The Dead Guy Next Door (Riley Thorn #1)

by Lucy Score

“What happened to your nephew?”

“Why don’t you tell me, since you’re the one who discovered his body?” “Dickie Frick is your nephew?” “Was. Seeing as how he’s dead now.”

Taking the job meant definitely seeing Riley Thorn again and not avoiding her like he’d planned. “I’m in,” he announced.

“I’m counting on you, Nicholas, to get my family the justice they’re due,” she said as he poured. “The police are being awfully tight-lipped about their investigation.” Make his high school gym teacher proud, solve a case his ex-partner was working, and spend more time with Riley Thorn?

“You seem to carry an unusually large burden of hate and disappointment for such a small person,” he observed. “Have you tried meditation?”

“And you cannot refuse to stand up for yourself and expect your life to improve.”

“Being who we are meant to be is not always easy.”

“Life is an adventure to be lived, not a series of repetitive days to survive.”

“Would you please stop talking in fortune cookies?”

“Come on, Thorn. It’s the least you could do since you mauled my crotch in front of an employee.” “You’re such as ass.”

He liked touching her. And that was a potential problem.

It had seemed safer to get her in the car. But now he was running calculations on back seat dimensions. One thing was for sure—Riley Thorn made him think about sex.

“No one’s actually interested in what it’s like, just what it can give them.” “I’m interested,”

“No. I disappeared on you because I’m attracted to you.” “That’s even weirder,”

“I’m attracted to you, but you’re the settle-down-and-be-monogamous type.” “I am not!”

“Please, Thorn. You have white dress, family dog, and day care drop-off written all over you.”

“Yeah, in the ...

“But right now, I’d settle for a few nights of sweaty,...

She was basically having sex in front of her mother right now, and that was not cool. Not cool at all. Could Gabe see this? Was this some kind of psychic sex tape?

“You are most certainly not a freak,” Gabe said. “You are a powerful, gifted clairvoyant.”

“I do. I am Gabe, Riley’s very close friend,” the man said. Nick didn’t care for the sound of that. “I’m Nick. Riley hasn’t mentioned a close friend named Gabe.” “I am training her for her wedding night.” “Her wedding night?” Nick repeated. “Hang on. I’m the guy she’s marrying. If there’s training to do, I’ll be the one doing it.” “You are a very lucky man. She is an incredible woman,” Gabe said with a wistful quality that Nick really didn’t like.

“So the better you get at this psychic thing, the less you’ll need extra-large Dwayne Johnson here?” Nick pressed.

“I can only hope that Riley’s need for my services will outlast your need for hers,” he retorted.

“Listen, Andre the Giant, if you don’t stop flirting with my fiancée,

I’m going to find a step stool, climb it, and punch that smile off your face.”

“Sex with or without accessories is a normal, healthy function,” Fred weighed in unnecessarily.

“You know, in some ancient cultures, it was typical for tribes to wait outside the hut while relationships were consummated. They would chant and sing. Riley, we’d be happy to sing outside your door while you make love since it’s been so long for you,” Lily offered. “Kill me now,” Riley whispered to Nick.

“Have you ever thought about focusing on what something means for you and not anyone else who came before or after you?”

“Being available.”

“Available for what?” “Adventure. In whatever form it comes your way.”

“You make me dizzy,” she breathed.

“Riley, honey, you can’t tell a guy something like that and expect him not to want to hear it again,” he warned.

“But you’re immune to me, remember? I’m the committed monogamous type.”

“Baby, the way you kiss, there’s a bad girl inside you dying to get out and have some fun.”

“Be nice. He’s the first person to ever be impressed with me. I’m not letting you be mean to him.” “Thorn, he is definitely not the first, and he won’t be the last.”

Was it weird that she was terrified and turned on at the same time? Could Nick fight off an intruder if most of his blood was in his pants?

“So you’re saying you’ve got that going on”—she pointed to his heroic hard-on—“and you definitely want to keep things platonic.” He scratched the back of his head. “Yeah.” “You are the worst fake boyfriend I’ve ever had,”

And then there was Nick Santiago, who had winked at her over hash browns and coffee that morning, causing a rain forest in her underwear.

“Pretty, dumb girls get more attention than pretty, smart girls.

He hugged her hard. It was only relief that had him kissing her like his life depended on it. At least that was what he told himself. He didn’t stop until her knees went out, and she sagged into him.

“You’re pretty fucking hot when you’re all logistical,” he said.

“You know, Thorn, there’s no one else I’d rather be running from the law with.”

“No. I meant why not punch him?” she clarified. Man, he was so into her. “I was handcuffed at the time,” Nick told her. “I’m going to need you to back up and explain.”

“Baby, I practically spit in a murderer’s face tonight. I think I can handle meeting more of your family,”

“My point is no one is normal. And the people who strive for normal or perfect or respectable miss out on all the good stuff.”

“The best gifts are the ones you don’t ask for. Maybe you should stop trying to return it. Unwrap it. Open it up. Try it on.”

Here. They were always meant to come here. He shrugged and dropped his bag on the floor. “I’ve stayed in worse places.” He never saw it coming. Riley launched herself at him. Recovering quickly, he caught her. Boosting her up, he wrapped her legs around his hips. And then that dimpled sex god drove his tongue into the mouth she planted against his.

“I don’t have a condom, Riley,” he groaned.

“I have six in my go bag.” “Oh God. You are the sexiest, most prepared woman I’ve ever met in my entire life,”

“Yeah, I’m awesome,”