My Best Friend's Ex Read online

  After closing the door, he stood for a moment fighting the urge to scream.

  What the hell was that about?

  Reviewing their conversation, he walked over to the living room sofa and sank onto the soft cushion in a daze.

  What was Janet’s true reason for stopping by?

  He worked through several different scenarios, trying to determine her motivation for visiting him. His mind racing, he blinked at the sound of a knock on the door.

  Uncertain if Janet had returned, Garrett glanced at the clock. More time than he realized had passed. He bolted to his feet, hoping this time Brooke would be on the other side.

  Gripping the handle, he opened the door. Instantly, he caught sight of Brooke. Still dressed in her work clothes, she had an overnight bag in her hand. Thrilled to see her, he stepped over the threshold, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and pulled her into the house before he shoved the door closed. “I thought you’d never get here.”

  She laughed and dropped her overnight suitcase on the floor. Her delicate hands caressed his naked chest, and she snuggled close. “That’s why I came here directly from work. I brought my clothes along so I wouldn’t have to go by my apartment.”

  Impatience for a taste of her, he dropped his head and whispered against her lips, “Clothes aren’t required. You can run around naked as far as I’m concern.”

  “Oh, you,” she responded and brushed her lips against his.

  The teasing caress set him on fire. He clamped his mouth over hers. The hot, female flavor of her, which held the savory essence of chocolate, fueled the passion burning inside him. All the doubts he’d experience during the week while waiting to see her, disappeared. Janet had given him the one thing he’d been too blind to see.

  Brooke loved him.

  Suddenly, he remembered each and every way she’d helped him through the years, studying with him in high school, introducing him to other girls, soothing Janet’s anger whenever they fought. Brooke had even stepped out of their lives so they could work out their problems. Why had he not grasped how important she was to him before now?

  Damn, he’d married the wrong woman.

  He allowed her mouth to slip from underneath his and whispered, “I love you.”

  She jerked back. “What did you just say?”

  Amused by her reaction, he grinned. “That I love you.”

  Working her hands up between them, she eased backward. “Are you saying that to get me to agree to move in with you? Because you don’t have to. I’ve decided you’re right. With us living together, it’ll give us a chance to see if a relationship between us will work.”

  Her lack of response to his words of love lit his anger. He released his hold and stepped away. “And what if I’ve decided I want more?”

  She dropped her hands to her side and turned. After taking two steps into the living room, she spun on her heels and glared at him. “More what? I’m already giving up my apartment and possibly my best friend. What more do you want?”

  The blaze in her eyes spoke to him, telling him without words about the intense hunger raging inside her. She wanted love as much as he did. Yet, she’d always played it safe and stuck to being just his friend. Why?

  Irritation and need warred for the top prize inside him. He pushed aside his need and said in a clipped tone, “Everything.”

  “And what exactly does that include?” She leaned forward, her chin jutting out as if ready for battle. “Because I’ll expect the same in return.”

  Excited by the passion radiating off her, he fisted his hands unsure if he should step forward and touch her or back off and gain control of his emotions. Choosing to give them both a little breathing room, he turned. “Why don’t I go start dinner while you cool off?”

  “Hell, no.” She lunged for him and landed on his back. As if riding him piggyback, she wrapped her hands around his neck and her legs circled his waist.

  “Brooke, what the...”

  She nipped at his ear. “We need to settle this.”

  Dragging her around in front of him, he held her in place by shoving her back against the hall closet door. The light thump of her head hitting the solid wood didn’t stop him. He dove for her mouth, searing his lips to hers.

  Her outburst of temper morphed into a fury of movement, her hands ran over his head, her legs tightened around his waist, and her tongue stole inside of his mouth, demanding he provide everything she wanted.

  Set on fire by her response, his control slipped. He yanked his mouth from hers and demanded, “Your mine, Brooke, mine to hold, mine to love, mine.”

  He didn’t wait for an answer and laid her on the carpet floor of the living room. Nothing matter except proving to her, she was his world. He tugged at her shirt and collided with her hands in their joint fight to remove the barriers between them.

  Her heavy breathing rang in his ear, her heart pounded against his chest. Still, he couldn’t slow down. Not this time, he had to show her they belonged together.

  With an all-consuming need, he drove into her, finding his center as he filled hers. Unable to slow down, he set a fast pace rhythm that quickly had her begging for relief.

  “Please, Garrett.” She tightened her hands over his shoulder, piercing his skin with her nails.

  He wanted to slow down and draw out her pleasure. He would have, he told himself if she hadn’t rocked her hips, which allowed him to slip just that little bit deeper. His body shoved to the brim of an erotic abyss, he plunged forward and poured himself into her.

  Her answering climax drew out his pleasure, leaving him spent and weak. He used the last of his energy to roll over and pull her up over his body.

  “Wow.” She buried her face into his neck.

  He fought to catch his breath and calm his speeding heart rate while he worked on what he should do or say next.

  Chapter Eleven

  Lured by his seductive body to stay exactly where she was, Brooke struggled with what to do next.

  Roll off his chest, stand up and get dress?

  Then what? Pick up their earlier discussion and rekindle their argument?

  A soothing hand ran along her spine and slipped over her neck. He trapped her with his other arm, wrapping it securely around her waist and holding her in place. “I can’t let you go. I understand if you want to live together for a while but every day I’ll push for us to get married.”

  Confused by his breakneck speed to take them from having just gotten together to standing in front of the altar, she lifted her head and stared into his dark brown eyes. “I don’t understand. With Janet, you wanted to live together before you got married. She’s the one that pushed you into getting married. Now with me, you want to go straight to marriage. Why?”

  “That’s easy. Because with her, I wasn’t certain we could make it work. With you, I know we can.” He rolled and pinned her back to the floor.

