Native Tongue Read Online Free Page B

you’re not going to be kissing someone. But I intend to kiss you at least a billion times tonight. My vote is that you leave it off.”
     
     
    “A billion?”
     
     
    He caressed his thumb along my hand and smiled. “Possibly a trillion. Good thing you’re a genius. Not many girls can count to a trillion.”
     
     
    We both laughed, and the eteus code and lip gloss issues effectively faded away. That was one thing I liked about David. He knew the perfect things to say to lighten a moment.
     
     
    Twenty fantastic, conversational minutes later, we pulled into the Boardwalk’s packed parking lot. The Boardwalk stretched three miles along San Belden, California’s coast. Amusement rides, food, dancing, Roller-Blading—you name it, the place had it. It never closed down.
     
     
    David cut the lights and engine. “Don’t you dare open that door.”
     
     
    I held my hands up.
     
     
    He came around and opened it—very gentleman-like—and I climbed out. Closing the door, he pinned me against the truck and rained kisses over my forehead, my eyes, cheeks, lips, chin, and ears. He moved to my neck and nibbled a path down one side and up the other.
     
     
    Pressing a kiss to my nose, he stepped back. “I hope you were counting because that covered a big chunk of the trillion.”
     
     
    “Thirty-six,” I breathed.
     
     
    He looked at me. “You did count?”
     
     
    “Yes. Wasn’t I supposed to?”
     
     
    David laughed and took my hand. “Come on.”
     
     
    We wound our way through the sea of vehicles until we stood on the Boardwalk’s edge. My stomach grumbled at the smell of fried food.
     
     
    He gazed right and then left. “Where do you want to start?”
     
     
    “Food.” I hadn’t eaten since this morning. “Can we get a hot dog?” Something about the carnival atmosphere made me want one.
     
     
    “You can have anything you want.”
     
     
    We joined the crowd moving up and down the Boardwalk. Men, women, couples, families, and others our age. Black, white, Hispanic, Asian. Fat, skinny, short, tall. Pierced, tattooed, or plain.
     
     
    Unique people packed the place. I’d never seen anything like it.
     
     
    Latin music poured from a flashing nightclub. I glanced in the open doors as we passed. Bodies gyrated to the pulsing sound.
     
     
    David led me through the crowd over to a hot-dog stand. “How do you want yours?”
     
     
    “Relish.” I normally ordered onions, too. But with the trillion kisses . . .
     
     
    We took our hot dogs to a vacant bench. With the beach and ocean at our backs, we ate, watching the crowd shuffle by.
     
     
    There was something meditative about people-watching. Hearing them talk, seeing them laugh, observing their body language. TL taught a whole class on it back at the ranch. It was easy to see who felt happy, who was sad, who had hidden secrets.
     
     
    “Hiii, Daaavid,” two girls flirted, coming toward us.
     
     
    I recognized them from the university. Their perfection reminded me of all those girls who used to make fun of me back in Iowa, before I joined the Specialists.
     
     
    They gave me a polite, fake smile. I shoved the last bite of hot dog in my mouth, and relish dripped onto my blue sweater.
     
     
    I stared at the green clump and oddly enough didn’t feel embarrassed. I felt relieved, glad to get it over with. I knew my klutziness would come out at some point.
     
     
    One of them giggled. That would’ve intimidated me at one time, made me feel even more awkward. Now it only fueled my self-worth. I mean, really, who cared if I dropped relish? No one was perfect.
     
     
    Using my napkin, I wiped up the green clump.
     
     
    “All done?” David asked.
     
     
    I nodded.
     
     
    Picking up my garbage, he threw our trash in the can beside the bench. “You ladies have fun tonight.” He took my hand. “Let’s go.”
     
     
    As we walked through the crowd, I glanced over my shoulder back at the two perfect girls. With