Page 16 of One Spicy Summer

“Don’t dare me, Princess. I like those kinds of games.”

“So why aren’t we… y’know. Doing it?”

“Because you’re not ready. Hell,I’mnot ready.”

“What is there to be ready for?”

He taps my legs, urging me to climb off. I fall back onto the bed with a groan. “Ugh. What now?”

“I’m gonna beat Wiley’s face in.”

“Um… what?!”

Chapter Eight

Rygaard

I watch her.

She looks up at me with those wide, innocent eyes, and for a moment, I forget how to breathe.

She’s the sweetest girl I’ve ever known. But don’t let that fool you, push her to the edge, and she’ll turn the tables so fast, you’ll be the one tumbling over.

There’s so much fight in her. I can see it flickering like flames behind her eyes. She wants Wiley to pay, but not with her big brother stepping in to save the day.

“I know you don’t want me to do anything, but- ”

“It’s not that I don’twantyou to,” she interrupts, “I just don’tneedyou to. I handled it.”

“You handled it?” I raise a brow. “Really?” She nods, her mouth twitching like she’s about to grin.

“Do you even know anything about Wiley beyond that he’s got a pretty face?”

She taps her chin with a finger, tongue poking out the corner of her mouth as she pretends to think hard. “Nope,” she finally says. “Didn’t want to. I only went out with him to get your attention. So now that it worked, screw him.”

“Language.”

“What? I can cuss,” she says, pouting like it’s the most unfair thing in the world.

“It’s not ladylike, Prez.”

“Whatever,Shadow.”

“Shadow?”

“Yeah, mister ‘always lurking in the shadows to watch over me.’”

“Well, someone’s got to keep an eye on you, Little Hellion.”

“Whatever, Ry.”

I swat her backside lightly, pulling a surprised yelp from her lips. “Your brother asked me to check on you. If he finds out you kissed me, and I let you grind on me like that, he’s gonna kill me and lock you in a cave made just for you.”

She snorts. “You’re such a dipstick sometimes.” Laughing, she rubs her backside and follows me as I head for the door. “So… what are we gonna do about this?” she asks, motioning between us.

“This? As in you and me?”

“Mmhmm.”

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