Drew: Book One of the Perfectly Independent Series

by Amanda Shelley

  “I’ll text him,” I offer as we make our way down the hall to the locker room.

  By the time practice ends, I barely have time to rush home and get the meat browned. I’m just putting everything into the Insta-Pot when I hear a knock at the door. Eager to see Abby, I rush to greet her, but Grey beats me to it. Not wanting to appear over-eager, I slow my stride and wait in the hall.

  “You must be Abby,” he boisterously announces. “I’m Grey. I’ve been dying to meet you.”

  From where I’m standing, I see Abby’s cheeks darken, but she manages to stick out her hand. “Nice to officially meet you.” She turns and looks behind her before continuing, “This is Sydney and Chloe.”

  Before either of them can say anything, I step forward and open the door further. “Why don’t you let them come in and get settled. Dinner is almost ready. DeShawn will be home anytime. He’s picking up some garlic bread.”

  The girls file in, and I slide close to Abby and pull her in for a chaste kiss. “Glad you could make it, Angel. I’ve missed you.”

  Her wide smile makes my heart soar. “Me, too. Need any help?” she asks as she looks around the room.

  Shaking my head, I murmur, “Nah, I have it covered. But I won’t object to company in the kitchen.”

  Abby glances to Sydney and Chloe. They both are making themselves at home by settling into the couch and starting a conversation with Grey. When Sydney gives her a nod in our direction letting us know she heard me, Abby follows me into the kitchen.

  The moment I get her alone, I pull her in for a hug and inhale slowly. She smells almost edible. The perfect combination of citrus and pear makes my mouth water. She squeezes me tight, then pulls back to look me in the eyes. The way her brown eyes darken instantly fills me with lust.

  Now isn’t the time, Jacobs, I scold myself. Especially with a room full of people next door.

  As if she could read my mind, Abby smirks and leans up on her toes to kiss me softly. Though I’m sure it’s meant to be an innocent kiss, the vixen Abby is, makes my blood flow hot. Not wanting to get carried away, I try to remember our potential audience.

  Why did I invite them again?

  After all too short a time, I force myself to pull away and practically pant, “Damn, Angel… if you kiss me like that again, I’m likely to tell everyone to take a hike and have you for dinner instead.”

  This earns an eye roll as a giggle escapes. “That would be a sure way to piss Sydney and Chloe off. They were both wanting dinner an hour ago, and I made them hold off, insisting you had plenty for them to eat. My friends are amazing, but you don’t want to see them hangry.”

  “Well, we can’t have that.” I smirk. I’d never be that rude, but if she continued kissing me like that, I might not remember to care.

  DeShawn walks in with two loaves of garlic bread. The moment he sees Abby, a Cheshire cat grin spreads across his face. Ah, shit. What’s he up to now? “Well, well, well. Who do we have here?” He exaggeratedly waggles his eyebrows and places an arm around her shoulder. “You must be the infamous Abby. I’ve been dying to meet the girl that’s got Drew changing his tune.”

  He looks her over from head to toe and shakes his head. Then he gives a pointed look in my direction. “Dude, you met her in a chem lab?” He takes a step away from Abby and leans against the counter.

  “Yes,” Abby replies sharper than I expect. “For your information, I was sitting there minding my own business when your boy here,” she points a thumb in my direction for emphasis, “came over with his entourage and completely pissed me off.”

  DeShawn’s mouth drops to the floor, and his eyes bug wide. It takes everything in me to keep from bursting with laughter. “Seriously?”

  I almost feel like I should sit back and watch this potential show with some popcorn. Abby’s eyes laser focus on DeShawn, and I’m not sure what will happen next.

  “Seriously,” she assures him. “But then I got to know him and thought he might be worth keeping around.”

  DeShawn slowly looks from her to me, then back to her again. I almost think he’s at a loss for words, then he cracks a smile. “I think I like you, Abby.” He winks at her then focuses his attention on me. “You know, Drew can be pretty full of himself. If you ever get tired of his crap, I’d be happy to take you out.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” I interrupt and give him a pointed stare, leaving no room for argument.

  What the hell, man?

