You might think you know Brad’s story, but think again. There’s so much more to his story than what Valerie told. See Brad before Valerie came into his life and, when he was playing back burner to Ethan, see what Brad was up to when no one else in the band was looking.
Valerie might have thought she and Brad were inevitable and maybe, in the back of his mind, Brad might have felt that way too, but he didn’t just sit around waiting for her. See the secret side of Brad that you had no idea existed. What kept the driving force behind Fully Automatic focused even while his heart was breaking?
That was when it was time to make his move. He let the confident feeling surge through his veins, and he stepped closer to her, close enough to touch her. “That’s not the main reason why I came back here, though.” He waited a few seconds to let his words register with her and then he said, “We have a little unfinished business.”
She seemed so innocent in that moment. “We do?”
Yes, innocent maybe, but not unwilling. He leaned over and took her face in his hands, lifting her lips to his. He kissed her, as gently as he could allow himself to, but, goddamn, it was difficult. He’d been imagining this moment for months now, and he wanted her badly. Way too badly. Fuck. He should have jerked off in the shower, because controlling himself was going to be harder than usual. Would losing his load have helped? He didn’t know, but he had to stop thinking about that right now.
It was hard, though, because she tasted so sweet, and her response was just as he’d imagined. She parted her lips and took him in. Yeah, she was willing and eager, and all that did was fuel his fire. She was feeling it too, that weird attraction between them igniting into something bigger than he’d expected, something he knew he’d be lucky to control. Still…he kept his breathing (and his cock) under control for the meantime and ended the kiss. Oh, fuck. And she placed her hands on his pecs as though to steady herself. It took her a few seconds to open her eyes, as though she’d been transported. When he had her full attention, he said, “Unfinished, right?”
She gave him a tiny smile, sweet and naïve, and seemed to give the tiniest of nods. Well, she wasn’t pushing him away. In fact, she seemed breathless and expectant. He wasn’t going to disappoint her, so he kissed her again, and he would have sworn it was magic. Okay, so he never would have said something like that to one of his friends. Ethan would have called him a pussy if he’d even known Brad had been thinking something like that. But it was, though—it was more than just a kiss. It felt like they deepened their connection in that moment, like he could see inside her soul and, yes, she was pure and light and everything he could ever want.
He knew her response was a sign to move forward, so he wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her close. Fuckin’ A. She smelled so goddamn good and felt so right up next to him. She moved her hands onto his neck and then slid them up into his hair, driving him insane. Jesus…he wanted to fuck her right there, but he knew a girl like Val would need finesse. And he wanted to give that to her. He wanted her to know she wasn’t just a cheap lay for him. Still, he wanted to move the proceedings forward, so he slid his hands down to her ass, using it as an excuse to press her harder into his body.
And her fingers in his hair. Shit. She was driving him fucking crazy.
Her breathing got deeper, so he knew he was on the right track. He couldn’t hold it back anymore and just let the blood flow straight to his cock…like he’d be able to stop it anyway. He moved his lips to her neck and not only did she let out a sigh, he could have sworn he heard a moan. Fuck, yeah. He didn’t know that a girl had ever done that before they’d actually engaged in the real deal. He moved a hand up underneath her shirt, feeling the bare skin above her jeans, and he heard her breathing quicken again.
It was then, though, that she took a hand out of his hair and placed it firmly on his chest. No. Fuck, no. If he was reading her right, she was putting on the brakes.
“Brad…please stop.”
He opened his eyes and looked in hers. “Stop?”
“Yeah.”
Why was she changing her mind? Was that really what she wanted? He had to try one more time. He kissed her again. Yeah, there were those sparks. Could she deny them? “Stop that?”
She blinked. “Yes.”
“You don’t seem so sure…” He pressed his forehead on hers and bore into her eyes with his. He wanted to understand. “What’s wrong?”
She moved both hands to his chest. She wasn’t pressing against him as if to push him away, but they seemed to ground her. “I…It’s not you, Brad. Oh, God, it’s not you. I swear. I want you bad.”
