“Alex, you didn’t tell me you were bringing someone with you,” she said, clearly fishing for information. “Yeah, Shelby, it was a last-minute thing.” Alex cleared her throat. “Shelby, this is Nick. Nick, meet Shelby Price.” I held out my hand to Shelby, but she bypassed the more common and socially acceptable greeting for acquaintances and went in for a hug. I gritted my teeth when I felt her running her hands over my shoulders and down my back, getting precariously close to my ass. I stepped away, a tight smile on my face. “Nice to meet you, Shelby. Hey, Alex?” I drew her closer, leaning in to kiss her on the side of the neck. I inhaled as I did, drawing in the faint smell of grease, engine oil, and something floral. Perfume maybe? She tasted of sweat, but the combination of her scent and her taste was heady. I pulled away when she stiffened. I’d lingered too long, but I hoped she understood what I was doing. “I’ll meet you outside, baby.” Her brows lifted in silent question, but then a spark lit her eyes, a lazy grin forming on her mouth. “Sure thing, Pandaboo.” I was stunned for a moment. She wasn’t just playing along; she’d picked up the script and began re-writing it. Before I broke out into a fit of laughter, I excused myself from the room. I only had to wait a few minutes before she was beside me, her bag slung over her shoulder, both mats sticking out. “What was that about?” she asked, her face still a little flushed. I hoped it was from the kiss and not the exercise we’d just done. “Shelby was getting a little...what’s the word...grabby? Yeah, grabby just about sums it up. I didn’t want her getting the wrong idea.” “And us being a couple is the right idea?” she shot back. I gave her my best good-old-boy grin. “It’s a better idea than I’m a slab of meat looking for someone to rub up on.” She studied me for a moment before shaking her head. “What?” I asked, gesturing for her bag. Slowly, she passed the thing over to me. I slung it over my shoulder and started walking back in the direction of her apartment. She fell into step beside me. “You’re just a decent guy, you know that?” “You make me sound like a unicorn.” “A unicorn?” I glanced at her, smiling a little at the look of consternation on her face. “Yeah, like I’m some sort of mythical creature.” “Believe me, finding a decent man anywhere is quite a feat.”

Become part of Kally’s ARC team by joining her Facebook ARC Group here.

GIVEAWAY (INTERNATIONAL) with 6 winners – 1 paperback copy and 5 ebook copies of Taking the Fall by Kally Ash (ends October 23rd) > enter HERE