Page 5 of The Rules

“Oh, you too!” Irene’s eyes dropped to Dylan’s hand on Dani’s waist and her grin pulled wider. “Well, I just love Cat. She’s darling. Have you known each other long?”

Dani glanced at Dylan and winked. He was hating this. “We’ve known each other since we were kids.”

“Just like Dylan and Josh.”

“Even younger,” Dani said. “We met in middle school.”

Irene clasped a hand over her heart as if that were some sort of sign from God, and Dylan’s eyes closed like he was praying for strength.

“Oh! Well, that’s just adorable,” Irene cooed.

“Okay, Mom. I’ll see you later. You sure you’re okay to drive home?”

“Yes, of course, Dylan. I’ve been drinking coffee all evening. I’m going to say goodbye to the newlyweds. I love you. Call me this week.”

“Bye, Ma. Love you too.”

She tapped his cheek and floated off in a cloud of Chanel.

Dani’s lips twisted from holding in a laugh. “Such a momma’s boy,” she teased. “I never would have thought.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He tugged her wrist until she was looking at him again. “I think I deserve another dance since she interrupted us.”

“No. My feet hurt. Let’s take a walk.”

“Even better.”

They ditched their empty shot glasses and wove through the white tablecloths to the far end of the courtyard. Dani wrapped her arms around her bare shoulders. It was June in D.C., and at least eighty degrees, but a sudden chill swept over her skin when they lost the heat of the crowd.

“Why didn’t you bring a date tonight?” Dylan asked. He slipped an arm around her as they walked, rubbing her goosebumps away. It was a friendly gesture, but she found herself leaning into the touch, the comfort of skin on skin.

“Why try to make some new guy feel comfortable with all of you jerks all night?”

“No time for that.”

Dylan gestured to a stone bench between two topiaries covered in lights and Dani sat, crossing her legs and letting her shoe slip off of her heel. The relief was instant.

“I’d rather just have fun and enjoy being with everyone,” she said. The thought of entertaining a date all night had daunted her. She hadn’t even considered it. “How about you?”

Dylan’s eyes swept over her bare legs, far from discreetly. “How was I going to get my dance with you if I had a date?”

“So smooth, Dylan.” He was on top of his game tonight, and the way he flirted never failed to send sparks to her bloodstream. The baser parts of her had always been intrigued by the guy with the good hair, dressed way too fancy for every situation. Dylan never hid his own interest either. Being the only two single ones in the wedding party, it may have occurred to her that the two of them could make a mutually beneficial bad decision. The kind she’d avoided due to how complicated it could get with their group of friends. Besides, after that conversation with Cat, sleeping with someone because she was alone with them and buzzed felt a little like putting on a dress she’d grown out of.

Then again, the thought of going back to her hotel room alone when everyone else was coupled up didn’t feel great either. Just that little contact of his hands on her arms made her want to lean in and soak up the connection.Imagine the way his whole body would feel.

Dani heard the opening notes of the song Cat had chosen to round out the night, and another wave of emotion tickled the back of her throat. The party was over. In more ways than one.

Shawn, the other groomsman, went rushing by, his ginger-bearded cheeks blotchy and red from the booze. He snickered like a kid sneaking out of the house, pulling his wife behind him as she tried to keep up in her heels. “After-party at the hotel bar,” he said, tipping his head in that direction.

Dylan raised his eyebrow at Dani. “You in?”

“You didn’t think I was turning in early, did you?” She should totally turn in early.

“Not for a second.” Dylan’s eyes did a little zig-zag over her face, and a shock of heat pooled in her belly. Suddenly he was much closer and she couldn’t remember which one of them had moved.

“Maybe I can get another dance at the after-party then,” he said, running his tongue over his lip. She wanted to bite it.

She tipped her chin, matching his flirty expression. “Maybe I should stop at my room and change first.” Oh, God. Her voice had gone all breathy against her will. Was she really doing this?

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