A Girl's Best Friend Read Free

wheel. Running around like crazy for Edith and for Marion Forrester’s party meant that Lorna had forgotten to get gas. Normally, she’d have had her mom to help with the party planning, but her parents were away on a month-long Mediterranean cruise. But now Lorna was going to be late for the photo shoot—she’d never make it across town on the fumes in her tank. “Double damn.”
    Pulling into the nearest gas station, she fished in her wallet, came up with her debit card, and hopped out. Remembering the jewels in her car, she hit the lock button on her door panel so the trunk lock stayed engaged. It automatically unlocked when her car did. She shut the door behind her and hurried around to her gas tank, swiped her card, and pumped her gas.
    “Hurry, hurry, hurry,” she chanted.
    When she was done, she jogged back around her car and lifted the door handle. It didn’t budge. Right, she’d locked it. She patted her dress and realized she had no pockets. Oh, shit . Her keys were sitting on the passenger seat next to her purse…locked inside her car.
    She let her chin drop to her chest in defeat. Feeling like a total moron, she trudged into the gas station’s mini-mart, but made sure to keep her car in sight. God help her if anything happened to her vehicle with all those diamonds inside. She’d be so screwed.
    A skinny man behind the counter smiled at her. “Can I help you?”
    “Um, yeah.” She smoothed her hands down her skirt and hoped she didn’t look too wrinkled under the glaring fluorescent light. “I locked my keys in my car. May I use your phone?”
    “Sure.” He reached behind him and came up with a cordless handset.
    Dialing information, she connected to AAA, who said she’d have a forty-five minute wait because she wasn’t in immediate danger. “Just forget it, then. Thank you.”
    She punched the off button with more force than necessary. Her stomach pitched and roiled as she realized what she’d have to do. She didn’t want to call him. But the only person she knew who could Slim Jim her car door sooner than AAA was Tyrone. He kept one in his SUV—she’d seen him use it when his mom locked herself out of her car last year.
    What would he say? What would he do ? Her hands shook as she turned the handset back on. Her palms felt slick on the plastic as she dialed his cell number.
    “Forrester.” His deep voice filtered through the phone, and it stroked over her like a physical caress. Goosebumps broke out down her arms. She clutched the phone tighter. Anxiety ran through her, but it warred with the automatic comfort she found in hearing his commanding tone.
    She spoke in a breathless rush. “Tyrone. It’s—it’s me. Lorna.”
    A long pause greeted that announcement before he spoke in a harsh tone. “What can I do for you now, Lorna?”
    “You’re pissed.” She blinked, surprise filtering through her. What did he have to be mad about?
    He snorted. “I think I have a right to be, don’t you?”
    “No, not really.” She glanced at the eavesdropping gas station attendant and blushed. Hunching her shoulder, she turned away. “We did what we did, Tyrone. We both knew the score and we’re both adults. And I think we both know it was a mistake.”
    Anger and hurt flared in his voice. “I disagree. And even if I didn’t, what the hell were you thinking, running out on me like I was some kind of rapist?”
    She winced and her own building irritation deflated. When he put it that way, it did seem like a bad idea to leave without saying anything to him. “You knew I had work today, and I thought you’d be eager to—”
    “Pretend it never happened? Well, you were wrong. How big of an asshole do you think I am to think my best friend would be just an easy lay?”
    Her eyes went wide, and her skin tingled as all the blood drained from her face. “That’s not—I didn’t think you were an—”
    Cutting her off again, his voice took on a biting snap. “And just what the hell was I