Page 104 of Best Friends for Never

“Of me or you?” she challenges, and it feels like a trap.

“Both?”

She pats my chest. “Good answer.”

Phew.

She grabs the flowers I’ve placed on the stool and moves them to the center of the table, arranging them just so.

“There,” she says once she’s satisfied. “Much better.”

“You know, I think this deserves a test. Let’s not put flowers on a few tables and see if the teams without them lose or win.”

She rolls her eyes. “How about we don’t?”

“Or we could just get rid of them entirely. Besides, it’s one less thing I have to throw off the table when I ravage you on top of it later.”

“Noel!” she hisses for the second time, and I can’t help but grin.

God, I love messing with her.

Well, I’m notentirelymessing with her. If we’re left to cleanup duty again, that issohappening.

“You’re impossible, you know that?” she whispers, her eyes still darting around to see if anyone is paying attention.

They aren’t.

Fran is busy bringing in the extra chairs and tables, Astrid and Clifford are off flirting in the opposite corner, and Garth, the owner, is perfecting the audio system in the bowling alley so everyone can hear the door prizes we’re offering throughout the night, an idea Gran had that we rolled with at the last minute. We reel them in with the promised trivia and bowling, then get them to stay and spend more moneyby offering up raffle tickets for cheap prizes and donated gift cards from local businesses. It’s a win all around.

Nobody cares what we’re doing, so I can do whatever I want.

So, I do.

I grab her waist, tugging her to me, and she comes effortlessly, falling against me like it’s second nature.

“Hi.” I smile down at her.

Her eyes sparkle with giddiness. “Hi.”

“Whatcha doing after this?”

“Uh, going home to change into ... well, not paint-stained overalls?”

“Can I watch?”

She laughs. “Again, impossible.”

“Am not. I’m perfectly possible. I just know what I like.”

“Yeah, and what’s that?”

“You.”

Her eyes widen, and I can’t help myself—I kiss her.

She pauses for only a moment, then she’s melting into me.

I guess she doesn’t care about everyone else being here as much as she says.

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