Free What She's Looking For by Trent Evans

wasn’t that big
of a deal, really. Just Parker’s best friend Drake —whose also his roommate — and
a young college kid named Erik. Parker grilled up some steaks for us. You
should see the house. Total bachelor pad. Very manly — testosterone city.”
    “Sounds like heaven,” Tara murmured.
    “His friends were really cool, nice
guys. I’d seen them when I first went to meet Parker about the house, but
hadn’t talked to them.”
    “And?”
    “Are you looking to add a couple studs
to the Tara stable? Brian not keeping up with you?”
    “Oh God no, it’s not that. I’m the
one who can’t keep up with—” There was a muffled jostling on Tara’s end, and
Ashley thought she could make out voices.
    “Tara, you there?”
    “Yeah, sorry.” Tara sounded a
little out of breath. “So, anyway. Tell me about them. Are they cute?”
    “Damn, Tara! Brian is right there!”
    “Oh, he doesn’t mind. We’re both
still allowed to look! He looks at other chicks all the time, though I have no
idea why he’d want to — I mean he’s got T! Now, it’s payback, bitch.”
    Ashley laughed again. “You’re gonna
get your ass busted, Tara.”
    “Too late now, Ash, I’m already in
trouble. Now I might as well make it worth it. Spill it. Details.”
    “Hmm, I don’t know. What do you
want to know about them?”
    “Everything.”
    * * *

Parker winced as the scalding coffee
burned his lips. At least the pain helped him wake up, if nothing else.
    Drake sat at the butcher’s block
wolfing down a bowl of cereal, the morning light slashing brilliance across the
dimness of the kitchen. Parker leaned against the counter, looking out the
window. He could see the house from there.
    Her house.
    He knew it was an extraordinarily
bad sign that the first thing he thought of when he woke that morning, was of
the alabaster perfection of her smooth thighs, the softness of her skin beneath
his fingers. It was especially worrisome considering the fact that the night
before he’d slipped off to sleep with the image of her half-lidded eyes dancing
in his mind. Not good.
    “You think she’s sick?” Drake sat
back, dropping his spoon into the empty bowl. He squinted against the sunlight
washing over his dark features.
    “It would be a miracle if she’s not
worshipping the porcelain god as we speak.” Parker shook his head at the image
of his poor girl kneeling on the bathroom floor, throwing up, him standing
behind her, rubbing her back with one hand while he held her hair back with the
other.
    “I like her, Park. But she’s
hiding.” Drake stood, stretching his massive arms over his head, groaning.
    Parker snorted. “Can you blame her?
A room full of testosterone? I say she did pretty damned good, all things
considered.”
    “It was more than that, and you
know it.”
    “Maybe, maybe not.” Parker sat down
his coffee mug.
    “You like her.”
    Parker nodded. He wasn’t about to
admit just how much he liked her though. Not yet anyway.
    “So why are you here talking to me
then?” Drake grinned. “You losing the touch, old man?”
    “You’re a year younger than me,
asswipe.”
    Drake waved a dismissive hand, his
eyes glittering in the sunlit room.
    Parker turned toward him. “Look, I
know you saw it that first day. We all saw it last night — even Erik, though
he’s too stupid to realize it. If she’s the one, do you still want to do this?
We haven’t talked about this in … a while.”
    It was Drake’s turn to nod, his
dark eyes serious once more. “Question is, are we seeing something real there,
or just what we want to see?”
    “I don’t know Drake, but you might
be right about last night. I’ll be careful, but I’m gonna make damn sure I find
out.”
    “I thought you would.” Drake walked
to the sink and dropped his bowl in. “I’m driving Erik back to Seattle today. I’ll probably be back tomorrow night.”
    Parker winked at his friend. “Paying
a visit so soon? I’m sure the place has done just