Constructing Us by C.J Lake
Publication Date: July 18th 2014
Genre: New Adult Romance
~Summary~
*Contains explicit/steamy scenes that are intended for mature readers.
When Andy takes over the lease on her friend Ethan's apartment, he warns her about his roommate, Tragan. According to Ethan, Tragan Barrett is self-centered and often inconsiderate, caring more about hanging out with his friends and hitting the local casino than straightening the living room or keeping up with his laundry. Andy isn't too concerned, though, because she isn't moving in to make a friend.
Intended as a short-term living arrangement, the apartment is close to the hospital where Andy is participating in a drug study for a rare disorder she was diagnosed with when she was twenty. Now, fresh out of college, she is trying to figure out her life--and also how to live with the uncertainty of her condition. Figuring she'll go one way and he'll go another, Andy is surprised to learn that Tragan is not exactly the way Ethan painted him. In fact, there's a whole other side to the darkly sexy construction worker...especially when it comes to Andy.
Can an unlikely friendship turn into something much more?
When Andy takes over the lease on her friend Ethan's apartment, he warns her about his roommate, Tragan. According to Ethan, Tragan Barrett is self-centered and often inconsiderate, caring more about hanging out with his friends and hitting the local casino than straightening the living room or keeping up with his laundry. Andy isn't too concerned, though, because she isn't moving in to make a friend.
Intended as a short-term living arrangement, the apartment is close to the hospital where Andy is participating in a drug study for a rare disorder she was diagnosed with when she was twenty. Now, fresh out of college, she is trying to figure out her life--and also how to live with the uncertainty of her condition. Figuring she'll go one way and he'll go another, Andy is surprised to learn that Tragan is not exactly the way Ethan painted him. In fact, there's a whole other side to the darkly sexy construction worker...especially when it comes to Andy.
Can an unlikely friendship turn into something much more?
~Excerpt~
After his parents left, Tragan found
Andy at the kitchen sink. She was pulling her hair up into a messy knot
at the back of her head, which exposed more of her neck. He stepped
closer, leaned on the counter beside the sink. “Well, the good news is
that my parents had an awesome time. They absolutely love you.”
“Oh, good…” Andy said, reaching for the
dishwashing soap.
“The bad news is that for the rest of
her days my mother will now be saying: ‘Why can’t you meet a girl like Andy’?
She gave a laugh at that.
“Technically you did meet me,” she pointed out.
“You know what I mean,” Tragan
said. “Seriously, I can see it now. ‘Tragan, that stripper you
brought home for Thanksgiving? Why can’t she be more like Andy?’”
Andy shot him a look.
“Stripper? Really?”
He shrugged. “You never know,” he
said, grinning.
“Personally, I think you should set
your sights a little higher,” Andy remarked, tilting her head at him--then
corrected herself. “I shouldn’t say that, because I don’t actually know…
Tragan, are you seeing anyone now?”
He shook his head. “Nope, no,” he
said, straightening up a little. “I’m keeping my options open,” he added
for some unknown reason. He felt like an idiot as soon as he’d said
it.
“That’s good,” she said generically and
set more plates into the sink. As she swished them with soapy water,
Tragan found himself thinking about what his mom had said at the door.
“So are you always this great to
people’s parents?” he fished. “Or…”
“Or what?”
When she blinked at him, waiting, he
lightened his tone, made it more joking. “Or is there just something special
about Mari and Jack Barrett?”
Her gaze returned to the dishes in the
sink as she proclaimed, “They’re very easy to talk to, for real. I don’t
know why you were worried.”
“I wasn’t worried.”
“Sure,” she said, teasing him.
“You know, you’re lucky your parents are still together. When my dad
moved to Switzerland, it was supposed to be a year or so. We didn’t know
he’d end up staying forever.”
When her voice trailed off, Tragan
probed, “Do you ever see him?”
Andy nodded. “Oh, sure, on
Skype. Emma and I visited him in Zurich about two years ago, and he came
to the hospital in Chicago when I was sick. Plus, we talk on the phone
and email a lot.”
