Read Online Now and Again by Brenda Rothert - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Brenda Rothert
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your world?”
“Oh, not much. I started doing Bikram yoga, bought a new TV … oh, and I have a 6’5” sex slave for the next two weeks. You know, same old, same old.”
Melanie’s brows shot up and her mouth dropped open.
“Hey there,” a young brunette waitress said as she approached the table. “I’m Alexa, and I’ll be helping you out today. Are you ready to order?”
“I want a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a root beer,” Melanie said, handing over her menu.
Layla scanned the menu quickly. “Um … I’ll take the grilled chicken salad with—”
Melanie cut her off mid-sentence. “Girl, get a damn cheeseburger! You don’t need to play starving Cosmo girl in front of me.”
“I am really hungry,” Layla admitted, meeting Melanie’s dark eyes across the booth. “Okay, screw it. I’ll have a cheeseburger and fries, too. No bacon. And iced tea.”
The waitress retreated, and Melanie gave Layla an eye-bulging glare. “More on the sex slave! You know my love life’s been DOA for a while now.”
“I don’t know, it may be the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, but … remember when I was helping out with Brandon Larson’s arrest?” Layla said. Melanie had asked her to help on the case.
“Mmm-hmm.”
“Well, I met this police sergeant, Ben. We kind of … I don’t know, Mel. There’s major chemistry. He’s all man, you know? All huge muscles and deep voice and … he throws me off guard. We’ve gotten together a couple times, and—”
Melanie held up a hand. “ Please tell me you haven’t slept with him. I will smack you upside the head if you slept with him.”
“I haven’t,” Layla said quickly. “But with the length of my dry spell, it’s torture to say no to him. I told him we’re both too controlling for anything to work between us, so he agreed to let me be in control of things for two weeks, and then he gets two weeks. And no sex unless I want it.”
Melanie nodded, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “You know my thoughts, Layla. No jumping into bed with men just for sex. And you’re not. So I think this is okay. When we talked about this after Christmas and you decided to stop sleeping around, it was never supposed to be forever. You just need to be more thoughtful about it. Recognize that you’re a prize.”
“But this is crazy!” Layla palmed her forehead with frustration. “It’s just another in a long string of bad choices regarding men. If he really liked me, he’d ask me out on a date.”
“You said you’ve had a few dinners, though, that’s like dating,” Melanie said.
“I’m too horny to think straight.” Layla tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Well, it sounds like you’ve got two weeks to do something about that.” Melanie grinned and arched her brows.
“Yeah,” Layla said, smiling. “I just don’t--” She stopped talking when she looked at the door to the restaurant and saw Ben walking in with another man.
“What?” Melanie asked, turning.
“No, don’t look! Holy shit, it’s him!” Layla whispered.
“What? What are the chances of that?”
“Well, this is the place I eat with him. He comes here a lot.”
Melanie curled her lips into a knowing smile.
“Okay. Let’s just be cool.” Layla blew out a breath. “How do I look?”
“Beautiful, as always. This guy really has an effect on you, huh? I need to see him.”
“Don’t turn around,” Layla pleaded.
“Alright.”
“How are your kids? Is Derek ready to start college?” Layla asked.
“Oh, yeah. Just a few more weeks til we move him in. Hard to believe.” Melanie shook her head.
“Layla.” The deep voice made the hair on her neck stand up. She turned to see Ben approaching, his sexy grin making her warm all over. “I’ve really turned you on to this place, haven’t I?”
“Oh, I’m turned on, alright,” she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. Ben’s blue eyes glimmered as they held hers.
“Hi, I’m Casey,” the
“Oh, not much. I started doing Bikram yoga, bought a new TV … oh, and I have a 6’5” sex slave for the next two weeks. You know, same old, same old.”
Melanie’s brows shot up and her mouth dropped open.
“Hey there,” a young brunette waitress said as she approached the table. “I’m Alexa, and I’ll be helping you out today. Are you ready to order?”
“I want a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a root beer,” Melanie said, handing over her menu.
Layla scanned the menu quickly. “Um … I’ll take the grilled chicken salad with—”
Melanie cut her off mid-sentence. “Girl, get a damn cheeseburger! You don’t need to play starving Cosmo girl in front of me.”
“I am really hungry,” Layla admitted, meeting Melanie’s dark eyes across the booth. “Okay, screw it. I’ll have a cheeseburger and fries, too. No bacon. And iced tea.”
The waitress retreated, and Melanie gave Layla an eye-bulging glare. “More on the sex slave! You know my love life’s been DOA for a while now.”
“I don’t know, it may be the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, but … remember when I was helping out with Brandon Larson’s arrest?” Layla said. Melanie had asked her to help on the case.
“Mmm-hmm.”
“Well, I met this police sergeant, Ben. We kind of … I don’t know, Mel. There’s major chemistry. He’s all man, you know? All huge muscles and deep voice and … he throws me off guard. We’ve gotten together a couple times, and—”
Melanie held up a hand. “ Please tell me you haven’t slept with him. I will smack you upside the head if you slept with him.”
“I haven’t,” Layla said quickly. “But with the length of my dry spell, it’s torture to say no to him. I told him we’re both too controlling for anything to work between us, so he agreed to let me be in control of things for two weeks, and then he gets two weeks. And no sex unless I want it.”
Melanie nodded, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “You know my thoughts, Layla. No jumping into bed with men just for sex. And you’re not. So I think this is okay. When we talked about this after Christmas and you decided to stop sleeping around, it was never supposed to be forever. You just need to be more thoughtful about it. Recognize that you’re a prize.”
“But this is crazy!” Layla palmed her forehead with frustration. “It’s just another in a long string of bad choices regarding men. If he really liked me, he’d ask me out on a date.”
“You said you’ve had a few dinners, though, that’s like dating,” Melanie said.
“I’m too horny to think straight.” Layla tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Well, it sounds like you’ve got two weeks to do something about that.” Melanie grinned and arched her brows.
“Yeah,” Layla said, smiling. “I just don’t--” She stopped talking when she looked at the door to the restaurant and saw Ben walking in with another man.
“What?” Melanie asked, turning.
“No, don’t look! Holy shit, it’s him!” Layla whispered.
“What? What are the chances of that?”
“Well, this is the place I eat with him. He comes here a lot.”
Melanie curled her lips into a knowing smile.
“Okay. Let’s just be cool.” Layla blew out a breath. “How do I look?”
“Beautiful, as always. This guy really has an effect on you, huh? I need to see him.”
“Don’t turn around,” Layla pleaded.
“Alright.”
“How are your kids? Is Derek ready to start college?” Layla asked.
“Oh, yeah. Just a few more weeks til we move him in. Hard to believe.” Melanie shook her head.
“Layla.” The deep voice made the hair on her neck stand up. She turned to see Ben approaching, his sexy grin making her warm all over. “I’ve really turned you on to this place, haven’t I?”
“Oh, I’m turned on, alright,” she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. Ben’s blue eyes glimmered as they held hers.
“Hi, I’m Casey,” the
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