CupidRocks Read Online Free Page A

glaring on her and Zach as they fought to
pretend their way through the song. When Joe sang the last words and played the
last notes, Mandy wiped away tears. Friends dragged Zach from her side as she
watched Joe set down his guitar abruptly. He jumped down from the stage and
came straight for her. His mouth was stern and his eyes were cold. He held her
gaze for a timeless minute then pushed fabric into her hands.
    “These are yours. I don’t want them,” he growled.
    He turned and headed for the side doors. She looked down at
her hand and realized he’d given her back her panties. No. This was not
happening. She chased him, catching his arm.
    “Joe…let me explain. Please—”
    “What’s to explain? You cheated on your mate, Mandy. Cheated .
I don’t tolerate lying, cheating females anywhere near me. Go back to your
mate. Maybe he’ll forgive you, but I can’t.”
    “It’s not like that. It’s not .”
    “That’s what they all say.”
    “Mandy, sweetie. Did you like the surprise? Wasn’t Joe
great?” Carly clutched his arm, completely missing the tension between her and
Joe. Her mother had never been too socially perceptive.
    Mandy looked up at Joe. “Yeah, he was,” she murmured.
    He shook his head and tore himself away from Carly. “I gotta
go outside for a bit. I’ll be back.”
    Mandy watched him walk away. Carly embraced her and planted
a motherly kiss on her cheek. “Zach is such a gorgeous hunk. You’ll make
beautiful pups together.”
    When he heard Carly’s words, Joe tensed like he’d taken a
knife between the shoulder blades and came to a stuttering stop. He
straightened then he kept walking. Away from her. Mandy burst into tears
and ran for the kitchen. Anywhere that was away from everyone.
    Mandy huddled into a corner of the kitchen. She was
pathetic. Here she was crying her eyes out over some wolf she just met. What
was the matter with her? She wiped tears off her face. He couldn’t be
the one. Not if he could believe she’d cheat on someone.
    “Mands? Hon, are you okay?”
    “No. I’m not.” Mandy looked up at Zach.
    “It’s not so bad. We’ll be able to pretend to break up as
soon as they leave.”
    She moaned and buried her face in her hands. He took her in
his arms, kissing her forehead as a big brother would. She burst into tears
again, not sure why her heart felt as if it had been ripped from her chest. Why
hadn’t she told Joe the truth as soon as they made love? As soon as she was
sure she had to have him.
    “What’s wrong?”
    “He thinks I cheated on you.”
    Zach shook his head, his brows furrowed. “He who?”
    “Joe.”
    Zach blinked. “Joe?” He started to grin at her. “Mandy, is
that where you went? You and Joe?” He laughed.
    “What’s so funny?”
    “You never sleep with anyone on a first date. I started to
wonder if you were a prude or something. Now you tell me you banged Joe?” He
cocked his head. “Where did you do it?”
    “In the empty office.”
    “I love it. This is great. It means we can tell your parents
we aren’t a couple.”
    “Don’t you get it? Joe thinks we are. He thinks I lied to
him.”
    “You did.”
    She slugged his shoulder. “He thinks I cheated on you ,
asshole.”
    Zach frowned. “Oh shit. That’s bad.”
    “Ya think, Einstein?”
    “Very funny. You have to tell him the truth.”
    “He gave me back my panties.” She rubbed her nose, scrubbing
at her eyes.
    “He did what?”
    “After we… He still had my panties. When Carly announced
things, Joe went green. At the end of the set, he climbed down from the stage
and gave me back my panties.” She rubbed her eyes as more tears fell. Damn it.
    “Oh…I get it.” Zach nodded. “Dude was really pissed, huh?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Well, you’ve just got to try to explain again. If it’s this
fast… Well, he’s probably your True Mate.”
    “He can’t be. If he was, he wouldn’t think I could cheat.
He’d know better.”
    “Love isn’t logical and we