Red Phoenix's Passion is for Lovers Collection (Boxed Set) Read Online Free PDF Page A

had no right to touch you. There is no excuse for what he did. Get real!”
    Even though Kevin was upset, the fact he wasn’t angry with her made Tessa exceedingly happy. “Thank you, Kevin. Thank you for standing up for me.”
    “How could I not?”
    She grumbled, “Nobody else did.”
    “That’s because your school sucks!”
    “ Our school,” she admonished.
    The slightest grin played across his face. “You shouldn’t joke, Tesse.”
    “I have to. It’s either that or cry.” She threw caution to the wind and ran over to him, burying her face in his chest. He hesitantly embraced her. Tessa closed her eyes and reveled in the closeness.
    “Oh, Tesse,” he murmured. His voice was like a second caress. Her whole body reacted to it and she trembled. “Are you okay?”
    She looked up, staring directly at his lips. She lifted her chin, not wanting to appear too forward but wanting him to know her desire. Kevin’s lips were close enough she could almost feel their warmth. Tess noticed the scar tissue in the right hand corner of his mouth twitch in anticipation. Kiss me, Kevin…
    He broke the embrace and moved to the kitchen. “You want some water or something?”
    Tessa’s heart was still beating a mile a minute. So close! “No, I need you to hold me.”
    He looked at her and shook his head. “I’m no good for you. I realize that now.”
    “What are you talking about?”
    “Tesse, you never would have been in that situation if it weren’t for me.”
    She violently disagreed. “Brian has been hounding me all year! It was bound to happen. Only I wouldn’t have had my knight in shining armor there to protect me.”
    Kevin sounded displeased when he replied, “I’m no knight. Don’t even joke about it.”
    “You are to me,” she insisted.
    “You don’t know anything about me. Don’t be an idiot.”
    “Of course I don’t know anything about you. You won’t tell me. Why won’t you let me in?”
    “I don’t want to go there,” he warned.
    “I think we have to.”
    Kevin looked at her with such agony it hurt her heart. “I don’t think I can.”
    “Then I will give you my strength.” Tessa walked over and wrapped her thin arms around his waist.
    He stroked her hair with his good hand while his right arm pulled her closer. She could tell he was building his courage, so she waited patiently. Kevin could take all day if he needed. Tessa was in his arms again.
    Kevin finally took her hand and led her to the couch. He sat down. She joined him, anxious to learn his secret. Kevin gazed into her eyes and his lips twitched, but no words came out. “Tesse, I can’t look at you when I tell you. In fact, I don’t want you to say anything. Just listen.”
    “Okay.” Tessa laid her head on his lap and curled her feet up on the couch. Being like this was just like the movies, so romantic and sweet. She felt the rough scars on his fingers touch her arm, his missing fingers obvious but unnecessary. He’d never touched her with his right hand before. It seemed such an intimate gesture.
    “I’ve lived in Emporia, Kansas all of my life. It is a good place to grow up. Well… I didn’t have any complaints. My father traveled a lot, so it was pretty much just the three of us, my mom, Randy and me.” Tessa’s ears perked up when she heard there was someone else in his family. “I had a good group of friends and a little brother who suffered from serious hero-worship. Randy followed me everywhere. I didn’t mind though, he made an effective chick magnet. I was fairly talented at baseball and thought I might get a scholarship if I played my cards right. Like I said, I had no complaints.”
    He paused and his fingers stopped moving. Tessa’s heart rate sped up as she felt the tension in his body increase. “My da… father changed when I started my first year in high school. I don’t know what happened. Maybe it was a midlife crisis, another woman, or he just fucking went nuts, but when he came home he