Mesmerized

complained. "It's so hard to be so near you and yet unable to be alone."
    “I want to be with you too,” he admitted. “It’s just going to be like this for a few days. Then we’ll be old news.”
    Lily shrugged not really believing him.
    “Hey.” Jake closed the space between them. He put his finger under her chin and lifted her face up. “I love you. Nothing will change that.” He pressed his lips against hers. “I’ve got an idea.”
    “What?”
    “Let’s go to my cabin this weekend.”
    She pulled back. “Really?”
    “Yeah. I’ve got a car here now. We’ll just drive there. Just the two of us and no distractions.”
    Lily smiled. “I think that's just what we need.”
    Jake held up his promise. They snuck out of their rooms and to his car after dark. Lily reached over and grabbed his hand. "This is nice. Sorry I was acting like a brat the other day. I got so used to having you all to myself. It's hard to share you. 
    Jake smiled and rubbed his thumb on her palm. "I feel the same way. But, you have to get used to it. Until we graduate we can't always be alone. I don't want you to miss out on the normal teen stuff. It might not seem like it now, but it's important." 
    "I know. I just hope we can sneak away like this once in awhile."
    "You can count on it." 
     
    Jake pulled into the driveway.  Lily smiled when she saw the cabin in the distance. “I love this place.”
    “I know. This will always be our special place.” Jake led her inside. “I’m going to start a fire.”
    “I’ll be right out. I have a surprise for you,” Lily said and headed into the bathroom.
    A few minutes later, the bathroom door creaked just a little as Lily opened it. Jake looked back at her his heart skipped a beat. She was standing there in a long, white nightgown it looked like the dress she wore in his dreams. He'd never told her about the dress.
    “It’s been so long,” she said.
    Their eyes met. “It has.”
    Lily walked towards him letting the dress drag behind her. She stopped a few feet from him and raised her hands to the back of her neck. As Jake watched, she slowly unclasped her necklace and held it out, dropping it to the floor. Then she took off the bracelet and tossed it aside...
     
     

More About the Authors
     
     
    Julia Crane
    Julia Crane is the author of Keegan’s Chronicles. She has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Julia has believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Growing up, her mother greatly encouraged reading and using your imagination. Although she’s spent most of her lie on the US east coast, she currently lives in Dubai with her husband and three children.
     
    Connect with Julia online:
      http://www.juliacraneauthor.com
     
     
    Talia Jager
    Talia Jager has been writing as far back as she can remember. As a child, her summer vacations were spent writing stories. Bedtimes were ignored when she hid under the covers with a flashlight, a notebook and a pen. At school, she kept her works-in-progress under her classwork.
    She took creative writing and journalism in high school and graduated with a major in English and a minor in French. She later earned her college degree in early childhood education. Writing was pushed to the side when she fell in love and had a family.
    Now, with the support of her family, she has several published books and continues to write young adult dramas.
    Talia lives in Texas with her husband and five daughters. Her published works include Damaged: Natalie’s Story, Teagan’s Story: Her Battle With Epilepsy, If I Die Young, The Ultimate Sacrifice, Secret Bloodline, and Lost and Found. She hopes to have her next book, Roots and Wings, out by the end of 2011.
     
    Connect with Talia online:
    Blog – http://taliajager.blogspot.com
    Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/taliajager
    Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/taliajager

Acknowledgements
     
    We would like to thank Heather Adkins for her wonderful editing skills. Stephanie Mooney for the beautiful cover. Lizzy Ford for beta reading. Our families for putting up with us while we write.
     
     
    Stay tuned at the end of this book for a sneak peek of Lizzy Ford’s “Damian’s Oracle” War of Gods, Book 1.

Sneak Peek

    “Damian’s Oracle”
    War of Gods, Book 1
    By Lizzy Ford
    CHAPTER ONE

    Sofia dropped her purse on the desk in her cube without removing her sunglasses. The early December sun couldn’t set fast enough to prevent her