Friends Forever
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Copyright © 2012
Madison Connors
Edited by Liana Markel
Cover Design: Madison Connors
Formatting: D&D Publishing
First Copyright e-Publication January
2013
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Publisher
Front Porch
Romance
D&D
Publishing
Dedication
To Front Porch Romance and
D&D Publishing
To the first D in D&D
Publishing
Love You With All My
Heart
Chapter One
Kate Winston watched the steaming water
surge from the kitchen faucet. The water mingled with the mild dish
soap, creating a bubble haven. As the orbs grew higher to the rim
of the washbowl, she sighed. This weekly ritual had started to
irritate her. Friday night she had go to the local singles' bar
with her friends from work, drink, flirt and go home alone. Always
alone.
She'd arrived at home sexually frustrated
and tore into her bedroom, falling onto her bed with teardrops
escaping from her eyes. She told herself, prior to walking into the
bar last night, that she would not have her evening end this way.
But like always, it did.
Kate reached over, turned off the hot water
tap and stared out the window into the evolving sunrise. The break
of dawn had arrived and so had her tradition of the morning after.
Releasing a long sigh, she rolled up the sleeves of her brother
Kurt's old shirt. Wishing the shirt really belonged to another man,
and plunged her hands deep into the tepid water. Washing the dishes
automatically, her mind drifted to all the other chores she had on
her list for the day.
Kate dried her hands and moved to the coffee
pot, mindlessly filling her coffee mug. She sipped the hot brew,
burning her lips.
“Mhmm,” she murmured, raising her fingertips
to her lips. The pain soon disappeared but reminded her of the pain
deep within her, the way Rome Sterling kept unknowingly breaking
her heart.
She had arrived home the night before
downright pissed off at him for ignoring her advances. And not just
from last night, but from all the years of turn-downs. Her
frustration with Rome went well beyond the norm. Taking another sip
of her coffee, she swallowed the steamy liquid, remembering her
most recent run-in with him at the bar the previous night.
She'd been laughing and flirting with
another man, a very attractive man, and she hoped ho woul dask her
out on a date. Then, from her peripheral vision she caught a
glimpse of Rome. His bulk had filled the doorway to the bar.
His dark hair glistened in the hazy bar
lights. Even without seeing his eyes, she knew the obsidian tinge
was brooding. His powerful arms were stretching the material of his
shirt to its maximum. His brawny thighs filled every inch of the
denim encasing them, showing off the muscular legs beneath. He took
her breath away.
As he entered the bar, Kate inhaled sharply.
Her insides quivered and her heart raced. The man had such a force
over her. She shifted in her seat and squirmed as she watched Rome
swagger across the room. Kurt entered moments after Rome crossed
the threshold, and immediately made eye contact, warning her off
his friend. Kurt knew her true feelings and had always told her to
leave Rome alone. She was out of his league, he'd said.
Kate disagreed with her brother in that
aspect. Having loved Rome all these years, she knew he had feelings
for her at some point. There was a little glimmer in his eyes every
so often, one not detected unless she was specifically looking for
it. Or had she been imagining the glances? Maybe it was the alcohol
messing with her reasoning.
Kate curled her lip in irritation and
swallowed a large amount of her mixed drink. The flat rum and cola
slid over her throat. No taste, no satisfaction added to her
alcohol-induced demeanor. Kurt always seemed to squelch her
advances toward Rome but she'd been persistent until recently.
She'd all but given up hope of ever sharing her feelings with the
man. He acted as if she didn't exist half the time. The only times
he had ever acknowledged her was when he had the desire to treat
her like a teenage girl with a school-girl crush. If he only knew
how much his teasing hurt her.
Uproarious laughter had brought her back to
the present. She glanced around the bar. Her friends were laughing,
and were hitting on each other. The man she'd been flirting with
had moved on. She sighed and stood.
Strutting to the bar, Kate raised her hand
and wiggled her fingers to the bartender, signaling for another
round. The male bartender nodded and immediately started mixing her
drink order. Kate set her empty glass on the counter and gazed at
the bar's attendees through the mirror hanging behind the bar. She
watched as Rome and Kurt settled into a table in the corner, just
feet away from her seat.
“Great,” she muttered.
“What?” The bartender asked, settiung her
glass on the bar.
“Nothing.” Kate waved her hand dismissing
him.
She craned her neck, watching Rome. His eyes
sparkled in the hazy bar's lights. He laughed at words her brother
had spoken. Halfway through his rip-roaring laughter, his eyes
connected with hers. The moment their eyes engaged, all the air in
her body escaped with a sharp gasp. His blazing glare paralyzed
her. She couldn't have moved her body if an earthquake rattled the
ground. His gaze narrowed and Kate swallowed hard, needing to break
the connection he held her in.
He broke the contact, looked at Kurt and
responded to whatever was said seconds earlier. Kate's lower lip
quivered and she didn't understand why Rome treated her so
negatively. She never gave him a reason to be ill-mannered or
hostile. She never comprehended his antagonistic manners.
Anytime they were together, he made his
feelings obvious. Rome would scowl at her, glowered and almost
seemed to spit her name out when they had to converse. He seemed to
have a deep imbedded dislike, or disapproval, of her.
Kate sucked in a whimper that threatened to
originate from her soul. She raised her fresh drink to her lips
hoping to hide the tremor in her lip. Her alcohol buzz disappeared,
but she needed the distraction. The alcohol burned her throat, but
she ignored the sensation. She had to get her mind off Rome.
M
oistening her lips with the tip of her tongue, she held her
glass to her chest. The condensation spread onto her emerald silk
blouse and seeped into her lace bra beneath, chilling against her
overheated skin.
Kate nibbled on her lower lip, and fought
the urge to let tears fall from her eyes. Her heart ached and her
head was spinning, but not from the alcohol. It came from being
belittled and ridiculed by Rome's accusative glare. She had caught
a few glimpses from him within the last few moments. His
disapproving scowl was unmistakable.
To occupy her mind and thoughts, she sipped
more of her drink but acid churned in her stomach and bile rose in
her throat. She swallowed it down, now was not the time to get
sick. She had to maintain civility and demonstrate to him that he
didn't bother her.
I'll show him.
Kate stood, smoothed her hands down her
black mini-skirt and swaggered across the bar, drawing attention
from men as she went. She hoped their eyes were boring into her
behind as she strutted her way to her seat. Smirking inwardly, Kate
slid into her chair, satisfied with her performance. She glanced at
Rome's table and noticed that he hadn't seen nor paid attention to
her dramatic display and that angered her. He faced the opposite
direction now and there was no way he could have seen her
presentation.
