Page 79 of Rating the Book Boyfriend

“I didn’t realize you read romance books,” I say.

“Oh, don’t look so scandalized, Riggs. At my age I’ve seen and done it all.”

My face really wants to scrunch up at the thought of my Nanadoing it all, but I manage to maintain something resembling a neutral expression.

“That’s so awesome,” Libby tells her. “A lot of my readers are over sixty-five. What’s your favorite kind of romance to read?”

“I really like reverse harem,” Nana informs her. “All those hands and mouths and… you know.” She winks into the mirror at my girlfriend anddear god, help me!

“Why don’t we listen to some Christmas music?” I break in, pressing a button until José Feliciano is wishing us all a Feliz Navidad.

Because, for fuck’s sake, my Navidad will not be very feliz if I can’t scrub the thought of Nana reading RH books from my brain.

CHAPTER 25

Riggs

We had a blast at the annual Port Saint Joe Festival of Trees at the Center of the Arts. As we walked around and looked at the festively decorated Christmas trees, Libby, my fucking dream girl, hooked her arm with Nana’s. She acted as though they were old friends out for a stroll, but I knew she was lending support because Nana’s too stubborn and prideful to use her cane out in public. That simple act of kindness only made me fall harder for Liberty Hill.

Afterward, as was my tradition with Nana, we all had a fancy dinner at The White Marlin, a waterside restaurant on the bay.

“Are you taking me home?” Libby asks after I drop off Nana at her house in Mexico Beach and hop back on Highway 98 toward Port Saint Joe. She sounds disappointed.

Reaching for her hand, I lift it and kiss her knuckles. “No, I wanted to show you something.”

“You just like to do the time warp thing, don’t you?”

I laugh at that. The change from central to eastern time zone occurs in Mexico Beach. There’s even a big photo op chair so people can sit in both time zones at the same time.

“It’s a surprise,” I tell her, hoping she hasn’t already seen it.

I go through a drive-through and order us each a hot cocoa with extra marshmallows, and a few minutes later, I back my SUV into a parking spot.

“Keep your eyes closed,” I remind Libby as I open the door for her.

“They’re closed, you weirdo. Where are we?”

Leading her to the back of my vehicle, I pop the hatch open and guide her to sit down before pressing a kiss to her lips.

“Keep ’em closed. Let me get the cocoa.” After retrieving our drinks, I settle in beside her and cover us with a light blanket. “Okay, you can look now.

“Am I going to see your penis when I open my eyes?”

I chuckle. “No, I’m saving that for when we get back to my house. You can penis-gaze to your heart’s content.” Focusing on her face, I watch the wonder in her eyes when her lids lift.

“Riggs, it’s gorgeous!” she gasps.

My chest swells because I love sharing things with her, making her happy. I finally pull my eyes from her and look beyond the vehicle. The local lighthouse has been draped so it looks like a Christmas tree, the tiny white lights sparkling against the dark backdrop of night.

We snuggle close together and drink our cocoa as we enjoy the beautiful sight in front of us. No words are spoken. We’re simplybeing.

Turning my head, I kiss Libby’s temple and she looks up at me with stars in her eyes, literally and figuratively. “Thank you, Riggs.”

“You’re welcome, baby.” Our lips brush for a brief second, and my next words whisper against her soft mouth. “I’ve never felt like this with anyone.”

“Me neither.”

I kiss her again—more deeply this time—tasting the marshmallow and chocolate on her tongue, but the flavor is nowhere as sweet as the emotions surging through my chest.

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