Gage, Ronna - The Search is Over (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Free

here”—Ricky looked around the party—“Jack isn’t too far away.”
    As if on cue, Jack came into the kitchen with another girl on his arm. Jack’s eyes grew large, and his smile grew bigger. “Ho-ly shit! Rafe Sines, is that you?” Jack shouted in surprise .His quick advancement to Rafe demonstrated his actual gladness to see him.
    To see Jack Posen make a beeline for him stunned Rafe. He smiled with a genuine affection for his one-time rival. “Hey, Jack, how the hell are you?” He shook Jack’s hand.
    The taller and thinner Jack didn’t look the same. His curly blond-brown hair had taken on an uncontrollable style. It was more than what Rafe remembered. Sparkling blue eyes revealed a passion for life, and his roguish smile had stirred a lot of women in Jack’s past. That love for life and lust flattered Jack’s untamable personality.
    “I’m good,” Jack answered . “How are you?”
    “Good,” he looked around the room. “Slow night.”
    “How long have you been back in town?”
    “I got back this week.” Rafe felt a bump at his arm. He looked to receive a second cup of beer that Jase handed him .
    Jack looked around the immediate area. “Where’s Chelsea ?”
    Rafe felt that sensation of failure hit his gut that always assaulted him when Chelsea ’s name came up. Shaking it off, he smiled. “We’re divorced.”
    Jack’s face changed. He showed actual displeasure. “Oh, man, I’m sorry. I hadn’t heard.”
    “No problem, it happens even to the best of us.” Rafe eased the tension.
    Jack narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. “Do we hate her now?” he whispered with a conspirator’s jest.
    Rafe grinned at the support. His rival was willing to talk trash about his ex-wife if he wanted. “No, it’s all right. We just didn’t work out.”
    “It wasn’t meant to be.” Jack gave him a friendly slap on the arm.
    Rafe noticed Liv coming toward him and Jack. He watched her make her way into the room. “I see you’re as busy as ever.”
    Jack looked at the two girls, Liv on his left side and the other on stood on his right. “I’d like you to meet Crystal ,” he said, introducing the new woman.
    Rafe examined Crystal closely for a span of two seconds. Her black hair set atop her head in a claw-like clip, which kept the mass away from her face. He found her attractive, but she had an air of pretentiousness about her. She looked flawless. Her immaculate makeup evenly covered her face. Yet her brown eyes were cold. Who can fuck that iceberg? Her glaring eyes at the partygoers showed her distaste for this kind of crowd. The party blared with loud music, uproarious laughter, and with too much boozing immaturity for her liking.
    “…and this is her friend, Liv.”
    Liv smiled as she looked up at Jack “Yeah, we met earlier.” She then turned and gave Rafe a wink. “He gave me a sip of beer.”
    Jack looked from Rafe to Liv. “I guess we need to go and meet Crystal ’s brother. He isn’t one to go party hopping.”
    Looking at Crystal , Rafe could see why. If her sibling were anything like her, he wouldn’t be into hopping the neighborhood parties. But what’s the connection with Liv?
    Liv placed a hand on Rafe’s shoulder. She tiptoed until she came eye-to-eye with him. She withdrew a slip of paper out of her bra and handed it to him. “Call me,” she whispered. “Anytime.”
    Shaking his head, Jack took the piece of paper from Rafe’s hand. “Right. She’s engaged to Crystal ’s brother. Right now, she’s upset with him, but the two will be back together by morning.”
    Rafe smiled and shrugged his shoulders. He looked at Liv. “Do you always carry a slip of paper in your bra?”
    Liv smiled. “You would be surprised what I have in places that only you can see.”
    Jack physically turned her away from Rafe. “I better get her out of here before her behavior comes back and bites both of us in the ass,” he said with a look of warning.
    Rafe bowed up his chest. He’d