Carnal (Her Dark Desires #1) by Lola Taylor Read Free Book Online Page B

hers.
    Raoul
watched me with concern. “Baby doll, you’re pale as a sheet.”
    I
hugged myself. “Guess I’m still pretty shaken up.” That was an understatement.
I’d be lucky if I didn’t have to get a prescription to help me sleep.
    Monique
gazed at me a moment longer before a determined look came over her face.
“Raoul, Sally, grab your pillows and the air mattress from the closet. We’re
having a slumber party in the living room.”
    “Really?”
I asked, hopeful. “You mean it?”
    She
smiled. “Umm hmmm. We can even leave the lights on.”
    I
hugged her, I was so relieved, then pulled Raoul into the embrace. “You guys
are the best friends a girl could have.”
    They
squeezed back. I dedicated this moment to memory, knowing moments like these
were about to become rare.
    When
I finally let them go, we split off. “I’m grabbing my bat, too,” Raoul said, “just
in case that motherfucker decides to come back.”
    I
grinned, feeling much better.
    Add
ten minutes and another bottle of wine later, and we were all snuggled up on
the air mattress, laughing and watching reruns of Sex and the City .
Sometime around two a.m., we started passing out. True to their word, Monique
and Raoul had left on all the living room lights. It was the most secure I’d
felt in ages, being surrounded by my friends - other than being held by Hector.
    No
demons encroached on my dreams. I slept like the dead. And that’s about what I
felt like when six a.m. rolled around, and I awoke to the obnoxious trill of my
alarm to a hangover.
    I
sat up with a groan, sounding and probably looking like a zombie. Dragging
myself out of the comfort of my warm sleeping place, I trudged to the bathroom
then scowled at my appearance. Screw looking cute. I was in survival mode now,
until I got at least three cups of coffee in me.
    Raoul
was still asleep, snoring away, but Monique was primed and ready. I kind of
wanted to hate someone whose hair was perfectly styled by six o’ clock in the
morning, but how could I? She was so nice.
    Monique
spit out her coffee when I stumbled into the kitchen. “Oh, my God. What are you
- is that what you’re wearing to Elysian?”
    I
looked down. It was a cute pair of pink sweatpants with the word DIVA stamped
across my ass in glittery silver letters. A matching hoodie completed the
ensemble. “Um, yeah?”
    She
set her cup down, seized my wrist, and dragged me into her room. “No, no. You
are not walking out the door looking like you just crawled out of bed.”
    “But
I did just crawl out of bed.”
    “And
it shows, honey! We have to make you look like the sexy fox you are. Hector
will be there.”
    “But
I probably won’t even see him,” I tried interjecting, but she kept talking as
if I hadn’t spoken.
    “Now,”
Monique said, cracking her knuckles, “let’s see what I have for you to wear.”
    With
orders to go grab my suitcase so she could “properly dress me,” I finally
complied and fetched my suitcase. Being a fashionista, once Monique got going
there was no stopping her.
    She
dumped the contents on the floor and began repacking my suitcase with mini-skirts,
pencil skirts, short tops that tied at the waist, and an assortment of pumps
ranging from furry and hot pink to glittery and super-strappy.
    “Monique,”
I gritted out, trying to lift the suitcase once she was done. “This weighs like
fifty pounds.”
    “Well,
at least you’ll get buff. Now strip out of those clothes. And let me know if
you want me to help.” She winked at me as she sauntered to her closet, and I
rolled my eyes.
    Not
this again. The last time she’d tried dressing me, I’d ended up looking like
I’d just got done working the corner.
    After
much arguing over attire, we settled on black tights, tall black boots with
modest heels, and a dark teal tunic top that hung off one shoulder. It was
pretty and feminine. But most importantly, I felt hot. I wondered what Hector
would think. My heart picked up speed at the