Read Online Every Kiss by Tasha Ivey - Free Book Online Page B

own misery. I
can use a friend like you. So I did what any good friend would do . . . I made
sure I was around to get you a trash can in case you needed to puke.”
    Such a guy thing to say, but nevertheless, still very nice
of him. “Friend, huh?”
    “I’m sorry if I led you on by kissing you, but that’s all I
can be. Not because of Allison . . . because of me. I don’t want to be in a
relationship. I’m not going to screw with some girl’s emotions and pretend that
my heart is in it. I can’t be that guy.”
    “You didn’t lead me on, Wes. It was just a kiss.” A damn
good one. “But I appreciate your honesty, as I’m sure most women would. And I
just happen to be in the market for a new guy friend. My last one, Tanner,
decided to just use me for sex, so he got fired a couple of days ago.”
    “Hmm, so I guess adding some benefits to our friendship is
out of the question?”
    When I narrow my eyes at him, he laughs. “Kidding! Come on.”
He stands and pulls me up to my feet. “You’ll feel better after you eat
something. Trust me.”
    I follow Wes downstairs, which I realize far too late that it
opens me up to some intense questioning later. Makenna’s lazy gaze widens after
watching me follow the half-naked Wes downstairs.
    “Mornin’, Mak,” he calls out to her before turning into the
kitchen. “Where’s Shane?”
    Before she can answer him, the back door swings wide open,
and Shane steps through with an empty trash can. His eyes sweep from Wes’ bare
chest, to me, and then back to Wes. “Hey, bro.”
    Wes throws the standard guy nod in his direction. “Hey.
Everybody already gone?”
    “Yeah, we had a bunch of people still passed out in the
living room when I got up, but they left a bit ago.”
    “Good. I’ll help you clean up after breakfast. Want some
pancakes?”
    Shane looks at him as if he’s speaking a different language.
“You don’t cook.”
    “I cook all the time, asshole. Just not normally here.”
    He throws his hands up and chuckles. “Okay, fine. Mak and I
will both have some. We haven’t eaten yet.”
    “How about you, Callie? Pancakes okay?”
    “Sure. Want some help?”
    “Nah. I’ve got it under control. Why don’t you just relax until
those pain relievers kick in?”
    “Okay.” I sink into the cushion next to Makenna, and I can
feel her looking at me.
    While he cooks, Shane continues to make order of the chaos
in the house, and Makenna and I sit silently on the couch. She may not be saying
anything, but I can almost hear the questions racing through her mind right
now. She thinks she’s intuitive, but she’s rarely right. She’s notorious for
jumping to conclusions, and she’s practically bounding right now.
    Makenna nudges my side. “Are you going to tell me what’s
going on?” she whispers.
    “What do you mean?” Playing dumb drives her crazy, and I’m
happy to be her chauffeur.
    “You know exactly what I mean!” She “whispers” loud enough
that both Shane and Wes whip their heads in our direction. She looks back at
the television until they go back to their own business.
    “Callie, please. The suspense is killing me. First, you and
Wes were nowhere to be found for half the night. Then, he comes and finds me
after two in the morning to tell me that you passed out, but he had gotten you
safely in bed. Then, you walk down here together this morning, looking quite
pleased, I might add. Your hair is still damp from a shower, and he never walks
around me without a shirt on. He’s even concerned with you having a headache.
Not failing to mention, he’s suddenly Mr. Happy after being grumpy all day
yesterday. Did the two of you . . . you know . . .”
    “God, Makenna, slow down. You’d make a horrible detective.”
    Wes must have heard me because he looks at us with a grin.
I’m sure he knows what she thinks, and he seems awfully pleased with himself.
    “Cal, I can’t be totally off base here. There are far too
many factors that seem to match