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

mixing company, quiteanother to breach a certain level of intimacy even the most openminded of people might not be able to stomach.

Still, his chivalry in thekitchen and her desire to make amends weighed heavily on herconscience. Mind made up, Celeste plopped herself down on his lap. She even made a grand show of getting comfortable by wiggling againsthim. Of course, it took her some time to find a sweet spot,considering how rock hard his thighs were and the pleasure shederived from it.

“Keep squirming andyou’re going to be in deep trouble.”

Celeste looked over hershoulder and was brought up short. Looking verifiably hot under thecollar, Shane’s tanned skin had become flush and rosy. Celestestilled her hips.

Funny, how her effect on himcaused her own ardor to rise. Her breasts suddenly felt heavy and hersex tingled.

“What if I wanttrouble?” she asked, angling toward him.

Asif they were two magnets, he leaned in as well. Assuming he wasthrowing caution aside and aiming to kiss her, her gaze dipped to hismouth.

Instead of an earlyChristmas, he simply smiled at her then relieved her of one of theplates. “Behave,” he paused to rip into a hunk of friedcatfish. His eyes rolled to the ceiling as he slowly chewed thenfinally, “There’s plenty of time for trouble.”

Celeste almost pressed himfor ‘when and where’, but with the way he dove into hisfood she ended up watching him eat instead.

Hereyes fixed on his mouth. Unusually plump for a man, his lips movedsensuously as he talked to her between healthy bites. Her mind filledwith images of his mouth devouring her and Celeste almost groaned.

“I’m going torun away with the hostess,” Shane declared, sopping up perlorice with a hunk of golden cornbread.

Even if he were pulling herleg, Celeste couldn’t kick the wave of jealousy washing overher. “What about me?”

“You can come. We’llneed someone to keep the place clean.”

She moved to pinch him. Hethwarted her by wrapping his arm around her waist and lifting herfrom his lap.

“I’ll be back,”he said, setting her on her feet. “Round two.”

The rent party was nowherenear winding down by the time she and Shane called it a night on theother side of midnight.

“Didyou have a good time?” Celeste asked as he walked her home.Unable to find a cab at such a late hour, they’d opted to hikethe six blocks back to her place.

Takingher hand in his, Shane nodded. “Reminded me of my childhood inTennessee, but with more food and better music.”

Interest piqued, she decidedto dig deeper. “You grew up poor?”

“Dirt poor. My motherworked her fingers to the bone. My father, well, he barely worked.”

“Lazy?”

“Forsure, but also a drunk,” he sneered.

Celeste cringed. She’dfaced the same kind of contempt when she’d been too drunk toput one foot in front of the other. “He’s my biggestinfluence. He used to beat the crap out of me and my little brother. One day he couldn’t do it anymore. By the time I was thirteen,I stood a half a head taller than him. So, he kicked me out.”

Hit by the parallels intheir childhood, her insides twisted. Sickened, Celeste wrapped herarms around her middle as she walked ahead of him. She didn’tget far. He grabbed her by the arm, while edging her up against astreet lamp.

“Why the long face?”

“Y-you’reimagining things,” she lied, even dredging up a cheeky smile tosupport her claim.

“Ithought you had talent.” Acknowledging the insult, Celestetried pushing past him, but he crowded her.

His bad behavior should’veput her on edge.

It didn’t. Hisnearness made her crowd him back until they stood toe to toe, almosttouching. The affect heady and overpowering, she had trouble thinkingstraight.

“I don’t needyou to feel sorry for me.”

“I-I don’t,”Celeste stammered, her guard slipping. He believed she was soreabout his upbringing. She did feel for him. She would be ahard–hearted Hannah if she didn’t. But a guiltyconscience brought on by her drunken past weighed on her more.

“I turned out f—”

Before he could finish, ahand clutched Shane’s shoulder and spun him around.

Celeste stepped to the sideand her heart dropped. The drip from the rent party and two of hiscronies squared off against Shane, blocking them from escape.

“Well, what do we havehere?” the drip drawled. “A pair of lovebirds or a hoeand her trick?”

When Shane rolled hisshoulders, testosterone emanated from him in waves. Celeste groaned. This wasn’t going to end well.

No man liked a woman to helphim save face. Still, she couldn’t just stand by while theybeat him to a pulp.

“Ha! What a comedian,”she twittered, her voice sounding shrill to her own ears. “Webetter be running along or the sun is going to catch us.”

She moved to loop her armthrough Shane’s.

He had a different plan.

Stepping forward, Shaneknuckled the man advancing on their left. The poor fellow didn’teven see what hit him. A quick, right jab shadowed by an uppercutsent him flying along with spittle, blood and what looked like teeth.

Shanedidn’t watch the guy go down. Quick as lightning, he pivotedaround and dealt a jaw-cracking right hook to the poor fellow’sfriend. His left eye filling with blood, arms failingly wildly as ifshadow boxing, Shane’s unmatched adversary staggered backward.Celeste marveled at his dexterity and balance.

Hisone good eye suddenly widened, regaining focus. He stuck out histongue and swung. Light on his feet, Shane stepped out of harm’sway then parried with a blinding blow. Like a falling tree, the manswayed. His arms fell to his sides and his knees buckled, sendinghim crashing to the pavement.

As with the others, Shaneadvanced on the last man standing with a ferocity she could onlyimagine belonged in a boxing ring. With a succession of well-placedjabs, he opened skin and drew blood.

With each parry, his musclesbulged, rolled beneath his suit jacket and traces of a smirk taintedhis handsome features. He was relishing this, making mincemeat out ofhis antagonist.

Unable to stand anymore,Celeste looked away and her eyes fell on the bruised bodies crumpledlike discarded paper dolls on the sidewalk.

She was the cause of all ofthis carnage and pain! And