“That’s cool.”
“Yeah, he’s a good dad. But it’s
still not the same as having my mom and him still together, like yours.”
Selfishly, Tragan was impatient to
switch topics. He loved his parents to death but he didn’t want to talk
about them right now. And he didn’t want to talk about Andy’s parents,
either. “Hey--are you and Brad serious?” he blurted.
Andy appeared startled by the shift in
subject. At first she hesitated, without replying. But Tragan held
her gaze anyway, determined to learn the answer.
Finally, she shrugged. “Yeah, I
mean, maybe, sure, could be,” she floundered, breaking their eye contact to
reach for a towel. Rubbing it over a wet plate, she babbled on, “He’s a
great guy and, you know, I’ve known him for a couple years now, um…plus, we’re
still young, it’s not like we have to make any decisions right now…but…my
mother likes him and…enh.”
“Enh?” Tragan repeated
skeptically. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“No, no,” she backpedaled, “I
mean…Brad’s great.”
“Right, you said that.”
“And he’s very smart--extremely smart.”
“I’m sure he is,” Tragan agreed (since
the guy was a doctor, after all).
“Above all, though, Brad’s aware of my
whole situation and is understanding about it.” Half-heartedly, Tragan
gave a nod, although he really didn’t want to validate that. Andy seemed
healthy to him, and besides that, he didn’t want to act like she had such a bad
situation. “Who knows, we’ll see.” She let the dishtowel drop on
the counter. “Wow, I’ve been rambling. You know what? I’m
just gonna finish up these dishes tomorrow. I’m tired,” she insisted a
little too abruptly.
“Okay.” He had to assume that his
seemingly simple question had hit a nerve. As she headed to her room,
Tragan called after her. “Listen--you really helped me out tonight.
If there’s ever anything I can do for you, just let me know okay? So we
can call it even.”
There was a momentary pause. “You
know what? There is something,” Andy told him as she walked back to him.
Tragan’s heart rate kicked up, having
the sudden notion that Andy might slide her hands up his chest and press her
supple, sexy body into his. If she did, he would unleash such heat on
her, he couldn’t guarantee they’d even make it to the bedroom before they were
both going at it like animals.
“You know how you tend to pile your
dirty, sweaty clothes on the floor--in a, sort of, inconvenient heap that’s
blocking the dryer?” Andy said. “Which is charming, by the way.”
Inwardly, Tragan sighed,
disappointed. So much for hot, relentless sex in the kitchen.
“Yes…?”
“I was thinking that maybe you could
use a hamper instead?”
Tragan’s eyes dropped down for a
second, before returning to hers. “So that’s all you want from me?
My disgusting laundry out of your way.”
“Well, I wouldn’t call it
‘disgusting.’”
“Fine, I’ll get a hamper.”
“Specifically I was hoping you could
use one with a lid--like I have? I’ll pick you up one.”
“Andy, I think I can buy my own
hamper,” Tragan said, trying not to sound churlish.
“If you’re sure. I have no
problem treating you; it could be, like, an early Arbor Day present.”
So she wanted to be a smartass.
“Hamper with a lid,” he bit out, glaring at her--and fighting a grin.
“Got it. Anything else?”
“No, that’s it. For now.”
She gave him a sweet little wave that exuded sarcasm. “’Night, roomie!”
Watching her go, he blew out a breath
of laughter, in spite of himself. He shook his head as he heard her
bedroom door close. Now that he was alone in the kitchen, there seemed
only one logical thing for him to do. In fact, he wasn’t clear on
anything else at that moment except for this.
He stepped up to the sink and did the rest of
the dishes.
~About The Author~
C.J. Lake is a storyteller who is passionate about art, surfing, and skiing/snowboarding. Residing near the coast of Massachusetts, C.J. is working on a new book that will feature Tragan Barrett's friend, Matt Winter. Readers can get in touch via email (writercjlake@gmail.com)
~Giveaway~
Thanks for stopping by!
An interesting story line.
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