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I flip him the bird without taking my lips from hers. Riley puts her hand her my chest, pushing me back. Lust swirls in her eyes as she reluctantly releases her legs from my waist. A deep groan slips from my lips as she slowly slides down my body till her feet are steady on the ground.
Riley sashays over to Tanner and pulls him into a hug. “I’m so proud of both my boys.”
“Oh, yeah?” Tanner smirks. “If my skillsonthe field were impressive, you should see what I can dooffthe field. Finally ready to be with a real man, baby cakes?“ When he waggles his eyebrows at her, I can’t help but laugh at him. His flirtatious and teasing tones might work on other girls, but not mine.
Riley scrunches her nose and laughs. “Ew, don’t be gross, Hayes.”
Linking my fingers with hers, I tug Riley against my chest protectively.
“Hey, get your own girl to celebrate the victory with,” I growl.
Tanner throws his head back in laughter. “Nah, I’m good, actually,” he responds, glancing around the crowd before pulling a flask from his duffel bag. “Max’s older brother got us some of the good stuff, so I’ve got my victory right here.”
He cheers and takes a small swig. He offers it to me, but I decline, so he quickly places it back in his bag before someone notices.
All our lives, our sole focus has been baseball—it still is. Our dedication meant not much time for partying and alcohol, but this is a celebration. Our victory is the perfect sendoff for Tanner and me, who are both heading off to Chicago in a few short weeks for training after being drafted by the Knights.
Meadows Ridge, North Carolina, is barely a blip on the map, but now two of its residents are heading to the majors. With Tanner’s ability to block wild pitches in the dirt and good pop time–throwing players out at second and third base, not to mention he can offensively hit as well as catch, and my strong, effortless arm and excellent ERA (earned run average) as pitcher, we are a lethal combo. We are going to take the baseball world by storm—just like we’ve dreamed of since our T-ball days.
“Tanner,” a bubbly voice calls out. Although she enunciates each syllable as if his name is actually two words—Tan-ner—it comes off more like a toddler whining. Jessie Hall runs toward him, her blonde ponytail perched on top of her head swaying side to side as she approaches.
I’m pretty sure she’s slept with the entire varsity baseball team. Yours truly not included, of course.Thank God.This beauty beside me has held my heart since I first laid eyes on her in the boys’ locker room at the start of sophomore year. I will never forget the blush that came over her body as she realized she was in the wrong place. We’ve been inseparable ever since.
“Or maybe he won’t be alone at all,” Riley mumbles under her breath, hiding it with a giggle as Tanner seems to fall under Jesse’s spell.
My breath fans over Riley’s ear. “Quick, let’s get out of here.” She nods, and I swiftly turn us away from Tanner and Jess and lead us toward the parking lot.
We’re almost to where her black Honda Civic is parked when she slips from my grasp and turns to face me, now walking backward. Riley laughs as she holds out her hand in front of us, pretending to be a reporter with a microphone in hand.
“So, Cooper Graham, you just won the North Carolina State Baseball Championship, including being named MVP. What are you going to do now?”
If she expects me to answer like a football player after winning the big game and say I’m going to Disney World, she’s going to be highly disappointed. When we finally reach her car, I back her up, caging her between me and the passenger door.
“Hmm, I can think of a few things. Like this—“ I lean in and press soft kisses against her collarbone, working my way up her neck. She shivers when I reach that sweet spot just under her ear. I know it’s not from the warm air of a typical North Carolina spring evening but from my touch.
“That girl is batshit crazy,” Tanner shouts, repeating thebatshit crazypart as he catches up to us. I guess he didn’t think she was so batshit crazy when she sucked his dick last summer.
“Well, so much for being alone,” I mutter, dropping my forehead against Riley’s shoulder.
“Just take me home, and then you two can do whatever it is you grossly cute couples do when I’m not around.”
“When are you not around, exactly?” Riley taunts him. Their friendship always makes me smile. Even though they’ve only known each other for three years, it feels like it’s been the three of us all along. They bicker like siblings, and I know without a doubt my best friend is just as protective of her as I am.
Tanner holds up his pointer finger and winks. “Touché. But I know what y’all are like when I’m around, so I don’t need to bleach my brain at the thought of what it’s like when I’m not.”
He grimaces and shivers dramatically, causing me to roll my eyes. We’ve both caught him in far worse positions than he did just now with us. All I would need to say is “Mistletoe Meltdown,”and he would eat his words, but I keep my mouth shut.
I feel the vibrations of Riley’s laughter against my body. It flows through me like an electric current and goes straight to my dick.
I take a step back from her and carefully adjust myself, hoping no one notices. The last thing I need right now is Tanner looking down and seeing how hard I am and making his jokes at my expense.
“Ry-Ry, you might not say it aloud, but you know you’re gonna miss me in the fall.” He steps up and taps her on the nose, knowing damn well she hates the gesture.
Tanner and I aren’t the only ones leaving Meadows Ridge to chase our dream. Riley was accepted to the Hamilton School of the Arts in Boston on a full dance scholarship. I could not be prouder of her.
“Whatever,” she lies through her teeth before turning to me and holding up her keys. “You’re driving, Mr. MVP.”
I snag the keys from her as she presses up on her toes and kisses me quickly. Riley doesn’t give me a chance to deepen the kiss before she pulls back and climbs into the passenger seat of her car.
