Free Never Trust a Bad Boy by Minx Hardbringer Page A

revealing to a regular party doesn’t feel right to me. Stacey, on the other hand, threatens to set my graduation speech on fire if I take it off.
    “It’s on my computer, dummy.” I tease her.
    “Then I’ll set your computer on fire. Are you ready to go?” She gets up and walks towards my bedroom door without waiting for me to answer.
    When we get to the party, I immediately find a corner to hide in, and Stacey wanders off to find something for us to drink.
    “You want a beer?” She asks over her shoulder as she’s walking away.
    “No.” I answer firmly.
    “Will you drink a beer if I bring you one?”
    “No.” Then she disappears around the corner.
    After a few minutes, I start to wonder if I need to go looking for her. When I’m about to emerge from my corner, a guy named Johnny from my AP Literature class walks up and starts chatting with me. He congratulates me on making Valedictorian, and slaps me on the back. Johnny was my competition earlier in the year for the honor, but a nasty round of flu that kept him out of school for three weeks knocked him out of the running. We’re talking about our plans for the summer and where we’ll be going to college in the fall when I hear a familiar voice behind me.
    “Hey Patty Prude. Looks like you’re trying to cash in that v-card pretty hard tonight.” Josh teases me loudly enough for the entire room to hear.
    I’m sure I turn every shade of red visible to the human eye, and even Johnny starts to laugh. I feel something rising inside of my stomach, and my skin feels like it’s buzzing with electricity. Before I know what’s happening, I open my mouth and shriek at him.
    “What the fuck is wrong with you, Josh? Why do you always have to be such an insufferable dick?” I regret yelling as soon as I’m done, and hot tears flood my eyes and run down my cheeks.
    I run out of the room and down the hall. When I find an empty bedroom, I slip inside and shut the door behind me. After a couple of minutes, there is a soft knock on the door. I don’t respond at first because my face is in my hands and I’m sobbing. I’ve never been so angry, embarrassed, and turned on at the same time.
    Why the fuck am I so turned on?
    I should want to hit him, but more than anything, I want to rip his clothes off and show him that I’m not a prude. The knock comes again, and this time it’s a little louder. When I don’t respond again, the knob turns and the door starts to open. I curse myself under my breath for not locking the door.
    A soft gasp escapes my lips when I realize it’s Josh.
    “Can I come in?” He asks quietly as he shuts the door and locks it behind him.
    “Looks like you already are anyway.” I say and shoot him my best death glare.
    “Wow, you are hot when you’re angry. Did you know that?” He says and a devilish smile crosses his perfect lips.
    “Are you for real flirting with me right now? Or, are your boys going to jump out of the closet so you can all laugh at me some more.” I do my best to maintain my death glare, but his smile is melting my anger away fast.
    “Zoe, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you were actually mad. I thought we were just bickering. I think in a way, all that bantering was my pathetic way of flirting with you.” He says and sits down on the bed next to me. “You are so beautiful.” Josh whispers and brushes a strand of my hair behind my ear.

Chapter Two
    Josh
    Zoe is truly gorgeous. Most of the guys at our school don’t realize it because she’s also practically a genius. She might be a genius. When I pushed her hair back behind her ear, it felt like lightning struck me. I’ve never wanted to be with someone so much in my life.
    I have a secret. I’m a virgin too. If Zoe knew that, I’d be humiliated. Maybe if I keep up the cocky, arrogant, alpha male persona she won’t be able to tell.
    I grab the back of her neck and claim her mouth. My tongue pushes against her lips, and while she resists at first, Zoe