Free Earning Edie (Espinoza Boys #1) by D.J. Jamison Page B

Usually, I slept in to skip the awkward juggling act required for two adults of the opposite sex to get ready in a tiny apartment at the same time. I did not want to walk in on Nick naked, or vice versa. I had a close enough call the first morning I was here. It was strange enough living in this guy’s house, sleeping in his bed, without adding nudity to the mix.
    I frowned at the clock, wondering what woke me, when I heard a knock at the door. Who in the world—
    The gentle tapping turned to more forceful pounding.
    “Nick!” I yelled from bed. “Someone’s at the door!”
    He didn’t respond. He probably couldn’t hear me over the running water. I threw off the blankets and ran to the living room.
    Nick had folded up the sofa bed already. The only sign someone slept out here was the pillow tossed in a corner of the sofa.
    Shivering away from the warmth of my bed, dressed in just shorts and a tank top, I opened the door an inch to peer through. I was hyperaware of my bedhead and crusty eyes, and felt even more frazzled when I spotted the gorgeous, exotic looking woman standing in the hall.
    Black, wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders. Dark, smoky eyes and full pouty lips gave her a total sex kitten appeal. And even from here she smelled like a bouquet of fresh flowers. I was fairly certain I gave off a much less pleasant scent, even when I was showered and dressed.
    She could only be someone Nick was seeing. I figured he got around, especially after his teasing comments about finding somewhere warm to sleep away from home (even if he’d never actually done it), but this woman was almost out of his league.
    And that was saying something.
    “Um, hi?” I managed, ever so eloquently. Her eyes widened, and she stared at me speechlessly.
    She turned to look at the door behind her, then glanced down the hall, as if wondering if she were in the right place. She turned her gaze back to me.
    “I’m sorry, I’m looking for Nick Espinoza, but he must have moved.”
    Her accent sounded foreign, but I couldn’t place it. Something from South of the border, but I didn’t think it was Mexican. Colombian, maybe, or some other Latin country.
    Even with the accent, I heard the disappointment in her voice.
    “This is his place. Do you want me to let him know you’re here?”
    She stepped forward, and I moved aside to let her enter and closed the door behind her. When I turned around, she was staring at me.
    Probably trying to figure out what Nick would see in me.
    She didn’t look happy to see me. If she was a love interest, Nick would probably want me to explain I was only a roommate and invite her to wait. But was if she was an ex? What then?
    At a loss, I settled for being vague. “I’m Edie. If you tell me your name, I could go let Nick know you’re here.”
    “E.D.,” she said slowly. “Why do you go by initials?”
    “No,” I said. “Not E.D. Edie. You know, like the ice cream … Edy’s?” I waited for recognition to click. “No?” I said as she stared at me blankly.
    “Well, E.D.,” she said, enunciating so clearly I could tell she was saying two distinct initials, “just who are you to Nick anyway? Why are you here?”
    I was surprised by her bluntness, but Nick saved me from answering.
    “Elana, what are you doing here?”
    He stepped into the living room, a wary look on his face. Dressed in the pair of basketball shorts he slept in and nothing else, he’d obviously been in a hurry once he heard our voices. He looked ridiculously good with his damp hair curling against his neck and drops of waters still rolling down his chest.
    My eyes tracked a bead of water over his abs, down to his waistband. Realizing I was staring, I jerked my gaze over to Elana. She looked like she wanted to eat him up.
    Gross . I didn’t want to know what these two got up to together.
    “Do I need to leave?” I wondered out loud.
    They answered at the same time. “Yes,” Elana said, while Nick gave a firm “No!” and