Fearless, Abby Brooks [leveled readers .txt] 📗

My body quickly alerted me to the fact that I’d fantasized about this exact situation several times before. Feeling sexy and confident, I ran a finger along my collarbone, grazing the fabric of my collar, then down, down, down.

Alex: Take off your shirt.

Alex: Have mercy.

I considered complying for all of two seconds before I decided to tease him a little longer.

Me: Mercy it is.

And with that, I slowly closed my curtains. Knowing the light was on, hoping my outline would be visible through the sheer window coverings, I slowly lifted my shirt overhead and dropped it on the floor.

Alex: I hate you a little bit right now

Me: Goodnight Alex

Alex: Goodnight you wicked, wicked woman. I can’t believe this is how you treat a man who broke into your house to hand deliver safety socks

Chapter Twenty-Three

Alex

Evie and I pushed through the doors of Cheers ‘n Beers, arm in arm, already laughing. Jude and Austin waited at a table in the back and Izzy would arrive late. She always did when Jude was involved. He loved to tease her about being fashionably late while I wondered how he hadn’t figured out she’d been crushing on him for years.

Before we made our way to the table, Evie pulled on my arm. “Maybe we shouldn’t get drunk tonight.” Her eyebrows drew together and she cocked her head. “You know…just in case.”

“In case of what? Hilarity and good times? You’re right. We definitely don’t want that.”

As if she thought my friends could read lips, Evie leaned close to whisper through a clenched jaw, “We have a tendency to sexually harass each other when we’re drunk…”

I lifted a brow. “That would definitely be the worst thing ever…?”

“What would be the worst thing ever?” Jude asked from behind us. The jackass had snuck up while we weren’t paying attention.

I threw an arm around Evie’s shoulder and gave her my most charming smile. “Evie doesn’t think we should sexually harass each other tonight.”

She dropped her jaw while Jude scoffed. “All you two do is sexually harass each other.” He linked arms with her and led us to the table. “Isn’t that right, Austinator?”

Austin quirked his head. “Isn’t what right?”

“Alex and Evie walk around in a cloud of chemistry and sexual harassment.” Jude spun his chair around and straddled it, folding his arms on the back and cocking his head.

“You’ve noticed that, too?” Austin rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Super stoked for you guys, but the town is preparing a petition. Your happiness makes the rest of us feel like failures.”

“That’s not what I heard.” Izzy leaned in to greet me with a kiss on the cheek. “The only people who complain about them are serial loners like you.”

“Hello pot. Meet kettle.” Austin arched one dark brow. “You must be miserable, then.”

Jude burst out laughing while Izzy blushed. “Yeah Iz-ster. What’s up with you never dating anyone? You’re cute. You’re smart. You own the best damn candy shop in town. You have some juicy secret that chases men away? Or is it just your inability to keep to a schedule?” He leaned his chin on his hands and opened his eyes wide like a child waiting for a bedtime story.

I all but slapped him upside the head.

One look at the mortification on Izzy’s face and I did slap him upside the head.

“What was that for?” He rubbed a hand through his hair like I’d mortally wounded him. Knowing how much time he spent trying to look good, I probably had.

“I’m sure you’ve done something to deserve it.” I fought the urge to glance at my sister just in case tonight happened to be the night Jude was paying attention. Instead, I raised an expectant eyebrow his way. When he didn’t respond, I held out my hands and glanced around the bar.

Jude frowned. “What?”

“Last I checked, we’ve been here for over ten minutes and don’t have drinks.”

“I don’t work here.” He sat back, grinning. “I just own the place.”

“Do you work anywhere?” Austin snorted. “We all can agree that answer is no.”

“Don’t hate. Not everyone can be as talented and lucky as me.”

Austin bounced a balled-up napkin off Jude’s temple. “If feeding a bloated ego is a talent, then I agree, you’re the best I’ve ever seen.”

Izzy took off her coat and draped it on the back of her chair. “I thought Jack would be here tonight. When he stopped in at Sweet Stuff with the kids he said he had a sitter.”

“The sitter fell through…again.” Austin shook his head with a sad smile.

“What’s the matter with Jack?” Evie asked. “I’d love to meet him.”

I took her hand. “And I’d love for him to meet you. His wife passed away a year and a half ago, leaving him as a suddenly single dad. Their three kids aren’t adjusting well, and it’s been a real shitshow ever since. If he doesn’t get those kids under control, he’ll run out of sitters.”

Izzy’s jaw dropped. “Considering the circumstances, I’m surprised they’ve done as well as they have. Cut the man some slack.”

Conversation moved on and as my friends chatted, I watched Evie. Her smile. Her laugh. The intelligence sparkling in her eyes. She was sweet and warm. A fire, burning slowly but fiercely.

The more I thought about what her ex-boyfriend stole from her, the more pissed off I got. What kind of garbage, piece of trash, egomaniac did something like that? How could he live with himself, knowing the only reason anyone knew his name was because he manipulated someone who thought he loved her? An innocent whose only sin was placing her trust—and love—in the wrong man.

But more than that, how could anyone do something like that to Evie? I’d never met a person more deserving of all the good things in the world. How could anyone take advantage of someone so kind? So genuine? So—

“What’s going on there, big guy?” Jude leaned in, claiming my attention. “You look like you wanna deck someone.”

I released the tension