Love on the Lifts by Rachel Hawthorne Read Free Book Online

didn’t notice him. Gosh, had he been in the dorm hallway? Had I looked right at him and not noticed him or remembered him?
    Geez, what an insult to him if that was thecase. But he wasn’t forgettable, so maybe he’d seen me from a distance—while I was walking with Sam and my parents across campus or something.
    And he liked me more than he liked his sisters because that’s just the way guys were. I mean, honestly, Sam liked Allie and Leah more than he liked me. He’d talked to them almost nonstop at the Pile It On, and he never talked to me that much.
    So Joe’s was a typical guy statement. It didn’t mean anything.
    I had myself convinced that’s the way it was by the time I walked into the living room, dressed in jeans and a sweater. The drapes were drawn, so the room was in shadows.
    I peered over at the couch. Joe was sprawled on it, a quilt draped over him, a pillow beneath his head, his bare feet hanging off one end. I resisted the urge to tug the quilt down and cover up those feet. They had to be cold, and he had to be uncomfortable. It didn’t seem fair that he’d have to sleep there for three weeks. Maybe the guys would rotate sharing the beds.
    But that was their problem. I wasn’t givingup my bed. Not even for a guy who liked me more than he liked his sisters.
    I crept into the kitchen and turned on the light. I walked to the sink, reached over it, and opened the blinds. Through the window, I could see Cynthia’s condo. I realized that I could have just come in here last night and kept an eye out instead of trying to get to the deck. Not that I still wouldn’t have had to walk by Joe, but I could have made the excuse of needing a drink of water. Coming up with a reason for wanting to go out to the deck at midnight had proven a bit of a problem—not that I’d gotten far enough to make an excuse. Besides, Joe had pretty much guessed my intentions. I had a feeling that he wasn’t quite as clueless as Sam.
    I went to the refrigerator and took out a carton of eggs and a package of bacon. I would start cooking breakfast. I needed to focus on anything except the real reason that Brad hadn’t returned—the very real possibility that he’d slept with Cynthia. So who was being clueless now?
    I set everything on the counter and took acouple of pans out of the cabinet. Brad wasn’t my boyfriend, so he had the right to do whatever he wanted with whomever he wanted. But I didn’t like the idea that he might have. And if he had, then should I give up on us completely?
    Only there was no us , not really. So the question was, did I want an us with Brad if he had slept with “Cyn”?
    â€œYou broke the rules.”
    With a tiny screech, I spun around. Joe was lounging in the doorway, his shoulder pressed against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, his biceps clearly visible. In the light of the kitchen I could read the T-shirt that I’d been unable to read the night before in the dark. It read, THESE GUNS DON’T COME WITH SAFETIES .
    Ah, man! He had an amazing set of guns, which were also more visible in the light. He definitely worked out.
    â€œWhat?” I snapped. If I’d said more than one word, I would have stammered. He had me totally rattled. Did Brad’s arms look that strong? I crazily wondered what it might feellike to be held in Joe’s arms, to look into those hazel eyes at close range.
    â€œAccording to the rules, the guys are supposed to shower first,” Joe said. “I wonder what punishment I should administer to you.”
    His gaze slowly roamed over me, stealing my breath as it went.
    â€œPunishment?” I squeaked.
    â€œIt was decided yesterday that I would be the enforcer of the rules.”
    â€œOnly for Sam.”
    â€œYou sure?”
    I nodded jerkily. “Besides, I didn’t know anyone was already up.”
    And actually he hadn’t been when I’d walked