  Abby just laughs and pats me on the shoulder. “Oh, I don’t think I’ll tire of Drew anytime soon, but thanks for the warning. After that first day, I’ve never seen that side of him again.”

  DeShawn rolls his eyes as he shakes his head. “Great answer, Abby. Great answer.” Then he turns his attention to me. “You have yourself a keeper, dude. The fact you pissed her off on the first day, and she still comes around, is hilarious.”

  “Gee, thanks,” I mutter. “Whatever did I do to deserve a friend like you?”

  DeShawn pats me on the shoulder as he puts the bread on the counter by the stove. “You know you love me, man.”

  Yeah, I do. But saying that will only inflate his ego further.

  Before I can say anything, DeShawn changes the subject. “Were those your roommates in there?”

  Abby pulls away and moves toward the living room and of course I follow. “Let me introduce you. I think you may have met Sydney at some point, but I’m sure you haven’t met Chloe as she’s not as into basketball as Syd.”

  DeShawn’s chin pulls back, and confusion sets in. “Sydney… she isn’t by any chance a bartender… is she?”

  This stops Abby in her tracks. Her head slowly turns to DeShawn, and she slowly draws out, “Yeah, why?”

  Though DeShawn’s eyes are wide for the briefest of seconds, he tries to brush it off. “Oh, it’s not a big deal. We’ve met a few times, but it’s nothing to worry about.”

  Shit. I’ve seen that look before. Something most definitely happened.

  But when we walk into the living room and see no reaction from Sydney, I can’t help but wonder if I might be wrong. But DeShawn rarely has that look on his face, and I’m certain I didn’t imagine it.

  My thoughts are interrupted when Abby introduces DeShawn officially to her roommates. Sydney remains stoic, but I’m not sure what to make of it. If I hadn’t seen DeShawn’s reaction in the kitchen, I’d think they’ve never met. However, he chooses to sit down on the couch next to Chloe, and any thoughts of him and Sydney disappear.

  “So, Chloe.” I overhear DeShawn ask while Grey says something to Sydney I don’t quite catch. “Weren’t you in my psychology class freshman year?”

  “More than likely. It’s my major so there hasn’t been many psych classes I haven’t taken at this university.” Chloe shrugs as she explains, but I don’t think she remembers him being in one of her classes.

  DeShawn laughs lightly and shakes his head. “I’ve only taken the one class since it was a requirement. But I remember you because you sat near the front, and the professor always called on you when you were doodling in your notebook.”

  This causes a scoff from Chloe. “I listen best when I’m doodling. It’s just my thing… as I’m sure you noticed. I always had the answer, didn’t I?” She raises an eyebrow in challenge.

  DeShawn raises his hands in defense to show he clearly doesn’t mean anything by it. “I was just sayin’, I noticed you. That’s all.” Chloe starts to respond, but DeShawn interrupts, “I didn’t mean anything negative. I was just saying where I recognized you from, that’s all.”

  “There were literally hundreds of people in that class. How do you remember me?” Chloe asks as if she can’t believe what she’s hearing. I must admit I’m a little surprised, too.

  DeShawn rolls his eyes and sighs heavily. “It’s no big deal. I sat behind you a few times and couldn’t believe how you could draw such intricate things and still pay attention to what the professor was saying.”

  “Oh.” Ch
loe appears shocked, but before I can hear what the rest of her response is, the sound of the Insta-Pot has me heading to the kitchen to release the steam.

  I gather the plates and utensils we’ll need and place everything out along our small kitchen counter so we can all come to dish up. Our kitchen table only seats four, so we’ll have to sit at the high countertop with barstools as well. Being bachelors, we usually eat in the living room, but spaghetti is better to be eaten at a table. Besides, we have company.

  Once everything’s ready, I holler for everyone to come and dish up. It doesn’t take long before the kitchen’s crowded, and everyone has a plate full of food that I hope tastes as good as it smells. Abby and I end up at the bar, while everyone else sits at the table. It doesn’t take long before the once chatty room turns to silence.

  Thankfully, as I glance over the room, everyone seems to be engrossed in their food, so the sudden silence isn’t my cooking. When I finally take a bite, my mouth waters from the savory sauce. Damn. Not bad, if I do say so myself.

