Read Guarded (True Alpha 2) for Free Online Page A

soon as the door was closed behind them, and they were headed to the bathroom, Mia hoarse-whispered, “Geez, Jeeter! Impatient much?”
    Jupiter whirled on her, grabbed her arm, and pulled her to a stop in the middle of the living area. “Mia! What in the actual hell is going on here?” The rage-storm look was back.
    Mia should have known it was all an act from her drama-major roommate.
    “I’m just… moving out…” God, how was she going to explain this?
    “With tall, dark, and sexy?” Her voice hiked up. “Mia, you’ve only been working there for a week! Is he forcing you into this? Is he one of those weird controlling types? Because I know some guys who could help with that, Mia. Big guys. They could beat the crap out of Mr. Sexy if you need them to! You just say the word.”
    “No!” Mia backed up from her, agitation making her voice squeak. “It’s nothing like that! He’s just looking out for me.”
    “Looking out for you.” The skepticism was back full force. “By making you move out of your dorm.”
    “It’s not like that.” Although it kind of was… but not really. There were dangerous people out to use her against Lucas. She just couldn’t explain it to her roommate.
    “Is he making you quit school?” Her focus was intense.
    “What?” Mia said, genuinely shocked. “No, of course not.”
    Her roommate’s gaze did a quick check over Mia. If she didn’t notice before, it was obvious now that Mia was also seriously bra-less under her sweater. If she was less endowed it might not have been so apparent, but as it stood, it was hard to miss.
    Jupiter leaned in. “You’re sleeping with him, aren’t you?”
    Mia bit her lip. There wasn’t much point in lying. “It’s complicated.”
    “Ye-ah.” Her roommate drew out the word, like that was obvious. “Sleeping with your boss can be that way. I mean, damn, I get it, girl. The boy is hot sex on a stick, but he’s your boss.”
    “Okay, okay!” Mia threw up her hands. “Not necessarily my best choice.”
    Jupiter’s look said, you got that right. “Is he at least good in bed?”
    Mia huffed and gave her a you’ve got to be kidding look in return.
    “Right. Stupid question.” Jupiter pursed her lips. “The real question is: is he worth it?”
    Finally, a question she could actually answer. “Yeah. I think so, Jeeter.”
    “So what’s the deal with this moving out thing?” She still seemed concerned, but it had stepped down several hurricane levels to slow, tropical storm.
    “I think… I think I might be in love with him.” She hadn’t thought of it that way at all, but it was something that might make sense to her over-the-top drama roommate.
    “Damn, girl, I didn’t think you had that in you.” But her voice wasn’t disapproving. “When you fall, you fall hard. And freaking fast.”
    “We’re trying to keep it on the down-low in the office, though,” Mia said, making it up as she went now. “I’m moving in with him, but the cover story is that I’m just getting another place. If they even ask. Which I’m hoping they won’t.” She wished it was the reverse, but at least it was a story that should hold up for now.
    Jupiter blew out a sigh. “I don’t know, Mia. It’s strange.”
    “You’re the Queen of Strange.” Mia pointed a finger to her friend’s streaked mascara and general bed head. “Not to mention Party Queen and Boy of the Week Champion.”
    “I’m not judging you,” Jupiter said, looking offended herself. Then the frown returned. “I’m just worried, Mia. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
    That made her eyes prick. She threw her arms around her roommate, crazy lump of clothes and all. “You’re a good friend, Jeeter,” she said into her flyaway red hair.
    Jupiter squeezed her back. “All right, all right,” she said releasing her. “I’m the emotional one, remember?”
    Mia smiled.
    “Let’s get you out of those clothes.” She dug through the armful of clothes and peeled away