Friends With Benefits by Kelly Jamieson Read Free Book Online Page A

sighed.
    “It’s not just a coincidence, is it? You are doing this on purpose because you don’t want me to get married.”
    “I don’t want you to get hurt,” he corrected her.
    “So you admit it!”
    “No! No, I don’t. You’re twisting things.”
    She snorted. “How do you tell when a lawyer is lying? His lips are moving.”
    At that moment, Sela poked her head in to say she was leaving.
    “I thought you left hours ago!” Kerri exclaimed. “What about your shopping?”
    Sela glanced at her watch. “We still have time. Doug is bringing the girls to Paseo Nuevo and I’m meeting them there.”
    “Go, go.” Kerri waved her hands. After they heard the door close behind Sela, she sighed. “That woman really has to learn to balance. Her family is paying the price for this move.”
    Mitch nodded. “She is kind of driven, isn’t she?”
    Kerri studied him. “Like you aren’t.”
    He shrugged. “I balance fine.”
    She glanced at him, remembering they’d been interrupted while starting to have a big fight.
    “Look, Kerri,” he said. “I know you’re not happy, but you can’t blame me for all this. You have a role in it too.”
    She gaped at him. “What are you saying? Are you saying I’m such a loser I can’t manage to attract a guy?”
    “Jesus, no! That’s not what I’m saying.” He ran a hand through his hair.
    “So you’re saying I’m deliberately sabotaging things for some strange subconscious reason of my own?”
    He stared at her. “What drugs are you on? You’re acting nuts today.”
    “Yeah, I’m crazy, that must be why I can’t find a husband.”
    “Aaarrrgh!” He slid down the wall until he lay on the floor and covered his face with his hands. With his arms up like that, Kerri could see the paler skin on the underside, which emphasized the bulge of his biceps below the sleeves of his T-shirt. He stayed like that for a moment, dragging big, slow breaths into his lungs.
    Kerri rolled in her lips and scooted a few inches away. Mitch had a temper, but he’d learned to control it over the years. And okay, she was acting like a bitch and hated herself for it, but the words just kept coming out of her mouth. She was just so frustrated and disappointed and Mitch was there to poke at, take out her frustrations on. A shiver trickled down her spine. Maybe she’d pushed too far.
    She bit her lip as she looked at him. With his arms raised, his snug T-shirt had ridden up and she could see tanned, ripped abs and a hint of golden brown hair just above the low-riding waistband of his jeans. His hair was all tousled from running his hands through it. She swallowed.
    She put a hand on his arm tentatively, wanting to apologize, fearful she’d pushed him too far and now he’d be really mad at her. She knew she could get away with a lot with Mitch and he just laughed at her, indulgently let her act all princessy, then called her on it and brought her back down to earth. But maybe this time his patience had run out.
    His arms jerked away from his face at her gentle touch and she jumped back. He grabbed her hand, held it tightly. Now she could see his eyes flashing dark gold, his jaw clenched so tight she was sure it must hurt.
    “M-mitch…I’m…”
    “Kerri.” He growled, low and rough. “Just stop right now.”
    She nodded a bit frantically. “I’m sorry. You can let go of my hand now.”
    His fingers actually tightened on hers, crushing them, and she yanked on her hand. “Ow! Mitch, you’re hurting me! Let go.”
    His hot gaze held hers as she tried to pull free.
    “Jesus, Kerri.” His voice still sounded low and rough. “You can only push me so far.”
    Her eyes wide, she watched a vein throb in his temple. She again tugged her hand away from his but he wouldn’t let go, rather pulled her toward him. She put her other hand out, palm flat on his chest, hot and hard under the soft T-shirt, to push him away. The warm scents of laundry detergent and male skin mingled as she