Summer's Temptation by Ashley Lynn Willis Read Free Book Online Page B

foul!” Emma jumps up from the loveseat, darts to the kitchen, and flies back with a wad of paper towels.
    “Not going there,” I say to Liz with resolve. The woman’s known me for over two years. She should realize casual sex is not in my vocabulary.
    Liz takes a paper towels from Emma and helps mop up the mess. “Hear me out before you can my idea.”
    I don’t have a choice. If I try to escape, Liz will just follow, so I fill my glass, set the bottle on the coffee table, and sit while taking a big gulp of wine. With a conversation like this, drinking is no longer optional. When she pauses Gossip Girl , I know I’m in for a long conversation.
    “You don’t plan to get into another relationship for a while—”
    “Ever,” I say. “Repeat after me. ‘My best friend Cassie is never getting into another relationship.’”
    “I thought you were waiting until you graduate to date,” Hannah says.
    “Same difference,” I say. Two years is a long time to go without sex.
    “Whatever,” Liz says. “My point is, a vibrator’s a poor substitute for a man. I’m sure you’ve figured that out already.”
    Unfortunately I have, but I keep that to myself.
    “So eventually some hottie’s going to come up to you—”
    “Like Josh!” Hannah interjects.
    Liz cringes. “Yeah, like Josh. If beefhead is your thing.”
    “Totally not my thing.” I don’t want to give Hannah any ideas. She’s known to go a little crazy with her ninja matchmaking skills.
    “Anyway,” Liz continues, “one day soon, a hottie you can’t refuse is going to make eyes at you. Someone like Mr. Westbrook.”
    Just the thought of my teacher giving me bedroom eyes makes my throat dry. I take another gulp of wine.
    “You haven’t had a good lay in months,” Liz says. “You’re gonna be all horny, and bam , you’ll end up in his bed. Then he’ll stalk you all semester because, let’s face it, Cassie, you’re a goddess.”
    I snort loudly. If I’m a goddess, Wyatt wouldn’t have left me for Debbie Dill Weed. “I have self-control, Liz.”
    “Yeah, but for how long?”
    “F-O-R-E-V-E-R.” I spell out the word in case she’s confused about my plan to never have sex with another guy.
    “W-H-A-T-E-V-E-R.” She spells out the word in case I’m confused about her not caring. “All in favor of Cassie having a fuck buddy, raise your hand.”
    Emma and Liz lift their hands high, but I’m pleased to see Hannah agrees with me.
    I glare at Emma. “Traitor.”
    She shrugs. “What? I think Liz might be on to something. Do you remember Mica?”
    We all sigh. Mica graduated last year, and he took with him the most stunning face and fierce body in all of Texas. I swear, at graduation, every girl, gay guy, and female professor sobbed when he walked across the stage because they knew they’d never behold his beauty again.
    Liz wipes a pretend tear from her eye. “I used to stake out his psychology class so I could see him on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I miss him so much.”
    “Kara Black was his fuck buddy,” Emma says.
    Hannah chokes on her wine. She gurgles and sputters until Emma jumps from the love seat and whacks her on the back.
    “You okay?” Emma asks.
    Hannah shakes her head.
    “I don’t think any of us are okay,” Liz says. “How in the hell was Kara his fuck buddy? No offense, Cassie, but he might even be out of your league. There is no way in hell Kara got some of that.”
    “I swear it’s true.” Emma sits back down with one leg tucked beneath her. “I even saw them making out behind Billy Bob’s Bar.”
    “Wow!” Hannah says, recovering from her shock. “Kara isn’t ugly, but she’s flatter than a cookie sheet, and her buck teeth make her look like a beaver if she’s standing at the right angle.” The little crease between her eyebrows deepens. “Okay, I take it back. She is ugly. Or maybe just fugly.”
    “Hannah!” I cry. “That’s mean.” I can’t help but wonder if this is what people