Free Taken: His BFF 2 - Steamy BWWM Romance Collection: Ravished by You/Conquered by You/Avenged by You (Forbidden Fruit: Naughty Seduction Adventures Boxed Set) by Rowena

“Of course I wouldn’t have missed it, Scott. Oh and I didn’t bring you a present because I couldn’t think of what to get you, but I was hoping you’d give me an idea, and I could send in a late gift?”
    I bat my eyes playfully, hoping he’ll forgive my transgression. Truthfully, I had simply decided last minute to come, and spent too much time getting ready to even think of something.
    “Hey, it’s enough that you’re here, Bridge, seriously.” His voice is lower when he adds, “I missed you a lot.”
    He is looking at me intently.
    My heart lurches and I try not to make too much of his words or that stare.
    Then why didn’t you stay in contact? I want to demand.
    I mean, how could he have missed me so much and not done anything about it when I was still so easily accessible?
    He did text me once to see how I was doing, and we had a brief back and forth.
    It made my day, and I’d hoped he would continue to do it, but I never heard from him again—not until two weeks ago, of course, when he invited me to this party.
    And now, finally seeing him again after so long is really doing a number on me.
    “Bridget!” I suddenly hear from the side of me.
    I turn, and it’s my ex, Darren, grinning at me with his girl by his side. Her smile doesn’t reach her eyes, although I can see she’s really trying to get it to. “Long time no see,” Darren continues, reaching out to me for a one-armed hug.
    I lean forward a little as if reciprocating, and we maintain the necessary distance, not even my boobs touching him.
    “This is my girlfriend, Laura,” he says, and I can tell she wanted to meet me just as much as I wanted to meet her.
    We are both relieved when the quick interaction comes to an end, and the two of them take off with final waves.
    I watch them start dancing, and Laura eventually gets more suggestive with her moves, grinding against him.
    My attention is drawn away from them just as Laura is reaching her lips to his by another male voice—this time, Scott’s.
    I gratefully turn to Scott.
    “Wanna dance?” he says with a twinkle in his eyes.
    I happily accept the distraction.
    We start dancing, but sort of just in each other’s spaces, not really touching each other. Still, I ask, “Aren’t you afraid Darren will get mad at you?”
    He lifts an eyebrow. “Why?”
    I lift both eyebrows. “Dancing with his ex-girl?”
    He lets out a dry chuckle.
    “Darren can’t be greedy, can he? ‘Ex’ is the operative word.”
    “Come on—girl and guy code: don’t touch a friend’s ex.”
    Scott shrugs. “I’m not touching you. And even if I were, tough shit for him.”
    “Dang! How come you’re so casual about it?”
    “We’re all red-blooded animals here. Darren knows what’s up.”
    I’m not quite sure what he’s talking about, but I don’t want to delve any deeper—I was pretty much just kidding to begin with.
    It’s not like he’d actually come after me like that.

    I was wrong about Scott not coming after me.
    Maybe it was the drink I had dulling it, but my gut kicks in minutes after the last set of people leave Scott’s house, and he and I are utterly alone in a room full of discarded plastic cups.
    Darren and his girl left the party not long after I got here, and now, an hour after that, here I am alone with Scott, finally realizing that something’s a bit off about his manner.
    “I’m not helping you clean up,” I joke, but there’s no hint of humor on his face as he watches me; in fact, the intensity in his eyes is starting to frighten me. “So I better head out. Good luck with straightening up this place! I suggest you hire someone to come in.”
    I smile then start heading to the door.
    He beats me to it and flattens his back against it.
    “Don’t leave yet,” he says. “Please. I want to catch up with you. We didn’t really have time with the loud music and everything else going on.”
    True—after he and I danced a bit, I sort of made my rounds, chatting here and