Taming Chloe Summers (Grover Beach Team #7) by Anna Katmore Read Free Book Online Page B

finally stow the manicure set away.
    The moment I open the drawer, a slimy green frog gapes up at me from inside and croaks.
    An ear-splitting screech escapes me, the pouch with the nail polish dropping from my hands. I leap back, right into Justin, and bury my face against his shoulder. “ Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Ohmygod! ”
    His arms come around me fast and strong. He holds me tight against him. Somewhere behind us, it sounds like Julie and Greyson are dying from laughter at my panicked reaction, but not Justin. When I lift my head, he stares into my eyes with surprise. I must have startled him as much as the frog startled me. He’s been holding his breath for a solid five seconds, then his throat twitches with a forceful swallow. My hands flattened against his chest, I finally get to cop a feel of him, one I’ve longed for from the moment he walked into the sickroom this afternoon—before I realized whose body I was actually drooling over. His pecs are rock-hard, his biceps bulging against my upper arms as he keeps me in a firm embrace.
    My hoarse whimpering dies in my throat. Nothing more than hitched, warm breaths come out as his butterscotch eyes keep mine captive.
    He’s grown taller, because I have to tilt my head up a little to look at his face. And if I wrapped my arms around him, I’m sure I’d find his back rippling with muscles today, instead of the back of a lanky young boy.
    The tingle centering in my stomach makes me aware of just how close we are. That, and the fact that his arms, wrapped so tightly around me, prevent me from inhaling deeply.
    Justin’s thumb strokes down the small of my back. Slowly. I don’t think it’s accidental. Then one side of his mouth moves up in a tiny smirk and he lets go of me. “Afraid of frogs, tiger?” he taunts me and walks to the desk. Picking up the nasty amphibian, he lets it escape to freedom through the open window.
    I need a minute to catch my breath. My gaze hangs on Justin as if stuck to his face with superglue, but when he comes back from the window, I retreat to the wall to get out of his path. The sensation of being held by him so gently was just too shocking. I don’t care for a repeat.
    Julie, finally stopping her annoying laughter, rushes to the desk, picks up my manicure equipment, and stashes it in the still-open drawer. With a beaming face, she turns around to me and declares, “You’re done unpacking. Your suitcase is empty, and everything’s in its place. I suppose that means you’re free to come with us now.”
    Ugh. “Look, it’s almost ten,” I argue in a whiny voice. “Somebody’s supposed to keep the girls in check—make sure they don’t get into mischief.” Yep, excellent excuse to stay behind. “You should go without me.”
    “Oh, we know just how to handle that,” Greyson chips in with more enthusiasm than is necessary at this time of night. “Come on,” he says to Julie, grabs her hand, and pulls her outside. The last thing we hear before the door slams shut is him explaining something about a competition and a jigsaw puzzle.
    For a moment, I stand frozen by the wall, all too aware of Justin’s presence filling up the room in a strange way. He examines the two made beds with his head cocked to one side, then he turns to me and nods at the purple sheets. “Yours?”
    “Yes.” Dammit, my voice is still a little unsteady.
    Without asking permission, Justin walks to my bed and lowers onto the mattress. Tipping back, he half lies across it with his shoulders and head leaning against the wall. Propped on his elbow, he keeps one foot on the floor, the other leg angled and the heel resting on the wooden bed frame.
    My eyes narrow at him, and false sweetness edges my voice. “Oh, please, make yourself comfortable.”
    He rubs his hand over the satin-covered quilt and teases me with a grin. “Cozy.”
    Clenching my teeth because I don’t want to look at him lounging on my bed and feel what I’m feeling right now, I busy myself