Page 47 of What are the Risks
“Fuck no. I’d rip his eyes out before I let him see that.”
Ruby snorted. “Fullbacks generally need their eyes to play football.”
“Yeah. Well.” I shrugged. “I thought you’d know by now that you’re more important to me than football.”
“Don’t think you can sweet talk your way out of seeing a near-naked photo of me.”
My body responded to her reminder – my skin, my blood, my soul. It was starting to react toeverythingshe did. The fact that she was wearing nothing but my shirt tonight wasn’t helping the situation either. Ruby dressed in my clothes was driving me wild.
She scooted closer, swallowing slowly. “Well, since you’ve seen it...” She lowered her voice, her words coming out a little unsure. “What did you think?”
“You don’t want to know, Rubz.”
“That bad, huh?”
“Definitely not.”
My gaze darkened as I became a version of myself Ruby had never seen – someone who wanted something. Or better yet, someone.
“Absolutelynot. That picture...”
I couldn’t shake the image of her in that simple white lingerie, smooth and silky against her skin. The way the bra curved around her full breasts, dipping between her cleavage. The matching underwear that was cut high, showcasing the innocent skin between her thighs and hips.
Realising the photo had been taken in my mirror added a whole other layer of torture. The thought of her dressed like that inmybathroom – the same bathroom I showered in each day – was sending me crazy.
The image would forever be ingrained in my mind. Nothing I could do about it now.
Even though I’d hurriedly closed out of it and forbid myself from looking again, it hadn’t stopped my imagination from drawing on it while I rubbed one out last night.
Yeah. Jerking off to my best friend. I was fucked.
“You’d be mortified if you knew, Rubz.”
I’d expected Ruby to shy away, but she didn’t move an inch. I’d kill to know what she was thinking. I’d kill to know whatIwas thinking. What was I playing at? She was my best friend. She had a boyfriend. She wasn’t interested in me that way...
But then why had her hand just settled over mine? And why was she trailing her fingertips along my forearm?
“Tell me,” she whispered.
We were in dangerous territory. The inches between us had vanished entirely. When did that happen? Was it her or me?
I forcibly swallowed the growl that was waiting in my throat. “Rubz–”
Miranda yanked my face toward hers, and before I could process what was happening, her lips were on mine. Over the loud music, I could make out Evan and Elizabeth cheering us on from one side, and on the other, I felt the loss of warmth as Ruby slipped away.
Miranda’s tongue nudged against my closed lips, demanding entry. I could taste the remnants of her vodka and feel the stickiness of her lip gloss. When I opened my mouth to tell her I wasn’t into it, she used the opportunity to ram her tongue inside.
With my eyes awkwardly wide open, I tried checking where Ruby had run off to, but Miranda had her hands glued to each of my cheeks, holding my face captive.
Not seeing any other way out, I snatched my head back, giving myself an awkward stack of double chins in the process. With a wicked gleam in her eyes, Miranda pointedly held my gaze for a moment before leaning towards Elizabeth and proceeding to make out with her.
The chat in the bathroom must have gone well.
Evan was transfixed, like a moth drawn to a flame. I’d never seen him speechless like this before. It’s like he’d just won the National Championship, hit the Powerball and met Sydney Sweeney all at once.
Lifting Miranda off my lap, I hurriedly slipped from the booth. She broke off her kiss with Elizabeth, peering up at me with hooded eyes.
I knew I was the jerk in this situation. I’d flirted with her all night and led her to believe something might happen. But that had only been because I was selfishly trying to distract myself from the girl who’d just run out of here.
