Page 49 of The Rules

She cocked her head adorably. “Is that so?”

“Oh yeah. You have that ‘I never had to share’eye bat down pat.”

Dani rolled her eyes, but it was all flirt. “Whatever. So it was just you and your mom and sister? That must have been interesting. Why aren’t you more sensitive growing up in a house full of girls?”

An image of his father, callus and unattached, flashed in his mind.Bad genes,he thought. “I guess they couldn’t corrupt me.”

And you won’t either, Dani-pie.No woman would.

He finished his sandwich and balled up the trash, effectively ending the meal and the conversation, then he stood to make a jump shot into her barrel across the room. She did the same, stretching her arms and pulling the fabric of that thin tank top tight across her chest.

She missed by a mile.

“You shoot like a girl,” he said.

She shrugged. “I am a girl.”

He laughed. “Yeah, but you’re not like other girls.”

She threw her head back and groaned. “For God’s sake, Dylan. That is so sexist. Of course I’m not like every other girl. We’re all different human beings. You just don’t choose to look past our basic anatomy.” She poked him hard in the ribs.

“Ow! Okay. I’m sorry.” He grabbed her wrists and pulled her to his chest.

She struggled against him, but her lips twitched and her eyes danced.

“You know, givenyourbasic anatomy, I thought you’d be stronger.”

“That’s it,” she said. Before he could react, she dipped under his arm and twisted until his arms were locked and immobile. Then she brought her knee back.

He yelped preemptively, nervous and a little turned on. “Truce!”

She still had a hold of his forearms, her nails digging into his flesh while she smiled wickedly. If someone had offered him a million dollars right then not to kiss her, he would gladly work the rest of his life.

Dani released him, and he cupped her face, kissing her softly. She opened easily, letting their tongues touch, and their heat mix. She smiled against his mouth, her eyes closed. He didn’t usually get a round two with Dani on these little appointments, but they also didn’t usually kiss once the clothes came back on. Maybe tonight. Or maybe he’d just take this—her being playful, sweet, so pretty.

She pulled away and her eyes darted nervously before she cleared her throat and walked to her couch. “What do you choose?” she asked while he willed himself to settle down enough to sit beside her on her couch.

“Comedy.”

She groaned. “Of course.”

“By ‘of course’ do you mean ‘thank you, Dylan. I’m still sleeping with my lights on?’”

They had a deal; he chose the genre and she chose the movie. Usually he chose comedy, but last week he’d thrown her a curveball and picked horror. She’d put on some reality ghost hunting show. He’d actually felt bad when he’d gotten up to leave and she’d made him check all of the locks on her door. Because ghosts care about locks.

“I’ll admit I was a little freaked out by that show. I’m not ashamed.” She shrugged. “Fear saves lives.”

“Yeah, no shame in being afraid of Casper.” He flopped down on the couch, the belt he hadn’t bothered to buckle again jingling, and pulled her into the spot beside him. The weather had gotten cooler and he wanted a Dani-sized blanket.

She tossed her bare legs over his lap and he rubbed his palms over her smooth, tan skin. Without thinking, he turned and pressed his lips to her apple-scented hair.

Something deep inside his brain whined like a fire alarm at the domestic gesture. That same alarm he’d heard the night of the Jansen party, before he’d quieted it by talking his way into her bed and doing what he did best.

He’d told himself not to analyze this, but it unnerved him how much he enjoyed these nights with her. If someone had told him two months ago that he’d be looking forward to spending Friday nights watching Netflix and cuddling, he would have laughed in their face, then planned some wild night out on the town to prove them wrong. But these Fridays were becoming his favorite. He hadn’t had a night out since Kendra.

Dani had, though. She’d had plenty of them.

He looked down at her head resting on his shoulder and wondered if she was the same with her soulmate dates as she was with him. Snarky and sweet. Did she look at them the way she’d looked at him on that terrace? Did she tell them stories about her childhood, the things she’d just shared with him?

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