Fearless The King Series Book One - By Tawdra Kandle Page 0,114

parents, your friends—all of you are just right.”

“You haven’t met my sister yet, so maybe she won’t like you,” he offered. “Would that make you feel better?”

“Oh, no,” I moaned. “You’re right. I just totally cursed myself. Lela is going to hate me, isn’t she?”

Michael grasped me by the shoulders and turned me around to face him. “No, she is going to love you. Just like my parents do. Just like my friends do. But most important…” he brushed his lips lightly over mine, “—just like I do. That’s all that matters. The rest is just gravy.”

Sometimes events converge in such a way that we just can’t help but believe in some kind of higher power. Call it fate, call it God. Whatever it is, I believe in it.

It was the early part of November, and at King High, we were in the midst of mid-term exams. I wasn’t at all worried about English or History. French had the potential to be a little challenging. I had to perform a four minute speech for the class of the same name, which didn’t delight me but at least didn’t involve hours of study.

Trig and Chemistry were going to present my biggest challenges. I was spending long hours pouring over the books and working problems with Michael. He was endlessly patient, never rolling his eyes or even thinking about how surprisingly clueless his girlfriend was.

Right in the middle of all this academia, the publisher my mother was working with on her latest illustrating venture requested that she fly to New York for a few days of face-to-face meetings. My mom vacillated about it for almost a day, worrying about leaving my dad and me to our own devices for a week. In the end, though, she decided to go.

Her absence meant that I now had a car to drive to and from school, which seemed like one of those convenient coincidences: Michael was pulling extra hours at the nursery as they geared up for the holiday season, and his botany professor, impressed with Michael’s hard work and natural ability in class, had arranged for his extra hours to count as an internship. It was a wonderful opportunity, but it meant that I had to find my own way home.

A couple of days, I had walked home with Amber and hung out at her house. Her mother was glad to see her making healthy friendships. Their home was warm and comfortable, and I enjoyed the time I spent there, even while I missed my rides home with Michael.

I knew Michael missed our afternoons together, too. He was grumbling about it as we drove into the school parking lot on Tuesday morning of mid-term week.

“I feel like I’m missing something when I leave every day,” he complained.

“Well, you are,” I replied. “You’re missing me. But it’s only until the end of the semester. And how cool is it that you’re getting school credit for your work at the nursery!”

“Yeah,” Michael conceded. “That’s true. But it doesn’t mean it’s easier not seeing you between lunch and the next morning.”

“Now that I can use my mom’s car, maybe I could ride over and see you tomorrow,” I offered. “I could drive myself to school, and then out to the nursery after school. You know, later in the afternoon. I wouldn’t bother you while you were working.”

Michael turned off the car and smiled at me. “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all week. But how will I last from now until then?”

I giggled. “I guess you’ll just have to soldier on.”

“Well, then, kiss me well enough to get me through until I see you at the nursery.”

I leaned back far enough that my head rested nearly on the steering wheel, my arms wrapped around my heavy backpack. From that vantage point I looked up into Michael’s gorgeous eyes and smiled. Then I shifted slightly, raising my head just enough to meet his lips with my own.

I was lost almost immediately in the intimacy of the kiss. In one way, pinned to the seat by my bag, I felt vulnerable, but knowing that I had initiated this made me feel exultant. I could hear Michael’s murmuring thoughts, all endearments and croonings. Finally, when I felt my heart would pound out of my chest, he pulled away. Leaning back on the headrest, he blew out a long breath. “Whew. Wow. Okay.”

Innocently, I fluttered my eyes at him, still trying to catch my own breath. “Will that hold you until