Page 10 of Craving the Player

I’mnot sure I’mabig fan of this Clayton guy. But then again, I’msure that I’mnot afan of Braden either.

"It was mortifying, Soph. You should have seen the arrogant look on his face when he saw me." Icontinue ranting to my best friend, wrapping my hair around my finger as Ilean back in one of her patio chairs later that day.

"He sounds kind of hot.” She takes abig sip of her lemonade, nearly finishing it off in one go.

"Sophie,” Ireprimand her.

"What? He was, wasn'the? You have to help me out here. Last night was one big cyclone of blurred figures for me.”

"Well yeah," Iscoff, incredulous. "Not as hot as Braden, though. Not by along shot." An array of dirty thoughts—or more so memories—infiltrate my scattered brain before Iquickly shake them away.

"Right, the guy you ran off on after he rattled your insides like no other guy has before.” She shakes her head like adisappointed parent.

Brushing off her last few words, Ibite my cheek. “You would have acted the same way. He’stoo hot, you know? Like the hot you can only read about.”

Right,” she drawls. “Silly me to think you would have stayed for at least one more orgasm before ditching.”

Thoughts of what would have happened if Ihadn’trun out before Braden woke up have been festering all day. Would we have avoided the painful good morning and moved straight to slipping back under the sheets? Or would he have looked at me with regret and revulsion, questioning why Iwas still in his bed? I’mnot sure the risk of maybe having his tongue between my thighs again would have been worth the embarrassment.

“How did it go after Ileft you and Ethan alone, anyway? You haven’tsaid anything.” Ichange the subject with anewly formed twist in my belly and adjust my sunglasses to distract myself before Ican dwell on it for too long.

“Before or after we came here?” she asks indifferently, playing coy.

“You came here?” Iask, startled. “And?”

“Idon’tkiss and tell.” She fights back agrin and her neck flushes.

Isend her apointed look. One that says, you’re really going to pull that shit? “Hypocrisy at its finest.”

“You love me anyway.”

“Ido. And if you love me, you’ll let me out of this damn sun before Iturn into alobster. You know how bad Iburn.”

Her dramatic sigh has my lips tugging up as Islide my sunglasses up into my hair and stand up.

Iwalk around her parent’slarge, rectangular pool and pull open the glass patio door. Sophie’ssandals slide across the patio tiles as she steps up behind me. Asearing pain flames from my shoulder when she flicks my burning back, giggling maniacally before pushing past me.

“Sophie!” Ishriek and chase after her, face tense with irritation. Her laughter reverberates through the house and weakens my resolve. Damn her for falling into the vacant spot of best friend all those years ago. She’sexhausting, but Idon’tthink that Icould imagine her any other way.

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