Braxton looks a little shocked. Probably because his arm is still wrapped around the pretty blonde Pressley. “Hey, Embry!” he says. “We were just headed in. Wanna join?”

She smiles and seems relieved to see a familiar face. “Yeah, Braxton, that would be great.”

Braxton doesn’t miss a beat. He turns, wraps his free arm around Embry, and says, “We’re going to have some fun here, ladies.” Then he turns back and winks at me. “Keatyn, baby, don’t be jealous. You’re still my favorite girl.”

I look over at Riley, who is shaking his head and laughing at his brother.

Riley and Dallas start discussing who were the hottest young girls.

“They are all like fourteen. Way too young for you both.”

Riley goes, “Just checking out the new crop for my little bro.”

But I’m not paying attention.

Because Chelsea, the cheerleader who was flirting with Aiden at the Cave, is now running her hand down Aiden’s buff bicep. It looks like she’s whining. I know I shouldn’t listen, but I can’t help it.

I’m straining to hear every single word.

Damn Dallas is talking way too loud. I want to shush him, but I can’t.

“You’re no fun this year. What’s the deal? We had lots of fun last year,” I hear her say.

Aiden doesn’t remove her arm from his, but says, “I’ve just . . . and I’m not . . . we did. . . understand.”

She apparently doesn’t like what she hears, because she lets go of his arm and puts on a pout. “Tonight. We’re having some fun. So be ready.” She walks away slowly, shaking her curvy ass. I catch Aiden staring at it.

He looks at me and sort of shrugs his shoulders, seemingly saying, I can’t help it all the girls are in love with me. I’m a Hottie God. Get used to it.

My phone buzzes with a text.

Braxton: I need a redhead to complete my trio.

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If you haven’t read The Keatyn Chronicles yet, book one is FREE. Click here to read Stalk Me.

Click here to read book two: Kiss Me. Click here to read book three: Date Me.