Sealed With A Kiss, page 1
Sealed With A Kiss
Alexa Riley
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Read Me Romance
Stalk the Author
Copyright © 2022 by Author Alexa Riley LLC. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email to riley_alexa@aol.com
http://alexariley.com/
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Edited by Aquila Editing
Sealed With A Kiss
When Parker orders a battery-operated boyfriend, she doesn't mean to send it to her brand new boss. Having him open it is scary enough, but having him deliver it to her? Catastrophic. That is, until he makes her a deal she can't refuse.
Samuel might have gotten her order by accident, but he's not willing to give it up just yet. In fact, she can't have it until she's ready to show him how she uses it.
Warning: His package is what she wants, and her box is the only thing that will satisfy his needs. If we can't make puns about mail delivery, what's even the point of life?!
For self-care.
Buy the vibrator.
* * *
Chapter One
Parker
“How did I know I’d find you here?” Liam says as he drops down in the little metal chair next to mine.
He’s wearing his jersey again today, and I’m starting to wonder if he owns any other shirts. I quickly close my book and turn to him. Why is he even here? I'm going to have to find a new spot to kill time while I wait for Lexi to get out of her class. Mine ends around twenty minutes before hers does, so I’m always here.
“Because this is my spot?” I push my glasses up my nose and take a drink of my cocoa so I don’t have to speak more.
I always buy one so I don’t feel bad occupying one of the tables. I have them put it in one of the to-go coffee cups so no one knows that I’m drinking hot chocolate, heavy on the marshmallows. Coffee has never been my thing, and I have no idea how people choke it down. Especially when cocoa is an option.
“It sure is.” He smirks at me, and I wonder if his expression is supposed to make me swoon. It definitely doesn’t.
This is my second year at Kingston University. When I was a freshman, Liam was a junior. He’s more of a player off the football field than on, which is ridiculous because he’s the star quarterback. He helped the team take the school to state last year, and they likely will again this year. It only goes to show how much he gets around, and unfortunately, he’s suddenly got his sights set on me.
I curse the day I caved to my mom's wishes and pledged to Delta Phi Sigma. I wish I could take it back, and now I’m wondering if I actually can. Are people allowed to drop out, or do you have to wait for them to say they’re not accepting you? I’ll die if I somehow get in.
Getting in would mean leaving my dorm, which would really blow. I’ve been banking on not getting in. So much so that I spilled all the lame things about me so the sorority will think I’m a dud and scratch me right off their list. One of those things was me still being a virgin.
What I hadn’t planned on was that while it might make me a dud with all the popular fun sorority girls over at Delta Phi Sigma, I hadn't expected it to get around to the male population and suddenly make me popular with them.
“Did you need something?” I ask, hoping to move this along so I can get back to my book.
“I only wanted to sit with a pretty girl.” This time he winks at me, and it’s a fight not to cringe. This is so awkward, and I can’t be the only one feeling this. Liam clears his throat, waiting for me to say something.
“You’re pretty too,” I blurt out, sensing the pressure to return some kind of compliment. Even if he’s full of utter bull crap.
He doesn’t think I’m pretty. I’ve seen the girls he’s been with. I’m cute with maybe a side of dorky. Unless my roommate Lexi gets a hold of me and makes me adorable. Lexi is so pretty too, but she’s an artist and can make us look amazing when we feel up to it. She’s got a great sense of style that’s different than everyone else's.
“Pretty?” He chuckles before silence falls over the table once again.
As people pass our table outside of the small coffee shop on campus, they glance our way. They’re probably wondering why Liam is sitting with me, and some might even know who I am if they know my last name.
“You’ve been reading this book for a while now.” Liam makes a grab for it, but somehow I beat him to it. He really is paying attention. I need to update my book sleeve, I suppose.
“Slow reader,” I lie, pushing my glasses up my nose again.
“I’ve never read him before. Any good?” he asks. Damn it, why is he pushing to have a conversation?
“Yeah, it’s good.”
I did read the Joe Hill book when I got it, but the truth is while I enjoy most of his stuff, I enjoy the sleeves of his books more. I can slide them over other books and hide what I’m really reading. I’ve been doing it since freshman year of high school when I got made fun of for my reading choices. Sure, I could use my Kindle, but I still enjoy the feeling of a book in my hands.
“Are you going to the party at Delta Phi Sigma this Friday?” Liam asks.
“I think I have to.” Or I at least have to help set up or whatever, but hopefully I can dip out after.
