Return of the Bad Girl (6 page)

“Wanna be my roommate?”

“No,” she said, going to the fridge for a protein shake.

“Suit yourself,” he said.

“Goddamn it!” Caroline heard Val scream from her room. “Eleanor!” A door slammed, another opened, and the screaming continued. “Did you take the new Jimmy Choos I just ordered?” A muffled reply that Caroline couldn’t make out followed, and then, “I said you were not to look at them, let alone borrow them. I haven’t even worn them yet!”

Caroline could feel the headache coming on as her sisters continued to squabble, her forehead becoming the center of the pounding pain.

“Those your sisters?”

She glanced his way and said sarcastically, “Yeah, how’d you guess?”

“Gemma said you lived with your sisters when I called for your address last night,” he said.

So that’s how he’d found out where she lived.

The screaming had intensified in the other room; Ellie apparently finally was awake enough to yell back at Val. Suddenly, even a homicidal roommate didn’t seem like the worst thing in the world.

“Okay, let’s just say I was interested in a temporary living arrangement,” she said, rubbing her temples and forehead with her fingers. “We would have to establish some ground rules.”

“It’s simple,” he said, leaning back against the counter. “You stay out of my business; I’ll stay out of yours. We split the rent and utilities fifty-fifty—”

“What about Internet or a house phone?”

“I’ve got my cell phone, so I don’t need a house phone, but I’ll split the Internet with you. And cable.”

“I don’t need cable. I stream off the Internet,” Caroline said. With how often she moved, it was easier than getting new service every six months.

“Whatever floats your boat, princess,” he said, and her hackles rose.

“And stop calling me princess,” she said.

Before he could answer, Caroline saw a flash of dark hair out of the corner of her eye and turned in time to see her sister Ellie slam the front door. Seconds later, Val appeared, opened the door, and yelled after her, “If you ever get into my closet again, I’ll rip your hair out!”

She shut the door with a loud bang and turned toward them. Her angry expression melted into surprise before her face flushed a deep red. Was she embarrassed that someone else had witnessed one of their family fights?

Or maybe it was that it had been witnessed while she was in her underwear and a tank top.

Caroline shook her head. “Valerie, this is Gabe. Gabe, this is my sister.”

“Pleasure,” Gabe said. Caroline saw his mouth twitch, as if he were fighting a grin.

“Nice to meet you. Excuse me,” Val said, running from the room.

Caroline sucked down her protein shake and tossed the bottle in the garbage. “So about this living arrangement . . . I’m in.”

“H
ERE YOU GO
,” Gemma Bowers said with a relieved smile, handing Gabe the keys. “I’m really glad you were able to work something out. I am sorry this happened, and I’m so embarrassed—”

“Think nothing of it, Mrs. Bowers,” Gabe said, all charm. He thought he heard a gagging noise coming from Caroline, who was standing by the door. Gabe grinned. He wasn’t surprised she’d said yes to his proposal, not really. Over the years, he had learned a thing or two about strong, independent women, and the foremost lesson was that it was hard for them to back down from a challenge.

And sure enough, this tiny brunette with attitude was no different.

Plus, the last thing he’d wanted was to cause a problem between Travis Bowers and his wife. Especially because Travis had gone out on a limb for him after he’d come clean about his time in prison. He’d shared enough of the details to prove he wasn’t a rapist or a murderer, but he hadn’t bared his soul. Luckily, Travis had said it would stay between them. He’d been surprisingly cool about everything.

“Everyone deserves a second chance.”

For Gabe, it was a little hard to believe that a perfect stranger was willing to give him a clean slate, especially since so many of his friends from his past had written him off.

It wasn’t all their fault. He’d been angry, filled with self-loathing, and jealous as hell of their futures, especially Chase’s. Chase had been getting out of town to go to Berkeley on a scholarship. That had been eating Gabe alive for months before he’d caught Chase and Honey together.

Jealousy was an ugly thing.

“Can I get the second set? I want to start unloading,” Caroline said, right next to his shoulder now. Gemma handed over the keys, which Little Miss Attitude snatched up in a hurry. Damn, she was a brat. He watched her storm out the door, her jeans hugging her ass like they were made just for her.

