The Romance Novel Book Club Read Free Page B

pack abs to die for. Before lust spread over my face like wildfire, I headed up the steps, keeping my hand in his until we reached my apartment.
    “It’s not much, but it’s the right price, and the neighbors don’t complain about the noise.” Reluctantly I let go of him and dug out my keys. Right inside the door, we huddled for a second. “I have a little dryer if you want to use it.”
    “Ah. Trying to seduce me. Shame on you.”
    The mirth in his eyes as he leaned against the door frame was heaven to my aching lust. I had to control my inner teenage hormones, or should I say whore moans?
    “Hah! Like my top is holding anything back!” I jabbed him in the ribs, and his laughter infected me again. Could he be the one? Just as I casually leaned into him, his cell phone started playing ‘It’s Raining Men’. My smile drooped a little at the implication as Matt excused himself and moved a few feet away. That perfectly built body played for the other team? My gaze went to the freezer where I knew my reserve Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia mocked me. I knew I should have bought a pack of double ‘A’ batteries today.
     
     

Chapter Four
     
    Words couldn’t describe how I felt. My car’s temperament had given me a wide open door to Hunkymanland. Too bad it led to the Backdoor Cabaret. I wanted to cry, to throw myself on the ground for a good old-fashioned hissy fit. Instead I felt the swell of tears accompanied by a quivering lip. I fought it off with a vengeance. I didn’t want to give in to the mockery of my love life forming in my head. My age and failure would not be bedmates, and I’d be damned if I let it happen because of my recent kink in the chain.
    I stripped down to my underwear right by the door. What did it matter if Matt got a free show? He preferred hot dogs over tacos anyways. I started the kettle for tea. It would shrill like a catcalling sailor when it was ready. My body needed something to warm me up since I entered the freeze zone with Matt’s ringtone. I chewed on my bottom lip, giving Matt one last look of ‘please play grab ass with me’ before heading back to the bedroom. His back couldn’t see my sad pathetic ploy. Damned if I wasn’t horny as hell.
    I threw my wet clothes into the laundry room and grabbed my robe. No sense in shaking my assets for a man that wasn’t buying what I had to offer.
    At least I was home and not stuck in my DOA car. Always have to remember the positives. My apartment had a great set up for my crazy lifestyle. An open kitchen off the living room and the laundry room in a little cubbyhole beside it for those times I spilled whatever I was cooking on myself, which happened a lot. My place might be neat, but it’s due to constant cleaning, not me being a neat freak. Anything bigger and I’d be the inner slob I am. My bedroom was down the hall, and that was my sanctuary. The room, compact, had a huge walk-in closet with a small segue to the bathroom. Perfect for those shower to shoes mornings.
    I grabbed my pajamas and a towel, closing the bathroom door from the other side leading to the hallway to give Matt more privacy as his voice rose higher. I didn’t want to hear about whatever sexual thing he was setting up for the evening.
    Not that I was judging him. I had heard enough of the conversation to know he was definitely talking to his partner.
    “You’re a really stupid girl. You know that?” I sighed. My robe off and hung, I stripped off bra and panties only to feel like crawling up in a ball for a good cry. My underwear—a really nice lacy pair I had just bought to entice some hunk of meat into my bed—was marred with Eve’s Curse. So much for thinking I was leaking passion’s juice. Plus, I wasn’t due yet!
    Oh why do you hate me, Mother Nature?
    I dried off with the towel, holding back the tears as I pushed the stained underwear into a corner with my toe. Miserable, I sat on the toilet and fiddled with a tampon.
    “Now I can’t even