Free X: The Hard Knocks Complete Story by Michelle A. Valentine

egg whites for my boy. What about you, Anna, what’ll it be?” She turns her attention back to me.
    I glance around and notice most of the other patrons are having breakfast, so I figure that’s a safe bet. “Um, I’ll take the pancakes and sausage.”
    “Oh, I like this one—she’s got a healthy appetite.” Nettie nudges Xavier’s arm with her hip as she writes down our order on the notepad. “You can bring her around any time.”
    Xavier rolls his eyes while Nettie cackles before turning to head toward Carl. “Sorry about that.”
    I smile, liking the idea that Nettie is teasing him to lighten him up. “Not a big deal. I think it’s funny that she treats all the girls you bring in here like that.”
    He rubs his scruffy chin with his fingers. “I’ve actually never brought a girl in here before.”
    I raise my eyebrows. “Really? I find that hard to believe. You’re trying to tell me that this isn’t where you bring all the girls who turn you down for sex? Hoping that by bringing them here it will impress them and get them to change their minds?”
    He bites his bottom lip. “Does this make you change your mind?”
    The way he rakes his teeth slowly over his bottom lip draws my attention to that stupid, sexy mouth of his. I force back a sigh as I once again find myself thinking about kissing him. If he weren’t so attractive, continuing to pretend that I’m not interested would be a hell of a lot easier.
    Finally, after focusing on his last question, I shake my head.
    “While I find it ridiculously charming that this place humanizes you, it doesn’t change my answer. I still won’t sleep with you.”
    His lips stay together, but one corner turns up into what appears to be a knowing grin. “That’s what I thought. So maybe we need to establish some friendship boundaries, so there’s no confusion about our relationship.”
    I take a sip of water to quench my suddenly dry throat. “What kind of boundaries?”
    “You know, some basic rules so we don’t give each other any mixed signals about moving past the ‘friend zone.’ I’m a big fan of specifying exactly where one stands.”
    I rest my chin in the palm of my hand. “I suppose you already have some of these rules in mind?”
    Xavier smirks and holds up a finger. “Rule number one: no getting naked in my bed.”
    I laugh. The thought that I’d ever be brave enough to strip down and hop into his bed on my own is comical. There’s no way I’ll ever muster up the courage to do that. “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that one.”
    I hold up two fingers, ready to add some boundaries of my own. “Rule number two: no kissing.”
    He shakes his head. “That rule sucks. Friends kiss. That’s not one I’ll abide by.”
    “Not open-mouthed they don’t,” I argue.
    He sighs and holds up two fingers. “Amended rule number two: no open-mouthed kissing.”
    The thought of his lips on me in any form gets my blood pumping, but as long as I know there will be no tongue involved, I think I’ll be able to control myself. “I can live with that.”
    “Third and last rule,” he says while holding up three fingers. “If either one of us starts developing feelings for the other person, we have to tell them. We don’t want any pent-up sexual frustration building between us.”
    I lick my lips and bat away the idea that the ship containing all of my lust for him has already sailed, but he doesn’t need to know that. It’s not like I’ll ever act on them. “They sound like three solid rules to me.”
    “Agreed,” he replies as Nettie returns with our meals.
    “What are we agreeing to over here?” Nettie asks.
    Xavier pulls his fork out of his rolled up napkin. “We were just establishing the rules of our friendship, Nettie.”
    “Friends, huh? Okay, if you say so.” The doubt in her voice is clear. “I’ve never known you to have a girl as a friend , Xavier Cold.”
    He shrugs as he cuts into his eggs. “What can I say?