Free Friend Zoned (Barnett Bulldogs #2) by Jennifer Sucevic Page A

starving.  Pasta is one of my favorites.  Total comfort food.
    “You want a glass of wine with dinner?”
    Wine…  My eyes nearly cross.  “Yes, please!”  Oh my god, if he continues treating me like this, I may never leave.
    He brings me a half filled glass along with a bottle of water for himself before we both start twirling noodles on our forks.  As I take my first bite, my eyes feather closed in utter delight.
    Holy hell…
    “Sam, this is seriously amazing!”  I’m not kidding either.  It’s freaking delicious.  Cream, garlic, bacon, parmesan, and noodles are like the most awesome combination in the whole world.
    Nodding, he shovels another huge heaping forkful into his mouth.  “I’m glad you like it.”  He gives me a little wink.  “Good thing you decided to stay over on a carb loading day.”
    Damn right I am!  And like isn’t nearly a strong enough word for the way I feel about this pasta right now.  “I absolutely love it.”
    We gobble up the carbonara and I enjoy my glass of wine as we talk about everything that happened during the week.  Once we’re both stuffed, I help Sam clean up the kitchen before we settle on the couch in the living room to watch a movie.
    “Where’s Roan tonight?”  I’m kind of surprised that it’s so quiet around here. 
    Roan King is Sam’s roommate.  He’s also the first string wide receiver for the Barnett Bulldogs who’s looking to turn pro after the season.  He’s pretty much treated like a demigod around campus.  Actually, the whole damn town treats him that way.  About a month and a half ago, he did something that shocked the entire campus.
    Yep… he got himself a bone fide girlfriend.
    People went absolutely freaking crazy… by which I mean girls who were holding out some kind of irrational hope that he would fall madly in love with them.  There were a lot of unhappy ladies after Ivy Kaster ended up snagging his heart.  A few of them even tried sharpening their claws on her.
    “He’s working at the library.  He didn’t think he’d be back until ten or so.”
    A couple weeks ago, Ivy, Roan’s girlfriend, auditioned with the Cincinnati Ballet Company and was given a spot.  Making a difficult decision, she decided to drop out of college before the end of first semester.  Yesterday she said her goodbyes to everyone.  Lexie, Ivy’s roommate, couldn’t afford to live on her own, so Dylan, her longtime boyfriend, moved in with her.
    I nod towards the spare room they now have available.  “So what are you going to do with Dylan’s room?”
    “Liam Garrison is thinking about moving in second semester.”  He shrugs those big broad shoulders of his.  “Guess he’s having some roommate issues.
    Without thinking too much about my words, I say, “Liam’s a really nice guy.”  It’s not like we’re best friends or anything, but he’s always friendly when I see him.
    One of Sam’s brows slowly hikes up as he eyes me with sudden interest.  “You think so, huh?”
    I give him a small smirk in return before settling onto the couch with my glass of wine.  This is turning out to be one of the nicest evenings I’ve had in a long time.  But that’s hardly surprising.  It’s always like that when we’re together.  Everything is just so damn easy.  Unable to help myself, I needle him just a bit by saying, “He’s pretty hot, don’t you think?”
    Before I can even blink my eyes, Sam is nipping the half-filled glass of wine from my hand and setting it down on the small end table near the couch. Then he attacks me with his fingers.
    “So,” he drawls, continuing with the torture, “Liam Garrison is hot, huh?”
    A high pitched squeal flies from my mouth as his fingers dance along my ribcage.  When I’m finally able to push the words out, they sound all screechy and breathless. “Did I actually say that?”  I keep trying to wiggle out of the firm grasp he has on me, but can’t get far enough away.  Those damn