Gabe had to admit, if he was up for a detour on his road to redemption, the sharp-tongued woman would be the perfect pit stop. Today, she looked fresh-faced and sweet, except for that angry gleam in her eyes that said she definitely wasn’t ready to make nice with Gemma.

Or him, for that matter.

Even if she had been ready and willing for a little action, he wasn’t looking for anything more than someone to satisfy his needs, and he wasn’t about to become fuck buddies with a woman he’d be sharing a bathroom with. That scenario was just too domestic for his tastes.

Even if she did have an amazing body.

He followed her out the door and caught a sweet, flowery scent that told his body that finding a friend-with-benefits might need to happen sooner than later. Living with a woman like her, twenty-four/seven, was not going to end well. He had too much work ahead of him—on his new life, his shop, and repairing his friendship with Chase—to be tempted into trouble.

Gabe joined her at the top of the stairs as she slipped the key in the lock.

“God, do you have to breathe down my neck like that?”

He resisted the urge to bend over and blow in her ear, just to piss her off.

“Are you ever pleasant, or does the ‘I’m better than you and I know it’ act work for some guys?” he asked, following her into the apartment as she pushed the door open.

“So far, I haven’t had any complaints,” she said, sarcasm oozing from every word.

“Probably ’cause they’re pussies that are scared to death you’ll cook and eat them,” he said, ignoring her gasp behind him as he headed for the room on the left.

“You’re taking the bigger room?” she called out after him, outrage evident in her tone.

Turning at the door, he said, “You can wrestle me for it if you want, princess.”

“Ugh, why did I think this would be better than my sister’s?” she groaned, turning her back on him. He admired her backside again before she came back toward him with a determined, angry glint in her eye. “Let’s get a few things straight: this is not going to be anything but a living arrangement. Two strangers, sharing one dwelling, and nothing more. So, stay out of my room and away from me. And stop calling me princess.”

God, she thinks she’s tough shit
. Her challenge sparked something inside him, and he crossed the hallway without thinking. She backed up against the other closed bedroom door at his approach. Warm satisfaction curled through his body as he boxed her in, hovering over her with one arm against the wall. She was so tiny compared to him, but her glare was defiant as she raised that pointed little chin and met his gaze.

Dipping his head a bit lower, he whispered darkly, “What should I call you then? Angel? Baby?”

He swore he saw her shiver, even as she snapped back, “My name is Caroline.”

It would have been so easy to lean over and see if those berry-pink lips tasted as good as they looked, but instead, he pushed off the wall and away from her. “I’m not one of those choir boys you can push around or manipulate. Unless you want to test my patience, I suggest you stop trying to control me, Caroline.”

Shoving him out of her way, she headed back toward the front door. “I’m going to unpack my car, and then I’m going to the store.”

Just to annoy her, he called, “Great plan. I think I’ll join you. We should probably take your car, though, since I’ve just got my bike.”

“Screw you. You can starve.”

And on that friendly note, Caroline slammed the door behind her, leaving Gabe amused and turned on, despite the warning voice in his head.

Focus on what you’re doing here, and forget about her.

As if that were possible, when her scent still lingered throughout the room.

Chapter Five

“Everyone has baggage. Whether or not you can leave your baggage at the door of a new relationship is up to you.”

—Miss Know It All

C
AROLINE HAD GOTTEN
in and out of the grocery store without bumping into any “old friends.” Not that she was scared of her past. She’d made plenty of mistakes, but she was an adult now. She could take the fallout with maturity and just hope that the people she wronged would follow suit.

And if that didn’t work, she’d just turn the other cheek. How bad could it be?

Shelby’s reaction to their run-in yesterday was a mild version of what she’d been expecting. Still, Shelby had barely begun dating Marcus Boatman when Caroline had drunkenly seduced him at a party. Considering the guys who had come before and after, there were probably a few more former girlfriends who would rather sock her than look at her.

