Very Wicked Beginnings (8 page)

But, he had no idea
who
I really was.

And if he ever found out who my parents were, he’d drive out of here so fast all I’d have would be skid tracks on my heart.

And that thought sealed the deal.

I rose and draped his jacket over the driver’s side mirror, somewhere he wouldn’t miss it. And because I was tempted to linger there and wait for him, I ran all the way to my car.

I had ballet. That was enough.

“It ain’t over till I say it’s over.”

–Cuba

I WAITED FOR her for thirty minutes, until finally the dance instructor exited the building. I watched him lock up.

Apparently Dovey had slipped past me, probably leaving from a side door. Yeah, a girl dissing me was a first. And it sucked ass.

I shook my head as I walked back to my car. Maybe I’d come on too strong? Had the dream freaked her out? Should I have treated her like Marissa?

I reached my car and came to an abrupt halt, my eyes taking in the leather varsity jacket spread out on top of the driver’s side mirror.

And I got it. She had liked me. That much had been obvious from the way she’d laughed at my song. But something was holding her back.

Maybe it was because we came from different worlds like she said.

Maybe it was because of my bad rep with girls.

Maybe it was because she could see through my pretty exterior to the ugliness underneath.

But we weren’t over. Hell no.

I drove home, and by the time I pulled up in my drive, I had the perfect plan to make her mine. To get her under me.

She’d have no idea what hit her.

Because this was just the beginning.

A very wicked beginning.

The End

Dear Reader,

The entire month of May, all proceeds from the sale of my prequel will benefit the Keith Milano Memorial Fund for Suicide Prevention which was established to help raise awareness about the devastating disease that is mental illness. Keith’s spirit and laughter is kept alive through our efforts to increase awareness about mental illness and to raise money for education and imperative research.
www.keithmilano.org

Also, thank you for reading my prequel and catching a glimpse into the world of the students from Highland Park, Texas, who attend Briarcrest Academy. Each novel is a standalone with a happily ever after. The first is
Very Bad Things
, my debut which hit #1 in the New Adult College Age category on Amazon. It was also voted as one of the top five romances of 2013 by A is for Alpha B is for Book. It was on twenty-two different top ten lists.

If you’d like the conclusion to Cuba and Dovey, their story continues in
Very Wicked Things
, a critically acclaimed full length novel, now available at all retailers.

Hearing from you is very important to me. Honestly, it makes my day. I love to talk about my characters like they are real people (they are in my head!), and I love to meet new people. So please drop me a line on my website or on Facebook.

Book reviews are like gold to indie writers, and you have no idea how we relish each one. If you have time, I’d appreciate and love an honest, heartfelt review from you.

Thank you for being part of my fictional world,

Ilsa Madden-Mills

Now read the novel
Very Wicked Things
!

Now available at all retailers.

BRIARCREST ACADEMY SERIES

Reading Order:

Very Bad Things

Very Wicked Beginnings

Very Wicked Things

For more information about the next book, please visit my social media sites:

http://www.ilsamaddenmills.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Ilsa-Madden-Mills/164946810330135?ref=hl

Goodreads
:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7059622.Ilsa_Madden_Mills

ILSA MADDEN-MILLS WRITES about strong heroines and sexy alpha males that sometimes you just want to slap. She spends her days with two small kids, a neurotic cat, and her Viking husband. She collects magnets and rarely cooks except to bake her own pretzels. When she’s not typing away at a story, you can find her drinking too much Diet Coke, jamming out to Pink, or checking on her carefully maintained chocolate stash. She loves to hear from fans and fellow authors. Drop her a line on her website or Facebook page.

I CAN’T CLOSE out this prequel without thanking my sweet editor Rachel Daven Skinner who donated her time and skills in editing. Like me, she became attached to Cuba and Dovey and wanted to be part of the charitable organization we are supporting. Also, I’d like to thank Julie Titus of JT Formatting. She is talented beyond compare, and she fit me in under the wire. Wahoo! Last but not least is Denise Milano Sprung, a wonderful blogger who shared her story with me about her brother and his struggle with depression. I never met Keith Milano, yet I
know
him ...and his story resonates in my heart. Thank you, ladies. Much love to you all.

AND NOW A SNEAK PEEK

AT TWO NEW RELEASES FROM FELLOW AUTHORS

YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS…

Read below for an excerpt from the International Bestseller New Adult Romance—
Used
(Unlovable, #1) by Lynetta Halat.
Freed
(Unlovable, #2)—the conclusion to
Used
is out now.

THE BLURB—

I am a slut. No worries. I've come to terms with it, and you will too. I’m not one of those girls who thinks she’s too plain, too fat, too skinny, too shy … no, I don’t have that kind of luck. I’m the girl who knows she’s just right for everyone. — Denver

A reputation as a manwhore–with–a–heart–of–gold tends to precede me. But, I don’t do girls with issues, that is until this girl. It's this girl I want to fix. This girl I want to protect. And maybe … more. — Ransom

Being in love with the same girl your entire life isn't all it's cracked up to be. She uses me in every way imaginable. How does she see me? I am her perpetual one-night stand. No strings, no attachments. Just mind-numbing sex … for her anyway. — Greer

Love. Hate. Triangle.

Who's using who?

I LOST MY virginity on the floor of my sister’s bedroom. I was sixteen years old. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t good. It wasn’t in the slightest bit romantic. But what it was, was done. Finally done … and on my terms. For years, various so-called men had been trying to take it, the most treasured prize in a most dangerous game because of what I had deemed as a curse upon all of womanhood—possessing innate innocence. An innocence that many were determined to rip away and own for themselves.

Determined to be in control, I was more than happy to hand it over to someone I trusted—my best friend. After that, I knew he’d never be anything more, but at least he wasn’t taking it from me. At least I could tolerate to be around him, and at least he didn’t make my skin crawl. He understood what I needed, let me set our terms—friendship and sex. Nothing more, nothing less.

What I didn’t bargain for was what I felt when it was all said and done … absolutely nothing. In many ways, feeling nothing was more excruciating than feeling everything. Even worse, with all my calculating and planning, I failed to consider how my act of desperation and defiance would shape him.