That’s what he’d thought. “So why not? If you’re worried about birth control…” He wasn’t going to be irresponsible. She had to know that.
She hesitated. “No. I’m…um… I’m a…”
“Virgin?” He knew it even before she nodded her head. “Oh.” He nodded too as if to process the information. “Oh. Yeah. Uh…your first time should be…special, right? At least, for girls. I didn’t give much of a shit.” He didn’t know how to do that for her, not right now, anyway. He was nearly out of his mind with desire, and she was pulling the plug. He needed a bathtub of ice water to jump in. She giggled and, in spite of his feelings of desperation, he found it endearing. But then it dawned on him. Fuck. He had to know. As much as it was gonna hurt, he needed to know. Her eyes all but said it, but he needed to confirm it. “That’s not it, though. It’s Ethan, isn’t it? You still care about him.” She didn’t say a word. She didn’t need to. It was written all over her face…
Playlist for
Fully Automatic from Jade
One of my
Street Team members saw this list and said, “Holy sh*t!” I reminded her (and now you) that Fully Automatic is a big book and,
therefore, has a large playlist to go along with it. J
These are the songs that spoke to me, motivated me, made me feel
something while writing the book. Some,
because of the lyrics, might seem obvious.
Others were inspirational because of the music, but each one had a place
in my heart and mind while writing the book.
Bullet for My Valentine:
“Your Betrayal,” “The Last Fight,” “Fever,” “Scream Aim Fire,” “Raising
Hell,” “Breaking Point,” “P.O.W.,” “Riot,” “Saints and Sinners,” “Pretty on the
Outside,” “Dirty Little Secret,” “A Place Where You Belong,” “Breaking Out,
Breaking Down,” “Room 409,” “10 Years Today,” “Truth Hurts,” “Dignity,” “Tears
Don’t Fall,” “All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me),” “My Fist, Your
Mouth, Her Scars,” “Alone”
Suicide Silence: “Slaves to Substance,” “You
Only Live Once,” “No Pity for a Coward,” “Girl of Glass,” “Wake Up,” “Lifted,”
“Smike,” “Something Invisible,” “Disengage”
Pop Evil:
“Deal with the Devil,” “Trenches,” “Sick Sense,” “Goodbye My Friend,”
“Divide,” “Behind Closed Doors”
Avenge the Heartache: “Swaggermeister”
Seether: “Seether,” “Gasoline”
Korn: “Never Never,” “Prey for Me,”
“Love & Meth,” “Paranoid and Aroused,” “Punishment Time,” “What We Do,”
“Narcissistic Cannibal”
Corrosion of Conformity:
“Clean My Wounds”
Avenged Sevenfold: “Hail to the King”
Shinedown: “Adrenaline”
Alter Bridge: “Addicted to Pain”
Fight or Flight: “First of the Last”
Disturbed: “Liberate”
Art of Dying: “Die Trying”
10 Years: “Fix Me,” “Beautiful”
In This Moment: “Adrenalize,” “You’re Gonna
Listen,” “It is Written,” “Burn”
Asking Alexandria: “Run Free,” “Killing You,”
“Don’t Pray for Me,” “Break Down These Walls,” “Poison,” “The Death of Me”
Slayer:
“War Ensemble”
Devour the Day: “Good Man”
Helmet: “Unsung”
AxeWound: “Cold,” “Exorchrist,” “Church
of Nothing,” “Vultures”
Glamour of the Kill: “Supremacy,” “Here, Behind
These Walls”
Volbeat: “Hangman’s Body Count”
Godsmack: “Moon Baby,”
“Love-Hate-Sex-Pain”
Union Underground: “Turn Me On, ‘Mr. Deadman’”
Five Finger Death Punch: “Lift Me Up,” “Battle Born”
Escape the Fate: “You’re Insane”
Hinder: “Get Stoned”
Guns N’ Roses:
“Welcome to the Jungle,” “Mr. Brownstone,” “Rocket Queen”
Halestorm:
“Freak Like Me”
Three Days Grace:
“Pain,” “Never Too Late,” “Chalk Outline,” “Misery Loves My Company”
Stone Sour:
“30/30-150,” “Gone Sovereign/Absolute Zero,” “Scars,” “Do Me a Favor”
As I Lay Dying:
“Confined,” “Paralyzed,” “Losing Sight,” “98 Hours,” “The Darkest
Nights,” “Distance is Darkness,” “Meaning in Tragedy,” “Reflection,” “The Truth
of My Perception,” “Control is Dead,” “Through Struggle,” “Falling upon Deaf
Ears”
Drowning Pool:
“37 Stitches”
Lita Ford:
“Falling in and out of Love,” “Out for Blood,” “Back to the Cave,”
“Hungry,” “Fatal Passion,” “Gotta Let Go,” “Still Waitin’”
Papa Roach: “Burn,” “Getting Away with Murder,”
“I Almost Told You That I Loved You”
Gemini Syndrome: “Pleasure and Pain”
