Twelve Truths and a Lie (19 page)

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ALL OF YOU,
the New Adult Romance from my Between Breaths series.

O
nce upon a time
,
Christina Lee
lived in New York City and was a wardrobe stylist. She spent her days getting in cabs, shopping for photo shoots, eating amazing food, and drinking coffee at her favorite hangouts.

N
ow she lives
in the Midwest with her husband and son—her two favorite guys. She’s been a clinical social worker and a special education teacher. But it wasn't until she wrote a weekly column for the local newspaper that she realized she could turn the fairytales inside her head into the reality of writing fiction. 

S
he’s addicted
to lip balm and salted caramel everything. She believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.

W
here to Find
Christina Lee

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isit my 
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I
will forever be
grateful for my years as a social worker and special education teacher. My experiences taught me about life and humanity. About empathy, vulnerability, and the resilience of the human spirit. That everyone—regardless of race, gender, orientation, socio-economic status or circumstances—deserves to be treated with dignity. To feel safe and be loved and to have the same opportunities as everybody else. If only we’d see each other—really see each other—maybe then we could close the distance between us. Not only as a society or a nation, but also as a human race.

T
o Pragya and Keyanna
: Thank you for being my perceptive eyes and making sure I handled subject matter with the upmost sensitivity. I hope I did this book justice.

T
o the real life Maddie
: I hope you’re as happy now as you were on your wedding day.

T
o Stina
, Deb, and Kate: Thank you for reading and offering your fantastic feedback because it made this book that much stronger.

T
o Prema Editing
and Judy’s Proofreading: Thank you for sprinkling your magic fairy dust to help whip this book into shape.

T
o Nina
: for always being so kind, funny, and ready to offer a helping hand.

T
o Greg and Evan
, for not complaining when I have to disappear to work at odd hours of any random day. I don’t want to be in any other place in the world except right next to you, every single night.

T
o my family
and friends for your constant, unwavering support. I love you.

T
o the amazing
book bloggers and reviewers: please know that I appreciate all the work you do—all on your own dime—for the simple love of books.

L
ast
, to the readers: THANK YOU for taking a chance on my books and reaching out to talk to me about them. For an author, there may be no better feeling.

L
ove was like a loaded gun
. You slid your bullet inside the cold metal chamber as a safeguard for the inevitable day that everything went to shit. At the first sign of trouble, you blew your opponent to pieces, long before their finger found the trigger. At least that’s what my mother’s string of failed relationships taught me.

I downed the warm beer and scanned the frat party from my armchair perch. The low moans drifting from the next couch over awakened a longing inside me. My best friend, Ella, and her boyfriend were going at it again. Our other friend, Rachel, an even bigger player than me, was in the far corner making out with another university jock. And I wasn’t about to be the only one leaving empty-handed tonight.

Guys were easy to figure out—at least in the hormonal sense. You needed only appear helpless or horny, and their pants instantly dropped to their ankles. Except none of the guys here tonight appealed to me. Maybe I’d text Rob for a booty call on my way home. He was always good for one, unless he’d already hooked up with someone else.

My gaze landed on the guy entering the back door through the kitchen. A red baseball cap was slung low on his head and inky black curls escaped beneath it. His arms were muscular, and his charcoal T-shirt hugged his lean chest. He was Grade A Prime Meat and probably knew exactly how to put those full lips to good use.

I watched as he high-fived one of the guys and then propped his forearm against the counter. His smile was magnetic, and I pictured him using it on me in another five minutes, when he sweet-talked me. I stood up and straightened my shirt so that it revealed more of my cleavage—the little I had—and strode toward the keg with my plastic cup.

As I drew nearer, I saw how alarmingly gorgeous this guy really was. The one hand fisted in his pocket tugged at his jeans, revealing a small sliver of a taut stomach. The trail of baby-fine hairs leading downward made heat pool low in my stomach.

I tried catching his eye, but he wasn’t going for it.

His friend was a different story, though. He practically growled in my direction.

The friend was cute, too, but paled in comparison to Hot Boy. But maybe his friend was my ticket in. Too bad I wasn’t the type to take on both of them—that might be entertaining.

Bile scorched the back of my throat.
Hell, no.
Two meant more testosterone, less power. No telling what might happen, even if I
thought
I was
in control. There was a reason I only did one willing guy at a time.

When I stopped at the keg, I overheard Hot Boy telling a friend that he was moving in the morning. Hopefully not out of state. No matter; I only needed him for tonight. His voice was low and gruff, sending a ripple of satisfaction through me.

Hot Boy’s friend reached over and grabbed hold of my cup. “Let me help you with that.”

