Not Quite Juliet: A Club Imperial Novel (Silver Soul Book 1) by Katherine Rhodes Read Free Book Online

I bounced up extra high and twirled around to catch it. I saw him coming and snatched it out of the air. I moved even closer to the car and gave it another high bounce. “Ha, ha! It’s mine! And you can’t have it!”
    “Bounce it again. I’ll bet I can steal it,” he dared me.
    I stuck my tongue out and bounced it again, giggling. He wasn’t going to get the ball from me.
    And then, I suddenly didn’t care about the ball. Nick slipped his hands around my waist and pushed me against the car. He captured my eyes and then he caught my lips with his. He was soft and pliable and gentle, and he didn’t demand anything more than just a simple soft kiss. His lips worked slowly against mine, and I was lost.
    He pulled back, and smiled at me. “You’re as vicious as a kitten.”
    “Watch out, I have pointy claws,” I mumbled.
    “So, about that ball...”
    “What ball?” I whispered.
    “Hm. That’s what I thought,” he smiled. “Come on, kitten. It’s time to take you home.”
    He unlocked the door and pulled it open for me. I sat down in the car and after he closed the door, I let myself hyperventilate. The only thing going through my head was holy shit holy shit holy shit. I couldn’t get my mind to stop spinning. Nick D, the man I’d stared at for two solid years on stage and on the cover of his CDs and in the news and on their website had just fucking kissed me . He had tricked me and stolen a kiss.
    I heard his door unlock and I forced myself to stop panicking. He slid into the car and smiled at me, turning the engine over. I pulled the seatbelt on as he did the same and he eased the car into drive, pulling away from the club. I looked over and saw the gorgeous profile of someone I’d known from a distance for years, but never dreamed of being this close to.
    I’d always thought that even meeting him was a long shot, but I didn’t just meet him, I goosed him, teased him and had him steal a kiss from me. Was this really happening? Was I really sitting in a car, being driven home by Nick Fucking D, or had someone slipped me a mickey somewhere along the way? I wasn’t able to eliminate that idea.
    He stopped at the driveway and I was confused as to why.
    “Directions?” he asked.
    Shit. “Oh. Uh. Right. I mean, go left.”
    I saw his mouth quirk up in a smile, and he put the turn signal on. We drove quietly through the streets of Pittsburgh, mostly deserted now, and I directed him to my apartment building. I lived quite a distance from the point, but Franz had set me and Lisa up there after what had happened with Taylor. It was insanely close to the Robinson Mall and that was a serious bonus.
    He pulled up to the front of the building, slid the car into a guest spot and shut the car off. He popped the door open and I did the same, but before I could get out of the car, Nick was there, offering me a hand again. I took it. Everything felt so surreal—I was confused and delighted and still reeling from the simple kiss. He closed the door and leaned me against the car. “So. Was Denny’s everything you dreamed?”
    “The bacon was perfect,” I said, with a quiet laugh.
    “Do I get to dazzle you with a second date?”
    “Depends on what you mean by dazzle.”
    He pretended to think for a moment. “Hmm. Olive Garden?”
    “Ooh, the way to a woman’s heart: breadsticks.” I smirked at him.
    “I’ll have to kick it up a notch then. Razzle and dazzle you with Red Lobster. Will I get your last name if I do that?”
    I hadn’t even realized he didn’t know my last name. “Hmm. Maybe. But you might have to throw something else in for that one.”
    “Like?”
    “Dessert. At Gillifty’s.”
    “You are a quite the demanding woman, aren’t you.” He tapped a finger on the hood of the car behind me, pretending to think. “Red Lobster and Gillifty’s, and I get your last name in exchange for mine.” He nodded. “Do I get a second date?”
    “Well, I suppose, as long as there’s no price limit on