Giving It All
Page 29
The part of him that lived in a house with his best friends from high school? That made dirty jokes and fart noises with his armpit when Josh was in the hot tub? That part wanted to tell Summer exactly how stiff he could be.
But he didn’t. No point in going there. Instead, to keep at the polite small talk since they were still headed the same way on the sidewalk, Riley asked, “Why did you leave the brunch early?”
“Work.”
“Big folding emergency at your store?” Riley wasn’t proud of the dig. But Summer annoyed him. Their Labor Day Weekend brunch was a tradition. Their roof deck had a terrific view of the District, Josh’s food was amazing, and a lot of women would kill to be invited. How could she just abandon her best friend like that?
The fact that he’d left early for the very same reason? That he’d left behind his four best friends, drinking and telling stories in a way that still felt new all over again with Logan finally back?
Not the point.
Not his point, anyway.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Summer lifted her voice, as she was now several steps away.
Flakey. Her brain flaked off in more directions than when he’d bit into an almond croissant this morning. Another reason she drove him nuts. Nothing about her was reasoned or orderly. Especially not the dark hair that the breeze blew across her breasts. “I’m crossing the street.”
“Me, too.” She extended an arm to indicate the low, curved white wall a block away. “The Dupont Circle Metro station’s right over there.”
“I know that.”
“Oh my God.” Her hand flew to cover her mouth. It did not prevent a giggle from escaping. “Are you seriously walking an extra ten steps just to use the crosswalk?”
Riley could not believe they were even having this conversation. That they were yelling at each other across five cracked squares of cement because neither one of them would give in an inch, conversationally or directionally. “Of course.”
“How old are you?”
He should just walk away. But Riley truly liked Chloe, and Griffin truly loved her. Which meant putting up with her nutcase friend. On a sigh, he said, “Twenty-eight.”
“Have you ever jaywalked?”
“Of course not.” Had she lost her mind? “I’m the investigator-in-charge for the Office of Highway Safety in the National Transportation Safety Board. I’ve seen vehicular accidents, on streets no busier than this one, that would make you lose your lunch.”
This time Summer clutched her stomach as she bent in half, laughter rolling out of her mouth in annoyingly musical waves. “From jaywalking?”
Actually, no. But he damn well wouldn’t clarify that point now. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest. “Respecting the rules of the road keeps everyone safe.”
“Don’t you ever take risks?”
“No.” Riley could state that categorically and truthfully. He’d spent his whole life mitigating risk. Educating himself to prevent any possible risk from occurring. He knew how to escape a car if it plunged underwater. How to start a fire in any condition. How to rock climb without ropes. He’d even learned Spanish and French, and was contemplating taking up Chinese. “It’s too dangerous.”
“Come on, do something risky.” Straightening up, she crooked a finger and slid him a sultry look of invitation from beneath half-lowered lids. Christ. A woman should not be able to look that sexy at noon on a Sunday in broad daylight. “Jaywalk with me. It’ll be good for you. You’re too serious, Riley.”
“This, coming from the girl who just plays with dresses all day?” He snorted. What did she ever risk? Getting a paper cut from a price tag? “In my world, people can die from a car trying to outrun a train. Someone checks their Instagram feed a little too long while they’re behind the wheel, and people die. If I use the crosswalk, I cut my chances by more than seventy percent of accidentally being mowed down.”
“Living forever’s only fun if you truly live.”
That jab stung. Because it was the same riff the guys threw at him over and over again. “I live. I’m not agoraphobic. I just follow the rules. Obey the speed limit. Turn off my phone before the plane starts to taxi.”
Summer tossed her cloud of hair back. Gave him a knowing look. No, a knowing smirk. “Oh, I get it now.”
“What?”
“You’re not uptight. You’re chicken.”
The woman had crossed a line. He’d gone through wilderness training and survival training. He’d climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. Become a black belt in tae kwon do. He’d pushed himself to physical and mental limits most men wouldn’t be able to attain. Being sensible? In no fucking way was it comparable to being scared.
Riley’s long strides ate up the distance between them. Furious, he spat out, “You want me to try something risky?”
“Yes. Just once. But I don’t think you’ve got the balls,” she taunted.
Riley grabbed her face with both hands. Her lips parted in surprise. And he swooped right onto them.
Her lips were soft. So soft and pliable it almost deterred him. But then…they were so soft and pliable that he couldn’t possibly stop. Instead of holding her still, his hands curved to cup the back of her head, his thumbs caressing those impossibly high cheekbones that gave her the look of someone made to walk a runway.
Riley nipped at her wide bottom lip. Soothed it with a stroke of his tongue that savored the sweet, lingering tang of the orange cream cheese icing on the cinnamon rolls from brunch. He wanted to keep going. To nip and bite and lick down her neck, over the side of the breasts she’d flashed at him all day. To gobble down her sweetness and spice just like he had those rolls.
Her moan refocused him. This wasn’t just following through on a dare anymore. This was a real kiss. A real moment of pure, physical pleasure. So he dropped his hands to the small of her back and hauled Summer tightly against him.
Thanks to her ridiculous—and ridiculously sexy—high heels, everything lined up right. The notch between her thighs ground right against his dick behind the suddenly too-tight fly of his shorts. Breasts plumped into his chest. Breasts he was pretty sure he could fit entirely into his mouth…since he might have pictured it a time or ten since meeting her in the spring. Tight nipples insistently poked at his pecs.
The kiss kept going. Ry slipped his tongue in as she let out a kittenish purr. God, it was the sexiest sound he’d ever heard. The soft, tiny mewl fired through his blood. Fired him up. His tongue tangled with hers. Like they were two swords, fencing for the win. Because there would damn sure be a winner. The way they were both grappling at each other? It wasn’t just fun. It was about proving something.
Her mouth—made for kissing. And more. His tongue slid deep. Felt her wetness. And Riley couldn’t help imagining how all that warm wetness would feel locked around another part of his body. Summer’s hands came up to fist in his shirt. Shit. For a second, he worried she’d push him away. But then those fists pulled him even closer. One smooth calf twined around his. He wanted to walk her back ten steps to the nearest tree and just sink into her.
Which was crazy. Riley didn’t even like this woman. He’d kissed her to save his pride. Defend his honor. Get her off his back. And now he wanted to put Summer on hers, spread her thighs, and—
That was it. Riley let go. Let go of the sweet ass he didn’t even remember moving his hands down to squeeze. Let go of those luscious lips. Yanked his head back and deliberately stepped out of the semicircle of her curved leg.
“You and I both know that was the riskiest damn thing I could possibly do today.” Riley looked at her still unfocused eyes, her kiss-swollen lips. Proof that she’d enjoyed it every bit as much as he had. “Oh, and you also know now that I’ve got the balls. I’ve got the whole package.”
Then he forced his hands to unclench and took off for the Metro stop. Took the escalator down to the subway two steps at a time. And didn’t bother to look back for her even once.
Love stories you’ll never forget<
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By authors you’ll always remember
eOriginal Romance from Random House
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