AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Determination to never let a guy take advantage of her again. Especially not a ridiculously good-looking, egotistical, cocky, bad idea.
Adler’s handsome face flashed in her mind.
Chapter 5
Adler stepped outside the Pizza Place and glanced up and down the street. He’d tried getting out quicker, but Tristan mentioned having a pool party at the house, and he got stuck planning food with the guys.
Fuck. He’d hoped to catch Leila and invite her over, but he’d missed her. He deflated a little, but his eyes fell on the sidewalk and road in front of the bakery.Focus on Desiree and get your mind off Leila.Desiree’s car wasn’t parked in front. It was probably in the back. That would make sense.Go there, see her, and get your mind off Leila.
“Hey,” Tristan slapped Adler on the shoulder causing him to jump, “we’re heading to Stacey’s for a bit, then everyone’s coming to the house. We’ll see you there.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Adler lifted a brow but kept his gaze down the street. He let out a heavy breath as he realized he didn’t care if Desiree would show up at his house. She wasn’t the one he wanted to see.
“Hey, Warfield.” Tristan nudged Adler hard, causing him to lose his balance.
He grabbed Tristan’s arm to keep from falling over. “What the hell, dude.” He pushed Tristan hard, causing Tristan to laugh and bump into Stacey.
“I finally got your attention. You were zoning out.” Tristan put his arm around Stacey’s waist. “Don’t worry about Desiree, bro. Kristen already told her we were all heading to the house to swim. She said she’d meet us there later.”
Adler shrugged. “Not worried at all about Desiree. I told her last night we should stop seeing each other.”
“Seriously? Was that before or after the skinny dipping?”
He shook his head. Not that this was any of Tristan and Stacey’s business, but he knew Tristan wouldn’t back off until he knew everything, or as much as he needed to know. Adler swung his leg around his motorcycle and unhooked the strap of his helmet. “Not that it’s any of your business, but we didn’t get to skinny dipping.” He hooked his helmet under his chin. “I asked her to leave soon after you two went to bed.”
A look passed between Stacey and Tristan.
Heat grew inside him. They were stunned that he turned her away. He lifted his face to the sky. “What?” he asked between gritted teeth.
Tristan put his free hand in the air in surrender. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”
Good. Adler kicked the bike to life, lifted his hand in salute, and squealed away from the curb.
Cars were already in the driveway when Adler pulled in and cautiously entered the garage. He went into his room to slip on his swim trunks.
“Hey.” Stacey was grabbing some chips off the counter when he entered the kitchen.
“You act like you live here, just rooting through things like it’s your house.” He pulled a beer from the fridge. Stacey wore a thin white throw over a sexy black bikini. She had a very nice body and was beautiful. Perfect for his cousin.
“I think I do belong here. Does that bother you, your cousin being off the market?” asked Stacey, her arms full of bags of chips.
He shook his head and took a pull from his beer. “Surprisingly, no. You two are perfect together. I’m glad he has you.”
“Thank you, Adler.” Her smile lit up her face. “Can I be honest?”
He lifted his beer in an “of course” gesture.
“I didn’t know how much I’d like you at first. You’re a pretty snotty and arrogant person.”
He nodded in agreement. He could be.
“But you’ve grown on me. I just wish you’d settle down. You deserve someone who really loves you.”
Her gaze held his in a friendly way but made him uncomfortable. It was like she could see into his thoughts and his soul. Suddenly his stomach felt heavy, and his hands were clammy. He closed them both around his cold beer and shrugged. “Yeah, maybe one day I’ll find the right person.” He drowned the heaviness of his stomach with a large gulp of his beer. This conversation needed to be over. He had a party to get to. “See you outside.”
He held her gaze for a second more as she walked past him with a smile, then followed her through the sliding doors onto the patio. The conversation he had just had with Stacey didn’tleave his mind. It was weird and the most uncomfortable he’d been with a woman in a while, well not really. Turning Desiree down last night was probably the most uncomfortable.
He cleared his throat and took a sip of his beer and breathed in deep. The smell of hamburgers and hot dogs grilling hung in the air. It was a perfect afternoon for a barbecue, drinking, and swimming. Time to have some fun and get relationships off his mind.
