Read Online The One: The Complete One Series Collection by Emma J. King - Free Book Online

else. After a slow blink of his eyes, he said, “Just promise me you’ll stay.”
    I nodded, lifting my head to kiss him softly on the lips. “If that’s what you want. I’ll stay.”
    William smiled. “Our first Christmas together,” he said. “How romantic.”
    “Romantic, erotic. Same thing.” I kissed him again, and then jumped out from under him. “Shit.”
    “What’s wrong, Livy?” William jumped out of bed as well and watched as I frantically scrambled to find my clothes.
    “I can’t believe I forgot.” I pulled on my underwear and snapped a bra into place. “I’m such an idiot.”
    “Livy. Calm down.” William grabbed me by the arm and pulled me to a halt. In my hasty panic, my heart had been racing but now it skipped a beat for an entirely different reason. William was standing before me, naked, wearing nothing but a worried expression and wild sex-hair. I was dying to run my hands through it, but I didn’t have time.
    “I have to go, William.”
    “Go? Where? Livy, I don’t understand what’s going on.” His troubled face was utterly adorable. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and pull him back to bed.
    I placed a hand on his chest and smiled up at him. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be acting like a crazy person, but I have a prior commitment today and I just remembered.”
    “What kind of commitment?” William stood watching as I pulled on a pair of jeans.
    “Do you remember that place I told you about? The shelter where I help out?” In a fit of anger, I had told William the darkest secret about my past. I had an ex-boyfriend that turned violent, and put me in the hospital. Since then, I had been volunteering my time at a shelter that took in abused women and children.
    “I remember.” The clench of William’s jaw said that he was thinking about my ex-boyfriend, not the shelter.
    “Today they are having a Christmas party, and I’m sort of in charge of it.” It had been my idea, actually. The shelter had about a dozen kids, and most of them didn’t have a lot to be happy about. I wanted to do something to cheer them up, even if it was just for a day. “I need to be there in twenty minutes to get everything set up.”
    I found a clean sweater in my bag and pulled it on. Then I got on my hands and knees to retrieve my boots from under the bed. When I got back on my feet, William was already half-dressed in a pair of dark jeans and he was working on the buttons of his white dress shirt.
    “What are you doing?” I asked.
    William looked at me comically and said, “It should be pretty obvious, but I’m getting dressed.”
    “Why?” I still didn’t comprehend. “The shelter is only a few blocks away.  I can walk. You don’t have to take me.”
    “I’m not taking you.” He had finished with the shirt and was pulling on a gray sweater. “I’m going with you.”
    “No, you’re not.” I hadn’t meant the words to come out so harsh, but William’s head snapped up. “I’m sorry. I just mean, you don’t have to feel obligated to go. Really. You should stay here. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
    “I don’t feel obligated,” he said with anger in his voice. “I don’t do things out of obligation. I want to go with you.”
    I didn’t want to argue with William. It was wonderful that he wanted to go, but the shelter was a sacred place. Most of the women and children didn’t trust men. I didn’t know how to explain it to William without offending him. “And I want you to go, William. But you might not be comfortable there.”
    “You don’t have to worry about my comfort. I’m sure I can handle it.” William’s eyes flashed at me.
    “I’m sure you can,” I agreed, and lowered my voice. “But they might not be able to handle you.”
    Understanding passed over William’s face. “I see.”
    “These people have been through a lot of bad stuff and they don’t exactly trust men.” I shrugged helplessly. “I can’t blame them for that. I know