Read Online Burnout (Jack 'Em Up Book 0) by Shauna Allen - Free Book Online

the velvety blackness of the night. I had no idea what he was thinking and that had nerves zipping to life in my belly.
    He held out his hand. “Come here.”
    On autopilot, I grasped his warm hand and stood until we were face to face and body to body. He released my hand and cupped both sides of my face tenderly. “Please tell me you know what you’re saying. What you’re getting yourself into.”
    I breathed in his air, still sweet and a touch spicy from the pumpkin pie. Desire and confusion crowded every cell, but I could only listen to my heart. “I do.”
    If it was possible, he moved in even closer, his body heat whipping up my chest. “Do you?”
    I bit my lip and nodded. “I think so.”
    “And what’s that?”
    “You.”
    With a tortured groan, his lips slammed into mine, giving me no room for thought. He consumed me, worshipped me with his mouth. And I dove right in.
    We couldn’t get close enough as I tried to inhale him. He was so dark, so tempting, so perfect.
    He finally drew back, his hands still on my cheeks, his fingers forked into my hair. “Delilah.” The way he said my name was like a warning. “Understand something right now . . . if you mean that, if you really mean it, then you’re mine. All mine.” His forehead tipped to mine. “I’m not sure I could let you go now. I’ve never had anything as perfect as you.”
    Oh, my God. I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to be his, to have him crave me as desperately as I was coming to crave him. Was it even possible? The gleam in his dark eyes said absolutely. I was overwhelmed.
    “But, Princess, you also need to understand I have some serious shit in my life. It’s no place for someone like you.”
    I drew back. “Someone like me?”
    His thumb traced my lip. “You know what I mean.”
    “No. I don’t.” I pulled out of his arms. “I’m not so sure we’re that different, Blake. Other than how people perceive us. And I have shit in my life, too.”
    A sarcastic laugh puffed from his chest as he ran a hand through his too-long hair. “There’s no comparison, babe.”
    Anger and frustration rocketed up through me. How dare he presume to know anything about my life? “Fine. We don’t have to do this.” I spun to get back behind the wheel. “Let’s go.”
    His hand gripped my arm, keeping me from sitting. “That’s not what I meant, Delilah.” I didn’t move, didn’t look at him. A gust of air sounded as he released a big breath. “I just . . . I’m . . .”
    I peeked over my shoulder, but his head was downturned. “You’re just the poor loser kid with a delinquent brother and a drunk father.” His head snapped up. “Right?”
    The truth was shining in his eyes like a beacon calling out to me.
    “Is that it?”
    He didn’t answer, but he didn’t release my arm either. “Yeah, well, I don’t care. I’m the poor loser daughter who will never measure up in her parents’ eyes.” I yanked away and sat. “I’d say we’re even.”
    He stood there as I slammed the door between us.
    No, I’d probably never fully understand the pain in his life that had made him so grown-up, so wounded, but I could definitely relate. On a soul-deep level. And that did scare me.

Blake
     
    D elilah was bringing me to life. There was no other way to explain it. She brightened my days and brought peace to my nights, where ugliness and nightmares used to be my constant companions.
    During the entire Christmas break, she snuck out to see me every chance she got. We were becoming inseparable.
    Tonight, the night before school starts back for the New Year, I waited for her down by the beach. I glanced at my watch; she was five minutes late. Stupid of me to worry, I knew, but there was something deep inside me that was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Waiting for her to realize her mistake and bail.
    Headlights flashed through the hazy night and I flipped my windshield wipers on once to clear the drizzle from my window, my heart