AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Definitely not the time.
"Nope. My place. I pay rent." I wasn’t giving in on this.
"I also pay rent."
I shook my head. That didn't make sense. Although... it did explain the weird assortment of crap in the refrigerator.
"Hang on, so those weird Icelandic yogurts in there... you bought those?"
"You ate my yogurt?" She actually stamped her little foot and threw her fists to her sides. Adorable.
"Won't happen again, I promise. Icelandic, are they? I’ve got a new slogan for them: Taste the Sadness of Iceland."
"They're organic and high in protein."
"High in yuk."
She blew out a breath and shook her head, sending all those dark waves of hair flying. I stepped back over to the couch and sat down. The Quill Boars were down by two now, and all felt right with the world. "Want a beer?" I lifted my forgotten bottle in invitation.
"No! Don't drink that. You're not staying!"
"My house."
"Oh my god." She sank down into the armchair next to the couch. "I'm way too tired for this. Let's call Nattie."
"It's midnight. That would be very inconsiderate." I finished my beer in a long swallow.
"It's very inconsiderate of you to break into my house, watch my television naked, and refuse to leave when I get home!"
I sighed. She was cute, but not very bright. "What's your name, anyway?"
"Drea Coppersmith."
"Short for Andrea?"
She nodded, looking adorable and exasperated all at once.
"Listen, Drea." I had a plan. "I'm not going anywhere tonight, but I think we've established that I'm not a rapist or a murderer and I'm not here to steal your weird pink fake fur pillows."
Her frown deepened as I maligned the pillows she'd clearly chosen.
"I'm Rock Stevens, the center for the Wilcox Wombats, and my aunt is Nattie Trousseau. I lived here before I moved to Wilcox, and I still pay rent on the place. I'm guessing she's double-dipping, figuring I wouldn't be back, but we can definitely get it all worked out tomorrow."
Drea leaned back in the chair, looking defeated as she blew out a long breath.
"For now, how about we both just call it a night, and we'll figure it out in the morning?"
She nodded, looking miserable. "But I get the bedroom," she said.
"Ummm, no."
She sat upright and glared at me.
"Big pickleball tourney this week. I need my rest."
The girl actually rolled her eyes. "Be a gentleman. It seems like a foreign concept to you, but it's the least you can do."
"The least I could do would be to kick your ass out of my house right now and send you to sleep at the police station with April and Callan, who do not sound like very professional members of law enforcement, by the way."
