Falling for the Wrong Guy by Sara Hantz

and stood behind the table.
    “Very funny. Wise move getting out of the way, because any closer and you’ll end up covered in eau d’balsamic, too.”
    Drew tried to fix Ruby with a glare, but he was laughing too much for it to be effective.
    “You’ve gotta catch me first.” She hopped from side to side, her expression daring him to make a try.
    He ran around the table and lunged at her, but she jumped backward and all he grabbed was air.
    “Missed me,” she taunted.
    “I won’t next time,” he promised. He pivoted on one foot and made a grab for her, catching hold of her arm. He pulled her close, and she put both hands on his chest and pushed at him, then grimaced and wiped her sticky hands on his shoulders, the cleanest part of his shirt.
    “Urgh. You do stink. Let me go and I promise to wipe up the floor while you get a shower,” she pleaded.
    “And lunch?” he asked hopefully.
    “I’ll make lunch, too. Even I can manage a couple of rolls.”
    “Done.” He laughed again and then headed for his bathroom. He paused and looked over his shoulder at Ruby. She smiled. He fought the urge to invite her to join him.

Chapter Nine
    R uby leaned against the counter for a few moments, reliving the scene with Drew, her mouth dry. For that brief moment, it had been like the old Drew was with her. The Drew she had always had a secret thing for. The Drew who had been full of fun. Who would help her play silly tricks on Blake. She’d never imagined he would make another appearance, at least not so soon.
    And as for the kiss… She’d dreamed about kissing him for years. It was everything she’d thought it would be, and more. She wondered if it would happen again, or if it was a one-off. The way Drew had reacted had hurt initially, but she should have expected the guilt to get to him. And if she was honest, she felt guilty, too. Which is why she tried to push thoughts of Blake and Reese to the back of her mind. It did her no good dwelling on the pair of them, since Drew did enough of that for both of them.
    She glanced up at the clock on the wall and was shocked to see that Drew had been gone quite a while, and she hadn’t done anything she’d said she would. She took the cloth and wiped the mess on the floor, then started to make their lunch. They’d bought tuna to have with the cheese, so she took out a bowl from the dishwasher and started to look for a can opener.
    She’d only been to Drew’s house a few times in the past and each time had been totally overwhelmed by how grand it was. His mom had every top-of-the-line appliance imaginable. Yet, she didn’t cook. They had takeout most days, Blake had told her. It was a crime that all these things were wasted at Drew’s house. If her mom owned them, they’d be used every single day.
    Finally, she gave up looking and headed instead for the bottom of the stairs. “Drew,” she called, holding her hand to her mouth.
    When he didn’t answer, she took the stairs two at a time and headed down the long hallway to his bedroom. The door was opened slightly, so she stuck her head around it just as Drew walked out of his bathroom. With only a towel wrapped around his middle.
    She gasped as she caught sight of the horrendous red burns and welts that covered his shoulders and arms. God, that must’ve been so painful. The thick, puckered scar tissue, still an angry red even after a year, covered more than half of his upper body. She could barely stand it when she touched the wrong end of her curling iron. She couldn’t imagine burns that severe covering that much of her body.
    “What are you doing?” Drew shouted, his eyes flashing with anger.
    He made a grab for the dark green sweater on his bed and pulled it over his head, pushing his arms through the sleeves. He tugged it down and scowled.
    “Nothing. I… I… I couldn’t find the can opener so…” Her hands started to shake, and she wanted to reach for him, to tell him that he didn’t have to hide from