Page 78 of Rating the Book Boyfriend

“Fuck yeah,” Mills says holding up one fist. I give him the obligatory bump and then curl my arm possessively around Libby’s shoulders. She leans into me and takes a long pull from her beer.

“I love this,” Salazar adds with a genuine smile on his face as he looks between us. “In fact, it’s making my nipples tingle.” He gives them both a nice pinch.

“That’s it,” I bark. “We’re leaving.” I shoot out of the booth before he can do anything else nipple-related and hold out my hand to help Libby stand.

“I guess we’re going to play Yahtzee now,” she teases, wiggling her fingers at my friends. “Bye, guys.”

I give my buddies a cursory nod before placing my hand on Libby’s lower back. As we turn, Mills says, “See ya, Libbidy Bibbidy. And Romero, enjoy that strap-on.”

I flip them off over my shoulder as I lead my girl from the bar.

I help Nana Viv into my SUV. It’s five days till Christmas, and she’s looking beautiful in a sage-green pantsuit with a wreath pin on her lapel. I close the door once she’s buckled into the front seat and then round the vehicle and climb in.

“Are you excited about seeing the trees in Port Saint Joe, Nana?”

She smiles and claps her hands under her chin. “I am. It’s my favorite part of the year. And it’s our little tradition, just me and my handsome grandson, looking at all the Christmas trees folks have decorated.”

My nerves skyrocket. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. But I steel my spine and say, “Nana, I have a new friend I’ve been spending time with, and I invited her to go with us. Is that… okay?”

Her sharp blue eyes bore into me. “A friend or a girlfriend?”

“A girlfriend. I know this seems sudden, and I guess it is, but I feel like I’ve known her forever.”

“There’s no set timeline for romance. People come into our lives exactly when they’re supposed to.”

“I know, but Lucinda and I broke up so recently. Libby and I got together after that, so I don’t want you to think?—”

Nana interrupts me by bopping me on the back of the head. “Oh, stop fretting like I’m some prudish old bat, Riggs.” That makes me laugh. “Your grandfather always said he knew I was the one from the first time he saw me, even though I was supposed to marry someone else. I told you our story, so you’ll hear no judgment from me.”

“Thanks, Nana. I think Libby and I have something very special. I hope you like her.”

“What does Ace think about this Libby?”

I chuckle. “He adores her, and she likes him too.”

“Then I like her already. You can tell a lot about a person by how animals respond to them. Now, let’s go get your new friend.”

I needn’t have worried about Nana liking Libby. As soon as I lead her from her house, she opens the passenger’s side door of my SUV to give my grandmother a warm hug.

“Nana Viv, it’s such a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Only the good parts are true,” Nana quips.

Opening the back door for Libby, my eyes can’t help but drink her in. She’s wearing a festive red top with long sleeves andwide, black upturned cuffs. Her black pants are high-waisted and flared at the bottom, and her ass looks amazing in them.

As soon as I pull onto the street, Nana pulls down her mirror so she can see into the backseat. “Libby, what do you do?”

“I design websites for companies, and I’m also a romance author.”

Nana’s head tilts in interest. “Do you use a pen name?”

“Yes, ma’am. It’s Libby Cox.”

My grandmother’s eyes widen. “Are you serious? I’ve read a couple of your books. My granddaughter gave them to me.”

What the hell, Silvia?I got my sister hooked on Libby’s books, but I had no idea she shared them with our grandma.

Libby’s cheeks pinken, no doubt at the thought of Nana reading her steamy novels.

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