Rough to Ride by Justine Elvira Read Free Book Online Page B

brews the coffee.
    "You heard me. You and your man have got to leave."
    "I think there has been some kind of misunderstanding."
    I watch as he turns around and leans against the counter. He moves his muscular arms across his chest. The sun is shining through the skylights of the kitchen and I am able to get a better look at him.
    Wow.
    His golden tanned skin looks so soft. His tan helps make the gray of his eyes pop. He has black plugs in his ears and it's the perfect touch to his bad boy image. He's covered in tattoos from the waist up, but I can’t see most of them because his white wife beater is covering them.
    I know wife beater is probably not the politically correct term for a Californian, but that's what we call them in Michigan.
    "What did I misunderstand?"
    "I didn't hook up with anyone last night. I crashed in the first bedroom on the left. I think it's Tawny's room and Tawny's actually why I'm here. She told me I could come visit whenever I wanted, so here I am."
    He looks at me skeptically and then drags his eyes up and down my body. It's then that I realize I'm wearing my white cheerleading shorts that barely cover my ass and a tank top that fits like a second layer of skin. I'm instantly self-conscious and I want to run back to Tawny's bedroom and change.
    "Here's the thing, sweetheart, Tawny doesn't live here at the moment. She's off in Italy with her Italian boyfriend. She's spending his money and he's snorting coke off her tits that I paid for."
    "My name's not sweetheart, it's Autumn, and when did she leave? I talked to her three months ago. She said I could stay with her."
    "A lot can change in three months," he says arrogantly. "I'll make you a cup of coffee and then you can get your things and leave. I have no way of verifying you are who you say you are, so you can't stay here."
    He has a point. Without Tawny here I just look like some pathetic girl looking for a place to crash.
    Jared gives me the first cup of coffee and gestures for me to sit down at the table in the eat-in kitchen. He joins me a few minutes later and we sip our coffee in silence. I want to say something, but I have never been good at starting conversations. What would I say? Hey, I heard you bumping uglies with those two chicks this morning. Is that your normal morning routine?
    "So how long have you and Tawny known each other?" Jared asks me.
    I look up into his gray eyes and almost forget to answer him.
    "We grew up together in South Haven. It's a small town, so everyone knows everyone."
    "And you just decided to visit?"
    This is going to be a little harder to explain. If I were close with Tawny, then I would have known that she's in Italy and not in California.
    "Well, I haven't talked to her in three months, but the last time I talked with her she sent me her address and told me to come visit. She said if I liked California she would help me find a job."
    "A job?"
    "Yeah, I never took her offer that seriously, but recent events had me jumping in my car for a visit. I should have called first and I'm sorry to be such a burden to you this morning. If I knew she was in Italy I would have never crashed here last night."
    My hands are in my lap and I start turning my engagement ring around my finger. It's the first time I notice I'm still wearing it. That is going in the trash as soon as this conversation is over.
    "It's fine. When you have a life long friend, one that's seen you through bad decisions like dressing up as Lindsay Lohan, I'm sure you figured it was no big deal to drop by."
    I start to nod my head in agreement when realization hits me. My head pops up and my eyes meet his beautiful gray ones.
    "You lied," I say a little louder than I originally intended to.
    "And what did I lie about?"
    "You said you had no way of verifying who I am so I couldn't stay here."
    "Right..."
    "But you just referenced the picture of Tawny and me that's sitting on the dresser in her room, so you do know who I am."
    He almost looks a little