Wild Forces: A Friends to Lovers Romance (O-Town Book 2) by Karen Renee (summer reads .TXT) 📕

tilted. “Pretty sure pre-med students don’t give their hours the first thought. They want to heal and help people. Period. End of. They go into that knowing to get their dream, a residency is in their future, and those hours will be the brutalest of brutal.”

“That even a word, Cass?” I joked.

Her brow arched. “Not sure proper grammar is important when one’s future is at stake.”

I dipped my chin. “So noted.”

“You don’t dig the hours all the time. So... what? Do you want to manage the club? Own your own club or business? Or do you want to manage a group of DJs you’ve trained to be the best entertainers in town? Or maybe even in other towns too? I don’t know. I’m spit-balling my thoughts right now, so—”

I couldn’t hold back my childish laughter at her use of the term ‘spit-balling.’

If her eyes held magical powers–not that they didn’t– but the energy in her eyes would have fused my lips together. I fought more laughter because I hadn’t willfully riled her up like this before. The fire in her eyes made her even sexier.

“I’m sorry,” I wheezed. “That’s just not the normal way you speak.”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “Sure, it is. You just don’t ask me about things that matter very often.”

No sooner had the words left her lips than she clamped them together tight.

“So, we don’t talk about shit that matters?” I asked, sounding affronted even though I knew exactly what she meant.

The remorse on her face almost made me feel bad, but before she could answer I grinned playfully.

Then I said, “Music always matters, Daughtry. You know that.”

Her expression shifted. “You’re right. It does matter. So, have I got this right? You dig the club scene and the music, obviously. Do you have any desire to manage, and then own a club of your own? Because if any of that is true, an Entertainment Management major would be the right fit. And even if you decide clubs aren’t your thing when you’re thirty-nine or whatever, you could still apply that degree to a position with the theme parks and stuff.”

“Thirty-nine?” I demanded.

She grinned. An evil glint hit her eyes. “Well... you are older than me. By quite a bit.”

“Shut it, Daughtry. Four years is not ‘quite a bit.’”

“So. Any objection to a degree in Entertainment Management?”

I exhaled. “No. I think you might be on to something, which is exactly why I wanted a few minutes of your time. So, thanks, Cassie.”

I moved to give her a hug, but she moved back. “You’re welcome, Gabe. I have to go to class. Have a good day.”

I sighed, but she hurried away before I could protest. While I stared after her, I pulled my eyes from her ass. Why was I watching her hips sway? I hadn’t done that in the past two years. My gaze hit her legs, and I shook my head. Those toned limbs of hers were something I noticed way back when, but to keep us in the friend-zone I hadn’t been paying attention to her physically.

It wasn’t until after she turned the corner that I realized she’d said, ‘Have a good day.’ Was that an upgrade or a downgrade from a ‘nice day?’ I didn’t know. And the worst part was, I didn’t want to know.

5Standoffish

Cassie

“HEY! IT’S ABOUT TIME you got home. I hate to do this to you, but Stacey’s roommate just moved out, so I’m moving in there. It’s earlier than I wanted, but my parents have been all up my ass since that guy came in here last week.”

I dropped my book bag by the breakfast bar and focused on Kaylee.

“It’s not a problem, and I understand.”

“You sure? That look on your face, I’d think you lost your best friend or something.”

I shook my head even though in many ways she was exactly right. Gabe was a better friend to me than some of my girlfriends and putting distance between us hurt already.

“So, uh, you’re moving this weekend?” I asked.

“Well, the big items, yes. But Lauren has packed up all her stuff except the bed, so I’m gonna stay there tonight through Thursday. My Dad and Uncle will be here early Saturday morning to move my furniture.”

I nodded. “All right. Are you headed there now?”

She nodded. “Are you all right? Something’s wrong, I can tell.”

I shook my head. “Nothing’s wrong. Just tired. I’m still a little drained from that bout of food poisoning, I guess.”

Her eyes widened. “That’ll do it. Get some rest, Cassie.”

When she left, I took my backpack to my bedroom. Back in the living room, I plugged my phone into a speaker dock and cued up some random music – but not my ‘Soothing’ playlist. I stood in front of the pantry, scanning the contents praying for a clue as to what I should make for dinner. Since that proved fruitless, I moved to the fridge, and then the freezer, where I found a microwavable beef pot pie.

I had plenty of things I needed to be doing for class, but zero motivation to do them. With my laptop next to me on the couch, I pulled up my bank account and paid some bills. I logged out of my account when the doorbell rang.

On tip-toes, I quietly approached the door. My eye to the peephole, I saw Gabe’s profile. For some reason he was looking at the door across the breezeway.

I blew out a quick sigh and opened the door.

“Sullivan, it’s nice to see you for the second time today, but I really don’t have time.”

He looked to me as I spoke, but at the end of my statement his head twisted minutely, and his eyes narrowed.

“‘Sullivan?’”

I fought an eye roll. “It is your last name. Pretty sure, DeShawn calls you that too.”

He glanced over his shoulder and back to me. “Can I come in? I don’t want to do this at your front door. And if you really don’t have time, I’ll leave.”

I shook my head but