Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 85157 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85157 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
I made it down a couple of aisles when I heard, “Well, if it isn’t Mr. Sexy Football Player.”
I turned around at the sound of Lincoln’s voice. “You recognized me from the back?” It wasn’t as if I knew him well…or as if we’d spent a lot of time together.
“Football players have nice asses.”
My stomach did this odd somersault thing.
“Oh, you’re blushing. Isn’t that cute. But I promised Beau I wouldn’t flirt with you.”
Well, this was interesting. I sort of forgot I was supposed to feel uncomfortable for a moment and said, “Beau asked you not to flirt with me? Why?”
“Um…because you’re straight…?”
Oh…that would make sense. Christ, what was wrong with me?
“Probably because he has a secret crush on you too, but I don’t have hard evidence on that yet.”
This time it was as if my damn gut was in the Olympics—swoops and flips and all sorts of annoying feelings. “Who could blame him? Most people do,” I teased, and Lincoln laughed.
“Yeah, I assume they do. Come on, let’s have a little fun with him. Lower your hat and put your head down so I can’t see your face.”
I did that, and Lincoln got close to me, held his phone out, and snapped a selfie.
“Is this okay?” he asked. He showed me the photo on his Instagram account—my face covered with the hat and Lincoln with a big-ass smile on his face. The caption read: Wonder what kind of trouble we can get into…
Okay, so I had to admit, I was maybe curious about Beau’s reaction. Not that he had a reason to react any certain way, but obviously, I liked to get under Beau’s skin, and I thought this might do it. “Yeah, go for it.” I glanced at Lincoln’s username as he posted it.
We spoke for a little longer, and then a woman came down the aisle, stared at me, swooped around, and came right back. There was a spark of recognition in her eyes that made my discomfort ride the dips and curves of my spine. “I think I better go,” I told him.
I was surprised when Lincoln hugged me, my arms plastered against my sides because I wasn’t really used to hugging people goodbye and grocery-store stalker-lady still had me in her sights.
From there I went straight to the registers, paid, and left. That was enough adulting for the day.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Beau
I asked Beau if he wanted to hang out today, but he said he had plans. For the first time, he didn’t offer to cancel them for me, and that made me happy. Whatever Beau was doing must be important, and I wanted him to have a good time. ~ Love, Kenny
I parked in the half-circle driveway in front of Ash’s house around eight in the morning. We’d wanted a fairly early start to get a lot of the teardown done before it got too hot. It was so strange, spending time with him again. Spending time with him where I wasn’t telling myself I hated him when in reality I’d wanted him to fuck me. Not anymore, but the deeply closeted, self-denial Beau had likely been jonesing for Ashton Carmichael’s dick just like everyone else had been back then.
Just like they were now. Not me, of course, but everyone else.
Fuck. How had I gotten on the subject of Ash’s cock?
Grumbling at myself, I got out of the truck. The window shook when I slammed the door a little too hard. I adjusted my cap backward on my head.
“What’d that door ever do to you?”
My heart did an embarrassing lurch as Ash walked around the side of the house and toward me. “Shit. I didn’t see you there. Being a stalker is creepy, ya know?”
Ash grinned, a deep dimple forming beneath the left side of his mouth. He hadn’t shaved that morning, and dark stubble covered his jaw. If Ash were someone else, I’d wonder what it would feel like as it scraped my skin—my neck, my face, my groin, my ass—but this was Ashton Carmichael, so I didn’t wonder.
“Okay, who’s creepy now? Why are you smiling at me like that? I’m so confused. You used to be all frowns around me, and now I get unexplainable smiles? What are you up to, Campbell?”
Well, shit. I shouldn’t have been smiling while thinking about stubble burn that didn’t belong to Ash. “Don’t you wish you knew?” I threw in a wink for good measure. Nodding toward my truck, I added, “I brought some tools. I wasn’t sure what you had or might need.”
“Ugh. You’re so responsible and always prepared. I guess that means we really have to work today.”
The comment made me wonder what Ash planned to do now that his football career was over, but I didn’t want to ask. It felt rude, and I’d been that to Ash too often in our lives. “Yes, we’re working. Now help me get this shit out of the truck so we can get started before it gets too hot.”