  After a few minutes, Grey breaks the silence and stands to get seconds. “Jacobs, this tastes amazing. Thanks for cookin’, man.” He pats me on the back in appreciation as he walks into the kitchen.

  Sydney and Chloe both say how much they appreciate the meal, and I play off their accolades the best I can. “No big deal. Glad everyone could make it.”

  “I could get used to you cooking.” Abby grins, and my heart skips a beat.

  Why did I invite everyone again when I could’ve had this beautiful woman to myself?

  Before I let myself get carried away, I shake my head in a vain attempt to clear my thoughts. “I’m happy to cook anytime.”

  “Be careful what you offer, Drew,” Chloe pipes in. “If you cook like this all the time, we might just suddenly appear for dinner every night.” Laughter erupts in the room.

  “That’s always my plan,” Grey admits. “I’m more than happy to clean if this man’s cooking. In fact, if it weren’t for him, I’d be eating at the school cafeteria every night.”

  Abby looks at me expectantly, to see if Grey’s joking and unfortunately, I must agree with him. “Well, it’s a talent to boil water and not burn it,” I deadpan.

  “Hey, it was one time.” Grey shakes his head as he takes his seat at the table again. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

  “Can you blame us?” DeShawn chuckles. “The pot had to be thrown away, and the place smelled of smoke for days.”

  Grey rolls his eyes and sighs heavily. “I know… I know… I deserve it. I totally forgot about it when my brother called. He’d been stationed overseas, and I got so excited to hear his voice, I didn’t notice.”

  “Hey,” I interject. “I would’ve done the same thing… but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to give you shit about burning water. You know me better than that.”

  Grey’s grin nearly splits his face in half. “I know… did you ever stop to think that maybe I just pretend I can’t cook, because I like yours so much?”

  DeShawn and I exchange glances, and for a slight moment, I wonder if he could be speaking some truth because of our visitors, but we decide better of it. “Naw…” we say at once, but I continue, “I’m sure your talent is cleaning, when it comes to meal prep.”

  “Boy, this is a tough crowd.” I hear one of the girls at the table mumble, which earns more laughter.

  Grey waves a hand dismissively in the air. “It’s all good. The house reeked for weeks, and I can’t blame them. I would never let that shit go if it had been one of them, no matter what the reason. I mean—come on—I burned water. Who does that?”

  I see DeShawn mumble something to Chloe, but I don’t quite catch it. But her reaction has her face turning a darker shade of pink. Whatever it was, I’m not privy to the joke.

  After dinner, DeShawn asks, “Did we get dessert?” I eye him in surprise. He typically doesn’t have a sweet tooth, and I honestly didn’t even think to pick up something.

  “Uh, no. I didn’t.” I shrug.

  “I’m stuffed,” Sydney says as she stands to take her dish to the sink, but Grey cuts her off.

  “I have this. You all can just sit tight.” Sydney hands off her plate to Grey. He sets it on his own, then carries them to rinse off before putting them in the dishwasher.

  “Would anyone be up to some ice cream?” DeShawn asks the room.

  “Who turns down ice cream?” Chloe asks incredulously.

  “I can’t eat another bite.” Sydney pats her stomach. “That garlic bread was the devil.”

  “I’m full, too.” Abby shakes her head as she stands to clear her place.

  “I was thinking of heading to the ice cream shop up on campus. Anyone want to join me?” DeShawn offers the room.

  “I gotta study for an exam tomorrow, but thanks for the offer,” Grey announces as he puts the leftovers into some smaller dishes.

  Sydney pipes in, “Me, too. This is my only night off this week, and I need to finish a paper.” She glances at her watch then looks to her roommates expectantly.

  Chloe looks from Sydney to DeShawn as if she’s on the fence.

  “I’d be happy to take you to ice cream, Chloe, if you’re interested. I can drive you home when we finish.”

  Did he just ask her out? I look to Abby, who just shrugs. “I had brought my things over here so we could finish our chem assignment. I’m stuffed. Mind giving me a ride home later?”

