Free Candy Crush by Tami Lund Page A

upstairs. Plus, she
would eventually need to switch her car insurance before the old
policy expired. Might as well take advantage of the family
discount, before they realized that there was no way in hell she
was going to become a part of their family.
    Nicole switched gears again. “Is Brandon
taking you to the game tomorrow night? We’re small town, so high
school football is the highlight of our week in the fall.”
    Gabriella finally cracked a smile. “I’m from
Texas, so I understand completely.”
    Nicole nodded. “I was wondering about the
accent. It’s pretty.”
    “Thanks,” Gabriella said, mildly surprised.
“Actually, I’m supposed to go to the game with Brandon’s cousin,
Jared.”
    Nicole looked appalled. “Oh God, don’t do
that. I can’t believe Brandon is allowing that. Jared is a fink.
And if you go out with him, everyone will assume you’ve slept with
him, whether you do or not. He’s charming enough when he wants
something that he’ll probably talk you out of your skirt. And since
your Brandon’s, that’s probably not a good idea.”
    “I’m not Brandon’s,” Gabriella said
defensively. She wasn’t a piece of property, for God’s sake.
    “You may not realize it yet, honey, but yes
you are.”
    Gabriella suddenly felt uncomfortable, but
lucky for her, Nicole switched gears again. “Cancel with Jared and
you and Brandon can double date with Anthony and me.”
    “I was planning to cancel with Jared,” she
admitted. “But I don’t know about the double date.”
    Nicole glanced at her watch and abruptly
stood straighter. “I have to go. Talk to Brandon about it. And if I
don’t see you tomorrow, I’ll see you Saturday morning. Nice to meet
you, Gabriella. Welcome to the family.” She grinned again and then
spun on her four-inch heels and left.
    Five minutes later, Brandon walked in the
front door. “I see you met Nicole.”
    “What, are you spying on me now?” Gabriella
snapped.
    Brandon cocked an eyebrow. “My office is
directly across the street and when I sit at my desk, I face the
door. When you finally remove all this butcher paper, then I’ll be able to spy on you.”
    He grinned, but she simply scowled at him.
“What the hell did she say to you?” he demanded, dropping all
pretenses.
    “Nothing,” Gabriella snapped back.
    “Don’t lie to me.”
    “Fine. It’s none of your damn business.”
    “Obviously it is, since you’re taking your
bad mood out on me. I have to assume Nicole caused it, because you
weren’t this prickly when we left the house this morning.”
    “I know you slept with her.”
    Brandon blinked at her. “She told you
that?”
    “I guessed, and she confirmed it. Said you
were pretty unforgettable.”
    “Gabriella, we were both seventeen. It
happened fifteen years ago. I hardly think you can hold that over
my head. My brother doesn’t, and he’s married to her.”
    “I know, she told me that too.”
    “So I’m unforgettable, huh? Does that tempt
you at all?” He grinned wolfishly.
    Gabriella glared at him, because damned if
it didn’t tempt her, and the last thing she needed right now was to
climb into the man’s bed. It was bad enough he was complicating her
life, although, if she were honest with herself, she could admit
that so far, he’d managed to make her transition easier than she
ever would have expected.
    Unbidden, her thoughts strayed to Miguel,
and sex. Unforgettable was not the first adjective that came to
mind. The sex hadn’t been terrible, at least for the first year and
a half. It hadn’t been fabulous either, though. Gabriella had
experienced a handful of partners before him who were much more
attentive and exciting, so she knew what sex could be.
    Miguel was the type of man who was as
selfish between the sheets as he was in the rest of his life. He
got his rocks off and he was done, regardless of where his partner
stood in the equation. This worked to Gabriella’s advantage toward
the end of their