I should go and be horrible at everything they ask me to do to make sure I don’t make the cut. I wish I could blow it off altogether, but my own stupid personality tics ensure that I’ll be there. Being late drives me insane, which only makes me double insane for caring if I’m late to something I’m trying to get kicked out of.
“How about I swing by Hayden Hall Friday night and pick you up? We can go together. You’re on the second floor, right? Unit 2 or 3?” I stare at him for a second. How the hell does he know all that?
“We’re going to be late.” Lexi snags my cup from off the table, and I’m relieved that she’s here at the perfect time. “Come on.” She doesn’t give Liam the time of day, and right now, I love her with all my heart.
We struck gold the day we got roomed together. Lexi is a freshman and here on a partial scholarship. She gives no shits about who is popular or if they come from money or not. She wouldn't even know Liam’s name if not for me complaining about him to her.
“Sorry, I’ve got to go.” I hop up from my seat and grab my bag as I slip my book into it at the same time.
“All right.” Liam gives Lexi a dirty look, and I can tell he’s hating that she isn’t sparing him a glance. “See you later,” I hear him say as Lexi links her arm with mine and hurries me away from him.
“I get to keep this, right?” Lexi takes another sip from my cup.
“You earned that,” I laugh. “Hell, I owe you a dozen. Where the hell did you even come from?”
“Got out early and tracked you down.” She tosses the empty cup into the trash before pulling out her phone and key card to let us into the building. “Told you we needed to share locations on our phones.”
Lexi actually just got an iPhone since I forced my old one on to her when my mom sent me a new one. It took some pushing, but I finally got her to take it. Now she’s obsessed with it.
“He’s not backing down,” I sigh as we take the stairs up to our floor.
“Well, soon you’re going to rid yourself of that virginity anyway, so he can go kick rocks.”
“Whatever.” Heat fills my cheeks. “You’re a virgin too.”
I wish I could care less what other people said about me, like Lexi, because she doesn’t give two shits. When I’d let it slip about still being a virgin, the comments rolled in from the other girls in the sororities and other pledges. I hadn’t missed one mumbled comment about no one wanting to have sex with me. Ouch.
“Who cares about the virginity thing? I'm concerned about this orgasm thing.” This is the tenth time she’s bringing this up. “I might not be having sex, not that anyone can blame me when people like…” She pauses, and her brows pull up as she thinks.
“Liam?” I offer.
“Right. That boys like him are the option around these parts.” I snort a laugh. “That doesn’t mean I can’t take care of myself. I mean, how do you not? You got me hooked on these romance books. I don’t know how you read them and not have to handle your own lady business sometimes.”
A pretty blonde walking past gives us the side eye, making my blush grow. Sex is not something I grew up talking about. I’d gone to boarding school while Lexi lived in a group home. My mom never gave me any k
“It’s hard,” I admit as she opens the door to our dorm room. Truthfully, it was the love in those books that made me ache more than anything.
“I thought it was coming today?” Lexi looks around for a delivery box.
“So did I.” We’d passed the mailboxes on the way in. If I had a delivery, there would have been a note on the box to pick it up at the front office, but there was nothing.
“Check the shipping,” Lexi says.
I drop my bag on the floor next to my desk before I bump my mouse to wake my computer. I’d asked my parents to send me another computer when I realized Lexi always went to the library to use one. I told Lexi I like having one that stayed in the room and one I kept in my bag. I knew she wouldn’t take the computer If I tried to give it to her. My plan worked, and besides, I enjoy her being in the room with me rather than being stuck in the library.
Lexi flops back onto her bed on the other side of the room. “When do you start that internship?” she asks, rolling to her side.
“Tomorrow.”
“Bunch of bullshit. You have to work for free? I don’t understand this.” She shakes her head.
“Yep,” I sigh.
It’s going to suck. At some point, I’m going to have to stand up to my parents. The control they have over the direction of my life only seems to tighten as I get older.
“Will you have to work with your pops?”
“I really hope not.” I cringe. I hope I get stuck in some room filing papers or something.
It’s because of him I got the internship to begin with at Finance & Legal BNC. It’s now one of the biggest and fastest growing companies in America. My father has been working there for a while now since the owner and CEO of BNC snatched him up from another company years back. I remember my father being a bit on the fence about taking the job because the owner was young, but the company was thriving. He’d taken the leap, and we had to move across the country for him to take the job. My father has always been good with numbers, and even though I am too, I hate them.
BNC started offering internships last year, and I’d wiggled my way out of it my freshman year. Now my father is relentless about it, so I didn’t have much of a choice. I applied, and I’m sure my father asked to make sure I got one of the three spots. I think the other two went to seniors.
