Page 1 of Under My Skin

PROLOGUE

BRADEN

NINE MONTHS AGO

“I’msad that you’re leaving us,” Kyler said with a pout, giving me a hug. “This is probably the last time we’ll really get to spend any time together.”

I chuckled as I looked down at her. Our friendship made absolutely zero sense on paper, but ever since she’d started dating my best friend, Ian, in our senior year of high school, we’d just clicked…once I stopped being an asshole to her.

I was ashamed to admit that, at first, I’d believed some of the bullshit rumors my teammates had spread about her. Until I learned the truth: that the people who had started those rumors had done it to cover their own asses after they sexually assaulted her. And once my eyes were opened…well, I’d never felt the need to protect anyone the way I felt the need to protect Kyler.

Just to set the record straight,no, I wasnotin love with her. I loved her, yes, but I wasn’tinlove with her. Not the way Ian was. Those two trailed sunshine and hearts and rainbows everywhere they went. Oh, and bunnies. Little fluffy bunnies hopped alongafter them too. But seriously, they were made for each other. And they were both family to me.

Maybe I’d find that kind of love for myself one day, but I was perfectly fine just doing me for now. Girls were great for a night, but settling down was the last thing on my mind. I was still young, and I had my whole future ahead of me, not to mention a career playing pro football. I didn’t have time for a relationship right now. Women were high maintenance. Even awesome women like Kyler.

“You know cell phones and social media were invented for a reason, right?” I teased. “And airplanes?”

Kyler snorted. “I know. But I’m still sad to see you go. I guess I was just expecting you to do all four years with us before you went out for the draft.”

“Nah. I was always just there for the ball. Hence the reason we’re in Florida. So we have one last week together before I move down here.”

“What’d I miss?” Ian asked as he walked back over to us with two Buds and some pink froufrou girly drink with an umbrella in it.

“Nothing much. Just your woman getting all weepy on me,” I chuckled, playfully nudging Kyler’s shoulder as I took my bottle from him.

“I am not!” she protested. “I’m not allowed to be a little sad that one of my best friends is moving nine hundred miles away?”

“Of course you are, baby.” Ian kissed her cheek. “Ignore B. He’ll grow a heart one day.”

“He has a heart,” she giggled as she took a sip of whatever disgusting concoction Ian had brought her from the bar. “He just doesn’t like to show it very often.”

I took a long pull from my beer. “Don’t go spilling all my secrets, Ky. People might start getting the wrong ideas.”

“He’s supposed to be alldark and mysterious,” Ian said, using air quotes for emphasis.

“Hey, chicks dig dark and mysterious,” I snickered.

“They do?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Okay,mostchicks. You’re too pure of heart to be into that.”

“And that’s why I love you,” Ian said quickly, turning her head for a kiss. “So don’t go getting any ideas about changing that.”

She giggled and kissed him again, and he abandoned his beer to pull her closer.

…And that was my cue. They were going to end up with their tongues down each other’s throats in a matter of seconds, and probably head back to the hotel within half an hour. That pretty much always happened with them when alcohol was involved. And there was a limit to how much of the Ian/Kyler lovefest I could take.

“You two have fun. I’m out,” I chuckled. “I’ll find my own way back to the hotel.”

They didn’t even break apart as I walked away.

I zeroed in on an empty barstool next to a drop-dead gorgeous girl with dark skin and wavy brown hair. Setting my bottle on the bar, I slid halfway into the spot.

“This seat taken?” I asked.

The girl turned and flashed me a smile. “It is now.”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes at the lame line as I took a seat next to her.

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