Breathe Me (A 'Me' Novel) by Jeri Williams Read Free Book Online

view here,” he said with an I-could-give-him-my-undying-love smile while his eyes focused on my semi-covered breasts, and all of a sudden my tank top wasn’t big enough and not small enough all at the same time. I felt the heat sting my cheeks and my nipples perk up at the notion that they were getting attention. Bitches.
    He obviously noticed, too, because he suddenly shifted in his seat, relaxing both legs on the floor, and in doing so, his knee brushed against my leg slightly. He cleared his throat.
    In that moment, I felt every bit as much of the person I pretended to be, the fearless vixen who didn’t give a crap about anything. I have never wanted to be that person as much as I did right now. She would have said something sultry and been on her way back to this guy’s house to rock his world. And I wanted to. I wanted to do all the things I read about and more with this man.
    I needed to leave. This was not my reality. He probably thought he was the hot guy, because let’s face it, he was the kind of guy who knew he was every woman’s fantasy and he was going to get some bookstore ass.
    Thank god for the convenient text message that saved me from having to reply or even formulate a thought after that comment of his. Pulling my phone out, I saw it was a text message from Ember telling me they were down the street at Wake, a bar, and she was wondering if I was done with my “entertainment.” Grateful for an excuse to end our conversation, I stood to leave just as he did. He must’ve been almost 6'3", and as he loomed over me, my lungs constricted. He was so close he had to be breathing the same air as me. My breathing became rapid under his stare and proximity, and the way he didn’t bother to move, it was like he enjoyed invading my bubble. It was highly intoxicating and addicting. I wanted more.
    “I have to go,” I stammered. Mush, the man turned me into mush. I turned to leave, and he grabbed me by the arm.
    “What happened to your back?” he asked, his eyes turning dark.
    Shit, I hadn’t realized my tank top had ridden up. I was always so careful about not showing my bruises. Long-sleeve shirts and jeans made up most of my wardrobe, with a few less-conservative pieces here and there for when I was bruise-free. I hadn’t thought about any of that when I left and came here. My mind frantically tried to make up something. Funny that I couldn’t now, when my whole life was made up. I started to panic, and it showed as I ripped my arm from his grip and backed away.
    “I’m sorry, I have to go.” I recognized the feeling, the tightening in my chest, my breathing becoming swallowed. Fear, it was riding me hard, and I had to get away from him before I lost my shit. I barely made it out of the store, not bothering to pay attention to what he was saying as I headed out the door. The quicker I got away from him and his questions, the better. I was not practiced enough to cover up my bruises with some elaborate lie. I never had to, and until tonight, I never wanted to.

Chapter 7
    Harley
    Outside the bookstore, I could breathe and think a little better, and I realized how batshit crazy I must have appeared to him. Who does that? Me, apparently. I started walking, not wanting to go home or meet up with Ember, so I just walked. It wasn’t until I was almost to Patty P’s that I heard a deep rumble of a car that I just knew, knew belonged to a very sexy James Dean lookalike with gray eyes.
    “Hey, you left your phone back there,” he called through the passenger window. I stopped and looked over at him sure as shit waving my phone like it was some sort of white flag of surrender. Shit, this was going to be awkward.
    He pulled the car to a stop so that I could grab the phone from him.
    “Thanks,” I said.
    “No problem. Where you headed? Can I give you a lift?”
    “Why would I get in a car with you? You could be a serial killer.” I immediately slapped my hand over my mouth. Did I just say that out