Embraced by Faulkner, Carolyn (books for 8th graders .TXT) 📕

contracted slightly around her in warning, keeping her still and safe against him. Meg remained tense but quiet as he deposited her gently on the bed in what she’d come to think of as “her room.” It was the bedroom next to Mandy’s that she’d taken over on every visit. He’d pulled back the covers and piled 3 pillows on top of each other for her, knowing that lying flat would be the worst thing for her.

Meg had hoped that he’d see that she was comfortable and leave. No such luck. A glass of water appeared on the nightstand, as well as a handful of hard candy for future reference. “I have a bowl of it on the desk in my office. Feel free to restock whenever you need it.” She’d never been in his study before, and didn’t intend to start now.

- 6 -

BacksideOfLove.com

Embraced

Maybe if I close my eyes, he’ll go away, she thought, only to feel the side of the bed sink under his weight. “Bronchitis?” he asked, tucking the covers over her.

Eyes still closed, “Pneumonia.”

He swore softly under his breath. “And you drove by yourself down here?”

One eye opened to glare at him. “I’m almost fully recovered. It’s been 2 weeks.”

A low, warning growl issued from deep in his chest. “So fully recovered you nearly passed out on my kitchen floor from a coughing fit.”

“I just got off the steroids and antibiotics. I’m a lot better than I was.” She closed her eyes again, realizing for the first time just how tired the trip had made her.

He had a frightening flash of her alone on the floor of her small bedroom, passed out from a coughing fit, and a small shudder passed through him. Grimly, he stated, “If you were mine, I’d wait until you were more fully recovered and blister your bottom good.”

His aggressive words were at odds with the way his hand stroked tenderly over her forehead, delving into the mass of thick red hair in a soothing, rhythmic motion meant to hasten her to sleep.

Meg drew a deep, cough-free breath. “Lucky for me, I’m not yours.” He watched her yawn and continued to pet her softly, hypnotically. He knew the exact moment when she finally surrendered to sleep, her body relaxing completely, rosebud mouth slightly opened.

- 7 -

BacksideOfLove.com

Carolyn Faulkner

Unable to resist, he pressed his full lips to hers in a Prince Charming kiss. “Unlucky for me, Sweetheart.” Barrett grabbed up the startled dog, who was accustomed to sleeping next to his mistress, and tucked the whining pooch under his arm. “I know how you feel, Pup. I’d rather be in bed with her, too.”

- 8 -

BacksideOfLove.com

Embraced

Chapter II

t Barrett’s insistence, Meg ended up spending the next three days of her vacation in bed. Mandy had Aarrived early that afternoon, full of enthusiasm and sympathy for her illness, as well as apologies that she had been greeted at the door with her least favorite family member. “It’s down to just me and Barrett since David and Hayden moved out,”

Mandy moaned while camping out on her best friend’s bed. She leaned forward conspiratorially. “Don’t tell Barrett, but I got a speeding ticket trying to get home quickly so you would have to spend as little time as possible with him.”

“Mandy, I don’t want you getting yourself into trouble with Barrett just because I don’t like him.” For “don’t like him,” read

“don’t think I could keep my hands off him for very long,” Meg thought wryly.

Meg saw her friend’s hand go compulsively to her bottom, as if she’d already received her punishment and was trying to rub the pain away. “Too late. $87 dollars too late. Barrett is going to kill me!!”

No, Barrett would definitely not kill Mandy, but he definitely WOULD spank her. “Last time I got a ticket, it was only $44, and Barrett gave me one spank for each dollar. I don’t want to get 87 spanks!!” she wailed.

- 9 -

BacksideOfLove.com

Carolyn Faulkner

“Can’t you just hide it and pay it out of your savings, or something?”

“No, damnit,” the pretty brunette explained. “I can pay it out of my own money, but everyone in this blasted town knows everyone else. I know the cop that gave me the ticket - Jimmy Randall, and worse than that, Barrett knows Jimmy Randall! It’s only a matter of time before Jimmy tells Barrett about it.”

There didn’t seem to be any way to help her friend. Mandy was going to have to either tell Barrett about it and take her medicine, or live in dread for the next few days or weeks. Meg knew what her friend would do. She’d avoid it, pay the fine, and hope against hope that Officer Randall never had occasion to speak to his good friend, Barrett Costas. Riiiiiiighhhhhttt.

Meg was a favored person in the Costas family – by almost everyone – and the occasion of her annual visit, as well as news of her ill health, traveled fast. Her bedroom soon became like Grand Central Station. Both of Mandy’s brothers, who had moved out to live in their own places nearby, came to visit regularly. Hayden arrived first with a gold box of Godiva milk chocolates, causing Barrett’s eyes to narrow. Frowning, he watched the affectionate by-play between Hayden and Meg closely, noting that she had greeted each of his brothers with a warm hug and kiss, whereas she avoided physical contact with him like he had the plague. His middle brother sat much too close to her on