Switched: Flirt New Adult Romance by Cassie Mae Page A

championship. My mind goes off to blissful fantasies of a baby on my hip as we go celebrate with Daddy and his amazing team.
    “Uh, Kayla?”
    “Mmm?”
    Talon laughs, and I spring back into the current universe. Whoa, when did he get so close? He’s leaning over me, grin so deliciously tempting, and breath … well, he kind of smells like cheese and sauce, which isn’t too hot, but it’s Talon. So who cares if he has pizza breath? I’m lucky enough to be so close I can smell it.
    “Um, excuse me …”
    Oh, total space case. I’m standing in front of the fridge and he’s trying to put away the cheese.
    “Sorry.”
    My face may cause the smoke alarm to go off. I hurry and move, then busy myself with the cheese and toppings. Or topping, since I only got pepperoni. His favorite.
    I can feel him watching as I meticulously place each slice, and he reaches over to help me sprinkle cheese on top when I’m done. His manly hands keep brushing mine and I keep sighing like it’s some sort of nervous twitch.
    “You know,” he says as I pop the pizza in the oven, “you’re good at a lot of things, Kayla. Maybe not football …” He winks, and I smack him with a hand towel. “But I bet you could be a chef too if you wanted.”
    I’m surprised I’m able to speak, given how big my smile is. “Just wait till you actually taste it.”
    Damn, Wesley. Maybe food
is
the way into a man’s heart.

Progress Report: December 19
    Best day
evah!
I’m surprised Talon didn’t get down on one knee after all the magic that happened between us. But I’m sure he didn’t want to call Reagan and break up over the phone. He’s a gentleman, after all.
    People may think I’m naive … but no. I’m the opposite. I’m perceptive. I know how to read between the lines.
    Evidence that Talon is
totally
into me:
    • Wrestling in the snow (excuse to touch me)
    • Complimenting me on my skills (excuse to see me blush—guys
so
like that)
    • Taking pictures of me (excuse to document my oh-so-hotness … okay, I may be stretching that one, but I did look cute in some of those pics)
    There’s more, but my brain refuses to focus. It’s filled with hormones right now. I bet my pituitary gland is the size of a hot-air balloon.
    There’s only one glitch, but it’s really a bugger. Even though I was up floating in some Talon-induced beautiful universe today, there was this giant elephant standing between us. Even though I know Talon and I belong together, he’s with my best friend. Ugh … I’m a horrible person! I’m flirting and fantasizing with an off-limits hunk of glory.
    The thing that is making me feel better? Actually, it’s a person … Wesley. If it wasn’t for him, I’d be calling Reagan right now and apologizing over and over for drooling over her boyfriend. But I guess things are going super well with both of them too. Get this … she calls me and it was Wes this and Wes that. She even asked if I’ve ever noticed how cute he is when he laughs. I sort of exaggerated when I said, “Oh yeah! And his chin dimple pops up and his hazel eyes get kind of squished with laugh lines in the corner, and it’s super adorable when he slaps his knee.” Weird thing is, I didn’t even have to make all that up. Guess I didn’t realize how much I watch him when he laughs. Or maybe it’s because he laughs all the time. Anyway …
    Reagan was all, “Yeah! He’s super cute, Kayla. Is it totally bad for me to think my boyfriend’s best friend is kind of hot?”
    Then I
really
went overboard on Wesley. Like it’s okay to think he’s hot because he
is
. I kept going on and on about his hair and his eyes and his callused fingers and the jacket he wears and how he wears it. Along with other stuff like his guitar playing (which, hello, I’ve made funof way more than I’ve admired, but Reagan likes it), the fact he works so hard all the time, how he’s always laughing, and how when he gets hurt, he pretends to pull his