Deal Breakers (Dealing with Love 1)

I smile. “Do people normally toast with beer?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know. But that’s not going to stop me. What should we toast to?”

I think about it for a second. “To new friends?”

With an unbelievably sexy grin he asks, “What if I want to explore being more than friends?”

I roll my eyes. “Do you ever give up?”

I find myself staring at his dimples as he replies, “Not when I see something I want.”

I sigh and get serious again. “Riley, I could really use a friend right now. I just lost my last surviving parent and moved away from everything I’ve ever known. I need to focus on school and getting my life together. I don’t have room for anything else.”

He considers that for a moment with sincere empathy in his big brown eyes. He clinks his glass to mine and says, “To friends, then. I’ll be the best damn one you’ve ever had.”

DEVYN

I’M OVER AT RILEY’S place watching a basketball game. He decided to live off campus and rented an apartment with his friend, Josh. I mostly hang out here because I’m still stuck in university housing. Thankfully, I got a small single this year that has a private bath so it’s not awful but it’s really cramped. Rye asked me to take the other bedroom in this place before he considered Josh but I didn’t have the budget for it. My brother and I sold our parents’ house last year and I only had enough money to get me through all four years of school with dorm housing. I decided that living on campus was the more responsible thing to do. I’d rather not have to get a part time job that could potentially sacrifice my study time and I definitely didn’t want to take out student loans if I didn’t have to.

“That’s BULLSHIT! Get your head out of your ass and put the damn ball in the basket!” Riley yells. “Jesus fucking Christ!”

I give him a cheeky grin. “Aw, what’s the matter, Rye? Afraid of losing to a girl again?” Riley’s a huge Lakers fan. I’m a Blazers girl. Portland is up by twenty points at the bottom of the fourth quarter. The loser has to buy pizza next time. I plan to order an extra large with the works since he’ll be paying.

He pulls me into a playful headlock and yanks on my ponytail. “Watch it, Summers. I know

your weaknesses.”

I punch his leg. “Ha! I have no weaknesses!”

He maneuvers me so I’m now lying across the couch on my back with my head in his lap. “You think so?”

I lift my chin and stick my tongue out at him. “I know so.”

He raises his eyebrow and gives me a smile that has made many panties drop. “You think you’re so smart, huh?” He lifts his hand into view and slowly lowers it towards my rib cage. Oh heck no, he’d better not!

I widen my eyes. “Riley, don’t even think about it!”

He wiggles his fingers. “Don’t think about what, Dev? I thought you didn’t have any weaknesses? What are you so worried about?”

I try to squirm away but he moves his big body so he’s now on top of me, pinning me to the couch. He has both of my hands cuffed above my head with one of his and his other hand is hovering above me threateningly. “Riley, don’t you dare!”

“Don’t I dare, what?” His fingertips brush my ribs and begin to move quickly.

I squeal as he begins his tickle torture. I am so ridiculously ticklish, it’s embarrassing. I buck and scream and laugh so hard I’m crying. “STOP! Please stop! You’re going to make me pee my pants!”

Josh laughs at us and gets up from the recliner to answer a knock at the door. “Man, don’t make her pee. I like that couch.”

Riley steps up his pace. “I’ll have it cleaned. This is too much fun.”

“Aaah! Riley please! STOP! Seriously! I’m about to go all geriatric on you!”

He stops and presses his body into mine holding me in place. He tightens his grip on my hands and says, “Remember that next time you want to talk smack about my team.”

His body is stretched over mine and he’s staring at my mouth. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he wants to kiss me right now. He shifts slightly and I can feel something hard against my thigh. Oh my God, is that his—?

“Riley,” a pissy female voice says, “what are you doing?”

Riley jumps off the couch. Oh wow! I can totally see a penis-shaped bulge in his pants! He catches me looking and winks while he adjusts himself. Winks! What the heck is going on?