Read Online One Lucky Deal by Kelli Evans - Free Book Online

back out of the woods.
    * * * *
    “So Lucky’s tonight.” Reed pointed a finger at Tad several days later in the office of their shop. “For the next installment of your challenge.”
    “Yeah, okay.” Tad sighed.
    “What challenge?” Gail, Tad’s sister, asked. She was their secretary and basically kept the shop a well-oiled working machine.
    “Oh, Tad’s trying to prove he can be in a real relationship—him and Candace are attempting to demonstrate it by doing couple-like things.” Reed laughed as he left the office when one of the other guys called his name from the garage.
    “Do you think that’s such a good idea?” Gail asked. Gail was his sister, but she’d raised him. So in some ways they were closer than brother and sister, and in some ways they were less connected too.
    “I don’t see why not. It’s just a dumb thing we’re doing. It’s not a big deal.” He rubbed his hand over his face and checked his watch. It was the longest day ever. His nights were horrible since they had started this whole thing.
    He’d been awake all night long, just tossing, tossing, and tossing. He was going crazy and he wasn’t sure why. He was trying to blame it on the lack of sex, but then why wasn’t Candace going out of her mind as well? Maybe she just had a higher dry spell tolerance.
    “Well, it just sounds like maybe someone could get hurt doing something like that.” Gail shrugged and sorted through some more paperwork.
    “Like who? Candace? I doubt it. She knows what this is, and besides, she’s just as disinterested in me as I am in her … probably more so, to tell you the truth.”
    That was the truth. He was nearly certain she wasn’t looking at him and thinking about his naked body. She’d even seen his naked body recently and nothing had really changed between them. But Jesus, get her fully clothed and sopping wet one time and see if he could get that image out of his mind. He’d been trying with little success all week.
    “I was talking about you,” Gail said softly. “You have a past with this girl, you live with her, and she’s your friend. I just would hate for you to slip up and fall for her. It would ruin everything you already have going with her. It would kill me to see you lose another important person in your life.”
    Gail was not usually so perceptive, but even with these lustful thoughts Tad wasn’t stupid enough to fall for his best friend. No way. It was just the lack of sex. It was going to be the death of him.
    “I’m a big boy, Gail. I can handle this. Trust me.”
    He could tell she still didn’t like it, but she eventually sighed and said, “Okay.”
    * * * *
    Candace walked into Lucky’s that night. She’d been texted the info three times. Once by Ronnie, once by Reagan, and once by Tad. She had planned on showing up on her way home from work anyway, but with that many texts she didn’t even go home and get cleaned up first. But really? What the hell for? She wasn’t looking to pick anyone up.
    She was going home with Tad. It was a sure thing. God, she hadn’t even shaved her legs in days and it was kind of nice. She was really enjoying not having to worry so much about looking perfect and being perfect. She’d skipped the salad lunches twice already this week and hadn’t felt better in her whole life. She still ran religiously, but she was looking in mirrors less, and when she did catch her reflection, she liked what she was seeing more.
    Her friends flagged her over from across the room. She stopped by the bar and ordered herself some whiskey and then slid into the booth next to Tad. “What’s going on?”
    “The next installment.” Tad nodded at Reed.
    “Okay, your next mission…” Reed grinned and looked at Reagan, who was mouthing the words along with him. “Should you choose to accept it is…” He paused while Joe made an obnoxious show of creating a drum roll on the table top. “Sharing.”
    “Sharing?” Candace cocked an eyebrow.
    “We