Read Online Loving the Best Man (Friends & Lovers Book 2) by Jaye Diane - Free Book Online

sleep. He’d had a luncheon to go to with his bosses and several coworkers that day and he’d given two presentations. He’d been up at the crack of dawn prepping for it in the office before the thing had actually begun. It had lasted for hours.
    “So, Linc, refresh my memory,” Allison said in a sneaky tone that made Linc stiffen, “Have Mom and Dad ever met your girlfriend before?”
    “Girlfriend!” His mother said loudly, a beautiful smile on her face.
    “We didn’t know you were seeing anyone,” His dad said, looking surprised.
    “I’m not,” Linc glared at his sister warningly. He hadn’t wanted to tell anyone about Emerald until there was a real relationship to talk about. His parents were old-fashioned. They wouldn’t be okay with a relationship based solely on sex.
    “What on earth are you talking about, Allison?” His mother said, her smile disappearing as rapidly as it had formed.
    Allison’s head was bent as she scrolled on her cell phone. Linc shook his head.
    “If you’re talking about what Grace wrote today,” He said, “She was just teasing. You know how she is.”
    “Look,” Allison said, showing her phone to her parents, “Look what he wrote.”
    “So?” Lawrence asked after reading it.
    “That lady in the picture is Emerald,” Allison said, “Linc’s girlfriend.”
    “Is this true, honey?” His mother asked.
    “She’s not my girlfriend,” Linc said, glaring at his sister. What the hell did she think she was doing?
    “I remember her,” Lawrence said, staring at the picture again. “She was Devin’s and Robyn’s maid-of-honor right?”
    “Yeah-” Allison began.
    “Yes,” Linc cut her off. “We walked down the aisle together.”
    “She’s his girlfriend,” Allison said, winking at him.
    His parents quietly stared at him and he could feel the flush running up his neck and infusing his cheeks. He wanted to strangle his sister. She stared at him innocently before winking again.
    “Is she really your girlfriend?” Audrey asked. “She’s very pretty.”
    “She’s not my girlfriend,” Linc denied again.
    “What are you up to, Allison?” Lawrence asked, sipping from his glass.
    “I just don’t think Linc should be keeping her a secret,” Allison shrugged nonchalantly.
    “What I do in my personal life is my business,” Linc said, annoyed. How had their calm dinner turned into this interrogation?
    “So she is your girlfriend.” Lawrence looked confused.
    “I’m working on it,” Linc admitted. “What’s it to you, Ally?”
    In response, his sister started laughing. Her daughters looked at her before going back to their game.
    “I knew she was special,” Allison said, “I just wanted you to admit it.”
    “Really, Allison,” Audrey huffed, “Leave your brother alone.”
    Allison laughed again and Linc picked up his drink and had another sip. The truth was slowly starting to come out thanks to Grace and now his troublemaking sister. He hoped that it wouldn’t get back to Emerald that his parents thought they were some kind of couple. He knew that would definitely run her off and he wouldn’t be able to handle it if something like that happened.

Chapter Four
     
    “Damn,” Devin said later that night.
    Linc had him on Bluetooth over the car’s speakers as he sped home, knowing that Emerald would be coming over to his apartment soon.
    “I can’t believe all of this happened in a week.”
    “I can’t either,” Linc said, stopping at a red light. He didn’t live far away from his parents’ house but he’d driven out of the way to a liquor warehouse to stock up on wine. He always kept wine at home but he’d gotten some to bring to Christmas dinner, which was little more than a week away.
    “I kind of had a feeling that you had a thing for Emerald,” Devin went on, “But then you’d be seeing some other chick and I’d think I imagined it.”
    Linc had had more than his share of one-night stands as well as girlfriends. But he was