Her Christmas Miracles (Dunam Prep Boys #1) Page 12

  Parker pulled Santa off of Devin, and as Parker helped him up, Devin stumbled backwards. Santa wasn’t off balance long before he stepped towards Parker.

  “You little shits!”

  My hands shook as I watched. Devin and Parker saw us from the corner of their vision and managed to avoid throwing punches. The only one who threw a punch was nasty Santa, swinging wildly at both boys. Parker sidestepped the blows expertly, his agility clearly a product of years of football practice dodging people. Devin, on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky. Santa took a swing and connected with Devin’s stomach. At that point, Parker wrapped his strong arms around Santa and held him tightly until help arrived.

  The mall cops arrived a few minutes after Parker stepped into the brawl. I kept recording until Max pressed the red button and lowered my phone for me. I turned into his chest and held him tight.

  He put his hands on my back and held me, letting me cry into his elf costume. “It’s okay, Skylar, you’re safe now. It’s almost over,” he murmured.

  Chapter 20

  SKYLAR

  The rest of the work day was filled with police reports. Gwendolyn had been called in and questioned after I’d told the police he had a history of sexually harassing and possibly assaulting minors, and that Gwendolyn supposedly knew about the complaints.

  As I was finally released from their questioning, I changed back into my normal clothes, then sat on the steps of the stage, which was closed for the rest of the season. My head found my hands as I struggled not to cry. So much was wrong. I was going to have to stretch the Christmas money really far to get everyone gifts because the rent was dependent on me until Mom got paid. I was still counting on four more afternoons with the guys. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to them. And I couldn’t even put this thing with Santa behind me because the cops said they may ask me to testify in the future.

  “Sky?”

  I wiped at my eyes before looking up at Devin. His hand gently stroked his smooth jaw, his green eyes intense under his dark brows, platinum hair falling in his eyes. “Hey.”

  He licked his lips and stuffed his hands into his back pockets. “I was thinking about stuff … and about your dilemma. And I was talking to my mom and—”

  “You talked to your mom about me?” I cursed my stupid heart for making such a big fuss over his words.

  He shrugged. “Yeah, we talk about stuff. Anyway, she said maybe she could help you out.”

  I felt my expectations sink, my embarrassment falling to my toes. “I appreciate the thought, Devin, but I’m not looking for a career as a house cleaner …”

  “What?”

  I dared a glance, and his brows were furrowed in confusion. “I … assumed you were going to tell me your mom would hire me to clean her house.”

  “What? No.” He sat down next to me. Not like a few feet away, but right next to me. I could smell his cologne and feel his body heat through the leg of his jeans. He put his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward to look at me. “First of all,” he said, his electric green eyes holding my attention as he held up one finger. “Don’t ever, ever assume. It makes an ass out of you and me …” He paused for a reaction. I rolled my eyes and he rolled his right back. “Second of all … you told me already you didn’t want to clean. My mom is an interior designer and a blogger, and she could use an assistant.” My blood started pumping quickly again. Devin was taking me on a roller coaster ride. I sat up straighter, my eyebrows rising with my excitement. He smiled at me, looking proud. “You like that second one …”

  “Are you serious? Did she really offer that to me?”

  He studied my face, never breaking his soft smile. “Of course. Why wouldn’t she?”

  I could think of a million reasons, but I didn’t want to voice any of them. I shook my head instead and tried to contain myself. “That is … that’s just so great!”

  He smiled wider. “That’s good you think so because … there’s a third thing.” He put his hand on my cheek. He drew me in until our lips touched. I’d known it was coming as soon as he put his skin on mine, but I hadn’t been ready for the impact the kiss would have. I was lost in it. Everything else disappeared as we clung to one another, pouring everything into the kiss.

  When he finally pulled away, his eyes searched mine. “Please reconsider this thing between us.” He pulled his phone out and held it so I could see the screen.

  My heart literally stopped beating. I grasped his hand and got a closer look, my breath burning my lungs as I exhaled. “An airline ticket to Hawaii?”

