Free Valentine (A Standalone Novel) (Bad Boy Romance Book) by Claire Adams Page A

voice, the confidence
and calmness that she might not realize she was exuding.
    Leaning back, I watched her, took her in,
and listened intently, though she really didn't say anything terribly
captivating. It was the full package that I was being dragged into wanting more
of.
    "And, what about a job? Do you
work?" I picked up a couple of the fries between us and ate them as she
licked at her fingers. Her pretty pink tongue caused my stomach to tighten with
need.
    Fucking
behave. Shit. She's a million miles out of your league.
    "No, but I'd like to. My parents are
super controlling, and a job isn't part of the deal." She took another
bite of her burger and started to wrap it up.
    "You throwing that away or taking it
with us?" I reached out and touched her hand.
    "Throwing it away. You want it?"
She pushed it toward me as a smile played at the side of her mouth.
    "Hell yes, woman. We don't throw food
away." I smiled at her. "It's too hard to come by for us poor
folk."
    "Hey, I know I was a bitch the other
night. I'm sorry."
    "No need to apologize. You were
scared and stuck on the side of the road with a blizzard coming. It's
understandable." I took out her burger in four bites as she studied me.
    I wanted to feel self-conscious or
uncomfortable, but her expression wouldn't let me.
    She liked what she saw, which just seemed
to force me into wanting to see her again – soon.
    "Yeah, it was stupid to take the damn
car out in the first place. My father told me not to, but I love being a rebel.
Not like a real rebel. Just a semi-rebel, I guess." She was getting
flustered. Time to save her.
    "You looked hot the other night, all
dressed up. Where were you going? A party or something?" I glanced down at
the fries. "You all done, princess? I'll be the cleanup crew for us."
    She smirked. "Yes. Eat all of it,
just don't touch my drink."
    "No?" I reached for her drink
playfully to have her pull it back.
    "No. Germs. Ugh." She lifted her
straw to her pretty pink lips and took a long sip. "I went to a party, but
I shouldn't have. It sucked. Bad."
    "Worse than having some scary biker
guy accost you on the side of the road in a blizzard and then eat your lunch
and drink your drink the next day?" I leaned back and licked the salt from
my fingers, loving the way her eyes widened as she watched me.
    "You're not getting my drink. Stop
thinking about it. It's not happening." She leaned back and cupped her
drink close to her.
    "But I want it. It looks better than
mine. Give me a taste. Just one." I leaned forward, teasing her as my
smile lifted farther than it had in weeks.
    "No!" She turned and we both
laughed, unable to help ourselves.
    "Why was the party so bad?" I
moved back as she relaxed again.
    The sound of some guy beside me caused my
shoulders to stiffen. "Because her boyfriend fucked up, and he's sorry. He
loves her very much."
    I glanced up to see a cookie-cutter jock
standing beside me with several other guys from the football team.
    "I'm not talking with you."
Val's expression hardened, and I could tell that she didn't need help defending
herself, at all. She had a tough side that had been hidden up to that point.
    "Yeah, you are. I told you that I'm
sorry, Valentine." I stood as the guy moved around the table.
    Valentine.
Beautiful.
    "Hey. If the lady isn't interested in
talking to you, she's not going to." I turned to face the guy, ready to
fight if necessary.
    "No one's talking to you,
riff-raff." He poked me in the chest as three other big guys moved up
behind him.
    "Paul, stop it. Now." Val moved
out to stand in front of me, but I bumped the guy with my chest and pulled her
behind me.
    "Fuck off, dude. I'm not a pussified
rich kid. I'll jack you up good and be more than happy to leave you bloody on
the floor." I got in his face, and the fear that moved across his eyes was
too familiar.
    "Valentine, this guy is dangerous.
Where did you pick him up? He's not like us, baby." The guy tried to move
around me to get to her, and I grabbed