Winning my Best Friend's Girl - Piper Rayne Page 0,17

skirt and blouse still on.

Oh shit. The cold water feels like a vise squeezing the air from my chest. I emerge from under the water to a splash in front of me. Two arms wrap around me and pull me to the edge of the dock.

“You’re crazy,” he says.

“I can swim, Kingston.” I slide out from his hold and we both climb out of the water.

“Come on.” He picks up my clothes and boots. “My truck is around the corner. You’ve got to warm up.”

We run to his truck, shivering the whole time, and a laugh bubbles out of me, quickly turning into hysteria. “I can’t believe I did that. I get why you do it. I’ve never felt so alive.”

“Never do anything like that again,” he says, pulling blankets from the back of his truck and starting the engine. “You have to strip down, I won’t look.” He turns his back, and I watch him peel off his own shirt.

I quickly undress and put my coat back on. When we’re wrapped in blankets, he ushers me into his truck and we sit in silence with our hands in front of the heat vents. The windows fog up and it feels as though we’re in our own private igloo.

“You can’t do crazy shit like that,” he says, turning his eyes on me.

“Why? I loved it.”

When he faces me, the sexual energy between us ignites. It’s always been there, but I’ve ignored it until this moment. For the first time, I feel as if someone really sees me. Not as the good student or the dutiful daughter. As the girl who’s carried on with the scars of losing a parent. He recognizes my grief because he bears the same pain.

“Because you’re better than that,” he says. “You’ll do something good with that pain.”

I sink into his truck seat, his words knocking me off my axis. I have to remind myself he’s not mine to reassure of his own worth. I’m dating Owen, and their friendship has already been slowly chipped away because of that. I can’t make it any worse.

“King,” I whisper, and he turns away from the heater. “You know how amazing of a person you are, right?”

He laughs. “Of course. Don’t get all Psych 101 on me, Harrison.”

I smile and let him deflect because I’m scared what will happen if I don’t.

“So you kissed?” Allie interrupts.

I wake up from the memory, staring at the plates of food in front of us. “No. We didn’t.”

“So you jumped in a lake. That’s all.” She sounds disappointed.

I smile, remembering the feeling of the cold water hitting my skin. “I guess you had to be there.”

“I will get it out of you eventually!” She points at me with her quesadilla in hand.

I laugh because I’m not sure anyone understands the bond between Kingston and me. All anyone sees is a guy who fell in love with his best friend’s girlfriend, but we’re so much more than that.

Eight

Kingston

Samantha’s already at Tipsy Turvy’s when I arrive. As soon as she spots me, her hand is in the air, flagging me down. Her enthusiastic wave is unnecessary since it’s a weekday night, and the bar isn’t busting at the seams or anything.

I shrug off my jacket and slide onto the bar stool beside her. The waitress comes over and I order a beer. Samantha says she’s good with what she’s got right now. I eye her drink to see it’s some kind of cocktail.

“So how was your shift?” she asks.

“Good. Nothing major.” My attention goes to the football game on the television.

“Remember that Adventure Race I was talking to you about?” she asks.

I look at her and nod, thanking the waitress when she brings over my beer.

“The sign-up is next week. Are you still interested?”

I know right away that I need to be straight in this situation. “I am, but there’s something we should talk about first.”

She leans back and her lips wrap around the small black straw.

“I’m not looking for a relationship right now.”

A loud and annoying laugh erupts out of her, and I look around to see how many people are staring at us. Thankfully, it’s a weekday night. “Well, thanks for the disclaimer, but I know you’re not a relationship kind of guy.”

I’m so sick of this reputation I’ve been given. “Why do you say that?”

“Because you’re… you, Romeo.”

I sip my beer then cross my arms. It’s not like I’m gonna tell her why I’m not looking for a relationship. I thought maybe