Free The Perfect Indulgence by Isabel Sharpe Page A

date for the evening. Zac glanced pointedly at his watch, trying not to sound as annoyed and disappointed as he felt. “He’s on his way. I’m going outside to wait for him.”
    He left the shop, giving Chris a brief nod. That was it. He was outta there. She could have her Gus and Bodie and eat them, too.
    Twenty minutes later, he was still waiting and utterly pissed off. Luke wasn’t answering his phone. Zac could either walk the five miles home, or stand here like a moron, waiting for his loser brother, while any minute Chris would walk by, headed for a date with a mistake in evolution who happened to look like every woman’s surfer-dude fantasy.
    Not much of a choice.
    He headed south on La Playa, aware he was behaving like a cranky child, and not caring. Over the years he’d prided himself on maintaining an easy-come, easy-go mentality about whether any given relationship developed or not. Why fret over a romance if it wasn’t meant to be?
    Practical, sensible, downright smart.
    And then there was Chris. Why couldn’t he just say, “Guess she’s not that into me,” and move on?
    Because of the way she kissed you last night.
    So? Kissing was a pleasant activity—maybe she just enjoyed doing it. Maybe the power of their kisses hadn’t meant as much to her. Maybe it had scared her. Anything was possible. Bottom line: Chris had chosen Bodie, and Zac was done.
    A car approached, going too fast. Better not be Luke speeding. The kid had enough bad news on his record.
    The vehicle slowed down as it approached him. Great. It was Luke. Zac swung around, putting on a severe frown so Luke would know he was disappointed.
    Instead of his bright blue Prius sedan, he encountered a bright red Corvette convertible, top down in spite of the cool weather, and inside, ta-da: Bodie and Chris.
    Hadn’t he seen this scene in about a dozen high school movies? Hunky hero and sexiest girl in town pull up in latest-model car next to big loser, who is walking down the dusty street because his irresponsible pain-in-the-ass brother couldn’t get his act together?
    * * *
    “ N EED A RIDE , DUDE ? ” Bodie called out, one arm draped along the back of Chris’s seat.
    Zac sent him a withering look. “Your car only seats two people.”
    “Oh, yeah.”
    Zac wasn’t going to look at Chris. He didn’t want to see her smug and happy in the cool car with the hot dude.
    He looked at her, anyway—she was made of some magnetic material his eyes couldn’t resist.
    She wasn’t looking smug. In fact, she appeared to be embarrassed and miserable.
    His heart leaped.
    Jeez, Zac, calm the hell down. If Chris wanted him, she wouldn’t be in the convertible with Bodie. She’d be with him. Walking. On the road. Because Luke was an irresponsible—
    “Sorry about that, dude. Well, see ya later.” Bodie floored the gas and the car shot away, tires squealing.
    Zac would really like to think that Bodie acted the way he did and drove that kind of car because his dick was the size of a dehydrated slug.
    Another car came up from behind him and this one also slowed. Zac swung around again, his frown even darker. His brother was in serious trouble now.
    But, again, it wasn’t Luke. Gus this time.
    This day was turning out to be more and more special every second.
    “Dude.” Gus pulled up mournfully next to Zac, who acknowledged him with a nod, but kept walking. Gus’s car—an orange Kia with a cracked windshield—nosed closer and crawled alongside him. “Don’t know about you, but after that odious debacle, I could totally use a beer or two, or like three. You up for hitting the A-Frame?”
    “I’m heading home, thanks, Gus. Gotta find Luke.”
    “Is he driving your car?” Zac nodded and Gus pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. “Dude, he’s at Slow Pour. I just passed him.”
    Zac stopped walking. Great. Terrific. Fabulous. “Okay. Thanks.”
    “No problem.” Gus drove off, turning his head to shout, “Change your mind about the