Addicted to You

Addicted to You
is a work of fiction. Names, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

A Flirt Ebook Original

Copyright © 2016 by Renita Pizzitola

Excerpt from
Wild for You
by Renita Pizzitola copyright © 2016 by Renita Pizzitola

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Flirt, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

F
LIRT
is a registered trademark and the
F
LIRT
colophon is a trademark of Penguin Random House LLC.

This book contains an excerpt from the forthcoming book
Wild for You
by Renita Pizzitola. This excerpt has been set for this edition only and may not reflect the final content of the forthcoming edition.

Ebook ISBN 9781101968437

Cover design: Carrie Divine/Seductive Designs

Cover photograph: Peopleimages/iStockphoto.com

randomhousebooks.com

v4.1

ep

Just friends. As in
no benefits.

The spot I currently resided in with one Colby Callahan.

But if I could change that…would I ever.

He was currently in a debate with his brother Landon over how to grill the perfect burger. They both laughed—clearly enjoying the discussion—though they pretended to be completely horrified by the other's lack of burger knowledge.

Colby, who was slightly taller than his older brother—or maybe it was the extra inches his trademark baseball cap gave him—reached over Landon's shoulder and snatched the spatula. “Let the professional handle it,” he said.

“Hey.” Landon sidestepped him. “Take the spatula, but watch the beer.” He turned around and caught me staring. “Can you believe this guy?”

Thankfully, he seemed to think the staring was due to the spectacle they'd created. Somehow, he had no clue I was madly in love with Colby, and had been since elementary school. But how he missed that fact was beyond me. In one way or another, people seemed to have heard about my infatuation with the middle Callahan boy. Rumors whispered, jokes made. Port Lucia was too small of a town to miss it. Of course, all that told me was how very
not
interested Colby must have been. He still treated me like the sister he'd never had, so it was a pretty clear-cut sign that my crush was hopeless.

Except…I was a glutton. And there was that tiny chance that
maybe
he was as clueless as his brother, that he hadn't managed to hear the rumors or jokes, that he didn't know.

So I'd decided once and for all I was going to find out how he really felt. Or
at least
get one freaking kiss before going away to nursing school.

If Colby and I were never meant to be, fine. I'd reluctantly accept the crappy hand fate had dealt me: in love with a guy who saturated my life, yet was completely unavailable.
But
I wouldn't live with the regret of not knowing what it was like to kiss him.

Owen, the youngest of the Callahan boys, came outside with his phone in his hand and a frown on his face.

“Such bullshit,” he muttered. “Hey, I gotta run. Mom just texted that I have to come home. The storm shifted course and it's picking up or something.”

“No shit?” Landon pulled his phone out of his pocket and slid his finger over the screen.

“Yeah.” Owen slouched against the wall. “She says it's been upgraded.”

“Whoa, it has.” Landon held his phone out for Colby, who'd turned around, halting the perfect burger cook-off.

He raised an eyebrow. “Hmm, looks like a tropical storm warning now.”

Owen shook his head. “But it's not a hurricane or anything.”

Colby chuckled. “Sorry, man, that's the problem with being the baby of the family. She cares too much.”

Owen rolled his eyes and glanced around. He hated being the youngest of the group, but considering he was still in high school, he wouldn't even be hanging out here had it not been for his Callahan last name. “Whatever. I'll catch y'all later,” he grumbled as he trudged his way back inside.

A few of the other guys pulled out their phones, probably to check the weather. We'd lived through plenty of tropical storms, so it wasn't a huge deal, but I guess there was always that tiny bit of fear it'd escalate into a full-blown hurricane. And considering Colby and Landon lived right on the water…yeah, probably not the best place to be in a real storm.

“Damn.” Landon shoved his phone in his pocket. “Jack's will be slammed tonight.”

I laughed, pulled from my own thoughts by his comment. “I'll never understand why people ride these things out in bars.”

While Colby rose with the sun, and spent long hours on the water working the family's charter fishing business, Landon had gone in a very different direction: bartending at Jack's Cove, one of two bars in Port Lucia. It tended to attract the younger residents and vacationers so it was always busiest in summer. Whereas Pelican Pier, which had been around longer than anyone I'd known, brought in the locals, fishermen, and retirees. I couldn't recall a single time there weren't a handful of cars parked in front of that weather-worn beach bar. But on a night like tonight, they'd both get crowded.

