Read Online Want Me by Jo Leigh - Free Book Online Page A

that the church let them use the place to hold their exchange and in some cases cook their meals.
    Long, rectangular tables had been set up in a circle of sorts, every participant had fourteen frozen containers stacked and ready to be distributed, waiting for the bagging portion of the afternoon.
    For now, though, the women who were still seeking their special someone were gathered in front of Shannon’s table. She put the box down as well as her heavy tote. “This is Ariel, everyone. I know she’s met some of you, and in no time at all she’ll be one of the regulars. She’s a paralegal, smart as a whip and gorgeous, but you’ll like her anyway. She’s my cousin and she understands that we don’t discuss the trading cards with outsiders. Lucky for us she’s contributed a very attractive lawyer.”
    Her friends were smiling and shuffling closer, and she wondered if they could tell she wasn’t herself. Part of her wished someone would take her aside, get her to spill all her woes. But while it was true she did consider most of these women true friends, they weren’t like the girls she’d been close to in high school and college. Completely her fault. There had been ovations, invitations, phone calls. But for years now, the plant had been her life. The plant and her family.
    Shannon began the ritual. She lifted the box of cards high, and the energy of the room expanded, a palpable spark. The box tilted and the cards fell into a gorgeous pile while the women dove in.
    Only one pick was allowed each session. Only returned if there was no hope, or a one-night stand. How lucky were those guys? If they only knew. But sometimes the date turned into a relationship, and the one-night stand became a series of dates. In the two most famous cases, those one-night stands had turned into life-changing, living-together, monogamous relationships.
    There they were, standing back by the kitchen itself, Bree Kingston and Rebecca Thorpe. They had become very close friends in the last two months. Bree was living with Charlie Winslow, owner and editor of the Naked New York media empire. Rebecca was responsible for that match because Charlie was her cousin. Then Rebecca had been rewarded with Jake.
    Fairy-tale romances, both of them. The outcome every woman in the room prayed for.
    And Shannon had forgotten to look for another card and now the pile had dwindled considerably. She sighed, not surprised. Things weren’t going her way lately, so why should the trading cards be any different.
    “I got him!” Ariel said, her voice an octave higher than normal.
    “Who?” Shannon asked, her cousin’s excitement infectious and fun.
    “Nate. Your friend Nate. I had to fight for him, though. There were three of us who grabbed for the card but I was fastest. I told you I’d get him.”
    Shannon had to struggle to keep her smile, her composure. Ariel was going to go out with Nate. If he accepted… But of course he’d accept, why wouldn’t he, especially because Shannon herself was going to set the date up.
    “I can’t wait to find out what he’s got under that suit,” Ariel said.
    Shannon knew Ariel would be pleased. From the way the towel had draped, there was every reason to think Nate was fantastic all over.
    Why had she thought this was a good idea? What kind of moron was she, thinking this would be the solution to her problem? As much as she liked Ariel, Shannon was seconds away from ripping the card from her hand and running for the hills.
    He was hers, dammit.
    Her breath stilled as a shudder ran down her back. He was hers? Really?
    “Shannon? Something is wrong. You look terrible.” Ariel put her hand on Shannon’s arm. “I think you should sit down. Have some water.”
    Everyone hustled to make sure she was seated, that she had a fresh bottle of water, that she wasn’t too warm or too cold. At least five palms pressed against her forehead. Which was sweet, it truly was.
    What mattered most, though, was that she didn’t