Jezebel Koko Brown (best books to read non fiction txt) 📖

Celeste waited. Shelistened to his breathing as it teased the hairs at her temples. Inand out. In and out, he breathed. She was so enraptured with thissimple action she almost jumped out of her skin when he finallyspoke.

“I like trouble,”he rasped. “And it doesn’t hurt that you’rebeautiful, so perfect.”

Blushing from head to toe,she admonished him, “Mr. Brennan, no one is perfect.”

“Youare. It’s taking every ounce of will to keep from kissingyou.” Lifting his head, his gaze locked with hers. For thelongest moment, neither of them said a word and then a determinedglint entered his beautiful green eyes.

“Something wrong?”Celeste whispered huskily, responding to his changed demeanor.

Without answering herquestion, Shane turned about and guided them through the crush ofbodies, toward the exit.

“W-where are wegoing?”

“Some place private.”

“Why?” she askedeven though deep she knew the answer.

“So I can kiss you.”

Taking the stairs two at atime, he half dragged, half carried her up the flight of stairs tothe third floor. His pace was so rushed Celeste barely had any timeto wrap her mind around his intent.

Uponreaching the top of the stairs, Shane opened the first door on theright. They barely stepped over the threshold when a sweet, acridsmell tickled her nostrils. Despite the smoky haze lingering over theroom, Celeste could make out several people lounging around on silkpillows passing around a pipe.

Celeste wasn’t green. She’d tried plenty of things, but she’d steered clear ofheroin. Too many of her peers had tried to tame the beast, but weretrampled for their efforts. So, of course she didn’t balk whenShane pulled her from the room and shut the door behind them.

Moving farther down thehallway, Shane opened the next door.

“Heyclose the do’!” A man shouted from somewhere inside. Foradded emphasis, a pillow came hurtling toward the door, smackingShane in the chest. In seemingly high spirits, he simply backed themout of the room and shut the door.

One by one, Shane checkedevery room on the floor. All of them were occupied, even the hallcloset.

It was for the best, Celestemused as she sat down on the arm of a club chair, sandwiched inbetween two book shelves.

At the end of the hall andsituated in a recessed wall no one would have known the nook, lit byonly a standing lamp was even there.

“Iguess the early bird really does catch the worm,” she said,somewhat relieved yet strangely disappointed. The boxer made herpalms sweat and her belly feel like it was turning somersaults. Didshe have the same effect on him?

Celestestudied his expression. Mr. Cool, Calm and Collected. He probablyseduced women every minute of the day and didn’t think anythingof it. He was the perfect foil to her former self. The one that usedto eat men for breakfast, right after her morning cocktail.

He had this effect on heronly because she was dry, Celeste deduced. Of course that didn’texplain how he had her foaming at the mouth at Café Societythe other night.

In a nut–shell, ShaneBrennan was dangerous to her sensibilities! Getting caught up withhim would be like trading one addiction for another. Either way,she’d wind up the loser.

Pissed at herself and theunfamiliar feelings clawing to the surface, she decided to lash outat him.

“You’vemust have paid a pretty penny for those tickets,” she said,picking the leather binding to a book of poems.

Unaware of her motives, hesmiled. “You’re company was worth every penny.”

“Howmuch?” she hedged.

“I never talk money?”

“A prize fighter thatdoesn’t talk money? I guess you fight for free.”

“My manager, Ollie,handles my fee.”

The monkey still riding herback, Celeste chose a different tactic. Coyly, she sat down on thearm of the chair. “Do you go all out like this for your otherlady friends?”

“There aren’tany others. You’re it.” The wind knocked out of hersails, or more like her bravado, Celeste slumped. At every turn, hewas becoming more and more of an anomaly.

“Anything else youwanna know?” he asked, while she struggled to figure out hisangle.

Since being churlish didn’tknock him off the scent, Celeste decided to go for the jugular. She’dnever met a man who wanted to talk relationships. “Where isthis interest of yours going to lead?”

Shane leaned against thewall, and regarded her with intense scrutiny.

Celestecould almost bet he could see through her ploy. So she rushedforward, “You see…a lot of yourkind come uptown, become fascinated with the scene and want to sampleall of its dark pleasures.”

Her planworked. His smile had melted and with every word, a muscle jumped inhis cheek. If she didn’t know any better, he looked as if hewanted to clobber her. So much so, she almost cowered when he steppedforward, towering over her.

Before she lost her nerve,she twisted the knife, “but, I’m telling you here and nowthat…that this curiosity of yours will lead you nowhere.”

“You finished?”

Celeste nodded only becauseshe suddenly found herself tongue tied.

“I love all women. All shapes and sizes. Light or dark, it doesn’t matter to me.But you’re beginning to make me think we might not be a goodfit,” he said it so quietly and yet for some reason it piercedher to the depths of her soul. What was left of it anyway.

Celeste bit her lip,wondering why she was letting his capitulation upset her so.

“I guess we’reon the same page.” Thinking she was in the clear, Celeste stoodup and edged around him. Something inside her told her he’dturned around, but she didn’t look back.

“I keep thinking aboutthat kiss the other night at the club and I keep wondering if otherparts of you taste as sweet.”

Try as she might, Celestecouldn’t move. Her legs felt leaden, glued to the spot.

“You and I might notfit together perfectly, but that kiss makes me think otherwise.”

Before she could figure outhow to put some distance between them, Shane spun her about thencovered her mouth with his. In a last–ditch effort, she triedto object, but that only served as an easy opening for his diabolicaltongue.

His kiss was sointoxicating, any and all protests flew out the window. His mouthconquered hers in varying degrees. Shane kissed her tenderly, thendeepened their contact, as