“I…” I swallow hard, completely lost for words.

It’s moments like this that make me forget all the rough patches we’ve been through since I’ve known him. With just a few simple words, he has the power to make me believe that I’m the most special person in the world.

“I like you, Anna. I know I’ve got a fucked up way of showing it sometimes, but I do.”

“I like you too,” I whisper.

Xavier lips pull into a huge smile. “Good. Then try to look past all the bullshit and be my friend.”

There’s that pesky ‘F’ word again—the word that’s going to drive me straight out of my mind one of these days. My hormones can only take rejection so many times before they shut down from disappointment.

But if a friend is what he wants from me, then a friend is what he shall have.

“I’m here for you. Always. You would never have had to pay me for that.”

He brings my hand up to his mouth and presses his lips to my knuckles. My toes instantly curl and I chew on the corner of my lip. Heat rises up my neck and I know my cheeks are flushed.

I glance around the room, not many people are paying any attention to our little interaction. Only one person is watching us intently.

Deena glares at me from across the room, her slender arms crossed over her chest. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s plotting how to kill me this very second in order to get me out of the picture.

I’ve made more enemies since leaving home a little over a week ago than I’ve had in my entire life. I guess this is all a part of living free and breaking rules.

I just hope I can make it through this unscathed.

The show travels from town to town so often, I don’t ever bother to unpack. I just live out of my suitcase, so to speak. It makes things so much easier.

I dig through my bag looking for a pair of clean underwear to sleep in when I notice Anna out of the corner of my eye. “Do you want to shower first, or is it okay if I do?”

She sits on the bed next to my suitcase. “I prefer to take mine in the morning.”

The thought of her naked and wet, only a room away from me, causes my cock to jerk in my jeans. I’ll have to make damn sure I’m out the door before that happens in the morning. God knows I’ll never be able to resist her if I’m here for all that.

Fuck me.

I need a distraction before I go to the shower to jerk off while thinking about her.

I force my mind to think about my upcoming match, and after a couple of seconds my dick calms down and I’m able to function like a normal human being again.

“I won’t be long. You can take the bed. I’ll make a spot on the floor.”

She shakes her head. “Don’t be ridiculous. You have a match tomorrow, you need your rest. I’ll take the floor.”

“Anna,” I warn. “There’s no way in hell I’ll allow you to sleep on the floor.”

She sighs, knowing I won’t give in on this. “Fine. We’re both adults—we can share the bed.”

I raise my eyebrows. “You’re okay with that?”

“Of course I am, silly. We’re friends, and I trust you.” She tries to play it off as a joke to make it seem like sleeping in the same bed with me isn’t a big deal, but I know her better than that.

I want her to know she can trust me. “You don’t have to—”

“No arguing. It’s a king-size bed, so it won’t be an issue.”

“You sure?” I quiz her.

“I trust you. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

“Okay then.”

I’m pretty sure I break the record for the fastest shower known to man. The idea of lying inches away from her all night sends a thrill through me. I roll my eyes at myself as I realize that I’m thinking like a fucking teenage girl excited about the possibility of touching someone I have a crush on. I scrub my hands down my face and attempt to convince myself to chill the fuck out.

I’ve got to get a handle on this thing because if this keeps up, I’m going to scare her off with my psycho obsession.

If she could ever see inside my head, she’d surely run away screaming.

As quickly as I can, I strip out of my clothes and climb into the thin nightgown I wear for bed. The sheets are cool as I slide between them, but they do nothing to calm my flushed body down. I close my eyes and quietly tell myself, “Quit being a scaredy-cat. You can do this.”

Xavier’s deep laugh reverberates on the other side of the bathroom door. “Psyching yourself up again?”

Shit. How the hell did he hear me?

“N—no. That had nothing to do with you,” I say trying to muster some confidence.

The door opens and he steps out wearing nothing but a towel and a smile.

Water drips from his hair onto his broad shoulders as he approaches the bed. I glance over to his side of the bed, and I notice his underwear is laying there.

He’s going to change right in front of me?

My heart thunders in my chest. I should look away, but I can’t help myself. I want to look at him.

Sins of the flesh really do carry some meaning. Father would be proud that I actually still remember some of the scripture.

I take a deep breath and search for a distraction. I grab the one paperback novel I brought with me off the nightstand and open it in front of my face.

It’s a romance novel, and so far the love story is very angsty and intense—which reminds me a whole lot of the relationship I have with Xavier.