  He pulled me towards him and pressed his lips to my forehead. He kept me there as he said, “You deserve this, and we want to take you with us. Hawaii won’t be nearly as fun without you to share it with.”

  I was bursting. It was like … Christmas! How could I say no? “Bella …” I said, pushing away from him.

  “What about her?” he asked, his brows dropping with confusion.

  “I can’t leave Bella here with a crappy Christmas while I jet off to Hawaii.”

  “We’re not that rich, we don’t have a private jet,” he said.

  “Devin.”

  His smile dropped as he pouted.

  “I can’t go.”

  He sighed heavily and sat back, resting his arms behind him for support. “I don’t think you should let that stop you, personally. You can still be here for Christmas. We don’t leave until late Christmas Day. And I know you’re going to say something about money, but really, it’s not a problem. We have money. We would love to share it with you, but you’re just too stubborn to accept the help.”

  “I just feel guilty …” I said, barely managing to get the words out past the lump in my throat.

  “Why? You aren’t stealing. You aren’t begging for it. Skylar just let us spoil your little sister this year. You won’t need our help next year, but this year you could use it. Please?”

  I closed my eyes and Bella’s sweet little face was clear as day in my mind’s eye. I could see her surprise when the tree was stuffed to the brim with presents. I wiped at a tear that fell from my lid and looked at Devin. I nodded. “Okay.”

  He sat up, eyes wide with disbelief. “Okay?”

  I nodded again. “Okay.”

  He shot up from the stairs and pumped his fist in the air. “She said okay! Suck it, guys!” He pointed at Parker and Max who were across the walkway, eyebrows pinched down with confusion. He clasped his hands behind him and swung back around, lips pressed together. “Sorry that was … a little extreme.”

  I grinned and nodded. It was.

  Epilogue

  SKYLAR

  I still could not believe this was my life. I was lounging on the beach, soaking up the sun, while Parker surfed, Max drew, and Devin swam. We were on a beach that was otherwise empty, the guys having conspired with the concierge at our hotel to find us a private space that would suit all four of us.

  I still wasn’t comfortable showing off the fact I was dating three guys, not even to strangers, and since occasionally one of them would sneak a kiss or another would hold my hand, I just felt better being alone. So a private beach was perfect. I couldn’t have asked for more.

  I looked up from the book I was reading to watch one of them—one of my boyfriends. Devin’s platinum hair looked whiter than usual in the intense sun as he dove under the waves and resurfaced. He laughed hysterically every time Parker wiped out. Max occasionally looked up and smiled at the two of them, but he wouldn’t show me what he was drawing, so I tried to focus on the art history book he’d gotten me for Christmas. It was a perfect gift, but I was finding it hard to focus on reading with the three of them sending joy buzzing through my veins.

  Parker came jogging up the beach, shaking his head like a dog as he did, spraying water everywhere. Parker’s All-American build looked even better here, tanned and chiseled and glistening in the Hawaiian sun, saltwater streaming off of him. He planted his surfboard in the sand a few feet away, looking exactly like a postca
rd, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “What’s so funny?” He put on a fake-wounded face. “I expect these two jerks to laugh at me, but you? I’m hurt, Sky.”

  I flashed my best smile at him. “Nothing. Just happy.”

  “That’s better,” he said, and dipped down to kiss me. The quick meeting of our lips, dripped water on me and my book.

  “Hey!” I said, squealing. “Stop that! You’re getting me all wet!”

  Parker snickered, but he backed off. “You deserve it. You’re sitting around in that bikini doing nothing but reading. Come on, it’s vacation, you’re supposed to live a little.”

  “I am living. I’m enjoying the sun and relaxing for once in my life. Now shoo. Go surf.”

  “I need a break.” He flopped onto the towel he’d spread out next to me and rolled onto his stomach. “When’s lunch? I’m starved.”

