Friends to Lovers Read Online Free PDF

“Don’t worry. I expanded the menu a bit this year. Nobody’s going hungry.” She carried the last tray over from the kitchen counter to the oval coffee table.
    “There’s an egg and ham casserole, brown-sugar bacon, sausages, fruit salad with a lime and yogurt sauce, ginger-carrot muffins, and, of course, the famous cranberry cinnamon rolls. Oh, and a pitcher of Bloody Marys, along with the coffee and hot chocolate.”
    After gaping at her for a second, Gib bowed with a dramatic flourish. “You are a kitchen goddess.”
    Daphne wanted to stomp her foot at the nice compliment. She’d far prefer to hold out for a compliment on her bedroom skills. Would rather make him drool with lust than with actual hunger.
    Ben hustled into the living room to peruse the heaping platters. Sam followed him like a hound dog flushing prey. “Yeah, this is a fantastic spread. You really hit it out of the park this time, Daph.”
    Ivy, on the other hand, didn’t budge. Instead, she fisted her hands on her hips and scowled. Her stern demeanor was at odds with the festive look of her pink-and-white polka-dot sweater topping fuchsia skinny jeans. “What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing.”
    “Most of the time you subsist on pizza and pb&js. Trust me, I paid close attention while I was your roommate. Your indomitable metabolism freaks me out and infuriates me.”
    Mira nodded. “Every time you eat cookies all day long and not gain a pound? It’s like you’re giving women everywhere the middle finger. So not fair.”
    Ivy held her ground. “You only cook this much when you’re stressed out. There’s enough food here for at least a dozen people. Come on, you know I’m just going to pester you until you tell me.”
    Nope. No reason to share last night’s humiliation with her friends. Their sympathy would only get her all churned up again. Daphne needed to not think about Gib and his lips. They were friends. Best friends. As close as siblings. And it was eight kinds of ooky to think about craving the lips of an almost-brother. Or so she kept telling herself. “Pester away. But you’ll waste your breath. I’m fine. We’re a bigger crowd this year now that Ben and Mira are part of our circle. Just thought I’d throw a real brunch like a grown-up. You know, start the year off right.”
    “Uh-huh.” Clearly unconvinced, Ivy gave her the stink eye for another moment, then moved into the living room.
    Interrogation averted, Daphne grabbed her mug of minty cocoa. She posed in front of the holly-and-pine-framed fireplace, arm raised. “I’d like to make a toast. To my mother, Shelly Lovell, who I miss every day. And to all of you, for making the supreme sacrifice of crawling out of bed before noon to share my little tradition. Happy New Year.”
    They all echoed her toast, clinking ceramic mugs. But when Daphne tried to sit down, Ivy held up a restraining hand.
    “You’re not finished yet. Before we start in on this orgy of food, you have to explain the centerpiece.”
    Could she blame the crackling fire for her suddenly flushed cheeks? Daphne didn’t mind her flowers being in the spotlight. But she never liked that light shining on her. Discussing her geeky obsession with the Victorian floriography would be sure to bore her friends to tears. “Nobody cares about that.”
    “They will once you explain it. Daphne’s big on the language of flowers.” Ivy pointed to the low glass bowl, full of shiny greenery and spiky blue flowers. “If she took the time to make a special centerpiece for today, it means something.”
    Mira bent over to sniff the display. “Ooh, lovers used to send secret messages through nosegays and boutonnieres, right? That might be fun to highlight at A Fine Romance. Maybe highlight a flower of the month and its meaning.”
    “If she starts brainstorming for the store, we’ll lose her for at least an hour. Especially if Ivy joins in.” Sam pressed a tender kiss to Mira’s forehead. “Reel her back on topic,