Teaser scene from Give Us a Chance, book two in The Wheeler Brothers, a series of standalone new adult romances.

JAKE
Before she gets in my SUV, I stop her and kiss those beautiful lips again. Then I slide my hand over her smooth silky hair and say, “It’s kind of a rule.”

“What’s a rule?”

“You kiss me before you get in the car.”

She smiles. “And why is that a rule?”

“It’s for good luck. It ensures we’ll have a safe drive. I’m very superstitious.”

“You didn’t do it last night.”

“Yeah. And thank God we didn’t get in an accident. But tonight, I’m not risking it. You need to kiss me before you get in.”

“Every time? That’s too much.”

“It’s for our safety. People drive like maniacs around here.”

“Fine. I’ll go along with it but only because your kisses are…” She glances to the side. “Not completely horrible.”

I laugh. “What the hell? Not completely horrible? That’s how you describe my kisses?”

“What did you want me to say?”

“That the kiss I gave you was the best kiss you’ve ever had. That I kiss like a fucking pro. An expert. Someone who could give lessons to all the idiots you’ve kissed before who didn’t know what the hell they were doing.”

“You’re awfully full of yourself, you know that?” Her lips tick up.

“I know when I’m good at something and I’m not afraid to admit it.” I step forward, backing her against my SUV, my eyes on hers. “And I fucking know how to kiss.”

“You really think so?” She leans back but there’s nowhere for her to go.

“I know so.” And with that, I grip the back of her head and bring her mouth to mine and kiss her hard. She grabs my coat and yanks me closer and I thrust my tongue in her mouth. It lashes with hers in a heated frenzy, and then we both slow down, parting just enough to breathe each other’s air, our bodies relaxing. And then I kiss her again, softly, gently, my hand still cradling her head, and we continue on as if we’re not standing in a parking lot in the middle of winter. As if we’re the only two people here, despite the cars driving down the street and the people walking by. We’re completely lost in the moment, lost in each other. It’s surreal, and I don’t understand it because I’ve never experienced anything like this before.

Ivy lets go of my coat and I look at her and see that her face is expressing exactly what I’m feeling. Uncertainty. Doubt. Fear. Because we both know there’s something here. There’s something between us. Something we haven’t felt with anyone else, and never in a million years expected to find with each other.

I don’t know what I was expecting with Ivy. Maybe she was just an experiment to see if I could really date a girl without it being about sex. Or maybe I was just determined to convince her to go out with me since she’s the only girl who’s ever said no. But when she finally said yes, I never expected THIS. This overwhelming need to make her mine and never let her go. Where is this coming from? It can’t just be from a kiss, can it?

“Jake. I um…” She can’t find the words and neither can I, so we both remain silent. I’m not ready for this. It’s too much. It’s too serious. It’s freaking me out. So I interrupt the awkward silence and try to lighten the heaviness in the air.

“You ready to go?” I ask. “Or would you like to offer up more commentary about my kissing abilities?”

“We can go.” She smiles but it’s a devious smile.

“What? What are you hiding behind that smile?”

“Nothing.”

“Just tell me. Are you saying that kiss wasn’t good enough for you?”

She shrugs. “It was fine.” She’s such a liar. She wouldn’t even look at me when she said it. But I’ll play along.

“Fine? That’s it?” I step back. “You don’t know what you just signed up for.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you don’t think my kisses are the best you’ve ever had, then I’m going to keep practicing until they are. And I’ll be practicing on you. And to make sure I’m covering all my bases, I’ll be kissing you different ways, and in different places.” I lean down and run my tongue over the delicate skin just below her ear, then press my lips to the spot and talk softly in her ear. “If you’d like to avoid all that, you might want to reconsider your assessment of my kissing skills.”

I back away and notice her eyes are closed, her chest rising and falling as she breathes.

“Ivy?”

Her eyes blink open and she clears her throat, seeming embarrassed by her reaction to my words. “What?”

I smile slightly. “Would you like to reconsider your assessment?”

She pauses to think. “My assessment hasn’t changed. I think you could do better.”

My smile widens because she just agreed to be kissed anytime, any place, anywhere.