  “It’s not even eleven yet,” Max piped up. “I think you can wait.”

  Devin made his way up the beach toward us, clearly feeling left out. He ran his hands through his hair, tousling it. When he got to our spot, he grabbed his towel and spread it out at my feet. “What are you losers doing?”

  “Starving,” Parker said into his arms. “We’re laying here starving.”

  “Speak for yourself, I’m fine.”

  Devin reached a hand out and put it on my foot, rubbing his thumb along the top. I loved the casual contact we allowed ourselves in places like this.

  “And … done.” Max looked up from his sketchpad, triumphant, and grinned at me.

  “Let’s see!” I grabbed for the pad, but Max held back.

  “I …” His grin faltered. “I’ve never shown you my drawings before.”

  “I’m sure it’s fantastic, Max. Show me.”

  “Yeah, Max, you know you’re a great artist. Show her!” Parker said from my other side.

  Devin grabbed for the sketchpad and attempted to take it from Max, but Max leapt up and held it back.

  “Here, Skylar.” He handed it to me deliberately as he glared at the other two. On the paper was an intricate drawing of … me. It was just pencil, but I was totally taken aback by how life-like it was. It made me look beautiful.

  “This is incredible. It reminds me of stuff I’ve seen on DeviantArt.” I glanced at Max, who was looking at me with wide eyes. “Hyper realism is amazing …”

  “You think so?” He pushed his glasses up his nose and held his hand out for his sketchpad.

  “I do. I’m honored you chose me as your subject.” I desperately wanted to search through the rest of his sketchpad, but I wanted him to want me to look. I hesitantly handed it back and after he sat down and placed it on his lap, I lurched forward and hugged him. “It’s amazing.”

  Max’s arms went around my back, holding me to his surprisingly fit body. “Thank you. But it’s really nothing.” His warmth and scent was like a cozy blanket on a cold winter’s day. I could snuggle with him forever.

  “Yeah, yeah, enough sappy stuff,” Devin said, jumping to his feet. He pried me away from Max and held me so my back was against his bare chest. “Who wants to swim?”

  I laughed, his nose mid-nuzzle when a cell phone rang, cutting through the peaceful air with its high-pitched chirping. It took me a moment to realize it was my phone, not one of the guys’. I broke away from Devin and picked up the phone, checking the caller ID. The display read MOM. I swiped to answer and held the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

  “Skylar,” my mom said on the other end of the line. “Oh, I’m so glad to hear your voice! I miss you so much, baby!”

  “I miss you too, Mom.” I was distracted by Devin pouting. I shrugged my shoulders and turned away.

  “How’s Hawaii?”

  I gazed around at the mountains surrounding us, the expanse of sand and perfect blue water reflecting a perfect blue sky. “It’s so beautiful here! We’re at the beach now. What time is it there?”

  “It’s about four thirty in the afternoon. It’s morning there, right?”

  “Yep!” I found a spot and took a seat. “Are you home from work already? Is everything okay?” I picked at the sand as we talked, drawing abstract shapes with my fingertips.

  “Today’s my day off, baby. Everything’s great. Better than great. I have some news …”

  I couldn’t begin to guess, but from her bubbling voice, it was something good. “What is it? Tell me! Is it something to do with Bella?”

  “I splurged a little the other night and bought a lotto ticket. I know, you’re always telling me those things are a waste of money, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to dream for a little bit, right?” she said, cutting me off in her excitement.

  “Sure, Mom,” I said, only half paying attention. I knew better than anyone that dreaming wasn’t always a bad thing, but playing the lottery really was like throwing money in the garbage. I looked over at the three boys who were trying hard to pretend like they weren’t watching me talk on the phone. “Did you win something?”

  “I did! I won a lot of something, baby. ‘Quit my job’ money, enough to make us a whole lot more comfortable. You don’t have to work unless you want to. We can even …” She hesitated.

  My heart was racing at the news. My mother, a lottery winner? I waited for her to finish her sentence, the anticipation killing me, as I pulled my knees to my chest and hugged them tightly. What else could she possibly say? “What is it, Mom?”