Landon grinned back. “No amount of fear can survive friends, alcohol, and good conversation.”

One of the guys raised his beer in cheers. “Well said. And the very reason I think I'll join you.” He chugged the remainder of his beer, then tossed his can in the nearby trash bin. “Anyone want a ride?”

Several “hell yeahs” resonated through the small crowd, but Colby stayed quiet, gaze locked on me, seemingly waiting to see what I planned to do. Honestly, the bar wasn't my scene but, at the same rate, if he wanted to go, I couldn't bum around his place, holding him back.

I forced a big grin. “Sounds fun. You guys have a good time.” Then I turned to Colby so he knew I expected him to leave with the rest of the group. “But I'm going to head home after I eat. My grandma will be home alone.”

Colby turned back to the burgers, sliding a spatula under one and giving it a quick flip. “I'm just gonna hang here tonight. Jack's gets a bit too crowded for me on weekends. Add in the storm…” He shrugged.

Wait, he was staying home? Dammit. Me and my big mouth. If I'd let him answer first, I could have just stayed too. Now I was obligated to leave. Worst part—Grandma wasn't even home. Saturday night was ladies' Bunco night. And yes, even my almost-seventy-year-old grandma had more of a life than I currently did.

Colby started stacking hamburger patties on a plate and soon everyone had made their way inside to eat. Or
scarf down
may be more accurate. I found a place at the table by myself while the guys stood around cramming their mouths with food. And once again, I missed Felicity. She'd been my best friend forever, and though I loved that she'd gotten out of this tiny fishing town, like she'd wanted to, it was hard to get used to life without her.

The chair next to mine scraped against the floor as it was dragged from under the table. I glanced up and stopped mid-chew. Not exactly attractive, but Colby had that effect on me. Always had. It was something about the way his light brown hair curled out a bit around the edge of his cap, and his blue-gray eyes always looked like the perfect balance of friendly and thoughtful. I'd watched him grow from skinny kid to this…this perfect guy, and he still managed to send my stomach fluttering. A part of me doubted it would ever stop.

Then he grinned as he settled into his chair and gently poked my ribs, smacking me with the hard reality that I was in love with a guy who had permanently friend-zoned me. “You sure you can eat all that?”

I rolled my eyes and laughed, because as stupid as it was, it still meant I had his attention. For a few moments at least. And, let's face it, I'd take what I could get. Lame? Maybe. But did it thrill me? Absolutely.

He nodded toward my burger. “I am known to cook up some manly burgers, you know?”

“Ah, so that explains why it's falling apart.” I gestured to the bun as the meat slipped out the middle. I gathered it back up and raised it to my mouth. “Good thing it has a woman's help to stay in one piece.”

He chuckled. “Touché.” He leaned back and tapped the side of his beer can. “Maybe that's what I need.”

I kept my eyes on my burger as if it was suddenly the most fascinating thing in the world. “You falling apart, Colby?” My voice was light and playful, or at least I sure as hell hoped it was.

He shrugged then rolled his shoulders as if to relieve some tension. “This summer's charter season was busy. Or at least it felt that way with Dad not around to help out. I'm feeling…” He glanced at me and smiled. “Eh, 'nough about me.” As always, he had this way of shutting down just before any real conversation began. “Your burger any good?”

I'd always felt as if I knew the real Colby, and I did. But not because he opened up to me. No, it was because I paid attention. To
everything.
I'd learned to read his body language. To hear what he wasn't saying. To interpret his moods. I'd learned to speak the silent language of Colby. And I knew that the last few weeks he'd been off. More tired. Less talkative. A little withdrawn. And while I thought it had something to do with his favorite time of year—peak fishing season—coming to an end, maybe I had it wrong. Maybe he was burned out. Could the guy who lived for fishing finally have had enough?

But I knew better than to pry right now. Colby would give me bits and pieces in his own time, while I carefully read between the lines. I'd get it all sorted out eventually. And like always, I'd find a roundabout way to offer some support without him even realizing what I'd done.

I was only halfway through my burger—as was Colby who, it was safe to say, had slowed down for my sake—when guys started leaving. Now that they'd decided the bar was the place to be tonight, they were eager to get their night going.

