Free Fix Up by Stephanie Witter Page A

you both needed a break after what happened that day and what a mess I was afterward, but now I hear you’re seeing someone else?’’
    He looks at his fists and forces himself to relax. I see the effort it takes him. I never really saw him like this, and I don't like to see him so restless. "Because it's easier, Skye." He looks back up at me, his soft brown eyes, but his voice is serious and not asking for any arguments. "It's complicated with my family. I'm about to graduate, and I have to find a job. And Kate is ... it's just way too complicated."
    "So you settle down with a girl you don't even care about?"
    "I care about Vanessa!"
    "Like you care about Kate?"
    "It's different."
    "Well, I don't like it."
    He laughs and takes my hand in his. "We're all still friends. It has to do for our little group."
    "You touching my girl there, man?"
    We both jump and break the contact of our hands to find a glaring Duke standing at our table. I wave him off, and Derek stands up with his textbook in hands and backpack on his left shoulder. "Don't be territorial, Duke." He grabs his empty mug and waves at me. "See you both tomorrow at the party."
    I wave too and frown at Duke as he sits in the vacated chair in front of me. I don't like it when he's that jealous. A little jealousy is good, but when it's turned on his best friend―who is also my friend―I don't like it. It's like Duke is expecting me to mess up our relationship or expecting me to break his heart. I'm not the one with people drooling all over me whenever I walk into a room.
    "I got a text from a friend I have a class with who told me you looked really edible today. I needed to find you and check for myself," he says with a smile as his eyes stay a little longer on my breasts hugged by the fabric of my new top. "You're always edible, but you do look good today."
    "What was that, Duke?" I ask, trying to ignore his compliment even if it’s doing great things for my ego. He always finds the words to make me feel good even if I never tell him that.
    He tugs on his hair and takes both of my hands in his big ones. His skin is hot and soft under my fingers, but not as soft as mine is. "I'm sorry. I know I was a dickhead, but I hate it when I see another man touching you. I guess I'm just ..."
    "Afraid? But Derek is your best friend."
    "That doesn't mean I like it when he touches you and looks at you with his puppy dog eyes," he replies stubbornly, now making me laugh because he, the tall, strong man with a full sleeve of tattoos, is the one using puppy dog eyes on me. It's quite funny, really.
    "You're ridiculous."
    "I know. You're messing with my head." His voice is deeper, quieter, but I hear him perfectly. He leans toward me above the table and kisses me softly, his lips playing sensuously with mine before his tongue enters my mouth just once to brush against my tongue. He breaks the kiss as soon as he begins it. And I'm left dizzy on my chair, my brain not really understanding the overload of unexpected sensations. I cross my legs and glare at him.
    "Ready to go to my parents? They want us early because I told them about your meeting with your lawyer tomorrow morning, so we won't stay too late. That's why I'm here."
    "Will your sister be there?" I ask as I stand up, my heart beating faster just at the thought of seeing my lawyer and talking about everything all over again. I'm glad Duke will be there for me, but at the same time I'm not sure it's a good idea for him to hear every detail of what Sean did to me. Duke knows parts of it, but hearing me tell it all would be a very different experience for both of us. I'm not sure I'm ready to test our relationship once again.
    "Yes. She can't wait to see you and apologize in person."
    "She doesn't have to apologize. She couldn't know Sean would abduct me after she saw me."
    Duke grabs my hand as soon as we leave the coffee house and kisses my fingers, his goatee scratching my knuckles and making me sigh in the process. I really