  “Remember how you’ve always said you wanted to go to a better school?”

  My stomach did a flip. “… Yeah?”

  “I know it’s the last semester of your senior year, but if you wanted, we could see about getting you into one of the private schools in town.”

  “Dunam Prep?” I blurted, without thinking.

  “Sure! And college, if you want! You can go to art school!”

  I swallowed hard. This couldn’t be real, could it? I was dreaming. This was some sick joke. Maybe my dad had put her up to it …

  “Wow …”

  “Are you alright, Skylar?”

  I opened my mouth and tried to speak but my words stuck, my brain stuck. “Yeah … I just … I’m so shocked! I’m just trying to process it. Is this … are you pranking me like when you called at my first sleepover and told me the house was on fire, just so I’d come home because you missed me?”

  “What? No! Skylar, I’m a lottery winner! Go ahead and check the news tomorrow. I’ve got news people swarming the trailer trying to get themselves a good story.”

  I buried my toes in the sand, still not fully convinced. “Okay, Mom. You be careful.”

  “You too, Sky. A safe trip home and we’ll see you. Who knows, we might even have a new house!”

  My eyes widened and I buried my head against my knees. A new house? I laughed nervously. This was a lot of talk of change. Change could be good, right? “Great. Well, don’t forget to give me the new address.”

  “Don’t worry, baby. Mama is gonna take real good care of you now. Go enjoy the sun and the ocean! Don’t forget your sunscreen. Bella sends her love. And Daddy too.”

  “I love you too, Mom.”

  We hung up and I glanced over my shoulder at the guys. Parker smacked Devin who was obviously saying something he didn’t want me to overhear, and nodded in my direction. I looked back to the ocean for a moment, trying to collect my thoughts. My mom won the lottery. I unlocked my phone and did a quick internet search. My mouth dropped open and a little gasp fell out. $150.6 million dollars. I clicked off the phone and stood up on shaking legs. Brow furrowed, Parker came over and put his arm around my waist for support.

  “What is it?” Devin asked as soon as I was under the shade of the umbrella again.

  “Maybe she doesn’t want to share, Devin,” Max pointed out.

  “It’s my mom …”

  “Is she okay? Is someone sick?” Devin asked, inching forward on the lounge chair.

  I shook my head and held up a finger. I looked down at my feet. I felt like
I might throw up. “She won the lottery …” When I looked up they were all staring at me, dumbfounded.

  “Is that a bad thing?” Max asked.

  I shook my head again. “I just … she wants to send me to Dunam Prep for my last semester of senior year.”

  I waited, holding my breath as they froze. Then Devin clapped his hands loudly, and everyone sprung into action, screaming and hollering, jumping up and down in the sand. Parker grabbed me fully and hugged me tight, spinning us in a circle.

  “That’s incredible!” he said before releasing me enough to look down at me. His smile was huge and almost blinding in his excitement. “This is so amazing for you!” Max grabbed his sketchpad and flipped it to a new page, shaking his head as he mumbled to himself about how great I’d look in the Dunam uniform.

  Devin grabbed my hand and started pulling me towards the waves. “I’m going swimming with the new girl at Dunam Prep! Later, losers!” I let him take me. This was the beginning of something special. How had I gotten so lucky? I wouldn’t question the universe. I would instead embrace the possibilities.

  Thank you so much for reading the first in the Dunam Prep Boys series! This is Roxie’s first reverse harem romance and we hope you enjoyed it! If you did, we would truly appreciate it if you would leave a review.

  Dunam Prep Book 2 is now available for pre-order at a special holiday pre-order price! Grab yours today!

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  xx lux xx

  Also by Lux Carmine

  Chess Club Dropout (Lone Wolves Book 1)

  Damaged Dropout (Lone Wolves Book 2)

  Her Christmas Miracles (Dunam Prep Boys Book 1)