I’m pretty sure the owner, Samuel Matthews, went to Kingston University and that’s why my father pushed me to go here. It’s also why Kingston got the internship programs.
“It says delivered,” I tell her when I pull it up.
“Well, it’s not here.” Lexi hops up from her bed and comes over to the computer to see for herself. “How messed up would it be if someone stole your vibrator?” She laughs.
“Wait.” My eyes drop to the delivery address, which isn't mine. I gasp. This isn’t happening “No!” I shake my head.
“That’s awkward,” Lexi supplies as I try and not die of embarrassment.
Chapter Two
Samuel
“What the…?” I’m balancing too many things in my arms at once when I accidentally kick something at my feet. Backing up a little, I see a box in front of my door and sigh. I can’t pick it up while I’m holding all of this shit, so I step over it and unlock the door.
After I drop my messenger bag, groceries, gym bag, and everything else I was hanging on to, I make my way back to the front door.
“It’s not safe to leave your door wide open, Sam,” my neighbor and best friend Asher calls out.
“These crime-ridden streets fear me,” I say as I watch him scoop up the box on the ground and close my front door. He puts the package on the coffee table then makes his way toward me.
“Please.” He rolls his eyes as he goes straight to my fridge and pulls out a beer. “Want one?”
“Do I want a beer that I paid for from my refrigerator?” Sarcasms drips from my words, but he only smiles and passes me one. “What’s in your fridge and why do you always raid mine?”
“Because you keep buying groceries, and all I’ve got is a jar of pickles.”
“You don’t even like pickles.”
“Which is why they’re still there.” He shrugs.
I shake my head as I loosen my tie and we walk into the large living room. There’s not much in here even though we’ve both lived in this neighborhood for several years now. I haven’t gotten around to it, and Asher is always over here instead of at his place. I’m pretty sure he’s only got a bed in his whole house.
When we graduated from college, we agreed we wanted to work together and stay in the same city. What we didn’t plan on was becoming next-door neighbors, but when the houses came on the market at the same time, we jumped on it. Who wouldn’t want to live next door to their best friend since middle school? Asher is my brother even though we don’t share DNA. His dad died when he was young, and that’s when he started going to my school. My mom passed when I was still a baby, so it was something we kind of had in common.
What we didn’t expect was for our parents to fall in love during all those times Asher and I were hanging out. So there might be a “step” between us, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“How was work today, dear?” He laughs at his own joke as he grabs the remote and sits down.
“Busy.” I yawn, and he gives me a look. “I know I say that every day, but it’s true. It’s exhausting being this successful.”
This time when he rolls his eyes, I’m afraid they’re going to get stuck that way.
“I’m so glad I’m only an investor and that I don’t actually have to run that office.”
“Keep saying that, and I’ll put you to work.” I let out a long breath as I take a seat. “I could really use some extra hands, so I guess it’s good the interns start tomorrow.”
“You need more people to get coffee?”
“I wish. I need hands to process data and help us catch up with the demand. The company is so close to being where I want it, and then I can take a step back.”
“What will you possibly do with all your free time once you retire so young?” Asher wiggles his eyebrows, and I laugh.
“I guess finally see what your ass does all day. What is it, napping?”
“My days are filled with adventure. For example, I went to Costco today.”
“Please don’t start.” I try to cut him off, but he keeps going.
“Sam, do you know they lose money on their rotisserie chicken?”
“Here we go.” I rub my temples as he goes on about all the deals he saw today.
“I’m just saying, until you try their slippers you haven’t lived.”
“As often as you go, I’m surprised you don’t have more food at your house.”
He sighs and changes the channel. “Where do you think most of your stuff comes from?”
“Bro, you really need to get laid.”
He pauses his search on the TV and turns his surprised gaze on me. “Look who's talking.”
“I have an excuse. I'm busy.” Just then my phone rings and gives me a way out of this conversation.
Sure, it’s been a while since I’ve had sex. Okay, maybe it’s been longer than a while. Like years. But it’s true what I told Asher. I’ve been busy building my business and making sure that the family I hope to one day have will be financially secure. That’s what I told myself all this time. That eventually my hard work would pay off and then I could settle down. But what if I’ve waited too long and now my chance to have a wife and babies has passed me by?
Instead of dwelling on that and sinking further into my own misery, I answer my phone.
“Samuel here.”
“Hi Samuel, it’s Ramona from Human Resources.”
“Hey, Ramona, is everything okay?” It’s not normal that I get a call from HR after hours.
