Outfoxed by Marie Harte Read Free Book Online Page B

she’s going to hate me. There’s no way this won’t blow up in my face. And she was so sweet. So great.” The thought of losing her made his animal spirit hiss in agitation. Now that he’d had a taste of his mate, he had no intention of letting her go. What a mistake to trust one of Dean’s—Joy’s—schemes.
    “Now, now.” Joy eased off the couch and sauntered to his side. “We’ll keep this quiet, just between the three of us.”
    “Four,” he corrected, unable to forget Gabby’s participation in this mess. The only bright spot in their harebrained plot.
    “Four of us.” Joy nodded.
    Next to her, Dean did the same. “I swear, Grady. This will work. The woman is into you. The other night at dinner, after you left, she stared at your empty chair for the rest of the meal. And whenever you’re around, she sneaks glances. Right, Joy?”
    “Yeah. Even I noticed. I don’t know why she hasn’t gone out with you. Although that dance number I heard about might have thrown her off.”
    Grady glared at his brother, who wisely stepped behind the smaller female. “Who the hell hasn’t heard about my bet from hell?”
    Dean snorted. “Not my problem you suck at cards and can’t dance.”
    Grady nudged Joy aside and leaped at his brother, who swore but couldn’t move fast enough to dodge Grady. He had Dean in a headlock and was about to smash his face into the ground when his cell phone rang.
    “Shit. What time is it?” he asked, panting.
    “Eight-thirty,” Joy answered, too perky for words.
    “Hell. I’m supposed to cover for Monty today.” A stellar idea popped into his brain as he rubbed Dean’s face into the rug. “But since you put me in this mess, you’re going to help me out of it. You cover for me for the next few days. I need time to fix this.”
    “Fix what?” Dean asked. “This setup couldn’t be more perfect.”
    “I have to try to convince Gabby I’m not such a dick that I’d jump into bed with her after finding you doing my soulmate.” He sneered. “Could you have come up with a worse story to get us together?” He included Joy in his distaste.
    She had the nerve to look sorry.
    “I’ll do it,” Dean mumbled against the braided rug. “Swear.”
    “And you’ll stop interfering. Say it.”
    “I’ll stop interfering. Joy too.” Dean turned his face and gasped. “Just trying to help, you big pussy.”
    Joy’s muffled laughter didn’t improve Grady’s mood, but the idea of having time to be with Gabby soothed his annoyed cat.
    He moved off his younger brother and stalked away. “I’m hitting the shower. You two make sure you both steer clear of Gabby. I don’t need you telling her more lies and getting me in more trouble with her. And for God’s sake, don’t let Miles hear you’re having sex.” He stopped and turned to face them. “That was something you made up, right?”
    The horror on their faces relieved him.
    “He’s like a brother. No offense, Dean, but gross.”
    “She’s like an annoying little sister. Ew.”
    “Annoying?” Joy turned on Dean and proceeded to chew him out.
    Although they’d created a major hurdle to overcome, Grady finally had the opportunity he’d been dying for—to mate the woman he loved. The future he wanted seemed suddenly within reach.
    With a smile, he headed for the shower and tried to figure out where to go from here. Flowers. Check. A note explaining how much he still wanted her. Check. Hmm. Now how to get in bed with Gabby and not look like a rebound guy or an asshole just out for sex. That would take some real planning…
     
     
    “I followed the credit cards, like you said.” Ronnie Gates sniffed at the waitress who passed him by and winked at her, pleased to see her flush. He’d just taken her up against the wall in the closet. A hard fuck for that little gal would more than serve as her tip. Not a bad ride, but he’d had better.
    The chuckle at his ear pleased him, and he smiled into the phone, wishing his