Page 46 of The Rules

“Sounds like a good position to be in,” Mrs. Jansen said. Her sharp eyes scraped appraisingly over Dylan, but he was in full-confidence mode now. Dani had never heard him give a pitch before. Being in the business herself, the effect only added to the cocktail of lust and affection this night was serving up. The lust she was used to, but the affection came on quietly.

She’d always admitted Dylan was handsome, always enjoyed looking at him. But tonight she noticed little details that had eluded her. The irises of his eyes were ringed in black, like a gate around the pools of green. He had dark freckles on his nose and cheeks, the kind that appear late summer when the sun has marked you for another year. He’d shaved tonight, exposing the beginnings of laugh lines that hugged his mouth.

Dylan put his hand on the small of her back, his thumb rubbing little circles that she felt all the way to her toes. Something deep in her chest fluttered and she had to remind herself again that this was Dylan—professional flirt. And she was doing him a favor pretending to find him adorable for the Jansens’ sake. Though at the moment, it didn’t feel all that much like pretending.

“Well,” Mrs. Jansen said, watching them closely with a flicker of something in her eyes. “I look forward to hearing more about our similar paths in the near future. Tonight, you enjoy this little party with your beautiful date.”

Dylan smiled down at her. “I plan on doing just that.”

Seventeen

“You knew exactly what tosay in there,” Dylan said. He tipped the valet and held the door open for Dani, helping her step into his low-riding sports car.

She grinned at his praise and a little at the chivalry. He really did have his moments.

“So did you,” she said, letting him close her door.

He slid into the driver’s seat, and she set her hand on his thigh. He covered it with his, and a smile tugged at the side of his mouth. “Thanks again for giving up one of your date nights.”

Something in his tone pricked her attention. Almost as if he were testing out how sorry she’d been to spend the evening with him. She hadn’t been. Not at all.

“It was nice to take a break.”

“Yeah?”

“It’s tiring, you know? Always being on your best behavior.”

Dylan laughed, taking his hand back to shift. He steered toward her neighborhood, and she watched the lights flash by her window, briefly wondering if he would stay the night. They’d never done that before, but it was past midnight.

“I don’t know if I would like you on your best behavior, Dani-pie,” he said, his eyes on the road. “Your snark is my favorite part about you.”

“Oh yeah? You have a favorite part about me, huh?”

“I wasn’t counting the physical parts. I could never choose a favorite there.”

He put his hand back on her thigh, his thumb nudging the fabric of her skirt up another inch. Whatever had come over him earlier was gone and he was back to the Dylan she knew. The one who smiled dangerously and pushed his luck. Her blood heated at the thought of that Dylan, and what he was about to do to her. She watched the traffic whoosh by, the summer air and the low growl of his engine making her feel warm and buzzed and free.

Maybe too free.

“Do you think this is a bad idea?” she asked, her voice suddenly thick.

“What?”

Me taking you home, letting myself feel whatever that was in my chest earlier.

“We’ve never really been friends who hang out alone. With Cat and Josh, sure. Or at some group event. But we’re together a lot lately.”

Dylan pulled his hand back, scraping it over his face. “You’re confusing the hell out of me, Dani.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. This whole idea of this was to get around some rule you didn’t like, and now you’re making more rules. Stop worrying so much and just let it happen.”

Maybe she was worrying too much, but that comment certainly didn’t help. Let what happen? What did Dylan think washappening? Because what should be happening is her focusing on finding her soulmate… or whatever. Honestly, she wasn’t even sure what that looked like anymore. She’d now been on two scientifically-matched dates that should have given her this feeling in her belly, but none of them did. Dylan takes her out one night to aworkevent and her blood is hot and her head woozy. Was it the sexual tension they had? That wasn’t a good sign for the way she was supposed to be finding her soulmate. Or was it that she had something broken in her brain that always found the wrong men exciting?

“Do you want me right now, Dani?” His blunt question startled her. He’d slowed to a stoplight and turned to pin her with his gaze. The low light of the dashboard made his features look sharper, more dangerous. Her heart raced.

“I—what?”

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