She didn’t dare stop for gas at the Shell station, afraid of what Mr. Nelson would do if he saw her again. After she’d made off with a six-pack of beer stuffed into her jeans, jacket, and shirt, he’d hung her picture in the window as a reminder that she wasn’t allowed near his store. She had managed to get away only because he had been chasing one of her companions who’d boosted a bottle of whiskey out the other door. Her father had swooped in to smooth things over when Mr. Nelson had called the cops.

Good old Dad, always there when the family name was on the line.

Back at the apartment, Caroline was glad to find Gabe gone.
Gabe.
She snorted. Most likely short for Gabriel, which made her think of the show
Supernatural
. The archangel on the show had been short and funny.

Her new roommate was the polar opposite.

As she put her groceries away, she thought of the way he had stepped up to her, his body so close she’d felt the heat radiating off him like the sun. If it hadn’t been for his expression, she might have been nervous, but he hadn’t been trying to scare her. He had wanted to prove something.

Caroline knew exactly what she was dealing with. He thought he was charming and was used to having women fawn all over him and probably doing anything and everything he wanted. But she wasn’t one of them, and he was going to learn pretty damn quick that she played the game better than most women.

At least, that’s what the second stall in the Rock Canyon High School boy’s bathroom had said years ago.

Looking around the empty apartment, she doubted Gabe the Babe Slayer had brought any decent furniture with him. Guys like him thought lawn chairs and a TV made a living space.

It was still early, not quite noon, so she decided to make the forty-five-minute trip up to Twin Falls. A few hours later, although it had taken a good chunk out of her savings, she left with a promise of next-day delivery on everything, including her brand-new bed.

When Caroline pulled into the alleyway, she saw that Gabe’s bike was parked in the spot again.

You’re going to have to explain to him that the spot is yours, and he can park that stupid tricycle somewhere else.

She swung back onto Main Street and parked in front of Gemma’s shop. Caroline got out of her car and walked past the front window of Chloe’s Book Nook, catching the friendly wave from Gemma. Caroline waved back. Although she was still perturbed at the pretty bookstore owner, she didn’t want the drama to continue. She had enough of that from outside sources.

As she headed back down the alley, she saw the back of her sister’s dark head sitting on the third step of the staircase leading to her new place.

That morning, Caroline had knocked on Val’s bathroom door to let her know that she’d decided to take the apartment, not bothering to mention that Gabe would be sharing it. Luckily, she’d caught Val midshampoo, so they hadn’t had a chance to have a long conversation. Her sister had already protested her moving out.

“Just give me a day or so, and I’ll send Ellie packing back to Dad’s. You don’t have to go.”

Caroline hadn’t had the heart to tell her it wasn’t just that she needed space from Ellie, Gus, or the dreaded lumpy couch.

As she stopped at the bottom of the staircase, she saw that Val had her missing cell phone in her hands. “I see you finally got my phone back from that demon you call a dog.”

“Hello to you too,” Val said, brushing her short bangs off her forehead. Although Caroline wasn’t a fan of short hair, she had to admit the new cut looked good with her sister’s delicate features and big brown eyes—their mother’s eyes. Caroline had been blessed with the same eyes, but with her rounder face, they didn’t stand out as much.

She held out her hand for the phone and noticed the bite marks in the rubber case. Luckily, the canine’s massive jaws hadn’t cracked the screen. “Sorry, but that dog is evil.”

“No, he just likes you. A lot,” Val said, grinning. “So, are you going to show me your new place or what?”

“Sure, but there’s not much in there. I’ve got furniture scheduled to be delivered tomorrow.” Caroline climbed past her sister as she stood up.

“That’s fine. I thought I’d drop the phone off when I found it, but if you don’t want me to see your place . . .”

“Oh, will you knock it off?” Caroline said as she put the key in the door. “I was just sharing pertinent information. Stop acting like a brat.”

“I’m not a brat,” Val snapped behind her, and Caroline’s insides warmed with happiness. It hadn’t taken them long to fall back into their old roles, and it made Caroline glad that Val didn’t really hold a grudge against her for leaving. One less person hating her guts was a plus in Caroline’s life.

Unlocking the door and stepping inside, she held her arm out. “Mi casa es su casa.”