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

I shot him a dirty look. “Fuck, no.”

While I loaded a measuring cup with peanut butter, he asked, “Then what’s got you giving up the ladies?”

I sighed. Brock already knew, so I figured it was only a matter of time before he told Clint.

“The last chick I banged was Cassie’s roommate. But since I hadn’t ever been at Cassie’s pad, I had no idea it was her roommate until the next morning.”

The loud thunk of the beer bottle hitting the counter preceded his guffaw.

“Ramsey, this shit ain’t funny.”

“When it’s happenin’ to you, it never is. So why do you care that you banged Cassie’s roommate?”

I stirred the peanut butter, salsa, and some soy sauce into the skillet with the chicken.

Before I could answer, Clint asked, “Hold the fuck up. Did you just put peanut butter and salsa in there with the chicken? Maybe I’m not eatin’ with your ass.

“Believe me, it sounds weird but hell if it doesn’t taste just like Thai food without havin’ to go out for it.”

While I stirred, I answered his earlier question. “I care because she saw me leaving and she was visibly uncomfortable about it.”

He swallowed his beer. “Yeah. That’d be true no matter who the hell was leaving her roommate in the wee hours of the morning.”

“Seven isn’t exactly ‘the wee hours,’ man.”

His eyes widened. “Since when do you spend the night?”

“I worked until three. The roommate hung until last call, specifically to corner me. We hit her place just before five, and I hit the door at six-fifty-eight.”

“Sucks to be you, then.”

“She says we’re cool and she isn’t upset. Still. It made me think.”

He chuckled. “Good to know somethin’ can wake your ass up. Now, how long until that food’s ready?”

3Rapper’s Delight

Cassie

SOMEONE KNOCKED ON the door, and I leapt off the couch. The cable-internet was down and had been since early the day before. The cable company had some scheduling mishap and our address hadn’t shown up on the technician’s worksheet. I had complained, and was supposed to be the first customer this morning.

“It’s about time,” I muttered halfway to the door.

I opened the door without checking the peephole, and Gabe stood there. His face had a neutral expression which quickly morphed to banked fury.

“Did you even check the peephole, Daughtry?”

A chill ran down my spine. I loved it when he called me by my last name for some inane reason. The fact that I should have checked the peephole might have had something to do with the chill, also.

“I thought you were the cable guy,” I blurted.

His eyes widened. “Even more reason to pause before flinging your door open, woman.”

“God! I’m sorry. What are you doing here?”

He eyed me up and down and his lips thinned. Which brought his angular jaw to my attention. A jaw he hadn’t shaved today, or the last couple of days, if the dark stubble was any indicator. His eyes seemed to pop with the new beard growing on his face.

Just when I thought Gabe Sullivan couldn’t get any more handsome, he had to go and prove me wrong.

“You were gonna greet the cable guy in your pajamas?”

I looked down at myself and back to him. “No! I’m wearing yoga pants and my workout tank top. I just got back from a seven-thirty yoga class.”

He stared at me long and hard, with a puzzled-yet-pained expression before he shook his head.

“Had breakfast?”

“Um, no. Why?”

“I’m meeting Vamp and his woman for breakfast. Come with me. You said you love to go to the Waffle House and that’s what Rainey’s jonesin’ for, so I thought of you.”

I smiled tentatively. “I do love that place, but the cable guy missed us yesterday. I made quite the fuss, so I—”

“Your roommate home?”

My face fell even though I tried to hide it.

He sighed. “No, Cassie. If she’s home, she can wait for the cable tech. Right?”

I pursed my lips and twisted them to the side. “I guess, but—”

“C’mon. You’ve always said you wanted to meet my oldest brother, Vamp. And I know you’ll dig Rainey. She works for a credit union as a mortgage officer.”

Shit. He really did know me. I was getting my MBA, but I admitted that I was a total geek who loved everything to do with banks and credit unions and stuff.

“Fine,” I sighed. “Let me change and tell Kaylee she has to wake up.”

I SWUNG UP INTO GABE’S Chevrolet S-10 as he climbed in on the driver’s side.

He motored out of the parking lot, and I asked, “Why did you want me to tag along? Just to round out the numbers, so you’re not a third wheel?”

He chuckled. “No. Rainey’s part of the family, even if she and Vamp haven’t set a wedding date yet. I knew it was your favorite breakfast place even if you don’t let yourself go there often.”

I smiled at him. He could be so damn thoughtful. It always made me wonder what he’d be like if his mother had stuck around during his childhood.

“So, your brother and his woman just decided to drop by today? Or do they have plans for a theme park?”

After a quick glance at me, he said, “No. We’re having a fancy dinner with my mom tonight. They decided to show up early and Vamp invited me to breakfast.”

“And not Brock?”

“He’s sleeping. Or with Cecilia. Whatever. You talk to the leasing office? Surely you’re not staying across the hall from that dipshit who hit you.”

“It’s been a week, Gabe. He’s still in jail. I’ve got the restraining order, and it’s been served to him. I spoke to management. Unfortunately, they don’t have another unit available for me to move into right now.”

“Cassie, you need to be lookin’ at other complexes then. And if they give you grief about the lease, tell me.”

“Gabe. I will not make the same mistake twice. He’s at my door, the cops will be called. What won’t happen is me opening that