Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 101985 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101985 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
And because he likes her, he resents me. I’ve wished so many times he would start shit, just to have the excuse to shut him down, but he hasn’t. Yet. There’s a sense of inevitability when it comes to him, just like it was inevitable that I would eventually have to give in and put my hands on Mia.
It’s cool outside, not exactly uncomfortable. I wait until the girls arrive, then put on my leather jacket and make myself comfortable out on the balcony. It’s better for me to be out here. The fresh air will help me think. Besides, this is the perfect vantage point. I’ll know when the rest of the party shows up since they’ll be passing a few floors beneath where I’m sitting now.
There’s a lot of giggling inside, and after a minute or two, the door slides partly open. Zoe, the one who dyes her hair Kool-Aid red, sticks her head out. “You okay out here? Posey and I brought food, too. There’s so much.”
She doesn’t seem like a bad person, and she’s not one of those girls who throws herself at a guy. I don’t have to fight the impulse to roll my eyes every time she opens her mouth. “I’ll come in in a little bit. What did you bring?”
“All kinds of stuff. Posey insisted on a big salad, and I ordered a couple of kinds of calzones.”
If she wasn’t such a nice girl, I would put on the charm and tell her calzones are my favorite. I’d thank her for thinking of me and give her a smile that would melt her panties. It would be fun watching Mia seethe while I flirt with one of her friends. Maybe she would start to understand a little of what I go through every time I have to watch Dean wink at her or touch her arm or stare at her tits when she’s not looking.
I’m an asshole, but I’m not that bad. “Sounds good. Save me some, okay?” She only hesitates for a beat before nodding and disappearing back inside. At least Mia managed to find a few nice people.
Here they come. Dean’s out in front with a pair of guys behind him. It’s like they were cut out of the same douchebag cookie cutter. I can practically smell their obnoxious body spray all the way up here. And damned if one of them isn’t carrying a six-pack in both hands. Yeah, I’m sure there will be a lot of talk about sociology tonight. What a goddamn joke.
Mia’s on the intercom when I step inside, and she enthusiastically confirms the guys can come up. Her gaze sweeps over me as she turns away from the device, but neither of us says a word. I guess part of being the perfect hostess means not arguing with the hired help in front of guests.
Rather than get up in their space, I settle for sitting on a stool and the kitchen island. The open floor plan means I’m visible, but there’s still room between us. She can’t accuse me of interfering.
“Hey! I’m glad you’re here.” Mia steps back after opening the door—and I glance up in time to find her staring at the six-packs. “What’s that? A study aid?” I have to cough to stifle a laugh.
“Come on. Brad and Pete aren’t in class with us, so they have to do something.” Brad and Pete. Of course, that’s their names. Just as generic as they are.
“I’m just busting your balls. Come on in, make yourself comfortable. There’s plenty of food, and you can leave the rest of the beer in the fridge.” I glance up again and find both of them eyeing me up. I’m not naïve. I have no doubt their roommate bitched about me before they came over. He doesn’t exactly try to hide the dirty looks he shoots me during class.
Silly little boy. He doesn’t have the first idea of what I’m capable of when Mia isn’t involved. Add her to the mix, and they’ll never be able to identify his body.
He’s very deliberate in the way he avoids looking at me in favor of chatting with the girls. Good. He needs to keep it that way. I can share space with him, but only if he doesn’t start any shit. I go back to scrolling through random shit on my phone that I don’t care about. It’s not like I’m paying attention to any of it anyway.
“Hey. You sure you don’t want something to eat?” Zoe flashes an apologetic smile. I didn’t even realize she came over to me.
“I’ll wait until everybody else has what they want. But thanks again. Seriously, go on over there and hang out. I’m fine.” The last thing I want is anybody feeling sorry for me. She goes back and sits on the floor, facing the sofa from the other side of the coffee table. As always, Posey is the group leader and already has her laptop open. Those boys should have known better than to think she would let the whole night pass without at least talking about schoolwork for a little while.