Friends and Lovers Trilogy 02 - Charmed Read Online Free PDF

pockets and up into the air. “That doesn’t make any sense!”
    “Does to me.” Murphy pacified him with a bland smile.
Come on, dude. Make a move so I can kick your whiney-ass into the next yard.
    The man squinted his eyes and twisted his chapped lips into a snarl. “Who are you?”
    “Sofie’s boyfriend,” Lulu said.
    “Actually—”
    “Another one?” Sam snorted in disgust. “Show people.”
    “Hey,” Lulu said, looking devastated. “That’s not nice. Just because Sofie wouldn’t go out with you—”
    “Stuck-up slut.” He turned on his rubber soles and stomped toward his car, his drab gray coat billowing behind him.
    “Sam Marlin, you take that back!” Fist raised, she lunged after him but her gown was still wedged.
    Murphy caught her before she took a header, pointedly ignoring how warm and soft she felt in his arms. Of course, she felt warm and soft. She was cocooned in shaggy fake fur. Big-eyed and cute as hell, it was like holding a freaking stuffed animal. “Easy, killer. I think he was referring to your sister.”
    “I know.” She blinked up at him, while batting away the curls that escaped her haphazard up-do. “Which is why I wanted to throttle him, not that I would have … actually. But I would have given him an earful … or something.” Her voice trailed off as she continued to hold Murphy’s gaze. He registered an unmistakable spark of interest in her long-lashed eyes just before she tensed and pushed out of his arms. “Actually,
you
should have handled him,” she said, her voice jumping an octave. “
You’re
her boyfriend.”
    “About that—”
    “No wonder she wants to dump you,” she mumbled, bending over and struggling with her gown. “She’s never gone for wimps.”
    For a moment he forgot about the uncomfortable possibility that they might share a mutual attraction. Murphy
almost
laughed. A former Marine, he’d been called a lot of things, but never a wimp. He would have had no problem decking Sam Marlin if he’d made a threatening move on Lulu. “Where are your car keys?”
    “It’s not the lock, it’s my dress. Somehow it jammed up the workings.”
    He sensed frustration and an underlying temper.
A glimpse of the real deal? Bring it on. Please, Jesus, insert some reality into this bizarre assignment.
He set the suspect package on the roof of her car and gave her a gentle nudge. “Let me have a look.”
    She straightened with a pout and folded her arms over her middle. “I can’t believe he called her a stuck-up slut. She’s not stuck-up.”
    Murphy raised one eyebrow and kept working.
    “She’s not loose either,” she ranted on, answering his unspoken question. “She’s just … social.”
    The lock popped and Murphy freed her gown.
    “Thank you.”
    “You’re welcome.” He reached down and hauled up her patchwork bag. “Want the May Pole too?”
    “No, thank you. I’ll get it later,” she said, her voice losing its edge.
    By the looks of her backseat she’d intended to get quite a few things
later
and had forgotten. Her car was a toy chest on wheels. He shut the door, frowning when she made no move to lock it. Was she that trusting? Or that forgetful?
    An old-fashioned yard lamp flickered on, bathing the princess in muted, for chrissake, pink. Her neon lipstick had worn off along with much of her glitter. Yet somehow she still managed to sparkle. The temper tantrum he’d hoped for was history, but he could see her wheels turning. It was as if she’d already forgotten about Sam Marlin and his derogatory comment. Now she was openly contemplating Murphy.
    “I guess you took me literally when I said we could talk later,” she said, snagging the white box off the car roof. “Don’t tell me you waited out here the whole time I was gone.”
    “I didn’t.” He looped her burgeoning tote over his right shoulder, thinking she was a helluva lot stronger than she looked, and relieved her of the mystery gift.
    “I’m sorry I called you a