Boy Next Door (Parkside Avenue Book #2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

me.”
    “Oh no. I couldn’t. It wouldn’t
be right. What would people think? They might get the wrong idea.”
    In my side vision, I watched the
line of her legs working the pedals. She had great legs. “Who’s going to know?”
    “My daughter, for one.”
    Leaning forward, I propped my
elbow on the dashboard to look her square in the face. “I don’t care if you
don’t. Do you approve of everything she does?”
    “No, but she’s young.” She caught
my eye and frowned. “And so are you.”
    “I’m nearly twenty-three.”
    We took a right-hand exit, and
her head turned along with the car. “And I’m thirty-nine.”
    “That’s nothing. Besides, you
don’t look a day over twenty-eight.”
    Her head shot back. “If I didn’t
know better, I’d say you were flirting with me, Johnny.”
    “Maybe a little.”
    “Well don’t. It makes me uncomfortable.”
    “Why? Surely lots of men flirt
with you.”
    “Some. And I’ve never been
comfortable with it.”
    “I’m sorry. Friends it is then.”
If that was all she was willing to offer, I could work with it … for now. It
wasn’t as if I’d expected her to just fall into my bed, although it would have
made things a lot easier if she had. No. Breaking through her crusty exterior
wasn’t something that would happen automatically; it would have to be earned. A
classy woman like Cora needed wooing, seducing, and besides, I really liked her,
and she deserved more than just another notch on my bedpost. If I’d learned
anything, in the past few years, it was that finding the right girl is a
gamble, and I’d pushed my dick into too many slot machines, hoping to hit the
jackpot. Cora was the million-dollar drop. It was time to up the stakes.
    “Why? What’s in it for you?” she
asked, her tone steeped in curiosity.
    “The pleasure of your company.”
    “You’re a strange boy, Johnny.”
    “So people say.”
    We pulled up in the car park and
the engine idled. Cora removed her purse from her bag and slipped me a couple
of twenties.
    “Will that cover it?”
    “Should do. Thanks.” I stepped
out onto the tarmac. “Have a nice lunch,” I said, waving her off with the
twenties.
    After buying everything I needed,
I caught the bus back and spent another hour or so in the garden before calling
it a day.
    Back at Pappa’s, Kendrick was
slouched in front of his favourite comedy show. He offered me a cursory glance.
“Where’ve you been all day?”
    “Next door.” I collapsed into an
opposing chair.
    “Huh?”
    “At Cora’s place.”
    TV forgotten, he held my eye. “What
the fuck were you doing there? Christ. Did you score with one of those hot
chicks?”
    “Is that all you think about?”
    He looked like shit. His
nocturnal lifestyle clearly didn’t agree with him. “There’re worse things,” he
said.
    “Sadly, no sex involved. The only
thing I scored was a job. I’m sorting out the garden.”
    “That’d better be all you’re
sorting.”
    “Meaning?”
    “Meaning, I’ll be bummed if you
bag one of those two babes before me. You gotta respect the protocol, and I saw
them first.”
    “No worries. I’ve only met one of
them, and she didn’t give me a second glance. I tell you what, though, you get
first dibs on the daughters if I get to bang the mother.” I winked.
    He laughed. “You’re one sick
motherfucker, you know that? It’s a good job I know you’re joking. So, are you
up for another trip to the club? I put in a good word last night, and I reckon
I could score you a game in the back room. Just make sure you pay up when you
lose.”
    “I don’t lose.”
     

 
    Chapter Five
     
    I did lose. Twice. Then I won a
small pot and lost the next. I was only up about two-fifty, but it was all part
of the plan. If I were going to hustle these guys, I needed to test the lie of
the land before making my move. The next round of cards was dealt and everyone
bet in the first round. I scanned the table. There were five of us altogether.
The