  “How can you be so sure? Do you think you can control me?” She wanted with all her heart to believe him, but her best friend’s warning kept ringing through her head.

  He frowned. “That sounds like something Janet might say. She always accused me of giving her orders and demanding she toe-the-line. Maybe, unconsciously I knew she’d step over it. With you, I don’t have to worry.”

  Warmth spread through her at his confidence. “You’re right. If we ever got married, I’d feel like the luckiest woman alive. But, that doesn’t mean I’m willing to give up my desire to be a teacher.”

  He brushed her hair off her forehead and dropped a kiss on her brow. “I wouldn’t ask you to, but...”

  A wave of unease washed through her. “What?”

  “I might ask you to quit your current job and go back to school full time.” The light in his gaze showed he was serious about the suggestion.

  “Yes, well, if I’m not paying for an apartment. I might be able to save up enough.” She had toyed with the thought when she considered moving in with him, but she didn’t want to become compl
etely dependent on him.

  “Or you might let your husband support you?” He lowered his head and nibbled on her shoulder.

  Annoyed that he was trying to bribe her into falling in with his plans, she shoved at his shoulders and rolled away from him to stand. “I’m not agreeing to marry you just so you can support me.”

  He captured her hand and didn’t let her break free. Kneeling at her feet, he kissed her fingers while his heated gaze held her in place. “Brooke Janson, you love me. I know you do, so please give up the fight and marry me.”

  “Garrett.” She stared into his handsome face and fought the glimmer of hope, which bloomed in her chest. She’d dreamed of this day for years how could she continue to tell him no?

  “I know you’re struggling to believe me because I’ve been blind for so many years. I saw you as a kid sister back in high school. Then after college, I asked out your best friend instead of you. It’s taken me years to see you as the girl of my dreams. And now that I do, I don’t want to wait to make you mine.” He kissed the back of her hand and released her to rise.

  Move by his words, she lightly punched his arm. “Damn it, Garrett. I feel as tongue-tied and confused as I did in high school.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and drew her to his sculptured chest. “I don’t know why? You know I love you. What else is there to say except, yes?”

  She took a deep breath and slowly let the air out of her lungs. After years of wishing for a life with him, she was in the one place she always longed to be, in his arms. “Yes.”

  Lifting up onto her toes, she kissed him, sealing her promise and relishing in the fact he was finally all hers.

  Letter from Tina

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed My Best Friend’s Ex. I also invite you to check out the Fling Box Set. It has six other amazing stories by some awesome author all for one low price of .99 cents. I agreed to do the box set because I wanted to share with readers some stories which will touch their hearts.

  I’d love to hear from you, your thoughts, your opinions. I view my readers and fans as a coach. They both encourage me to greater success and point out where I can make improvements. With that being said, I invite you to write me at [email protected] or visit my website http://www.tinagayle.net/ and sign up for my newsletter.

  Now, I have one more favor to ask. Please leave a review of My Best Friend’s Ex. Love it, hate it, I don’t care. I just want to hear what you think of my book.

  As a reader, you have the power to make or break a book.

  Thanks for reading My Best Friend’s Ex. I look forward to hearing from you and don’t forget to check out the box set Fling.

  Here’s the link http://www.amazon.com/Fling-New-Adult-Box-Set-ebook/dp/B00Y5X8H9Y

  Sincerely yours,

  Tina Gayle

  Connect with Me Online:

  Website: http://www.tinagayle.net

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  Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Tina-Gayle/e/B002BM9GR8

  More about Fling

  Would you enjoy reading more sweet romances? FLING, a box set, is a collection of seven stories. Romantic twists, turns, and comic mishaps abound! Will these couples find love-- and discover who they are really are-- before their stories end?

  Entangled Summer by Michele Barrow-Belisle: Nora Dultry has dreamed of a mysterious guy for years, but when he walks into her waking life, she must untangle the past from the present to know if he’s her dream come true, or her waking nightmare.

  Love me like you Do by L. Kirk: Daisy Phillips rebounds into the arms of Jason Lancaster, a lost soul. He speaks to her when family secrets block her dreams. Together can they mend their hearts?

  Chase by Elena Dillon: Chase by Elena Dillon: Rylan Maguire has run from danger...right into Chase Sullivan. But his past tangles with hers, making Rylan wonder if she's strong enough to love him.

  My Best Friend’s Ex by Tina Gayle: She loved him first, but her best friend married him. With their divorce, Brooke must choose between her best friend and the man she loves.

  The Good Girl (Part One) by Tracy Reed: When Gabriella accepted her new assignment, she didn’t know it also included a chance for love with her boss, the hot and elusive, Phillippe Marchant.

  Betrayal at Crater’s Edge by Kathleen Rowland: Marchand wants to show Yardley he loves her, but he has bigger problems. Venus is heading for a catastrophe, and only he can save their world.

  Random Acts of Violet by Geralyn Corcillo: Cautious loner Violet Parker needs a new playbook when her quiet summer on campus collides with an unexpected eight year-old, a monster in the attic, and Noah...

  Here is the link for FLING:

  http://www.amazon.com/Fling-New-Adult-Box-Set-ebook/dp/B00Y5X8H9Y

  Other Titles by Tina Gayle:

  Executive Wives Series: (Romance with strong women fiction elements)

  Marketing Exec’s Widow

  IT Exec’s Baby

  CFO’s Affair

  CEO’s Widow (coming out in 2015)

  Family Tree Series:

  Summer’s Growth

  Fallen Leaves

  Winter’s Wonders – coming out in 2016

  Spring’s Rebirth – coming out in 2016

  Other Romance titles available:

  Pregnancy Plan

  Baby Decision

  Stormy – a hot short story

  My Best Friend’s Ex