  “Of course,” I offer with delight. Any excuse to spend more time with Abby is okay in my book.

  Over Abby’s shoulder, I notice Sydney eye Chloe and give her a not so subtle look that clearly states she doesn’t approve, but it’s gone before anyone else is any the wiser. Chloe just shrugs and glances to DeShawn. “Sydney drove. So…” She takes a deep breath as she glances at Sydney one more time, then surprises me with, “If you don’t mind dropping me off, I’ll take you up on that ice cream.”

  DeShawn’s eyes light up as he hops up from the table. “Sure. Just let me get my keys and wallet.”

  Sydney thanks me again and says her goodbyes to Abby and Chloe. I swear she gives Chloe a warning about being careful, but I can’t be certain. Abby starts a conversation with Grey as he finishes cleaning the kitchen, and my focus is drawn to her instead. I’m not sure what the deal is with DeShawn and Sydney, but at this point, it’s not any of my business, so I dismiss it.

  When I join the conversation, I realize they’re talking about our recent trip to the beach. “So, what did you think of his aunt’s cabin?” Grey asks as he wipes down the counter.

  “It was a great getaway. I loved being so close to the beach so we could run on it in the morning.”

  “Yeah.” Grey nods in agreement. “Drew takes us down before the season starts to get away from it all. Being from Colorado, I jump at any chance I can to go to the beach with Drew, even if it does rain a lot here in Washington.”

  “It doesn’t rain that often. But sweatshirts are worn all year round at the beach, so there’s that.” Abby shrugs as if that should explain everything.

  “There’s nothing like the beach, come rain or shine,” Grey adds as he wipes down the last of the counter. “Well… it’s been great getting to know you, Abby. I’m sorry to cut this short, but I’m meeting my study group on campus in about twenty minutes. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

  “It was nice to meet you, too,” Abby chimes in. “See ya soon.”

  Grey nods in agreement, and I add, “Thanks for cleaning up, man.”

  Grey grins wide as he chortles. “No problem. I’ll meet you at the gym tomorrow.” There’s something about the way he says it makes me think he might be doing more than studying tonight, especially since he hasn’t been home much. But when he returns a few minutes later with only his backpack, I dismiss it. Knowing Grey like I do, he would’ve taken his gym bag to have a sleepover.

  The minute the door clicks shut, I close the distance between Abby and myself. Reaching
out to her hip, I pull her close. Her scent’s been driving me wild all night. I deserve a medal for keeping my distance, but now that we’re alone, all bets are off.

  She reaches out like the siren she is to cup my face and pulls me toward her. When our soft lips touch, instinctually I open to let her in. When her tongue mingles with mine, I find myself lifting her to close the distance between our heights onto the counter. Here she is the perfect height, and I nestle between her legs to be closer to her. My hand grips the nape of her neck as my fingers run through her soft hair. When she lets out the slightest moan, my dick turns to steel. Fuck, what this woman does to me.

  In all too short of time, she pulls away, panting. When her eyes lock onto mine, I can see heat exploding. Her pupils are dilated, and her cheeks flush. Abby is so beautiful, I can barely think.

  Eventually, she breaks the silence with, “Do you think we should study?”

  Usually, I’m the taskmaster when it comes to studying, but I don’t want to think about chemistry that only comes from our textbook. In my lust-filled haze, it takes everything in me to realize she has a point. But maybe if I’m lucky, when we finish studying, I can convince her to pick up where we left off.

  29

  Abby

  Is it really a walk of shame if you have no regrets?

  Sure, I’m in the same clothes as yesterday, but it’s the ass-crack of dawn and no one cares about it at this hour. Except Drew, of course; he must work out before his first class. But I will never regret the night we shared together.

  As I climb the stairs to my apartment and unlock the door, I turn to wave at Drew before he pulls away. Even from here, I can tell he’d rather not leave me. But duty calls.

  Yes. I made sure we kept our focus and studied for today. Our diligence over this semester has paid off, and we finished in record time. When we heard DeShawn’s vehicle pull up, Drew suggested we finish in his bedroom. Thankfully, we were basically done because with a bed in sight, our chemistry sizzled to epic proportions.