Scarred: A New Adult Romance (The Anderson Brothers Series Book 1) by Marie Long Read Free Book Online Page A

looks back at me and pales. “You’ve got to be out of your mind, Dominick!”
    I
grimace. This was not how I wanted
our night to start out. “There’s nothing to worry about, Denise. I’ll make sure
you’re perfectly safe. You can even use my jacket so you don’t get cold.”
    “’Ey,
now,” Lauren interjects. “She’s not gettin’ on that thing! It’s a death trap.
What kind of man fixes cars and doesn’t have one of his own, anyway, hmm?”
    Is this woman her roommate
or her mother? I don’t feel like arguing with Lauren. “We can take your car if you want,
Denise,” I say in a calm voice, ignoring the other woman. “I don’t own a car.
I’ve had other passengers before, though, and I’ve kept all of them safe.”
    Denise
doesn’t respond.
    Damn it. I’m fucking this
up.
    “‘Other
passengers,’ hmm?” Lauren says. “Other girlfriends?”
    It
takes everything I have to keep my cool. She could very well be Denise’s
mother.
    Denise
turns away from me. Her shoulders slump, and she seems disheartened, a little
fearful. She doesn’t trust me. I’m
not sure what to say or do.
    “Lauren,
let me talk to Dominick in private, please.” Denise says.
    Lauren
scoffs. “You’ve gotta be shittin’ me, D.”
    Denise
shakes her head. “Please.”
    Lauren
gives me the stinkeye. Sucking her teeth, she reluctantly spins on her heel and
disappears inside, shutting the inner door behind her.
    I
exhale quietly, relieved to be alone with Denise. Being this close to her makes
my heart beat faster. Her fresh scent, a mix of pears and cocoa butter, tickles
my nose. Everything about her arouses me.
    “Sorry
about that,” Denise says. “Lauren can be like a mother hen sometimes. She’s a
friend of the family, and going back to school for her PhD, so we ended up as
roommates. She’s always looked out for me since I was a kid.”
    I
make a sour face. “But you’re a grown woman. You don’t need that kind of …
supervision.”
    She
smiles. “She means well. Really, she does. She’s just had some issues in the
past. I shouldn’t say.” She pauses and bites her bottom lip. “Just go easy on
her, all right?”
    I
shrug. It sounded serious, but it’s none of my business, and I’m not gonna pry.
“Fine.”
    “So,
about that motorcycle … ”
    I
sigh deeply. “I just thought that—”
    “We
were going to Jade Fusion. Does it look like I’m dressed to ride a damn
motorcycle?”
    I
cringe. Not really, but you do look
stunning. “Look, if you really don’t wanna ride, we can take your car.”
    She
looks thoughtful. “Were you really expecting me to get on that thing?”
    The
fact that she doesn’t acknowledge my previous comment tells me that she might
possibly be reconsidering. God, I sure hope so. “I didn’t know what to expect,
but I had hoped you might have been feeling a little adventurous tonight.”
    “It
looks dangerous.”
    “Life
is dangerous sometimes.”
    “What
if I fall off?”
    I
chuckle to myself. Her fear and denial are more than obvious now. “I won’t let
you fall off. Trust me.”
    Her
thin eyebrows rise. “I barely even know you.”
    “True,
but how else will we get to know each other if we don’t take chances?”
    With
pursed lips, she looks hesitantly at my parked bike. “I don’t know. Maybe we should just take my car.”
    “Up
to you,” I say with a shrug. “But … ” Slowly, I reach for her hand. I can’t help
it—her hand is so close to mine, I can feel her warmth. Gently, I glide my
fingers over hers, and feel her soft, smooth skin. “I promise you everything
will be okay.” I look down at her hand and don’t feel inclined to let go. Not
yet. Not at all. I want to kiss her hand so badly, but she seems surprised
enough by my actions.
    Her
eyes drift to mine, then down to our hands. Thankfully, she doesn’t pull away.
“Okay. Just this once. I’m holding you to your promise. I better not fall off.”
She smiles slightly. “Let me grab my