Free Craved: A Chosen Ones Novel by Nia Davenport

offering.”
    “Hey Chase!” Whitney called out before I could fully close the door behind him.
      I had been so close to getting him out of our apartment before my roommate did or said something that I would regret.  
    He stopped and turned around and damn it even though I really did not want to I swung it back open because I would look like an idiot if I didn’t.  
    Whitney’s long, bare, and sinfully sexy legs carried her to the door. “You’re new in town right?”
    I gritted my teeth against where she was headed with that question. I was surprised it had taken her as long to pounce as it had.
    “Yeah, I am.”  
    “So I take it you don’t have plans for tomorrow night?”
    Yes, yes you have plans, I silently tell him from within my head.  
    “No, I don’t. I don’t really know too many people in the city.”
    Whitney’s lips were full and pouty even when she was not smiling, but when she did they transformed into sultry and seductive. Damn her and her to-die-for lips for smiling at him now!
    “Awesome. I know it’s short notice and maybe a little presumptuous…”
    Lalalalalala, I childishly started singing in my head and for what reason I had no earthly clue.  
    “But Alex and I have a formal charity event to attend tomorrow night and while I have a date, Alex hasn’t had time to bother with getting one.”
    Wait, what?! That was not at all what I was expecting her to say and when did she get a date to my grandmother’s charity ball? Furthermore, when was she going to inform me that I’d be flying as a third wheel? Not that I cared but still, a heads up would have been nice. And even furthermore, what the hell did she mean I hadn’t had time to get a date? No, I didn’t have the time, but even if I did, I wouldn’t have. I didn’t date. I hadn’t since the twins. She knew that and the reasons behind it.
    “Since you’re her new partner and all, you should be her plus one. It will give you two an opportunity to get to know each other better. You know, bond with each other like the partners on all the cop shows do.”
    My cheeks burned and I knew I’d turned a bright, unattractive shade of crimson. “You don’t have to agree to that. My friend has obviously bumped her head. I am so sorry.” I realized I was beginning to ramble and snapped my mouth shut.  
    “I think that’s a good idea,” he said to Whitney then looked at me. “What time does it begin?”
    I opened my mouth to tell him again that he did not have to come. Perhaps even to insist that it was absurd for him to even do so. However, Whitney butted in before I could speak, knowing me and what I would say all too well.
    “It starts at seven. My date is meeting us here so you can do the same at six thirty. Alex’s grandmother is sending a car for us so we can all ride together.”
    “It’s a date.” Sapphire eyes bore into mine, lit up with amusement and something else I couldn’t discern.
    “I’ll see you then I guess. Well, actually, I’ll see you later tonight in a few hours. But I’ll see you then too.” I was rambling again and made myself stop talking.
    ‘What the hell?!” I yelled at my about-to-be-ex best friend as soon as the door was closed and I figured Chase was safely out of earshot.“I don’t even know him and you just invited him to be my date to a formal event! That’s ridiculous. He probably only accepted to be polite because you put him on the stop and now I have to deal with the embarrassment of him showing up and the embarrassment of patrolling with him!”
    “Are you done?” Whitney asked me in an unconcerned tone.  
    I glared at her. “I hate you right now.” Really I didn’t. I never could no matter what she did and she knew that. But it was the only thing that I could say in that moment to adequately express my indignation and she knew that too.
    “No, you don’t. You love me,” she responded with a chesire cat grin. “And you are going to love me even more after tomorrow