On His Turf Read Online Free PDF Page A

I smooth down my shirt and straighten my ponytail while he stands there smiling like the cat that ate the canary. Without a word I turn on my heel and head for the door.
    “Carmelina?” he says in that deep, hypnotizing voice of his and I throw him a look over my shoulder. “You should know that I always play to win. This isn’t over - not by a long shot.”
    ***
    I hurry from the bedroom only to run smack into Matty in the hall. He has a very drunk Leigh in his arms and her pierced boy toy drummer is nowhere in sight.
    “Are you okay?” Matty asks while staring at the closed door like he’s trying to burn a hole right through it.
    “I’m fine. Let’s get out of here.”
    “I thought you’d never ask but we have to take her home first,” he says, adjusting Leigh in his arms.
    “Where’s Seven?” I ask and he snorts.
    “The little fucker got my credit cards,” she slurs before nuzzling her head into Matty’s shoulder.
    “The kid stole her wallet and took off,” he explains.
    “Ouch,” I cringe.
    “Right? Anyway, time to bounce. I’m fine to drive since I put down the vodka as soon as Kyle showed up and killed my buzz.”
    “Yeah, you’re going to have to fill me in on that situation over brunch tomorrow I think.”
    He rolls his eyes but nods and I duck under Leigh’s other arm to help carry her. When we get outside the fresh air does absolutely nothing to revive her so Matty offers to run and grab the car from the convention center. I wait with Leigh in front of the building half-carrying, half-dragging her until Matty returns. When he does we belt her in and I take shotgun while Matty jumps in the driver’s seat.
    Before we tear off down the street I glance back at the building and look up. Most of the condo units are dark but warm yellow light spills from the windows of the tenth floor party and when I look up at the balcony I see his silhouette leaned over the railing with his hands clasped together. And even though it’s too dark to see his face I swear I can feel the cocky grin I know he must be wearing right between my legs.
    We drop off our drunken friend and when we finally reach my place Matty decides he’s too tired to drive home so crashes on the sofa. I climb into my own bed but leave the door open so I can hear him breathing in the other room. Until the age of about thirteen he used to sleep right beside me in bed but when puberty hit it became too complicated to explain so he started taking up residence on the floor. To say that neither of us had perfect childhoods would be a gross understatement and Matty has been my safe place ever since we were six years old. It’s hard for some people to understand from the outside but I consider him to be the only real family I have, and that’s saying a lot considering my mother lives only a few miles away in East Riverside. Matty and I rely on each other a lot especially since I’ve never seemed to have the time or inclination to really become close with anyone else. I worked two jobs in high school and all throughout college just to pay the bills and it left little time for movie dates, homecoming, sleepovers and keg parties. And both Matty and I have been burned enough times to know that sometimes it’s just better to avoid the flame all together. As I lie awake thinking about the events of tonight I realize that that’s exactly what Shane represents to me; nothing but a blazing hot fire that burns bright in the moment then fizzles out just as quickly as it came. To me he’s like a glowing element on a hot stove - and everyone knows what happens when you put your hand on a hot stove. I try to remind myself of this very fact as my eyes close and I drift off to sleep thinking about nothing but his two perfect dimples, his chocolate brown eyes, and how soft and perfect his lips felt pressed against mine.

Chapter 3
    It’s almost noon when I wake up the next morning which must be a record since I’ve usually been to the gym and done a