Page 51 of Rating the Book Boyfriend

Walking swiftly to the door, I swing it open and donotfind a brown-clad delivery driver. No, I find a suit-clad Riggs Romero. And dear, sweet baby Jesus, the man can wear the fucking hell out of a suit.

I haven’t seen him in person in over a week, though we text almost every day. Nothing serious, just funny memes and jokes to make the other laugh, and he occasionally calls to ask a book-boyfriend question that I’m pretty sure he already knows the answer to.

Christ, I’ve missed his face.And that’s not good. Not good at all.

“R-riggs, hi,” I practically gush as I rein in my urge to grab him by his red tie and yank him into my house. “Come in.”

He blesses my soul with one of those radiant smiles. “I can just stay for a second because I’m on lunch break. I wanted to bring you this.”

Closing the door behind him, I take the proffered bag and look inside. Flip-flops… the exact same color as the ones Ace had gnawed to shreds.

“I told you not to worry about it,” I protest.

“I know, but I felt bad.” His teeth sink into his bottom lip, giving him a shy appearance. “There’s something else in the bag too.”

I dig around until my fingers wrap around something small and cool, and I pull it out. A magnet sparkles from my palm, a glittery sunset withPort Saint Joebeneath it.

“I didn’t know if you’d gotten one since you arrived.” His cheeks pinken in the most adorable flush. “They had several, but this one had lots of yellow, and I know that’s your favorite.”

“I love it.” I run my finger over the sparkly plastic. There is indeed a lot of yellow.Why the hell are my eyes feeling extremely watery right now?“This is the most thoughtful gift I’ve gotten in a long time, Riggs. Thank you.”

His grin is wide and happy. “Good, I’m glad you like it.” He squeezes my shoulder, and that big hand of his gives me thoughts I most definitely shouldn’t be having. “When are we meeting again?”

Fuck. My mind scrambles for a way to tell him that he can’t be my client anymore. Faking a smile, I put on my chirpiest voice. “I have great news for you, Mr. Romero.”

“What’s that, Ms. Hill?”

Why does he have to sound so decadent when saying my name?

“You’ve, um, graduated from Book Boyfriend University. With honors!” God that sounds so fakely cheerful. To add to my awkwardness, I shake both fists in the air in aYAYgesture.

A frown creases his brow. “What does that mean?”

“It means I’ve assessed everything we’ve done and determined we’re all done with the book-boyfriend training.”

Cupping a hand around the back of his neck and massaging, he appears to be upset. “So you’re saying I’m hopeless.”

“Not at all,” I say quickly. “I’m saying you are officially a book boyfriend and don’t need my help anymore.”You’re perfect…

“So we don’t get to… we can’t…” The lines between his eyebrows turn into deep ditches as he pulls his eyes to the side and spots the pictures, hammer, and nails on the chair. “I can come help you hang the pictures later,” he says suddenly.

“Oh.” I blink rapidly, unsure what to say.

“I have one of those laser levels that will make sure everything is hung properly.”

Against my better judgment, I acquiesce. “Okay, that would be great.”

Riggs visibly relaxes. “Okay, good. I’ll call you. Maybe this weekend after Thanksgiving?”

“Sure.” The thought of seeing him one last time is bittersweet.

“Do you have plans for Thanksgiving? I know you’re new in town.”

“Yeah, my friend Sonya invited me to her family’s celebration.”

“That’s good. I’m glad you have someone.” His right hand twitches and then balls into a fist at his side, like he’s trying to keep from touching me. “Do you think we can still be friends, Libby?”

I’m touched but also a bit apprehensive. This does not seem like a good idea, given my crush on this man who’s in a relationship with someone else. “I’d like that,” I say anyway, and he smiles down at me, mischief draping over his gorgeous lips.

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