Page 76 of Rating the Book Boyfriend

CHAPTER 24

Riggs

It’s been a week since Libby and I returned from New York, and I’m fucking gone for this woman. She didn’t worm her way under my skin. No, she dove in and implanted herself there.

I park in front of our usual pub and sit in my truck for a few minutes, remembering last Sunday, our last day in New York before we’d taken a late flight back to Florida. We’d spent the entire day walking around downtown, shopping and holding hands. I’d kissed her every time the mood struck me, which was surprisingly frequent.

Reaching for my phone, I smiled at the lock screen photo, one of Libby and me in front of the huge Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. Her eyes are bright and her smile brilliant in the pic. And me? Fuck, I look like a lovesick puppy, gazing down at her in her jeans, boots, red sweater, and black peacoat.

She is absolutely the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen, and as I get to know her better, she only gets more attractive to me. Her heart is as big as her home state of Texas, and that’s the most beautiful thing about her.

Stowing my phone in my pocket, I climb out of my truck and enter the pub to find Ty sitting in a green vinyl booth. “What’s up, Mills?” I ask, sliding in across from him.

“Romero,” he says with a grin. “Salazar will be a few minutes late.”

Yes, we’re those guys who call each other by their last names, but we actually have a good reason. When we met in our college dorm as suitemates, the fourth member of our group was, oddly enough, also named Tyson. So to avoid confusion, the last names thing was born.

We order our beers, and by the time the waitress drops off our drinks, Salazar arrives. “How’s it going with New Erica?” he asks Mills.

Our friend’s face softens. “I told her about the whole dick tattoo mix-up, and she was very understanding.”

“She didn’t freak out?”

“Nope.” He glances around the room and lowers his voice. “She said she’s going to imagine that I got it for her because she realized she has a bit of a stalker kink. We’ve been… exploring that with some role playing.”

“Sounds hot,” Salazar says before turning to me. “Romero, weren’t you on the cover of a stalker book once?”

“I was.” I pull up a pic on my phone and hand it over.

Salazar rubs one side of his chest as they stare at the photo of me dressed all in black with my blue eyes narrowed at the camera. “Damn, son. You’re looking all sinister and shit. Would it make you uncomfortable if I told you this pic makes my nipples hard?”

He looks up at me, and I stare at him, deadpan. “Extremely uncomfortable. Don’t speak of your nipples again.” The asshole smirks at me.

Though my back is to the door, I know the second she enters the bar without even turning around. Since Libby andI have been dating for a couple weeks now, and it’s obviously serious, we decided to tell our friends and families about our relationship. We’re supposed to tell Salazar and Mills tonight.

Libby told me she has a plan and asked me to just roll with it. I have no idea what that plan entails, but from the wicked smile on her face when she said it, I’m sure it’s going to be entertaining.

She’s getting closer,my gut tells me as Salazar’s eyes fix over my shoulder. Then he grins and says, “Look who’s here. It’s Libbidy Bibbidy.”

Her goofy laugh reaches my ears, and my heart does a stomping River Dance in my chest when I look up at her standing beside our table. She’s wearing jeans, a white sweater, and an adorable hot-pink Santa hat.

“Hi, Tyson, Penn.” Then our eyes meet, and she says, “Riggs, correct?” I want to tell her she should know my name because she spent last night screaming it into the mattress, but I nod instead, playing along with whatever her scheme is.

“Nice to see you, Libby. Would you like to sit down?”

“That would be great.” I stand and allow her to scoot into the inside of the booth before I sit again.What the hell is she up to?

When the server comes by, Libby orders a beer, and we all make polite chit chat for a few minutes. Then she props her chin in her hand, looks up at me, and purrs, “Riggs, would you like to go out some time?”

Salazar and Mills jerk their eyes between us as I pretend to think about it. “Hmm, we could probably make that happen.”

She smiles sweetly. “How is your penis situation?”

I bite the inside of my cheek hard to keep from barking out a laugh. Mills chokes on something, and our other friend pounds him on the back.

“I’d like to say it’s strong. I haven’t had any complaints,” I assure her.

Libby gives me a stern look. “I don’t want to get involved with you only to find out you have a sub-par peen. I can’t tell you how many times that’s happened to me.”

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