As the crowd shrank, Colby started talking more. And these were the moments I lived for.

“Doesn't your grandma have Bunco tonight?” he asked.

Leave it to him to remember such a small detail of my life. “Yeah, but she'll be home eventually.”

“You shouldn't ride out the storm alone. Just hang out here until she's home. If the rain gets bad, I'll drive you.”

He knew how much I hated being the driver. Especially in storms. I shrugged and gave a noncommittal
I guess.

He knocked his knee lightly against mine. Freaking friend-zone.

“I can eat two burgers in the time you eat one.” He stood, made himself a second, then plopped back down.

And my stomach did a flutter while my body got all warm and tingly. There was no denying it. Hopeless.

The last few lingering guys finally said their goodbyes and soon it was just us.

“So what do you want to do?” He pushed his plate to the center of the small table and leaned back. “I can probably find a movie. Or we can keep drinking. Now that all the guys are gone, there might actually be enough beer for us.”

I laughed and mumbled my agreement while inside my head, a tiny voice screamed
now or never.
It made me nervous as all hell, and I doubted I'd even be able to go through with it, but it was time to give it my all.

“Well, if we plan on drinking, we should play a game.” I pretended to think it over. “But there aren't many choices with only two people playing.”

“Would You Rather?” he suggested.

“That would work.” I glanced at him. “And if we run out of ideas for that, we can always play Two Truths and a Lie.”

“That'd be fun. Wonder what all I can learn about little Miss Isla.” He grinned. “Like maybe what
really
happened that night with Hunter.”

“Oh my god, are we still stuck on that?” And for the record, nothing happened that night. We went on one date. And it didn't even end in a kiss. But I had zero desire to talk about other guys with Colby.

He shrugged. “Inquiring minds want to know.”

“Why haven't you asked him?”

He shook his head and huffed, “Because I want the
real
story. Not some dude's fantasy version.”

“How do you know I won't lie too?” I teased.

He grinned, eyed me up and down. “Guess we'll figure that out, won't we? Remember: two truths and only
one
lie.”

“I know.” I stood, grabbed our plates and put them in the sink. “Same goes for you. I'm gonna need some truths with
your
lies.”

“Eh, I've never been that good at lying.”

I turned around and smiled. “But you are pretty good at hiding your truths.”

His eyebrows scrunched together. “How's that?”

“You don't talk much. At least about things that matter.”

He lifted his baseball cap, smoothed his hair several times, then placed it back on his head centering the John's Charter Boat logo perfectly. “Fair enough.”

I opened the fridge, pulled out two beers, and set one in front of him. “But tonight I get two truths.”

He laughed. “You do realize if we suck at this game, no one will be driving anywhere.”

I smiled back. “Yep.” And little did he know how much that very thought thrilled me.

An hour into the game I'd discovered two things: Colby and I were both horrible liars, and we knew way too much about one another. And the depressing realization that we were both permanent residents of Friendsville, population two, settled over me. Or maybe it was the dreary weather combined with alcohol.

No matter which type of lie we tried to construct, using facts about ourselves ranging from mundane to random, somehow the other knew. Colby didn't break his arm at five. He was seven. My favorite color wasn't green, it was yellow. His favorite type of food wasn't Italian, it was seafood. Coconut shrimp to be exact. And even when we went for things there was no way the other person could've known—like the color of our underwear—we'd pinpoint the lie. Every single time.

Though the game made little progress, we kept drinking, which was good. I needed to numb my reality, fuel my confidence, and, well, just give my hands something to do besides fist Colby's shirt and yank him to me because, really, he was gorgeous. And that wasn't the beer talking. No, that was the voice of my sexually deprived hormones.

Falling for Colby had started with this gradual buildup. He was nice, he was cute, he was sweet. And from the time we were kids, he was always there, tugging at my emotions, teasing at the naïveté of first love. Like a roller coaster slowly clicking up the tracks, I had it all. Butterflies, excitement, a little fear. But then one day, it happened. I fell. Hard. My stomach bottomed out and I was plummeting heart-first into Colby. From that day on, I'd been hopelessly in love…of course, maybe it didn't have to be so hopeless after all. Not if—