The Boy Next Door Read Online Free

him.  It was priceless.  Almost worth the visit.”
     
    Amber’s face still looked uncertain, with her brows twisted in a question mark and her mouth clamped into a tight thin line.
     
    “Look, why don’t you just let Damian know that you’re going out?  That way he can keep an ear open or something.”
     
    Amber slowly nodded her agreement, “I can do that.  Are you sure?”
     
    Victoria grinned up at her friend as best she could, “I can think of worse bodyguards.”
     
    Amber laughed, “True enough.  I’ll let him know when I leave.”
     
    Victoria smiled, “I want to interfere with your life as little as possible.”
     
    Amber fell down on the couch next to her, “Please please please don’t say that.  I already love having you here.”
     
    Victoria patted her friend on the back, “Then go on your date and leave me in peace!”
     
    Amber laughed and scurried off to get ready.  About an hour later, she reemerged from her bedroom, showered and dolled up and ready for action.
     
    “Do you plan to come home tonight?” Victoria teased.
     
    “I make no promises!” Amber declared, making the touchdown signal with her arms.
     
    Victoria laughed and swatted her arm as she bounced out the door.
     
    About fifteen minutes later, there was a firm but quick knock on the front door.  Victoria cautiously peered through the peephole and found herself staring at a well-muscled chest barely concealed behind a thin white undershirt.  She smoothed her hair back into its chestnut bun and opened the door slowly.
     
    “Hello there,” she smiled nervously.
     
    “Amber mentioned that you would be alone tonight, but I didn’t think that was a good idea.”
     
    Victoria felt her cheeks color warmly and she stepped aside to let him in.  His eyes raked over her low-cut tee shirt and snug yoga pants, but he moved past her without contact.
     
    His eyes drifted over the mess on the coffee table and he bit back a chuckle.
     
    “Would you like something to eat?” she offered politely.
     
    He twisted back around to look at her, and her entire body flushed warm as she realized the implications of her question.
     
    “I can heat that up if you want a taco,” she offered again, breaking into childish giggles at the terrible pun.
     
    He stepped back towards her and stood within a hair’s breadth of her without touching.  She had forgotten that he was almost a foot taller than her, and the movement of his muscles in front of her eyes was mesmerizing.
     
    “We’ll worry about that later,” he murmured against her ear.
     
    The hot shivers that encompassed her body were almost overwhelming.  She could not believe that she was that affected by his nearness.
     
    She tidied up the mess from their taco dinner, and perched on the edge of the couch next to him.
     
    “Do I make you nervous?  Or do all men?”
     
    She nearly injured her neck whipping around too fast.
     
    “What do you mean?” she asked sharply.
     
    “I just mean, an asshole like that one would be enough to put most women off men permanently.”
     
    “Oh, yeah, I guess.  But no, I’m fine.”
     
    He laid one hand flat against her back and slid it up to her shoulder, “Then relax.”
     
    His quiet deep voice resonated deeply in her ear and she found herself wanting to curl up into his strong chest.  Instead, she slid backwards until she rested against the back of the couch.  He stretched out one long arm behind her, and handed her the remote control.
     
    “It’s your choice tonight,” he offered.
     
    She clicked through until she found what she thought was a safe movie, and tried to breath normally.  She stared at the television screen without really seeing it, until a strange sensual moan filled the room.
     
    Her eyes suddenly focused on the screen and she became mortified that they were watching a very steamy sex scene.
     
    “Oh!  I’m sorry, I had no idea…” she mumbled, trying to click to a different channel as