Free Infamous: A Bad Boy Sports Romance Novel by Arabella Abbing Page A

space and looked up to find her glaring at me.
    “I could’ve done it myself,” she said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest.
    With an exaggerated eye roll, I lifted the old pipe into the air so she could see it. “No fucking way. It was practically welded on there.”
    She took the pipe and eyed it warily, but she wouldn’t drop the stubborn act. “I didn’t need your help.”
    “Okay, okay. I get it. You didn’t need any help. You’re a strong, independent woman,” I said sarcastically as I sat up on my knees and twisted the faucet on, checking to make sure it didn’t leak before cutting the water off and turning back to look at her. “But since I’m here, you might as well put me to use.”
    Please, dear god, please put me to use.
    It’d been two days since I told her the truth about Brittany and we renewed our truce. She’d dropped all the passive-aggressive comments and the rigid behavior to act more like herself like I wanted, but if anything, getting to know the real her was just making my time stranded here so much worse.
    The horrifying truth of the matter was that I was beginning to like her. We still hadn’t talked much at length, but I could feel something familiar rising in my stomach—something I hadn’t felt since I had a crush on Sandy Feldman in tenth grade. I wasn’t fond of how it felt back then and I sure as hell didn’t like it now.
    I justified the feelings by telling myself that since my dick still wanted her, I was bound to be frazzled until I satisfied the need. I wasn’t used to this lengthy foreplay—or to being repeatedly turned down. That’s all it was.
    But since this was uncharted territory for me, I didn’t know how long I had until I began to confuse the crush-like pangs for something else. Something deeper.
    Something to be avoided at all fucking costs.
    April tossed the old pipe into the trash can and let out a mumbled thanks before she stalked out of the kitchen. I heard her go into the bedroom and open the closet door, then her muffled voice as she called out, “I’m taking a bath!”
    I silently wished that had been an invitation while I cleaned up the mess from changing the pipes. Once I was done, I stood up and washed my hands, then leaned against the counter and glanced around the kitchen.
    What could I do to earn some points with her? Helping her take the pipe off had been a bust—not that I did it for her favor anyway. I had only insisted on helping because I knew she was struggling and I figured I might as well.
    But how did one seduce a woman like April? She wasn’t responsive to my usual methods, which must have meant she was looking for something else entirely. Maybe romance?
    I snorted and laughed at the absurdity. Even if that was what she wanted, I didn’t know a damn thing about romance or grand gestures or whatever bullshit that normal men used to lure in members of the fairer sex. Besides, using a romantic approach would send all kinds of signals that I didn’t want to send.
    I frowned and cocked my head to the side as a thought occurred to me. She had been mollified when she found out I called Lauren to tell her that the whole drunk fiasco was my fault, then warmed up even more when I told her about Brittany. Something she said to me the day we met replayed in my head.
    “Why do you keep up the act? The stupid bad boy womanizer bullshit persona...”
    Bingo. All I needed to do to snag April was drop the act and be real. She responded well to honesty.
    The only problem with that idea was I hadn’t been lying when I told her that what you saw was what you got.
    So the only thing I needed to do to get April was to be a totally different person.
    I thoughtfully clicked my tongue as I looked in the fridge and considered my options, trying to shove away my conscience as it tried to warn me about what a terrible idea this was.

    * * *
    “ S urprise !” I shouted, grinning when April froze and stared at me like I’d grown a second