Hot Boy looked up and our gazes meshed for the first time. Warm chocolate eyes pinned me to my spot. They raked over me once before flitting away, sending my stomach into a free fall.

He pushed aside the messy bangs hanging in his eyes and resumed his conversation.

I wanted to run my fingers through those unruly curls at the nape of his neck. I made a mental note to do that later, when he was lying on top of me.

His friend handed my cup back, filled to the brim. Hot Boy didn’t look my way again.

“Thanks.” I clenched my teeth and worked to keep my lips in a neat, straight line.

“So, what’s your name?” he asked as he stepped closer. His breath was sour with beer and cigarettes and I knew I could’ve taken him oh-so-easily. As simple as the arch of my eyebrow.

But I didn’t want him. I wanted Hot Boy. Just for one night.

“My name’s Avery,” I said, loud enough for Hot Boy to hear.

Hot Boy only paused at the sound of my voice without looking my way.
Damn.
Maybe he had a girlfriend, or maybe he was gay. The pretty boys always were.

“Nice to meet you, Avery. I’m Nate.” His friend slid his hand to my hip, and I considered giving up the hunt and taking him upstairs. But for some reason, I just wasn’t feeling it.

“I’ll be right back.” I left him swaying unsteadily on his feet.

I headed back to Ella and Joel, who were still hot and heavy on the couch.

“I’m going to head home,” I said, close to her ear.

Ella came up for air. “No prospects tonight?”

“One.” I glanced over my shoulder to the kitchen. Hot Boy’s friend was still waiting for me. “But I’m not really into it.”

“Bitch, you’re always into it.” Her lips curved into a devilish grin. “Gonna hook up with Rob tonight instead?”

“Maybe.” I didn’t want to disappoint her. I was ready for a good time most weekends. And, even though she didn’t really approve, she was ready for all the gritty details the next day. Ella hadn’t gotten me to change my ways in high school, and she wouldn’t now. But if I wasn’t in the mood, I didn’t feel like explaining it to her.

I looked around for Rachel to say good-bye, but she was already somewhere private with jock boy. Ella went back to ramming her tongue into Joel’s mouth.

She’d probably felt stranded by Rachel and me too many times to count, so seeing her with Joel actually thawed a corner of my frozen heart. A real live boyfriend was what Ella had always wanted. Someone who
got
her, she’d said. Whatever the hell that meant.

Hopefully Joel would keep treating her right, or he’d have to answer to me. I wasn’t opposed to grabbing hold and yanking those balls down hard. My self-defense classes had taught me well.

I decided to give Hot Boy one last shot as I passed by him on my way out the door, luring him with my sexiest voice. Unfortunately that meant passing his friend, too.

“Excuse me.” My mouth was close to Hot Boy’s ear, my chest brushing past his arm. He smelled like coconut shampoo. Like warm sand, hot sun, and sex. I wanted to wrap myself inside of his arms, but I kept on moving.

“No problem,” he said without even a glance.

Damn. Rejected again. That made me want him twice as much.

Just as my foot crossed onto the landing, I felt a warm hand reach around my waist. I almost fist pumped the air.
Got him.

I turned to greet Hot Boy, my breaths already fluttery. But the smile slid from my lips and slumped to the floor when I realized it was his friend who’d grabbed me instead.

“Hey, baby, where you going?”

“I’m leaving.” I twisted away, hoping to break his embrace.

But he kept in step with me. “How about you hang with me awhile longer?”

“Maybe another time.”

His hands frisked around to my stomach, and normally I’d accept that kind of action—initiate it, even—but for some reason I couldn’t shake Hot Boy’s rejection.

I was more of an emotional train wreck than even
I’d
realized. Despite Ella reminding me almost every fucking day.

And just as I was chastising myself and changing my mind about hooking up with his friend, I heard Hot Boy’s low rumble of a voice. “Give it a rest, Nate. She said she was leaving, and I’m pretty sure that means without
you
.”

I blinked in shock. Maybe he’d noticed me after all.

His friend backed away with his hands raised. And then turned to the keg.

Hot Boy gave me a once-over. “You good?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Wait a minute, this was backward. I was thanking Hot Boy for being all chivalrous. And the boys I hooked up with were
so not chivalrous
.

Hot Boy nodded before turning on his heels and heading out of the room, leaving my ego collapsing on the cold hard tile.

Chivalrous Hot Boy was so not into me.

I walked the two blocks back to my apartment alone.

I tossed and turned, imagining Hot Boy’s lips on mine, a fire blazing across my skin.

My cell phone buzzed from the night stand.

Rob: You in the mood?

Me: Not tonight.