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

“Honey, I haven’t played an instrument in ages.”

I wobbled my head. “I would argue the turntables are nearly an instrument of their own. I mean, early rap wouldn’t exist without someone knowing their way around them, right?”

He nearly snorted. “Did you do that on purpose? ‘Turntable’... ‘knowing their way around them?’ Seriously?”

I laughed. “I didn’t even realize. Sorry. But, no joke, I suspect your musical background helps you more than you realize with your DJ gigs.”

He nodded, while he veered off the Interstate. “Hadn’t thought of it like that, but you’re right. My mixes are tight because of that. But don’t think you’ve changed the subject. You need to think about what your preference is, so we order accordingly.”

I laughed, but felt the heat in my cheeks. “Gabe, you are crazy.”

We were stopped at a red light, so he looked at me with a lopsided smile on his face. “Like you didn’t know.”

He surprised me by leaning in and kissing me. I expected a quick peck, but he slipped in a fair amount of tongue action before the car behind us honked because the light had changed.

IT WASN’T UNTIL WE were close to the check-in counter when I noticed Gabe held two duffel bags in his hand. I looked harder and realized one was my own bag from my closet.

“Gabe, how did you get my bag from my apartment?” I asked.

His stride slowed momentarily as he glanced at me. He recovered, and muttered, “I have my ways, Cassandra.”

“Your ways,” I muttered to myself, wondering how he got into my apartment. Then I realized I’d given him a key, but that was for emergencies.

I stopped in the middle of the lobby and crossed my arms on my chest. “Gabriel Sullivan, I gave you that key for emergencies only.”

He turned, and the way he moved his body stole my attention.

“Taking you on our first official date damn sure qualifies as an emergency in my book, Cassandra. Even Brock and Cecilia agreed,” he murmured as he closed the distance between us.

My tongue darted out to my lips, and I heard him groan.

“Don’t you agree, Daughtry?”

I blinked. “I suppose. But, did you pack my bag?”

He laughed, and I got an up-close and personal look at his straight teeth.

When he had his laughter in check, he said, “No. Dragged, and I do mean I dragged, Cecilia with me. She packed your bag. So, no worries about that.”

I fought arching a brow at him because Cecilia and I were chatty, but I wouldn’t call us close which meant it was up in the air as to whether she’d done me right in the packing department. Something about her told me she could be meddlesome, and I suspected she wanted me and Gabe to be together. All of that meant, for all I knew she packed no pajamas for me and instead threw in a negligee or something.

Even though we stood in the middle of the lobby, Gabe wrapped an arm around my waist and planted a long kiss on me. When he pulled away, I found my hand hooked around his neck and my vision was murky.

He grinned. “Now, let’s check-in before we lose our dinner reservation.”

My head reared back. “What? When is our reservation?”

“Eight-thirty, but I got plans for you before then, darlin’.”

His words made my belly flip, but I shook my head at him even though I didn’t mean it.

If his smile was any indicator, I wasn’t fooling him in the slightest.

NOBODY ELSE HAD CONVINCED me that ‘quickies’ had a time and a place, but hell if Gabe hadn’t brought me around in more ways than one. That thought tumbled around my head as I applied my burgundy lipstick.

It so happened Cecilia had packed well for me. My wrinkle-resistant black cocktail dress was on the top, and beneath it was my satin pajama set. At the bottom of my bag, I found my favorite black high heels. She had also included a thong and a matching sheer bra I hadn’t worn in over a year.

I had left the bathroom door cracked, and Gabe gently pushed it open. “You ready to go yet, doll-face?”

My dad only called me things like ‘sweetie’ or ‘honey’ and nobody ever called me something as cute as ‘doll-face,’ and deep down, I loved it.

I capped my lipstick and gave him a smile. “Sure am.”

Gabe

OUR DRINKS HAD JUST been delivered. As Cassie took a sip, I asked, “Were you able to change your mother’s ring tone? Or do I need to get Robert to handle that?”

A bashful smile lit her face. “No. I changed my mind. Our relationship is dysfunctional already. I don’t need to make that worse.” She sipped her wine, and when she set her glass down there was a light in her eyes. “What about you? Have you spoken to your Mom lately?”

I shot her a closed lip smile. “Not yet, but Dad sent me her phone number. I’ll need to find out more about the money, and when or if we have to meet with a lawyer.”

She nodded. “What are you going to do with the money? You never did show me, the other morning when we were headed to your place.”

I grinned at the memory. It wasn’t comfortable running into an ex, but I’d always be grateful Fallyn came looking for me. If she hadn’t, Cassie and I would probably still be dancing around each other.

“You’re right. We didn’t get that far. Maybe I’m superstitious, but I’m thinking I’ll keep it under my hat for now.”

She twisted her lips to the side for a moment, then she said, “Speaking of mothers, does your mother’s absence have something to do with you hitting college late?”

I shook my head and tried to keep the bitterness out of my tone. “No. It doesn’t.”

The look she gave me indicated I had failed with my tone. “There’s a story there,” she muttered.

I grabbed her hand resting on top