Page 31 of Breaking the Habit

Maybe that’s why she was racing around her house on the afternoon of the next match like she was late for her own wedding. Both Nikki and Fiona were in similar states of panic, which they claimed was entirely Riley’s doing.

Tonight, she wanted Levi to notice her again.

“Have you seen my mascara?” Riley screamed up the stairs to Nikki.

“You just had it!” Nikki shouted down.

Riley huffed, stomping down the hall, and then she spotted it. Sitting on an end table by the door. She didn’t understand why she was being like this. Her heart raced, and her palms sweat, and if she didn’t see Levi soon, she was going toentirely melt away. It didn’t make sense.

Fiona came out of the downstairs bathroom a moment later, mouth thin. “Okay, girl. What can I do to help?”

Riley covered her face with her hands. “I don’t know! I feel like I’m going crazy!”

Fiona cocked a knowing grin. “You’re not late. We’re going to arrive on time. You have the media pass. You look…sexy as hell.” Fiona’s gaze swept up and down Riley’s body, which was tightly outlined by a turquoise dress. Combined with her combat boots and a short leather jacket, Riley felt every inch funky and sexy.

“I’m nervous. And I don’t know why. And I hate it.”

Fiona took a deep breath, grabbing Riley’s arms. “Is it related to taking pictures?”

“No. I feel confident about that.”

“Is it related to your career in general?”

Riley tilted her head. “No. I’m financially okay for a while.”

“Is it related to the hot guy?”

The hot guy.The way they’d started referring to Levi, after Riley needed to stop hearing his name so often.

Her stomach jolted, which was a dead giveaway. “No.”

Fiona narrowed her eyes. “Well, here’s your prescription: Just have sex with him. It’ll solve all your problems.”

Riley stomped away from her friend’s intolerable rightness. Up the stairs, she called, “You almost ready? We should head out soon.”

“One sec!” Nikki called back.

Riley checked her phone, and then looked over her camera bags one last time. She was more than ready. Not just for the match. She was ready to initiate…something.

Because she still wanted Levi to be into her.

Because she missed his attention and their banter.

Even though she was the one who put a stop to it…she wanted to open up the floodgates again.

Fiona was right. They needed to have sex and be done with it.

Nikki came rushing downstairs a moment later. Riley had gotten them pretty good tickets, thanks to Travis. Despite not being MMA fans in general, they were more than curious to see Levi work his magic after Riley’s rave reviews about watching him fight. Besides, Levi really was hitting the news more and more. It wasn’t just that meme. He’d shown up in a tiny slice ofAccess Hollywoodthe other night, which had made Riley nearly choke on her pita sandwich. It was the briefest of mentions, but still. It was there.

Levi was teetering on the edge ofbeing recognized.

Which meant if Riley really did want to give in to the sexual chemistry between them, then it needed to stay that and nothing else.

The ladies packed up their things and piled into Nikki’s sedan. As they pulled out of the driveway, Nikki said, “Oh, I forgot to tell you. My mom and sister should be getting in while we’re at the fight. I told them to let themselves in.”

“Yay, family!” Riley smiled as she rummaged through her purse, looking for her phone. “They haven’t been out to visit in a while.”

“I hope my mom can sleep this time around,” Nikki muttered. “I swear that woman is secretly an owl waiting for the rustle of its approaching prey.”

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