The Problem with Forever

Hector grinned as he glanced over at me and winked. “I want you to take me out and feed me.”

Rider snorted.

“We can hit up Firehouse. I’m in the mood for their fries and fried hamburgers.”

Standing, Rider lifted his arms and stretched. His shirt rode up, baring a sliver of his stomach. My gaze dropped and focused in. His lower stomach was unbelievably taut. Defined.

Nice.

Very nice.

Cheeks flushing, I looked away and caught Hector’s knowing gaze. Crap. I needed to be better about checking out guys. Like incognito style. I didn’t even look in Paige’s direction to see if she caught me.

“You should come with us,” Hector suggested.

I blinked. Was he talking to me?

He was. Because Rider lowered his arms and glanced over to where I was, which was still sitting in my chair. “You want to grab something to eat?”

“Of course she does,” Hector replied. “She wouldn’t turn down our company. Who would?”

Goodness, he and Jayden were very much alike.

Rider’s grin was lazy. “So, what do you think?”

My mind raced over the possibilities. Besides Ainsley and my family, I’d never gone out and grabbed food with anyone else. I most definitely had never gone out to eat with one guy, let alone two. Carl and Rosa would probably flip.

Okay. They would absolutely flip.

But I wanted to.

Heart thumping in my chest, I felt myself nod.

Rider’s grin spread and the dimple in his right cheek blessed the world once more. “Perfect. You want to ride with us?” he asked. “Since we know where we’re going?”

“Works for me,” Hector replied. “I can drop you back off at the school later.”

That made sense, so I nodded again.

“Good.” Rider paused, his smile reaching his eyes. “But there’s just one thing you’re going to have to do first.”

My brows rose.

“You’re going to have to get up.”

I got up.

Paige spoke as she rose from her own seat. “I can’t go with you. You know I have to watch Penny on Mondays.”

“Hell.” Rider scrubbed his fingers through his hair as I wondered who Penny was. “Want me to pick you and your sister up something to eat? I can swing it by afterward?”

Her head cocked to the side. “Are you serious? You’re going anyway?”

Oh no.

I stepped back, slinging my bag over my shoulder. This was not going to end well. Not at all.

Rider faced his girlfriend as he spoke to us. “I’ll meet you guys outside, okay?”