Page 55 of Dozer

“I still love him, and I still wish he saw me as more than sweet, virgin Levi.” She stood, came to the bed, and sat on the edge. “You aren’t going to be her boyfriend, so just be her friend.”

“And spend every minute with my dick hard and a knife in my chest because I can’t stop thinking about her naked.”

“Want me to tell you how Romeo makes me wet, and I don’t even know what I’m missing out on?I’m still a virgin, Dozer, because I’ve stupidly been waiting for him to finish fucking…everyone else.”

I cupped her cheek. “He doesn’t deserve you. No one does.”

“I’m going to be twenty-two in a couple months. I can’t wait forever. You want me to die a virgin?”

“Fuck, no. Just make sure whoever he is knows how special you are.”

She bent over and kissed me in a closed-mouthed friend peck. “What are you going to do?”

Fuck. I pulled out my cell phone and sent Pippa a text. “I’m going to be her friend.”

Pippa

My stomach hurt, my eyes burned, my chest felt as if someone had parked a truck on it, and the organ inside was slowly dying from the pressure. What had happened between good night and good morning?

Going to Claudia’s baby shower was going to take my day from miserable to wretched. Maybe it couldn’t get much worse. Dozer had carved a whole in my chest. I’d never felt this hollow and empty.

I picked a pink, summer dress with cap sleeves. Something my mother would love and my dad would think appropriate for his princess. The dress draped to just above the knee. At least, I’d look like I had legs.

Sitting on the edge of my bed, I slipped on wedge sandals. My phone pinged.

Dozer:Is Romeo going with you?

I hadn’t asked him again because I didn’t need the extra complication. Romeo had done me a favor when he’d declined to go. No boyfriend was better than one that would send my dad into orbit. Dozer was too intimidating, and Romeo looked too naughty.

Pippa:No. I’ll be fine.

Three dots appeared so I knew he was typing. Apparently typing a book since I was still waiting. And waiting.

Dozer:You sound like me. I’ll go with you. We’re friends and friends do favors. See you in twenty minutes.

Shit. I dropped the phone on my bed and rushed into the bathroom. I worried my bottom lip between my teeth.

Definitely the wrong look. I jerked the clip from my hair and fluffed my curls. Then I added a bit of darker shadow to my eyelids. Better.

I ran my hands over the dress. Maybe this dress was too girly. My breasts filled the top and the hem showed plenty of skin. Tucking my thumbs into my plain, white panties, I stripped them off and rushed to my dresser. In a mad scramble, I plucked a lacy, pink pair and stepped into them.

I grabbed my over-the-shoulder clutch purse and my keys.

If anything, my racing heart told me that I wasn’t done with Dozer. He said he couldn’t be with me, but I was going to prove to him he couldn’t stay away.

I sat on the couch, chewed my nails, and listened for the roar of his motorcycle.

Nervous energy tainted my blood.

Oh shit. He was here. I rushed to the kitchen door, opened it, and pressed the button for the automatic door.

He cut the engine on the bike. “Ready?”

“Yeah, do you want to park your bike in the garage?”

He smiled, showing teeth, and crinkling the corners of his eyes.

I melted.

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