Just Friends Read online Jenika Snow (A Real Man #19)

Categories Genre: Alpha Male, Romance Tags Authors: Jenika Snow Series: A Real Man Series by Jenika Snow
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Read Online Books/Novels:	Just Friends (A Real Man #19)
Author/Writer of Book/Novel:	Jenika Snow
Language:	English
Book Information:
Just friends. That’s what I thought we were … until we weren’t, until my love for Mia was too consuming that I couldn’t ignore it anymore. Until I couldn’t deny it. And when we’d lost someone close to us both—her brother, my best friend—it was that life-changing moment that I told myself to man up. It was that loss that drew us closer, that made me realize I’d been a fool to stay back. But we’d always been just friends. Two words that meant a hell of a lot more than I wanted them to. Two words that were this wall between us. Two words that I wanted gone when I looked at her. There was a time when I would have been fine with that title. But that time had passed. I was done being just friends. I was ready to finally make Mia mine. I just hoped she felt the same way.
Books in Series:	A Real Man Series by Jenika Snow
Books by Author:	Jenika Snow Books

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Pope

I tried not to be obvious and stare at her, but it was impossible. The way the swimsuit molded to her body, the toned length of her legs, the roundness of her ass. She turned around and smiled as she talked with her friends. Her breasts pressed against the suit, tapering down to her flat belly, and the sweet spot right between her legs.

I curled my hands into tight fists at my sides and breathed out slowly. I was going to hell for things I thought about where Mia was concerned.

The sister of my once best friend, she’d been in my life for as long as I could remember. She’d always just been Jonathan’s annoying little sister who wanted to tag along with us everywhere. But as we grew older, I started to feel something more, something feral about Mia.

It had been the most intense desire I’d ever felt, this consuming emotion that screamed one word in my head over and over again.

Mine.

And when Jonathan passed away in a hit and run, we’d leaned on each other for support, for comfort.

That had been five years ago, Mia just fifteen years old to my seventeen.

Jonathan’s death had been devastating to everyone, a blow to all of us.

But the years had passed, and had been kind to us as we all healed and moved forward in our lives.

Now here we were, both going to the same university, Mia on the swim team, me assistant coaching. I could’ve graduated if I were being honest, but the truth was I stayed longer extending my degree, and it was all because I wanted to stay close to Mia.

I loved her, was in love with her, but after everything that had happened, I knew being just friends was probably the best course of action. Although thinking that really fucking put me in a sour mood.

So I made sure I was close enough to protect her, that I kept all the other guys away. And they sure as fuck came sniffing around, thinking they could have her.

If she went to the library to study, I was her study partner. If she went to a party, I was right there with her, mean-mugging every little asshole who wobbled over in a drunken state to try and get a piece of her.

If she’d told me to back off, that I was smothering her, I would’ve listened. I would’ve kept my distance, still making sure she was safe. I had to because her brother was no longer in the picture. And I knew Jonathan would want me to protect her.

That’s what I told myself anyway, a huge reason I did what I did. Because I saw her as mine, and I didn’t want anyone else near her.

I watched as she took her stance on the starting blocks, bent over and got into position. She was gorgeous and svelte ... perfect.

I stayed off in a corner and watched as she dove in, racing against several other swimmers. Of course she kicked their asses. Mia had a bright future ahead of her where swimming was concerned.

And wherever she went, I’d follow, because staying back and watching from the sidelines as she had a life without me in it was too fucking painful.

I was at that point where “just friends” wasn’t good enough anymore.

Mia

I pumped my arms as I swam faster, turning my head and sucking in a lungful of air before doing the process all over again. I focused only on myself and not my teammates on either side of me. But I could feel his gaze on me, as if he were in the water with me and his hands were on me, holding me, guiding me.

Pope.

He’d been my brother’s best friend for as long as I could remember. He’d been the person I looked up to along with my brother, as if he were family, as if he were my protector. I’d been Jonathan’s little sister running around after them, tagging along. And never once did they complain.

Never once did they say I couldn’t go, that I was annoying.

They’d embraced me, let me go everywhere with them. But as I grew older, I started seeing Pope as something more than Jonathan’s friend, something more than an unofficial member of our family.

I saw him as something more than just my friend.

I started seeing him as the guy I wanted in my life as mine. He was smart and driven, athletic and honest. He was caring and the one person I had leaned on the most after Jonathan passed away.

And it was all of that stuff wrapped up tightly that had me falling hopelessly in love with him.

I reached the end of the pool after my laps and braced a hand on the edge, taking my other one and pulling off my goggles. I looked at the time board. Although this was just practice, I was pleased that I’d beaten the rest of the swimmers.


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