Vengeful Shadows by Bronwyn Green Read Free Book Online

Dean Stapleton.”
    “What are we all discussing?” Cat asked as she rejoined the group and kissed Aidan hello.
    He nodded his head toward Tessa. “I was just informing them, that no one would mistake them for an actual couple.”
    Cat’s brow furrowed. “Okay…what am I missing?”
    “Tessa’s doing a favor for me.”
    “Oh?” Cat sounded intrigued. “Do tell.”
    Tessa quietly explained the whole situation to Cat. Finally, her friend nodded. “I hate to say it, but I agree with Aidan. Nobody’s gonna buy that act.” She put her hands on her hips. “A couple in the early stages of dating, yeah.” She leaned close to Tessa. “Which is what I thought was going on when we discussed advice earlier,” she whispered.
    Interesting. He knew he wasn’t meant to hear the last, but he planned to ask Tessa about it, anyway. It seemed they’d have plenty to talk about later.
    Tessa’s breath caught. She couldn’t believe Cat had said that with Zander standing right here, but a quick glance at him eased her concern. He didn’t seem to have heard. Good. She had enough on her mind without worrying about that, too.
    She peered at him again. A glance would never be enough. She clenched her fingers to keep from touching him, enticed closer by the almost hypnotic play of muscles in his forearms as he pushed up the sleeves of his sweater. The charcoal gray color deepened the green of his eyes. They resembled a lush forest in which she’d willingly lose herself. Disgusted with the direction her thoughts had taken, she looked away.
    Cat regarded her with an amused expression before turning to Zander. She looked as though she was about to add something to the discussion. Having had far more than her daily recommended dose of stress, Tessa changed the subject. “I love that dress. Is it new?”
    Her friend had outdone herself. In midnight-blue silk and lots of skin, she’d turned more than a few heads in the gallery.
    Cat grinned. Apparently, she knew exactly what Tessa attempted to accomplish.
    Guys usually drooled over Cat until they found out she played for the home team. Even then, some poor saps continued to hold out hope they’d be the one to make her see the light. Even when they’d first met, Zander had never had that slack-jawed response to the glory that was Cat. Maybe his Gay-dar worked better than the average male’s.
    “Where’s Susan?” Tessa asked. She’d been so distracted with Zander and his intent study of each of her photographs, she’d forgotten she hadn’t seen Cat’s partner of three years. They had such a wonderful, loving relationship that Tessa and Annie often joked that if Susan were a man, they’d be envious.
    Cat frowned. “The emergency room is running short-staffed, so she got called in tonight.”
    Zander looked between Tessa and Cat.
    “What?” Tessa asked, warily.
    “I never noticed how similar you two look. You could be sisters.”
    Tessa shifted uncomfortably. Not that much alike. Cat was gorgeous. Add Cat’s waist-length, blonde hair, centerfold body and a few extra inches in height, and Tessa felt like the poor relation.
    Aidan perked up. “I don’t suppose Annie’s done any shots with the two of you together?”
    Cat cuffed him across the head. “You are such a guy.”
    He shrugged. “Two gorgeous women and the possibility of them naked together? Can’t blame a guy for hoping.”
    Tessa glanced at Zander. He’d clenched his jaw and glared at his friend. What was going on there?
    “Which brings us back to the problem at hand,” Aidan continued as if Zander wasn’t glowering at him. “You two have to figure out how to behave like a couple before the party.”
    The thought of acting like a couple in love launched waves of panic through Tessa’s stomach. Goose bumps stood out on her skin. The idea had seemed okay in theory when Zander had first brought it up, but now, her heart beat in her throat.
    She turned to Zander. “What party?”
    “Remember the faculty