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

In a stealth move, he moved further into my space and wrapped an arm around me to pull me flush with his firm, tall body. “I haven’t had a ticket in over two years. I’ve learned some hard lessons about being in a hurry. So seriously, Daughtry, I’m willing to go slow. Which means, I’m willing to leave since you asked me—” he stopped himself. “No, you told me to. But before I go, I won’t be able to sleep if I don’t get another little taste of you. Pretty please?”

He made it sound like a question, but while he spoke, his face had come closer and closer so in the end, it was anything but a question.

His lips hit mine. I struggled to decide which felt better, his lips or the soft whiskers of his beard. My lips opened when his tongue darted out to tease me. His arm tightened, plastering me to him, and I moaned.

He slid his free hand into my hair, and then he gently ended the kiss. My eyes opened, and I saw him slowly pulling his face away from mine.

His eyes looked like pools of blue. Warm pools, if the warmth in his eyes was an indicator. “In case you missed it, Cassie... You taste really fuckin’ good. Good night, sweetheart.”

“Good night,” I whispered.

He opened the door, but from over his shoulder he shot me a smile before he pulled the door closed. I locked it behind him. As I went to my bedroom, I realized his kiss had left me on jelly-legs.

Gabe

IT HAD BEEN A LONG time since I had to convince a woman to take a chance on me. Hell, it had been a long time since I found a woman I even wanted to take a chance on me.

My mother wasn’t the only woman to do me wrong in my life. As Dad had said at the time, “Sometimes, you got to live in order to learn.” Nevertheless, between Mom and Jessica, I had shied away from serious relationships.

Yet everything about me and Cassie made sense. There weren’t any downsides, and I just had to convince her of it.

However, she wasn’t wrong. I had a habit of driving fast and it would be difficult for me to take things slowly with her. But if that was what it took with her, then that was what I would do.

I walked into my apartment whistling.

Brock shot me a dirty look from where he stood in front of the microwave.“What the hell has you so damn chipper?”

I tucked my keys in my pocket and shook my head. “What the hell has you so damn grouchy?”

“I’m hungry, but you don’t normally walk in here whistling. Did you get laid or something?”

I shot him my middle finger while moving toward my bedroom. “Fuck off, Brock. I don’t have time for you tryin’ to bring me down. You know if Dad’s at Marnie’s this week?”

“I don’t know,” he muttered to the microwave. “How about you call him, and find out yourself?”

“Jesus, eat some food, man! Biting my head off isn’t going to cut it for you.”

Before Brock could retort, I closed the door to my bedroom. Then, I pulled out my phone and called Dad.

“Gabe! I was just thinking about you,” Dad answered.

“Really? I can’t imagine why.”

He chuckled. “My lovely wife just put on some Jon Faddis, and I remember how much you admired his style.”

“Mmm,” I said.

“But what made you call, son?”

“That money, mom wants to split between us. There aren’t any strings attached, right?”

Dad sighed. “No, Gabe. There aren’t. I thought I made that—”

“You did, Dad. I just wanted to be sure. We have to meet with a lawyer or something before the money gets distributed?”

He paused. “I don’t know. Have you spoken to your mother?”

I shook my head. “How could I? I don’t have her number.”

“Thought I texted that to you, but why don’t you sound angry with her anymore? Have you come to terms with all of this?”

My head wobbled, not that Dad could see it. “To an extent, I guess.”

“What brought that on?”

“I don’t know. I was talking with Cassie, and—”

“You certainly seem to talk to her a lot,” Dad muttered.

I sighed. “Well, anyway, she said something and it got me thinking and let’s just say I have plans for that money.”

Dad groaned. “It better not be an overpriced sports car.”

I chuckled. “No, Dad. Though, I do need to start lookin’ at new wheels since I’ve spent more on that truck in the past year than I should.”

“So, what are your plans?”

“I’m going to invest it, but I don’t want to talk to you about it over the phone. For that matter, I don’t want to jinx it, either.”

Again, Dad paused. “I can see that, son, but don’t rush into anything without a sound financial advisor.”

“You’re right, and I hear you, Dad. I’ll be researching a decent advisor in the morning.”

I could hear the smile in Dad’s voice. “Good. Now, as much as I’ve heard about this Cassandra woman, when will I get to meet her?”

I smiled. “If I have anything to do with it, very soon, Dad.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really, but I don’t want to jinx any of that either.”

17 Plunging

Cassie

THE NEXT DAY I WORKED until nearly nine o’clock at the club. I texted Gabe when I got home. He called me, and after hearing how tired I was he decided to let me have a night to myself in the name of going slow. My mind fixated on this slow business, but luckily I was so exhausted I conked out.

Today, I wondered how this ‘slow’ business would work. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn’t want to go slow. When I got home, I texted him and I was so excited to see him, I had to correct AutoCorrect’s shenanigans three times.

He had texted back he was on his way, complete with a running man