The Touch of a Villain: An Enemies to Lovers High School Romance (The Boys of Clermont Bay Book 1) by Holly Renee (best short books to read .TXT) 📗

to glance over my shoulder, and he was still smiling at Allie. He glanced from her to me, and I knew from the spark in his eyes that I shouldn’t go anywhere with him. Whether I was drunk or not, I didn’t trust Beck Clermont.

“Will actually already offered to take us.” I turned so I was facing Beck more, and Allie snickered in my ear.

“Will’s been drinking.” Beck tucked his hands in his pockets, and he looked so damn smug.

“Only a couple.” Will shrugged, and I knew I wouldn’t be riding home with him tonight. Even if I absolutely despised the idea of Beck being my ride home, I wasn’t stupid enough to get in the car with some guy I had just met who had been drinking.

I wasn’t that reckless.

“I haven’t had any.” Beck shrugged his shoulders with a cocky smile, and I wanted to knock that damn smug look right off his face.

“I think we’ll take our chances with the Uber.” I tightened my grip on Allie, and I couldn’t stop smiling as she laughed.

“Or I could call your dad.” Beck pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I think he’d much prefer it be me to get you home safely than some college student trying to make an extra buck.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, but I didn’t doubt he’d do it. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me, Vos.” He tapped his thumb against his phone.

“There’s no need for that.” Allie linked her fingers in mine and squeezed them before she spoke. “We’ll ride with you, Beck.”

He didn’t look at her though. He stared down at me, and I swear he wanted me to challenge him. There was a dare in his eyes. “You good with that?”

I wanted to say no. It was on the tip of my tongue, but Allie squeezed my hand tightly in hers and I took a deep breath as I stared at him. “Perfect.”

Chapter Eight

Beck

Josie looked pissed as hell as she climbed into the back seat with Allie.

I couldn’t stop smiling as I shut the door behind her.

“What the hell are we doing?” Olly was standing near the hood of my SUV, and I knew he thought I was crazy.

I didn’t give a shit though.

There was something about her that made me crave being near her. I wanted to crush her, but I wanted to do it where I could see. I wanted to do it where I had a front-row view.

“Taking two drunk girls home safely.” I tossed my keys in the air and caught them back into my hand.

“You know that’s not what I mean.” He looked between me and Carson, but Carson knew as much as he did.

They were my best friends, more like brothers, really, and while I knew they hated Lucas Vos as much as I did, it wasn’t the same.

They were close to Frankie, but she wasn’t their baby sister. They didn’t have to watch her helplessly as she cried like I hadn’t seen since she was a little girl. They could see how she’s changed since that day, but I could feel it.

I felt every second of it, and it burned in my blood.

“Just get in the fucking car, Olly.”

I opened my driver’s side door and climbed in. Josie sat directly behind me, and I couldn’t help checking my rearview mirror as soon as she was in view.

And she was staring daggers at me.

She was pissed, that much was obvious, but there was no way I was going to let Will Hollis take them home. I had been watching him drink all damn night, and more than that, I had been watching him watch her.

I shouldn’t have fucking cared.

But for some stupid reason, I couldn’t let her leave with him.

The thought of her smiling at him like I had seen her do when I arrived at this stupid fucking party made me want to smash Will’s face in.

That anger was irrational and dumb, but Josie was mine. My want for her felt carnal and predatory.

Allie’s head was resting on her shoulder, and she was clearly already passed out. Allie was fun. I had always liked her since she had started working at the country club several years ago, but she also had a bit of a wild streak.

That fact always seemed to bug the shit out of Carson, but he never acted on it. If he was really into her, he never made a move.

Right now, he sat beside her and stared down at her like she had pissed him off beyond measure tonight, but the two of them barely even spoke.

That guy could have any girl he wanted, and he did, a lot. But he was always staring down Allie like she had robbed him of all the pleasure in life.

I wanted to say that was part of the reason I offered to take them home, but it would be a lie. I only fucking cared about Josie.

I would use Allie in whatever capacity I needed to get under Josie’s skin. Carson would just have to be pissed about it.

He could hate me if he needed to.

I drove to Josie’s house which wasn’t far from my own, and no one said a word. I could tell she wanted to, but she held her tongue. I wondered if she would have, had we been alone. Or would she have lashed out at me like I was the last person she wanted to be around?

I put the car in park and started to climb out.

“I got it from here.” Josie nudged Allie in the side as she unbuckled herself.

I leaned my head back into the car and stared at her. “You going to carry Allie in?”

She wasn’t listening to me though. She shook Allie’s shoulder, trying to wake her, and I waited. Allie looked like she was completely dead weight, and I had half a mind to watch her struggle to carry her inside.

Josie and Allie were roughly the same size, with the exception of Josie’s