Live for You by Marquita Valentine Read Free Book Online Page B

side.
    “ We can’t tell anyone, Vi.
No one can know,” Jaxon says, taking my hand as I lay in bed. We’re
in my room and I haven’t seen the light of day since the hospital
discharged me.“If they did, our careers would end. And maybe I
could come back from that, but you couldn’t, not after what you
did. I still love you and it’s why I’m trying to protect you.
Protect us.”
    I stare up at the white
ceiling, feeling nothing for him. Not even the sting of his
betrayal remains inside of me. “It was an accident.” Although the
press would disagree. The police report would disagree. But I can
barely remember that night. “I don’t remember getting into my car.”
In fact my phone showed a barely readable text to one of the local
cab companies.
    “ Doesn’t change the
consequences.”
    He’s right. It didn’t.
Finally, I turn my head to look at him. He has a black eye and
there are cuts on his lip. “Did you get into a fight?”
    His gaze skitters away.
“Yeah. Listen, I can’t stay…Just promise me you won’t say
anything.”
    “ Like when you promised
you’d only love me?”
    He exhales. “People
change, Vi.”
    “ You didn’t change.” I
shake my head at his frown. “You. Got. Caught.”
    The last notes of the hymn
leave me and I’m empty again.
    “ Fancy seeing you
here.”
    Eyes popping open, I
scream and scramble to my feet, head whipping around. My heart is
pounding loud in my ears by the time I find the intruder. Of course
it would be him .
“Stalk much?”
    “ You wish.” Cole smirks,
towel around his neck and little sister at his side. Of course she
is. And of course I sound like a total bitch. “I’m here to watch
Kelly play in the water.”
    I wave at Kelly. She waves
back and jumps from the bank into the creek. Fearless. I smile. I
used to be like that.
    “ Am I allowed on that
side?” Cole asks, joining his sister, but he doesn’t stay with her.
He keeps walking, straight to me, stopping a couple of feet away
and dropping the towel on the ground.
    I guess I should be
thankful that he’s wearing clothes today. He pulls his shirt over
his head and the sarcastic reply I had dies on my lips. Hard abs,
lean body and damn tattoos. His shorts ride low on his hips,
exposing those indentions in the sides that make smart girls
stupid—or so I read on Pinterest.
    Personally, I feel dumber
than dirt right now.
    Flashing a smile, like he
knows what I’m thinking, he says, “Plan to answer me in this
century, Rae?”
    “ I was getting ready to
leave. So you can be on whatever side you want.” I turn, but his
hand on my elbow stops me. I looked down at his hand, large and
tanned on my skin. I shiver, skin prickling in pleasure at his
touch.
    “ Don’t do that,” he
whispers, then glances at Kelly.
    “ Don’t do
what?”
    “ Shiver when I touch
you.”
    “ Why?” I blink and lick my
lips.
    He groans, then his
gorgeous blue eyes become intense. “Because you’re making it hard
for me.”
    Hard how, I want to ask,
but don’t. We’re already treading the heavy flirting line and I
don’t want to cross it. “Fine. Then I’ll leave like I was planning
to do before you mauled me.”
    “ Please stay.” He dips his
head, lips close to my ear. “Promise I won’t bite, unless you ask
me nicely.”
    My neck arches against his
whispered words and I feel the flick on his tongue on my skin. I
gasp, wanting more. Another soft scrape and I’m ready to tackle him
to the ground.
    “ Damn, you taste good.” He
steps back, checking on his sister again. “C’mon stay. Tell me all
about California.”
    “ California?”
    He gives me this look.
“That’s where you said you’re from.”
    Nana was right. No good
ever came of lying. I begin to back away. Retreat my only option.
“Maybe another time. I’d promised to help Nana can some peaches.
They’re so juicy and ripe that I can’t wait to eat one.” His
eyebrows raise. Okay, so wrong choice of words. “Or green