Page 59 of Restrictions

I’m kidding, but I’m also not kidding. He doesn’t smile though. His face is too serious, only amplifying the previous shudder I felt, but then finally, a smirk breaks through. “I fucking knew it.”

I roll my eyes at him. “Shut. Up.”

He laughs, and so do I, and it feels good.

“I didn’t plan anything. I wasn’t trying to seduce you into something you don’t feel comfortable with.”

“Yeah, believe me, I wanted to.”

I skip over that. “I think it’s good that you want to find out who you are. That’s what college is supposed to be about anyway.”

“Yeah, I suppose. I am sorry you had to go through that today. I prefer when we’re friends though. So maybe I’m not too sorry since Sebastian is totally fine.”

I smile. “I like us as friends too. It makes things a lot easier.”

“I’m all about easy.” He wags his eyebrows, and I shake my head, resisting the bait.

No more flirting. No more swimming alone with him.

We have to be careful from now on.

26

ASHER

This last week has been good, like really good. Almost back to normal. I mean, I’m not gonna lie, every time I close my eyes to go to sleep, I see Viv in that theater chair, her biting her bottom lip and reaching into her panties.

Still,mostlyback to normal.

It’s Friday night, and after a workout in the gym and a shower, I’m on my bed with an open textbook.

So maybe nothing is the way it used to be after all.

Oh well, I have a test next week, and I don’t want to fail.

I see a shadow in the hallway and know it’s Viv. We hang out after she gets Baz to sleep some nights, although usually in a safe space like the living room. Never in the pool.

If she’s in that bikini, we have the kid right there.

So far, our plan to be just friends has been on track, but when I lift my head to say hey, I do a double take when I see how she’s dressed.

Her hair is down and curled, her make up a little darker and her shirt is a thin-strapped camisole-type top that dips low, and I mean low, showing off her perky tits with tight-ass jeans. I stare at her like a fucking idiot, trying not to stare at the heart charm on her silver necklace hanging near her phenomenal cleavage. “Viv, you going somewhere?”

Please say no.

“No.” I sigh a breath of relief as she sits on the edge of my bed, on the opposite side as me, pulling her phone from her back pocket before she sits. “Well, I don’t know. Maybe.”

“What?” I’m having a hard time following her when she’s wearing that fucking shirt with no bra, I’m guessing.

“Can you do me a favor?”

I close the book in front of me and look over at her cautiously. “What kind of favor?”

She laughs, the sound light and airy. She’s in a good mood. “Relax. It’s not a ‘do me’ favor.”Yeah, why would I want that?She holds her phone in her hand, searching for something and then handing it to me. “Can you take a picture for me?”

“Why?”

Her shoulder lifts coyly. “I downloaded Tinder, and you need a picture.”

---