It Was Always You (Gaming the System) by Brenna Aubrey Read Free Book Online Page B

blond.”
    “Ah, love match by hair coloring. Perfect,” Jeremy said.
    “Shush, you. What the heck do guys know about it, anyway?” Tiffani was saying, but I could only meet Jeremy’s intense gaze in the rearview mirror. I swallowed, trying to ignore that tingly feeling I got whenever I stared into his beautiful eyes. He seemed to want to communicate something to me without speaking. I shrugged and shook my head to indicate I had no idea what he wanted. He blew out a breath and rolled his eyes. Hey, it wasn’t my fault his girlfriend was getting on his nerves! She was getting on my nerves, too.

Chapter Two
Jeremy
     
    As usual, Tiff grabbed her personal bag and hightailed it up the stairs to the cabin we had rented for the weekend, indicating that she would “supervise” the food supply. She left Mic and me to unpack the cases of beer, groceries, and gifts from the back of the car.
    And Mic, as usual, had rolled up her sleeves and dug in, hopping up the stairs two at a time, her bright blonde ponytail swinging behind her. I followed, trying to ignore how amazing her ass looked in those faded jeans and the curve of her body under her sweater. I swallowed, forced myself to look away and ignore it. I’d been good at doing this for the past year. Why stop now?
    She was on her third trip and the car was almost empty, so I turned before shutting the back hatch on my SUV. “For what it’s worth, I think it’s a bad idea.”
    Mic turned to me, one six-pack gripped in each hand, her pale blue eyes focused on mine. I looked away, suddenly uncomfortable.
    “What’s a bad idea? Beer?”
    I rolled my eyes. “No. Lucas.”
    She cocked her head at me. “Lucas is a bad idea?”
    I shifted my stance, adjusting the keg resting easily on my shoulder. “You know what I mean.”
    She narrowed her gaze and cocked her chin at me. “No, I’m quite sure I have no idea what you mean. Is he a criminal or something?”
    I shook my head. “I just mean that he’s not the guy for you. You—”
    But her eyebrows shot up. “Oh, so you are making calls on my love life now, too? You’ve been hanging around your girlfriend too long.”
    “Mic—don’t be like that. It’s just…I don’t think that you two would be a good fit.”
    She threw me a toothy grin and pivoted to walk away before turning and throwing over her shoulder, “And you would know all about that, wouldn’t you…considering what a great fit you and Tiffani are.”
    I winced. She hung around us a lot. She knew exactly how much the two of us argued. I fell into step next to her on the path back to the house. “I’m sorry. That didn’t come out right.”
    “Apology accepted,” she said between stiff lips. “As long as you drop the subject.”
    “Okay. How about I buy you a beer to make it up to you?”
    She shot me a sidelong glance. “Brought my own. Thanks!”
    “Mic, wait,” I said on the doorstep before we went through the doorway.
    She hesitated and turned to me. “What?”
    “I just mean…I just meant that I don’t think he’s good enough for you.” My throat closed up. There was so much more I wanted to say. In fact, I didn’t think any guy was good enough for her. And the thought of her hooking up again with someone like Sean or just anyone… I clenched my jaw and fought the frustration of that thought.
    Her mouth tightened. “Okay. That’s nice. But maybe you should leave me to find that out for myself? Maybe,”—she glanced away and coughed—“maybe that’s something we all have to figure out for ourselves, ya know?” Then she caught my gaze again and her beautiful baby blues were so intense that I gulped.
    “Yeah…yeah maybe…”
    We held that stare for a while longer and something sizzled between us. Or at least it did on my part. I had tried to avoid looking her in the eyes lately for exactly that reason.
    I was suddenly reminded of when we were kids, playing on the same block. Growing up, I was friends with her big brother.