Page 136 of The Trouble With Bad Boys

“Yeah, man, looks like you’ll have a fun night ahead of you too.” Beckham teases from the other side of the door.

Colter grunts and turns to face me. “Sorry. Ignore him. He’s new around here and obviously can’t take a fuckin’ hint.” Colter shouts the last two words, and I hear Beckham’s laughter, followed by a muffled, “My bad, my bad.”

I giggle and shake my head. “You’re fine. He’s good. I’m gonna go rinse off and change if you don’t mind?”

Colter steps past me and shuts the door briefly, rummaging around in the bathroom before he steps out.

“There’s a towel and a washcloth for you on the counter. Take your time. I’ll give you some space, but if you need anything, just give me a shout.”

I glance past him at the towels folded on the vanity counter and smile.

“I’m starting to wonder if you’re even real.” I blurt the words out without thinking.

He takes a step closer to me, eliminating the space between us. He pushes the hair away from my face and presses his palm against my cheek, lifting my chin until our eyes lock.

“I promise I’m real,” he says, his gaze moving to my mouth. Just when I think he’s going to drop his hand and leave, he leans in and presses his lips against mine.

He moans against me, his other hand gripping my hip, and all I can do is hold on for the ride.

His tongue brushes along the seam of my lips, and I open for him. I hope he’ll drag me over to his bed to finish what we’ve started, but he breaks the kiss and steps away, taking a deep breath like he’s trying to force air into his lungs again.

“I’ll be waiting for you,” he says, and without another word, he disappears out the door.

I’m left melting into a puddle in the middle of his room, wondering how the hell I got myself here but also not wanting to wake up from this dream either.

Seven

COLTER

“My bad, man, I forgot about your friend staying over.” Beckham holds his hand out between us, and I shake it, clapping him on the shoulder.

I wasn’t about to clarify to him that I hardly knew Ava and she was only here because she needed a place to stay.

While this was very new between us, our immediate chemistry and the attraction I felt from the moment we first met were evident. Even though it’s only been a couple of days.

I didn’t want her to feel like I was pushing things, especially when she didn’t have anywhere else to go until her apartment was available.

“It’s all good. She’s getting cleaned up, and then we’re gonna grab a pizza at The End Zone.”

They’re all huddled around the TV. Hayes is back, and he’s playing C.O.D. with Reed while Beckham sits in the chair across from me as we watch on.

I didn’t know how long it would take for Ava to get cleaned up, so when thirty minutes pass and she saunters out of my room, I’m surprised to see her hair curled and some light makeup on.

“You ready?” I ask her, pushing myself to stand, and she nods.

Hayes pauses the game, and Reed swears, not realizing what’s happening until they collectively turn toward us.

“Guys, this is Ava. She’s a friend of mine who will be staying here until the end of the week when her apartment is available. Ava, this is Hayes, Reed, and that one is Beckham.” I point at each of the guys.

Her eyes light up, and she smiles, waving to them. “It’s nice to meet you. Thanks for letting me crash here.”

Reed flashes his eyes over to me with a look of both surprise and pride. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was wondering how the hell I managed to get her attention.

You don’t have to ask me. I’m questioning the same damn thing.

“We’ll see you guys later,” I mutter.

Ava is dressed in a pair of denim shorts and an off-the-shoulder top, and I’m back to wishing I could kiss every freckle on her skin. On the drive over to The End Zone, I’m having difficulty not letting my eyes roam over to her.

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