Sea Breeze 01 - Breathe

suitcase clutched tightly in her hand.
    “Is Cage here?” Her voice sounded broken and musical at the same time. I was having a hard time digesting that this girl was here for Cage. She wasn’t anything like he veered toward. Nothing was enhanced. Everything from her thick dark-copper hair to the Chuck Taylors on her feet screamed “not Cage’s type.” And the fact that she was carrying a suitcase—well, that couldn’t be good.
    “Uh, um, no.”
    Her shoulders slumped and another sob escaped her. One small, dainty hand flew up in an attempt to mute the sound of her obvious distress. Her nails were even classy. Not too long, with a smooth, rounded tip and soft pink nail polish.
    “I left my cell phone”—she let out a sigh, then continued—“at my sister’s. I need to call him. Can I come in?”
    Cage was out with a swimsuit model who apparently had a thing for college baseball players. I knew from the way he talked he didn’t intend to come up for air much tonight. He’d never answer her call, and I hated to see her get more upset than she already was. A horrible thought crossed my mind: Surely he hadn’t gotten this girl pregnant. Couldn’t he see how freaking innocent she was?
    “Uh, yeah, but I don’t know if he’ll answer. He’s busy . . . tonight.”
    She shot me a sour smile and nodded, stepping around me.
    “I know the kind of busy he is, but he’ll talk to me.”
    She sounded rather confident. I wasn’t feeling her confidence myself.
    “Do you have a cell I can use?”
    I reached into the pocket of my jeans and handed it to her, unable to argue with her further. She had stopped crying and I wanted to keep it that way.
    “Thanks. I’ll try calling first.”
    I watched as she walked over to the sofa and dropped her suitcase to the floor with a thunk before sinking dejectedly down onto the worn cushions as if she’d been here a hundred times. Being as I’d only been moved in for two days, I wouldn’t know if she had been here before or not. Cage was a friend of a friend who had been looking for a roommate. I’d needed somewhere to live fast and his place was nice. Preston was on the same baseball team as Cage at the local community college. Once Preston heard I needed a place to live, he’d called Cage and hooked me up.
    “It’s me. I left my phone when I ran. You’re not here, but your new roommate let me in. Call me.” She sniffed, then hung up. I watched, fascinated, as she proceeded to text him. She really believed the male whore I lived with was going to call her right up as soon as he got her message. I was intrigued and growing more concerned by the minute.
    She finished and handed the phone back to me. A smile touched her splotchy red face and two dimples appeared in her cheeks. Damn, that was cute.
    “Thanks. Do you mind if I wait a little bit until he calls back?”
    I shook my head,.“No, not at all. You want a drink?”
    She nodded and stood up. “Yes, but I’ll get it. My drinks are in the bottom drawer of the fridge behind the Bud Lights.”
    I frowned and followed her into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and bent down to get her hidden drink. With her bent over digging for her so-called drink, the snug fit of the faded jeans over her ass was hard to miss. It was a perfect heart shape, and although she wasn’t very tall, her legs seemed to go on for miles.
    “Ah, here it is. Cage needs to run to the store and restock. He must be letting his one-nighters drink my Jarritos.”
    I couldn’t keep guessing. I needed to know who she was exactly. Surely she wasn’t one of his girlfriends. Could she be the sister Preston had mentioned dating? I sure as hell hoped not. I was interested, and I hadn’t been interested in anyone in a while. Not since the last girl broke my heart. I’d opened my mouth to ask her how she knew Cage when the phone in my pocket started ringing. She walked over to me and held out her hand. The girl really believed it was Cage. I glanced down, but sure enough, my roommate had called back.
    She took the phone from my hand.
    “Hey.
    “She’s such a selfish jerk.
    “I can’t stay there, Cage.
    “I didn’t mean to leave my phone. I was just upset.
    “Yes, your new roommate’s a nice guy. He’s been very helpful.
    “No, don’t end your date. Get her out of your system. I’ll wait.
    “I promise not to go back.
    “She is who she is, Cage.
    “I just hate her.” I could hear the tears in her voice again.
    “No, no, really,