His Bedpost Queen (interracial romance) *excerpt only*

Prologue & Chapters 1-3

Prologue

Fourteen years earlier...

"You don't fool me, Tena."

Tena pulled the red-and-white striped straw from her lips and glanced up at Davie. Usually, she would have a small joke or wisecrack for him, but tonight she didn't feel much like smiling.

"What?"

"That," he said, nodding toward her drink.

She glanced down. Of course, he would suspect that she had poured something a little stronger than soda in the tall, red and white fountain cup-which she had. But still...

"It's just soda."

His dark brow lifted slightly. "I thought you didn't like soda."

She shrugged. "Tonight I do. I'm thirsty."

With that simple remark, she returned her attention back to her straw. Normally, she followed everything Davie told her, or at least she tried to. But now that he was leaving, she didn't have to listen to a damn thing he said.

Davie slid into the booth beside her and effortlessly seized the cup from her grasp.

"Hey!" She glared at him, not in the mood for his heavy handedness tonight. She didn't care if this was his father's pool hall-or that he was the part-time manager. She wanted to be left alone with her drink.

He took a sip from her straw then turned those brilliant gray eyes on her. "Who gave you this?"

"Luke."

His frown deepened, and he glanced over at the pool table where Luke and the rest of the Acerra brothers were playing. Being the youngest and only female in their all-male crew, she had to work double to make herself fit in as "one of the guys." With her usual baggy cargo pants and hoodie, she managed to pull it off. Even her favorite black and gray skully hat that hid her long, thin cornrow braids had a slouch to it at the end. But Davie still saw her as the eight-year-old girl he'd met seven years ago. He had a habit of treating her like his kid sister, and depending on the day, Tena usually didn't mind.

Tonight, however, she minded very much.

"That's not my first beer, Davie. I've had one before. And vodka too," she boasted, though vodka she hated.

Davie turned his glare toward her, but Tena held his gaze. She had about twelve ounces of liquid courage in her, and she refused to be intimidated.

"Well, tonight, you're not having either," he said coolly.

Tena wrinkled her nose. They were supposed to be celebrating Davie's final night in Vegas before he made his way to Stanford-and out of her life for good. The other guys might be feeling celebratory but she wasn't.

"I thought you weren't working tonight."

His father's pool hall was notorious for letting things happen that weren't necessarily legal, things even Davie turned a blind eye to.

"I'm not, but I said no drinking, and I meant it."

She sighed, barely able to restrain an eye roll.

Here he goes.

Ruining her buzz and acting more like her older brother, then her actual older brother. Anthony might not encourage her to drink either, but he hadn't stopped Luke from handing her the tall mug. Her brother had been too eager to get to the back rooms where the "private" table games were being played, and she'd been just fine sitting here, having her own pity party.