Fool's Gold (Contemporary Romance) by Clara Frost Read Free Book Online

come--“
    “Wait. Christine my sister?”
    “Yeah.”
    That traitorous skank. She was stealing the girl of his dreams? How could she? He stared at the screen in shock. Explosions rose from the carrier. Woops of delight rose from the headphones still draped around his neck.
    “I didn’t know you two were into each other.”
    “What? God. What’s wrong with you? We’re not. She just offered me a place to stay.”
    Beta sighed with relief. “Oh. Well, that’s good news then.”
    “Yeah. So anyway. Would you mind catsitting for me? For a few months?”
    He couldn’t deny her anything. She’d known that for ten years. All she had to do was bat her eyes at him. And yet she’d asked politely. It had to count for something. Or not. He didn’t know, not when it came to Victoria. All he knew was that he couldn’t refuse her. “Yeah.”
    “You’re sure? Thank you, thank you. I wasn’t sure what I’d do if you said ‘no.’”
    “I’m sure. You, uh, need me to come pick him or something?”
    “No, I’ll bring him over later, if that’s okay?”
    “Later tonight?” Beta looked around the apartment again. Dirty clothes were piled on the end of his unmade bed. A pizza box with a half a Hawaiian pizza still in it lay discarded on the floor beside his desk.
    “If that’s okay. I fly out tomorrow.”
    Beta’s heart sank. If it weren’t for Chuckles, he wouldn’t have even known she was gone. Showed how he rated. “See you in a little while.”
    ***
    Chuckles was pressed up against the nylon window of the cat carrier, his face flattened against it as he peered out at his new home. Victoria was pleased to see that Beta’s apartment was as clean as his car. Beta himself stood at the door, a sheen of sweat on his brow like he’d just been working out or something. Quiet jazz played on the computer speakers. Miles Davis, from the sound of it.
    “Come on in.” Beta pulled the door open wider. “I’d offer you a place to sit, but there’s just the bed.”
    At every other time she could remember that would have been a disconcerting offer. She placed Chuckles on the edge of the bed and sat down beside him. “I have his litter box in my car. And some food.”
    Beta stayed by the door and pushed a hand through his hair. “Why are you leaving?”
    Not ‘what are you going to do?’ Not ‘will you be okay in a new city?’ Victoria unzipped the cat carrier and scooped Chuckles out onto her lap. “I hate Omaha. It’s a dead end.”
    “But...” He looked around, took a half step to his computer chair. “What are you going to do? Will you be okay in a new city?”
    Victoria blinked. So maybe he wasn’t totally self-centered. A mind reader maybe. “Yeah, I’ll be fine, Beta, thank you. Your sister is going to help me out. It wasn’t so long ago that she made the same move, and she made it without any help.”
    He sank into his chair, his shoulders slumping. “I guess. God, Vicks. I just can’t even imagine.”
    Chuckles stopped purring in her lap, and she realized her hand had fallen still. Beta wasn’t taking it well. She had to get out of there fast, before he broke down crying. God, but she felt terrible about dumping Chuckles on him. And about breaking his heart over Trent.
    She set Chuckles on the bed. “I’ll go get his stuff. Be right back.”
    The litter box weighed a thousand pounds as she carried it back into the apartment. Beta directed her to the kitchenette, so she put the food at one end of the linoleum and the litter at the other. They were only about three feet apart.
    “Actually, I have a better idea.” Beta crouched beside her in front of the litter box. His shoulder brushed hers, and it was like a spark jumped between them.
    Victoria’s mouth dropped open. She scooted out of the way, looking at him in a slightly different light. He was no Trent--he’d never have the intense handsomeness of Trent--but when he wasn’t focused on his video games, he had something. She wasn’t sure