Page 39 of The Rules

“What? I am!”

“Do you want me to leave? It just seemed like you were in for the night, but if you have plans or you want me to go, just say so.”

Maybe she should tell him to go, keep things simple, but she sort of liked having someone to veg out with. Her condo felt too quiet sometimes, lonely even, and tomorrow night she was going to have to dress up and act all proper and pretty for date number two. It was nice to be herself. Nice to be with a friend. Especially when her friendship with Cat felt so… off.

She took another sip and rubbed her suddenly damp palms on her legs. “I don’t want you to go.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure. I just assumed you’d have somewhere else to be on a Friday night.”

He turned back to the television, settling into her couch. “Nope.”

“Well, I’m starving. You want to order some takeout?”

Dylan paused mid-sip, his beer resting on his bottom lip.

“Relax,” she said, needling him back. “I’m not suggesting a dinner date. We have to eat and you’re already here.”

He tipped his bottle, taking a long swallow that she watched travel down his throat. Then he grinned. “I’m totally relaxed,” he said. “Pizza?”

“Chinese.”

“Thai?”

“Deal.”

It wasn’t a dinner date, but Dylan still insisted on paying for the takeout. Women didn’t pay around him; friend or date or… whatever Dani was. While they’d been waiting for the delivery, and Dani had been lounging around in a t-shirt and panties, looking fucking adorable, he’d started to wonder if maybe she was right to question why he’d decided to hang around tonight. It wasn’t exactly his M.O. (he’d certainly never ordered takeout after a night with Mia) but he hadn’t had a great day and hanging out with Dani had turned his whole mood around.

They were friends. They could share a meal.

“So tell me about your date tomorrow,” Dylan said, arranging the food containers on Dani’s coffee table.

“Um.” Her eyes darted nervously. “Why?”

“You’re the one who said we should be able to talk about that stuff,” he said. Though his jaw tightened involuntarily when he said it. That was just a reflex, he told himself. Caveman shit. No sense in analyzing that.

“Okay, his name is Michael. He’s a journalist. Freelance. Sports.” She sighed. “Fine, you were right. This is uncomfortable.”

He pulled a spring roll apart and popped half in his mouth, secretly pleased that he was making her squirm the way he had when she’d asked about Kendra. He rolled his hand for her to continue. “Where are y’all going?”

“To a concert. On the waterfront.”

“Romantic.” He chewed the other half, then took a swig of beer. “Like you wanted, right?”

“I suppose so.” She stabbed her Pad Thai and filled her mouth.

“Let’s see a picture.”

Dani’s ice-blue eyes popped, her dark lashes blinking rapidly.Beautiful.He couldn’t help but think it. Even with that horrified expression on her face, she was gorgeous.Mike was a lucky guy.

“No way,” she said.

“Why not, Dani-pie?”

“This is all sorts of weird, Dylan. I’m not showing you a picture of my date while your belt and tie are slung over my arm chair and we’re eating shirtless takeout. That’s not what I meant when I said we should be able to talk about it.”

He looked down at his bare chest. Technically he was the only one shirtless, but he didn’t think clarifying would help his cause. “I really didn’t peg you for a prude, Dani,” he said. “This is an arrangement you came up with—”

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