All For You (Boys of the South) by Marquita Valentine, The 12 NAs of Christmas Read Free Book Online Page A

for bad boys that know just what to say at just the right
moment? Or is this confined solely to lonely girls like me?
    There’s only
one light on in the house, over the kitchen sink. My dad always
leaves that on when he goes out for the night. It lets me know that
he’ll be home late.
    “Where’s
your dad?” West says, making himself at home on the couch. He
grabs the remote and manages to find the one station broadcasting a
soccer game.
    “Poker night.”
Careful to not sit to close, I join him, leaning to the side to
switch on the closest lamp. “Is the game happening right now?”
    “Rerun.
Greatest plays.” He turns down the volume and shrugs out of his
coat, then stretches his arm across the back of the cushions. “The
pizza should be here soon.”
    I nod, placing my
hands in my lap. I have no idea what to do next, what to say next,
because this is the first date I’ve ever been on. It’s
not that I haven’t been asked out, because I have, but I say
no, because all I ever think is the guy only want to see what he can
from me before moving on to the next girl. The better girl. The one
who doesn’t have soil under her nails, or calluses on her hands
in the summer.
    Lawn girl.
    There’s a
light pressure on my arm. It travels down the length of it, stopping
at my hand and covering it. I stare in amazement as West laces his
fingers with mine.
    I lightly stroke his
palm, and his breath hitches. Glancing at him, I find his gaze on me.
    “With anyone
else, this would be nothing, but with you, holding hands is like
getting to third base on a first date.”
    I blush, not sure if
he’s complimenting me or insulting me, because he thinks I’m
playing hard to get. Not that it should matter to him. We’ve
had sex before. Twice. The second time didn’t hurt as much as
the first, but he’d left his mark on me, and not just on the
underside of my left breast.
    “ I don’t
want this to end,” he whispers in my ear, pinning me to the bed
with the lower half of his body.
    “ Tomorrow?”
    He leans up and
over me, his dark eyes glazed with lust and some emotion that my
heart hopes is the match to mine. “I’ll pick you up
before school and take you home with me after classes are over.”
    “ What
about—” His St. Benedictine medallion hits my neck, and I
hook a finger on the chain, pulling him closer.
    “ I’ll
take care of that.” He kisses me, tongue pushing into my mouth.
“From now on, you’re safe from everyone, including me.”
    My heart flips in
my chest. “You’re drunk,” I giggle.
    “ And you’re
not?”
    “ Only a
little.”
    He surges forward
and I moan. “That’s it, baby. Let me know how much you
love this.”
    Only he hadn’t
bothered to show up the next day, and I’d been late to school.
In calculus, he didn’t even look my way, and though I waited
like a lovesick fool by his locker, he brushed past me and headed
straight into Charlie Foster’s arms.

    ***   ***   ***

    West
    Just as I think I’m
finally making progress, albeit small, with McKenzie, she snatches
her hand away. Hurt, confusion, and anger roll over her face,
transforming her from trusting to wary.
    The doorbell rings,
and she’s off like a shot to answer the front door. I follow
her, getting out my wallet to pay.
    “Hold on. Let
me get my purse,” I hear her tell the delivery guy.
    I hand him a couple
of twenties and tell him to keep the change.
    “Thanks,”
McKenzie says as she shuts the door.
    “You’re
welcome.” Great
plan ,
I think, wanting to punch the wall. At home, I thought she’d be
more relaxed and in control of her environment, with me playing
offense. Only she’s more skittish than ever and I’m
unsure how to reach her. “Lead the way to the kitchen. I’m
starving.”
    She gives me a look,
then leaves me standing there.
    I’m an
idiot.
    Following her to the
kitchen, I take in her house. It’s nice and cozy inside,
nothing fancy, and everything’s functional. There are a lot