Page 30 of Wild Catch
And only because I don’t want to go back home to think about my brother, I hop out of my bike and follow him.
CHAPTER11
ROSE
One second I’m happy, humming a tune as I step out of Cade’s house with a bowl of salad I just finished tossing, and the next I’m completely annoyed.
What the heck is Logan Kim doing here?
I don’t think he’s seen me yet. He’s just closing the gate’s door behind Lucky, casting a first glance around the oddly shaped yard. I duck below the kitchen island by reflex. Curse this architectonic marvel of a house that has no walls, but the thickest panes of glass. It’s only a matter of time before Logan sees me in the kitchen.
“And why should that matter?” I ask my salad bowl, covered with cling wrap and safe from my germs. “I was here first. In fact, the idea of this whole BBQ was borne out of my roommates’s desire to cheer me up.”
And the reason for that need ishim.
I’ve been fuming about last night’s conversation and look at him—the jerk has the nerve to act all easy breezy with his damn bike jacket that fits a bit too perfectly around his freaking perfect shoulders and arms, and the damn man bun at the top of his head that no one seems to have told him is out of fashion but looks amazing on him. The least he could do would be to sport a few bandages from the burns I gave him last night.
So why, even though he was in the wrong and I’m the one who won the argument, am I the one hiding?
“Hear me out,” I say to the salad bowl. “You don’t like good looking men and now you’ve learned that pretentious men aren’t really charming, they’re just pretentious.” I nod to myself. “So go out there and act like he’s a zero to the left.”
I jump to my feet and pretend like I was just picking something up and putting it in the kitchen sink. But he’s not even looking this way, so the act isn’t necessary.
Except Luckyiswatching.
He opens the door as I come out with the salad, and I’m not sure why his eyes look all sparkly and amused, but they do. “Evening, princesa,” he says as greeting.
“Princesa?” I cock an eyebrow.
He shrugs. “Cade calls you princess, so it’s kinda stuck now. Need any help?”
“I’m good, thanks.” I use my lips to point at the grocery bags hanging from his hand. “You?”
“This is what I train for, c’mon.” He does some bicep curls with Publix bags, and I bite my lips not to laugh because it’s ridiculous.
“Okay, don’t hurt yourself there,” I joke while shuffling sideways to hold the door open with my body. “After you.”
“Chivalry is not dead!” he exclaims in an overly dramatic way, also shuffling sideways as if this door wasn’t wider than a normal one. But just as I’m giving him props for being mindful, Lucky gives me a casual little wink that makes me shake my head.
Yeah, maybe I should’ve crushed on Lucky last year rather than Ben. Lucky’s fun, yet polite. Unfortunately, he’s too attractive. His Latin American fan club will probably murder the woman who dares to tie the knot with him one day—if he even settles down.
With a deep breath, I turn away from the door and face the main gathering.
“Look who’s here,” Hope says with a forced grin that only I can see while she keeps her back to the guys. “It’s Logan Kim, your savior.”
Years of training for the Miss Florida pageant rush back and I let a brilliant smile bloom on my face, one that I know shows all my pearly whites. “Isn’t that great? How are you doing, Logan?”
If I think I’m ready for this, I swiftly discover that I am most definitely not when he turns those dark, clever eyes on me. Every muscle in my body locks with all the effort it takes to not launch the salad at his face. That would be extremely unfair to the veggies.
“Mena,” he returns with his deep voice and a tip of his chin.
“Why do you still refer to her by her last name?” Cade asks from the grill, pausing from flipping chorizos.
“I refer to everybody by their last name.” Logan makes an attempt to fold his arms but his helmet gets in the way.
Hope springs. “Oh, sorry. Let me attempt to be a good hostess and take your helmet and jacket.”
“Wait a damn second.” Cade turns around and places the back of his hands on his hips, tongs poking out from one side. He glances first at his girlfriend and then at Logan, and back again. “He does call you by your name and you’re so polite only to him. Why is that?”
