Free Just Three Words (Soho Loft Romances) by Melissa Brayden Page A

years?”
    “I’m willing to bet there are a few more tidbits left to learn. I have layers, Samantha Ennis. I’m a complex girl.”
    Sam shrugged. “Well then, this could get interesting.” She reached down to pet Elvis, who sighed and licked her hand sleepily. “I’ve never lived with a dog before. Anything I should know?”
    “Nah. Elvis is chill. That’s why we get along so well. I take him out a handful of times a day. He loves to chase balls in the park and would probably like you to pet him now and again. Now you know everything.”
    Sam looked from her to Elvis. “He’s never far from you, is he?”
    Hunter shook her head. “I think it goes back to his shelter days. He likes to stay close by, know he’s safe.”
    “That’s sweet.” Sam shook herself out of it. “I have a ton of work to make up after the last two days of rotating roommates. So I’m going to head downstairs.”
    Hunter eased back onto the counter. “Could have called that one. You have your serious numbers ponytail happening. And in about two point eight seconds, I’m expecting serious numbers glasses to appear.” It was how you knew Samantha was heading into the zone. She got her academic look on. The duality was fun.
    Without missing a beat, Sam popped the glasses on her face. “And now we go to number-crunching war on that new spa chain’s budget. What are they called again?”
    Hunter thought for a sec, biting her bottom lip. “Serenity.”
    Sam was struck. Hunter had a lot of sexy going on. Maybe she should take notes now that she was single.
    “I need to do more things like that,” Sam said, thinking out loud.
    Hunter stared at her. “Like what? Hitting up spas? They’re our clients now. I have a feeling you could score some free passes pretty easily.”
    Sam waved a hand in front of her own face in attempt to erase the confusion. “Not the spa, the lip-biting thing you just did. It was a good move. I need more moves. Part of my problem, maybe.”
    Hunter’s eyes took on understanding. And oh, there it was again. Sympathy. Sam hated that. “She made a huge mistake, you know,” Hunter said. “She’ll figure that out at some point.”
    Samantha took a deep breath and decided to go with honesty. Hunter was the kind of friend you could level with, for good or bad—one of the many things that was great about her. “Maybe. Maybe not. I’m not exactly exciting or edgy or ridiculously beautiful. So if you think about it, of course she fell for someone like Tanya over me.”
    Hunter stared at Sam, her expression carefully blank. “You’re a smart girl, Sam, but that’s one of the more stupid things you’ve said in life. Do you know that I had a mad crush on you at NYU? Freshman Psychology.”
    Okay, there was no way that was true. “Please. That is a total lie to make me feel better. You were constantly flirting with the blond girl who must have bought stock in midriffs. I watched it play out daily.”
    “Correction. Midriff blondie flirted with me. I was just being nice.”
    “No.”
    “Yes. I’ve never told anyone about this.” And that was when Sam saw it. The touch of red that colored Hunter’s cheeks and hinted at sincerity. She looked vulnerable even, which was so not Hunter’s style.
    “Are you serious right now?”
    Hunter nodded. “I mean, it’s ridiculous to think about now, but I used to drag my feet after class because you took forever to pack your neat little backpack and I desperately wanted to talk to you.” Hunter’s gaze fell to the countertop and she traced the pattern of the granite with the side of her thumb. “We became friends not long after, and the rest is history. But you had firm hold of my attention for maybe—”
    “Two weeks?”
    “About a year.”
    Sam blinked. She took a step back, pointing at Hunter. “You’re funny. You’re very funny, and I get that you’re trying to do something nice for me. Bolster my confidence after a catastrophic breakup or whatever, but