Naked Edge by Charli Webb

just call him my boyfriend?
    “Were any teeth knocked out?”
    I repeat the question to Rowdy. He lowers his hand and opens his mouth.
    I cringe when I see the damage. “No, but one of his front teeth is really crooked. And it wasn’t like that before.”
    I run to the family room to tell Boone what happened and once again borrow his car. I try to apologize to Rowdy during the drive to Boulder but he just holds a hand up and shakes his head. I guess he doesn’t want to hear it.  
    The storm catches up with us just as I turn onto Broadway. I love thunderstorms, but I can’t enjoy this one. I’m a walking disaster zone. First Boone, now Rowdy. I wonder who’s next?  
    Dr. Maxwell meets us at the front door of his office building. I hold my breath as he examines Rowdy’s mouth.  
    “Is he okay? He’s not going to lose the tooth, right?”
    “Not if I can help it.” Dr. Maxwell explains each step of the process as he examines and then splints Rowdy’s tooth. Basically, all he does is straighten it out then glue it to the adjoining, undamaged teeth on either side with little globs of resin. He shines a bright, blue light on it for a few seconds then leans back and removes his latex gloves, tossing them into a biohazard bin. He claps Rowdy on the shoulder. “Call my office tomorrow and set up an appointment for two weeks from today. Nothing but soft food for the first week.”
    “Soft food?” It sounds more like ‘thof foo.’ Rowdy closes his eyes and groans.
    Dr. Maxwell chuckles. “You let me poke and prod a lateral luxation without complaint, but the thought of a restricted diet makes you whine?”  
    Rowdy rolls his eyes then points at my chest. “Smoothies. Lots and lots of smoothies.”
    It takes a second for my brain to decipher his impaired speech. But when it does, I know exactly what he wants.
    “Chocolate, banana and peanut butter?” Aunt Lori used to make smoothies for all of us when we were kids. Rowdy was the only one that liked peanut butter in his.  
    He grins and nods. “Lots of peanut butter.”
    “You got it.” The lump in my throat swells. Not only is it obvious that Rowdy’s forgiven me for practically knocking his tooth out, he’s going to let me take care of him.  
    Since we’re already in Boulder, Rowdy insists I drop him off to get his car.  
    The storm blows itself out before we get back to the house. Rowdy parks behind me then jogs to Boone’s car and opens my door. The clean scent of rain and pine is a welcome change to the usual dust.  
    When we get inside, I notice that Boone is no longer in the recliner. I follow Rowdy upstairs, admiring the view of his muscular butt. He walks past Boone’s closed door and leans against the wall next to my room, feet spread a few inches more than shoulder width apart.  
    I hope he doesn’t think he’s going to be spending the night in my bed. I’d love to fall asleep wrapped up in his arms, but I don’t trust myself.  
    He hooks his thumbs in the waistband of his sweats, tugging them dangerously low. His fingers fan out over his hip bones. “Do I get a goodnight kiss?”
    “Are you sure you want one?” Not only did I mess up his tooth, I also split his lip.
    “I want a lot more, but I’ll settle for a kiss.” He takes my wrists and leads me into the space between his legs, placing my hands on his chest. His heart thumps against my palm. It’s beating almost as fast as mine. He grabs my ass and pulls me closer. The evidence of just how much more he wants presses against my stomach, causing every muscle below my waist to clench. His gaze drops to my breasts. I’m sure he’s getting an eyeful. I can feel my nipples straining against the thin fabric of my t-shirt.  
    My knees turn to jello. I slide down his body. Not far, just a couple of inches, but that slight amount of friction triggers a needy whimper.
    Rowdy growls in response. His abs contract as he sucks in a breath through his teeth.  
    I try to pull back, but