Heartsville 04 - Clique (Jayden Brooks) by Heartsville Read Free Book Online Page A

into my bedroom and leapt into the welcoming embrace of flannel and down. With my toes safely out of reach, I leaned over the side of my bed to peek and nearly had a face full of snout as Lulu jumped on her hind paws. “No way. You are not getting in my bed.”
    “What are my chances if I promise not to bite?”
    I rolled to my back, spread my feet, and looked down the length of my body to where Brandon stood in my doorway. Wriggling my butt deeper into the bed was entirely reflexive. As was the tenting of my banana boxers. The jokes just make themselves, don’t they?
    “Biting is compulsory where you’re concerned.” I waggled my eyebrows. “You were bragging about a big mouth.”
    He adjusted the impressive bulge in his jeans, and with a wicked grin took a step in my direction. And stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening in dismay. “Lulu, noooo.”
    With a sense of dread, I looked and saw a Lulu standing over a spreading puddle—tail tucked and head lowered in shame.
    “Damn, I’m sorry, Adam. I’ll clean it up. She’s just a baby.” He darted out of the room and came back with paper towels.
    “It was just an accident. It’s not a big deal, hon.”
    His shoulder froze mid-dab, and he looked over his shoulder at me, his expression far too happy for the task.
    “What?”
    He shrugged. “Nothing.” But the smile remained.
    It puzzled me for a while, but I focused on the four-legged companion who sat watching Brandon with a solemn expression.
    Brandon stood and went into my bathroom.
    Lulu hardly moved.
    As I climbed out of bed, I noticed her gaze dart to me but quickly fall to the floor. To let her know I wasn’t upset, I wiggled my toes. Nothing. Oh, the poor baby. I reached down and scooped her into my arms. She licked my chin and tucked her head into my neck. I climbed back into bed and pulled the covers over us both. She squirmed for a moment, let out a huff, and promptly fell asleep.
    The cover was gently tugged back, revealing our heads. “What happened to your no–puppy-in-bed rule?” Brandon asked as he snuggled next to me on top of the blankets.
    “She was breaking my heart.”
    “You’re a softy, huh?”
    “I take pictures of babies. I sass, but I’m just a big sap.”
    “A romantic.”
    I hummed my assent.
    “I like your place. What I’ve seen of it, anyway. I’d love to see more. Especially of the studio.”
    My breath hitched in my chest, but I managed to give a nonchalant nod. “I’ll give you the full tour.” Up until this point, I’d been crushing hard and primarily focused on getting laid. I hadn’t dared hope for anything more.
    “Great. How about some coffee first?”
    Ugh. I felt my expression fall and a chunk of my happy mood went with it. “I’m out of coffee.” Wanting to please him, I offered what I had. “There are coffee pods in the studio.” My reluctance was hard to hide.
    “Is that so? Well, I actually came prepared.” He held up a finger. “Hold that thought.”
    I’d be a bald-faced liar if I said my hopes didn’t take flight that real coffee was imminent. Gently easing away from Lulu, I slipped from the bed. With a burst of speed, I zoomed around the room kicking discarded clothes to a corner pile. Hey, I’m a single dude who works at all hours. And I wasn’t expecting company.
    After a quick stop in the bathroom to brush my teeth, I yanked on a pair of navy track pants and a gray Havenston University hoodie. There was no hope of styling my sloppy hair, so I hid it with a skull cap. Just as I stepped out of my room, Brandon entered the apartment carrying a drink tray and a familiar paper bag.
    When he caught sight of me, his lips curved into a lopsided grin. “Where do you want this?”
    He chuckled as I rubbed my belly. “The table’s fine.”
    The coffee he handed me was perfect. It had cooled enough that I practically guzzled it. “I needed that.”
    Brandon tipped his drink in my direction and asked, “Did you go to Havenston?”
    “I