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

and it took all my willpower not to deck Brenden. Since I knew he always had to have the last word, I guided Cassie away from him, and into the throng of moving bodies.

Before the song was over, I led her off the dance floor and into a small deserted alcove.

I turned to Cassie, but she was already up in my space, shoving her tits against my chest as if she were a football player trying to give me a chest bump.

“I am not someone who needs saving Gabriel Sullivan,” she yelled, her body moving with every other word.

When did I become a masochist? Why did I enjoy this torture?

Focus, Gabe.

“He’s a goddamn player. You think I’m a player, hell, he wrote the fuckin’ playbook for the rest of us to follow, Cassie.”

“So you sent him after my roommate?” she yelled.

I closed my eyes and sighed. I opened them and said, “Former roommate.”

“Whatever. That’s neither here nor there; no girl deserves that treatment,” she said, turning her head to the side.

She hadn’t lowered her volume even though the alcove muted the music, which told me she was riding a serious buzz.

“How much you had to drink, Daughtry?”

She whipped her head around, her hair flying around like a cascade of brown silk. Coupled with all the makeup and her skin-tight red dress, she was a wet dream.

“Don’t call me ‘Daughtry,’ got it?”

I pressed my lips together so I wouldn’t smile, or worse, laugh. I forgot she could be such a cute drunk.

“I got it, Cassie. Can you calm down for a moment?”

She crossed her arms under her breasts which only highlighted her cleavage in the scoop-neck dress. My dick twitched, and it was all I could do not to groan.

“I’m perfectly calm,” she declared. Her voice had lowered to a normal level.

I nodded. “Great. Let me ask you this, were you having fun dancing out there?”

Her lips started to twist, but she stopped them and lifted her chin mulishly. “Yes, I was.”

I gave into my grin. “Liar. You were not.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You’re not a know-it-all, Gabe. Don’t try to start now.” She ended her admonishment with her lips pouted.

Fuck. I wanted to kiss her again, but now she was drunk. Okay, maybe just tipsy, but still. I couldn’t take advantage of her like that.

“Let me take you home,” I said.

She shook her head. “I came with Stacey and Kaylee. I’m not leaving with you.”

“Why?”

I hadn’t meant to ask, but I couldn’t stop the reflex. There should be no reason she wouldn’t feel safe leaving with me.

“Because.”

I arched a brow. “Because, why, honey?”

Her arms fell to her sides as she sighed. “I came with them. That’s why.”

“Cassie?” a woman called from the opening to the alcove.

“Hey, Stacey. Have you met Gabe? Or some people call him, G-Rock.”

The woman smiled. “No, but I know who he is. Are you okay?”

“Yes. Just arguing with my buddy, here. As per usual,” she said.

I smiled the most charming smile I could muster. “It’s nice to meet you, Stacey, but I think it might be better if Cassie went home. I live in the same complex as she does, so—”

“I might not have met you, but I know plenty about you, Gabe.” She turned her eyes to Cassie. “You want to go home already? We’ve only been here an hour.”

Stacey kept her gaze leveled on Cassie, but she wasn’t saying anything.

“So, Cassie-Cass, what’s it gonna be? You tearin’ it up on the floor tonight or what?”

She turned back to me. “I should go tear it up as you say, but I’ll let you take me home.” A devious light hit her eyes, and she added, “As long as I’m not cramping your style, G-Rock.”

With my arm around her shoulders, I pulled her to my side. “You would never cramp my style, Cassandra. You got a purse you need to grab or something?”

Stacey stepped forward. “I got her phone right here. You better not fuck with her head like you did the last time. Kaylee might let that shit slide, but I don’t.”

Cassie’s head tilted. “Stacey, that’s so sweet. And Kaylee didn’t let it slide, I just didn’t tell her anything, and then she moved. And moving sucks,” she said, drawing out the word ‘sucks’.

My dick twitched harder at that, and I deep breathed through it. What I wouldn’t give to hear her repeat that word, begging me to suck her clit. My dick didn’t twitch at that thought, it swelled, and I shuffled my feet while thinking about spreadsheets and anything remotely not-sexy.

When I looked up, I found Stacey staring at me, and she abruptly smiled as though she knew my discomfort.

“Moving does suck, Cassie. If you’re sure you’ll be safe with Gabe here, I’ll leave you be.”

Cassie made a dismissive noise. “As if. Gabe’s so protective of me, it’s like I’m the little sister he never had.”

Stacey’s head tilted and her face turned skeptical, but it was lost on Cassandra. “If you say so, Cassie. See you later.”

Cassie looked up to me, “What was that about, you think?”

I looked into her green eyes and saw they were bright and shiny. She’d definitely hit her limit.

“I don’t know. You ready to go?” No way I thought about her as my little sister, but if she thought that, so be it.

“Yep,” she chirped.

I led her to my truck, fighting a grin the entire way.

12Fishbowls

Gabe

“WHY ARE WE LEAVING, again?” she asked.

I glanced at her, and her eyes were pointed out the passenger window.

I stopped smiling before I spoke. “You're pissed.”

I could hear the smile in my voice, and wished it hadn't been so obvious.

“Why do you sound so pleased about that?” She demanded.

I choked on my laughter.

“Gabe Sullivan,” she shoved my bicep, “there's nothing funny here.”

“I wasn't laughing because anything's funny.”

“Really? Last I checked, people laugh to show humor.”

“I'm not pleased you're angry. I laughed because you’re so cute it's amusing.”

She huffed an exhale.

As I reached for the radio, she spoke.

“Why are we leaving?”

Her circling back