Good Guy (Rookie Rebels, #1)

by Kate Meader

Only they weren’t completely alone. Levi was still in the room, existing on the fuzzy edges, watching his best friend fall in love with the woman Levi wanted. Watching the dream of her slip right through his fingers.

“I’ve worked with women in the military, a male-dominated environment with its own ecosystem. Sure, there’s plenty of that, where a woman is expected to take a joke or develop a thicker skin or put up with some BS about her tampons. I’ve witnessed it and I can guarantee you I shut it down whenever I came across it. Could I have done better? Probably. But anyone who disrespects a woman in my presence, whether she’s doing her job or not, won’t get a second chance to make that mistake.”

If she was playing him, he’d go down with a smile. (On the inside. Always on the inside.)

“Jordan, I like you plenty. In fact, I think you’re the sexiest, most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”

“They say humor can deflate the biggest problems but a beautiful woman’s smile won’t help in the slightest.”

“Woman, you are killing me.” “Let’s die together.”

Yet he knew that this was what he was built for. She was what he was built for.

With her wrapped around his body, he let himself believe he deserved her, here, now, and forever. He let himself believe.

Until then, he’d love her on the down low, like he’d been doing for years. He could be patient a little longer.

“I haven’t had a thing for her forever.” He winced at the dark look Elle shot his way. “Okay, I’ve had a thing for her forever. I saw her first, but she saw Josh and that was that.”

Because he’d hesitated. Too much head, not enough heart, but also … how to explain it? “There was something so bright and good about her, not just a physical presence, but an aura about her. And I didn’t want to dim that in any way.”

“It means that a woman who burns as bright as Jordan, with that laugh and all that joy exuding from her, needed to be with someone who could reflect that back on her. Who knew what to do with it. I knew what I was—what I am—and I could never have made her happy. And the thought that I might remove even one percent of her joy didn’t sit right. I didn’t expect Josh to actually marry her. But he did and every time I’ve seen her since confirmed what I’d always known: she was never meant to be mine. So I continued my schoolboy crush by glaring at her and being an all-round dick. Standard operating procedure.”

“Yes, we do. We minimize, absorb the toxicity, blame ourselves because we smiled politely at someone in an elevator. Entered a locker room to see a guy we’re dating or to get that interview. Didn’t immediately block someone on Twitter.”

“I’m crazy about Jordan. So crazy.” “Good to hear it. Men in love play better.”

You told him to marry me even though you felt that way about me?” “Did he make you happy?” Her smile, half-sad but so fucking beautiful, lit her from the inside like a love-lantern. “He did.” “And that made me happy. That’s all I cared about. Yeah, it hurt some that it couldn’t be me, but I knew he’d be good to you. Back then, I wasn’t ready to be the man you need. I wasn’t prepared to take a chance. To give you everything. But now—hell, it’s like I have a death wish when it comes to shots with the woman of my dreams.”

“Just wanted to do a little something that only you and I would get.” She smiled. “A coded message.”