Young Guns: “Bones”
Creed:
“Torn”
Underground Fight Club:
“Top Shelf”
Chelsea Grin:
“Recreant,” “My Damnation”
Starset:
“My Demons”
My Review: 5 stars
After reading Fully Automatic, how do you not feel for Brad? He ends up being so much more than anyone gave him credit for in Bullet and Rock Bottom. This man, we learn, has been through so much. Putting his heart out there time and again, only to have it stomped on. While I admit going into relationships with someone you know you aren't going to love isn't going to work in the long run, if you can't have the one you want you have to try to have someone else. But damn, how long he waited, and how much he suffered because of Val not admitting what she wanted too. Not only that, but in this book, you can see that Brad was the driving force behind Bullet getting to where they did because of his dedication to the band. Not to mention being willing to take a back seat to Ethan, whom everyone adored. Brad was so patient and kind. Don't get me wrong, this is Brad's story and it tells you everything you need to know about him and where his head is at. This is not a re-telling of Bullet, this is a unique story to Brad that did have his perspective from Bullet, but so much more in addition to that. You've got to read them all to fully appreciate this one. Start with Bullet, then Rock Bottom, you can also read Feverish. But this one can stand alone, because it's Brad. But save it for last, you'll appreciate it that much more if you do. Jade has done a wonderful job yet again with this book. The playlist kicks ass too!
After reading Fully Automatic, how do you not feel for Brad? He ends up being so much more than anyone gave him credit for in Bullet and Rock Bottom. This man, we learn, has been through so much. Putting his heart out there time and again, only to have it stomped on. While I admit going into relationships with someone you know you aren't going to love isn't going to work in the long run, if you can't have the one you want you have to try to have someone else. But damn, how long he waited, and how much he suffered because of Val not admitting what she wanted too. Not only that, but in this book, you can see that Brad was the driving force behind Bullet getting to where they did because of his dedication to the band. Not to mention being willing to take a back seat to Ethan, whom everyone adored. Brad was so patient and kind. Don't get me wrong, this is Brad's story and it tells you everything you need to know about him and where his head is at. This is not a re-telling of Bullet, this is a unique story to Brad that did have his perspective from Bullet, but so much more in addition to that. You've got to read them all to fully appreciate this one. Start with Bullet, then Rock Bottom, you can also read Feverish. But this one can stand alone, because it's Brad. But save it for last, you'll appreciate it that much more if you do. Jade has done a wonderful job yet again with this book. The playlist kicks ass too!
Jade C. Jamison was born and raised in Colorado, moved from one city/town to the next, and she’s decided she likes it so much she wants to stay…although travel is not out of the question. She lives in a big town in Colorado (not unlike Winchester!) with her husband and four children. She is working on becoming a crazy cat lady. Okay, so maybe not.
Still want more? Jade has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Theater, a master’s degree in English, and a master of fine arts in Creative Writing. Obviously, she loves school and the student loan folks love her. She works in human services by day, teaches English and creative writing at night, and—in between playing soccer mom and community leader—writes like a friend. Someday soon, she’ll narrow it down to just writing, but let’s get all those kids off to college first.
AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / SMASHWORDS / KOBO
AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / SMASHWORDS / KOBO
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