Page 67 of Breaking the Habit

Riley huffed and sat up, reaching for her phone. She tapped something out and then showed him the screen. She’d written a note—JAMES FRANCO.

Levi snorted. “James Franco?”

“I said don’t say his name!”

“Okay, okay.” Now his cheeks hurt from smiling so much. “But what’s the deal? He’s not that bad.”

“Ugh. I cannotstandhim.” She deleted the note and tossed her phone, as if the whole thing was contaminated now. “His stupid smirk and his stupid eyes and his—” She paused, shaking her head. “No. He’s definitely no.”

Levi scooped Riley back toward him, so her head lay on his chest again. It felt better that way.

“I will never speak his name again,” Levi said. “And your secret is safe with me.”

She grinned up at him, and the moment that shivered between them made something warm and sticky blossom in his chest. Like Riley’s fingers brushing over his abs had roots, and she’d plunged them into the core of him.

Except the roots didn’t hurt. They didn’t even sting.

He wanted to see what sort of plant might grow.

Chapter 21

Riley knew as soon as she showed up to the gym the next day that it was going to be an off day for Levi.

She couldn’t say what gave it away. The air was tense in the training camp at the back of the gym. Levi, sweat already glistening on him, was punching a bag in the corner as if he’d been punished and was trying to work off his sentence. Maybe it was the way Travis had his arms crossed, pacing the far wall like a pissed-off parent.

Or maybe it was the ache in Riley’s pelvis, the lingering physical evidence that she and Levi had totally broken the rules the night before and ended up fucking right before drifting off to sleep.

She’d done her best to be good, and so had he.

But it was so damn hard.

Levi’s words rang through her as she unpacked her camera and hurried to get set up.There’s something about you I can’t say no to, Riley.

Even when his career was on the line, apparently.

Riley worked out some test shots of the gym. Lex and Cobra hung around the octagon, fixing something with the cage siding. A small group of women Riley didn’t know hung around near the doors, clearly spectating.

“Oh my god, that’shim,” one murmured.

“He is so fucking hot,” another said.

Riley’s heartrate picked up. She knew without knowing that they were talking about Levi. It could have been any man of the four of them—the staff of Holt Body Fitness was unequivocally hot—but it had to be Levi.

Riley glanced back at the women. Two tanned, toned goddesses, with long, straight blonde hair and picture-perfect makeup. Yeah, that seemed par for the course for Levi’s fanbase. They served as a reminder: she needed to get used to this. Not as his quasi-lover, but as his photographer for the next month and a half.

“Hey, do you know that Levi guy?” The shortest blonde got Riley’s attention. Her breasts looked like two perfect purple melons in her trendy sports bra.

“Uh…yeah.” Riley offered a quick smile. “Why?”

“Is he single?”

From the other side of the gym, Levi’s grunts as he pummeled the bag formed the metronome to Riley’s thoughts. “I don’t…know?”

The purple-melon blonde bit at her bottom lip, her gaze sliding back to Levi. “Isn’t he the hottest? I love guys with long hair.”

Riley swallowed, a knot forming in her gut. “Yeah. But you might wanna move along. Travis doesn’t like when people watch the training.”

It was a bald-faced lie, but she wanted these girls out of her space.

---