Penalty Clause Read Online Free PDF Page A

like that? Why wouldn’t he even introduce the women he’s with to you and Chad? You’re his best friends.”
    “I know it’s hard for you to understand, Kelly, but Chad and I are used to it. Andrew was hurt once and he didn’t get over what happened. Hell, none of us expected him to be able to get over it, so we don’t take it personally that he’s like this. I know you want to change him, Kels, but you can’t. You gotta let him be who he is.”
    Kelly shook her head. “But why? What happened to him?”
    Jack knew Kelly’s heart was in the right place and he hated to have to disappoint her. He looked over his shoulder in the direction Andrew had gone. “I’ll tell you when we get home, honey.” Jack didn’t think Andrew would mind if he told Kelly, but he wanted to give Andrew a heads up first.
    “Oh, there’s Jill,” Kelly said as she looked over Jack’s shoulder to the door of the bar. “It can’t be as bad as you say. You’ll see. He’ll like Jill.”
    Kelly looked so hopeful, Jack just let it go.
    Kelly raised her hand to wave her friend over. Jack turned to see a good-looking blond woman headed their way. She was older than Kelly. Jack estimated the woman to be closer to Jack’s and Andrew’s ages of thirty -three and she was, without a doubt, Andrew’s type. Even so, Jack worried that Jill and Kelly might have higher expectations for a relationship than Andrew would be able to give. Jack also knew there wasn’t going to be any way to stop Kelly once she set her mind on something, and apparently, right now, Kelly wanted to set up these two.
    ***
     
    Jill smiled and shook hands with Jack when Kelly introduced Jack as her husband.
    “Jack’s best friend, Andrew, will be back in a minute. Did I mention him to you earlier?” Kelly asked Jill.
    Kelly was trying for nonchalant but the setup must be obvious to Jill.
    “Andrew is the Chief Financial Officer of Jack’s company and he’s ridiculously smart and good looking. Really good looking.” Kelly ignored Jack’s ‘hey!’ at her description of Andrew.
    Jill’s mind flashed to Andrew Weston in his faded jeans and old sweatshirt. A far cry from the guy Kelly was describing, but he’d been on Jill’s mind since the morning he’d come over to say hello.
    “He’s a really fun guy, too. I think you’ll like him.” Kelly smiled at Jill.
    “Uh,” Jill hesitated. “I don’t really think I’m looking for a relationship right now, Kelly. I was thinking I’d just take a break, you know?” And just fantasize about my hot-as-hell neighbor.  Jill pictured Andrew’s lazy sex-charged smile and shivered with pleasure.
    But then , there he was. Andrew Weston was right in front of her, in the flesh, standing behind Kelly with that wide, sexy smile on his face.
    “Jill! What are you doing here?” Andrew asked before Jill could close her mouth . She probably looked like an idiot, drooling over Andrew.
    Kelly and Jack turned to Andrew as one. “You guys know each other?”
    Jill blushed but Andrew explained, “Jill lives next door to my grandmother. She used to visit her grandparents when they lived there years ago and now she’s back. I was crazy in love with Jill when I was fifteen and used to watch her out by her grandparents’ pool,” Andrew said as he winked at Jill.
    Jill felt her face turn five shades redder than it already was as she tried to laugh with everyone else at Andrew’s comment.
    “What do you want to drink, Jill?” Andrew asked her. He moved around Jack and Kelly to stand next to Jill and she had to force herself not to read anything into his move.
    Andrew Weston is off limits. Andrew Weston is off limits.
    Maybe if Jill repeated the mantra enough, her body would catch onto what her brain knew.
    Jill focused instead on the shock of finding out that Andrew wasn’t the lazy bum she thought he was. Apparently he didn’t just live off his grandmother’s wealth and sleep the day away. How was it possible that Andrew