Free The Naughty List by Tiffany Reisz

into his jeans and weaved his leather belt around his waist. A large brass buckle shone in the distance.
    “Wonder what he won that for?” I asked with bated breath.
Maybe I could learn how to play this game.

    “Uh-huh.” Rachel was fixated on Ben.
    From our vantage point, I got a better look at his backside. His jeans cupped his ass and hugged his thighs. He was stockier than Scott, with broader shoulders and a solid build.
    “Okay, I’ll give you ass points for Ben. But he’s still in the deficit for his personality. Now, Scott on the other hand, is taller, leaner, and did you check out his…” My voice trailed off and Rachel followed my stare.
    She swatted my arm. “Lucy! When did you start bulge spotting?” Rachel lightly clapped her hands together. “My BFF’s going to join the mile-high club.”
    I was about to shoo away her comment when the two cowboys walked toward us.
    * * *
    I took a quick glance at Ben’s package and held in a giggle.
Oh, hello, cowboy.
I snuck a look at Rachel to see if we were on the same page but she seemed to be caught up in Ben and I couldn’t fault her choice. He may be an ass, but he was a hot piece of ass.
    “So about that burger…” Scott stood with his hands on his hip and his legs slightly outstretched. All that was missing to his western stance was a sidearm and someone to draw against.
    “It’s not some nasty fast food place, is it?” Ben cut into the conversation.
    I tersely smiled toward Ben.
Why does he ruin his good looks with his nastiness? I will not give that ass-wipe the satisfaction of getting to me.
“In-N-Out could be considered fast food.” Ben looked like he was about to interrupt again. I swiftly held up my finger. “Save for the fact that they use fresh ingredients, exceptional beef, and it’s just, well, delicious.”
    “Lucy knows her meat,” Rachel said with a less-than-subtle glance at Ben.
    “Fast food joints are the scoff of the beef industry,” Ben said.
    “What is your problem?” I crossed my arms over my chest and took a defensive stance in front of beef boy. “You’re in an airport. Granted, it’s in Orange County, but it’s still an airport. You’ll be lucky to find anything warm and appetizing.”
    “Oh, I think I found something warm and appetizing,” he said as his eyes overtly roamed my body.
    “Seriously?” I turned to leave. “Come on, Rachel, let’s go.”
    Scott’s honeyed voice intercepted my brisk getaway. “So after you tantalize me with that excellent review of this burger place, you leave?”
    I loudly exhaled. “I don’t mind sharing a table with you, but your friend…”
    “Listen, if we don’t get that burger, I’ll never hear the end of it,” Ben said.
    “That’s your best attempt at an apology, isn’t it?” I said.
    “Yeah, that
is
my apology,” he said.
    “Follow us.” I curtly walked past him. Rachel was immediately at my side. I didn’t glance back to see if they were following. I didn’t have to. I knew from the admiring looks on the faces of the women walking in the opposite direction that our two cowboys were right behind us.
    “This isn’t how I expected to spend my last hour in California with you,” I said to Rachel. We turned down corridor B and the red and yellow neon sign from In-N-Out alerted my stomach to its emptiness. “But I am hungry.”
    Rachel purposefully bumped into me. “Lighten up. This’ll be fun. So Ben’s kind of prickly. The way he looks at you isn’t.”
    I gave her a sideways stare. “Now
you’re
talking out of hunger.”
    “Just remember what I said. Sometimes what seems obvious isn’t,” she said.
    “And remember what I said. The guy’s an ass.”
    “Well that ass just beat us to the order window and my money says he’s buying us dinner.”
    * * *
    I watched Scott meticulously fold back a portion of the paper liner wrapped around his hamburger. He sized up the juicy double patty dripping with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and grilled