Page 62 of The Rules

“Shhh.” He laughed at her weak little assault. “Enough of this. You can either change into your bathing suit or go naked, but you’re swimming. It’s a beautiful night, there’s a full moon and everyone up there”—he jutted his chin toward the next campsite over—“is hammered. No one will even know we’re gone.”

Dani stopped hitting him and her face twisted into a scowl that he had to fight really hard not to kiss.

“Bathing suit?” he asked.

Dani’s scowl wavered and twisted, then turned upward into a devilish smile. “No bathing suit.”

“There she is.”

She did insist on a towel, and after grabbing those and two more beers, he took her hand, tugging her the whole way down the bumpy path to the water. He had the overwhelming sense that this was his job right now, to force Fun Dani back to life. Lucky for her, fun was his forte.

The inlet was a sheet of glass, the huge autumn moon spilling light over the surface to illuminate the empty patch of sand. Dylan dropped the towels and popped open one beer, keeping the other hostage.

“Strip,” he said when she went to reach for it.

Her jaw tightened but her eyes flashed hungrily, betraying her.

So complicated, Dani.

He rolled his hand impatiently, and Dani fixed her face into a seductive, open-mouthed expression that made him swallow hard. She unzipped the sweatshirt she was wearing, keeping her eyes on his the whole way, and let it fall onto the sand. When her tongue peeked out and skated across her bottom lip, he almost tossed the beer on the ground and took over undressing her.

Luckily, he maintained his patience because the image of her tugging her t-shirt slowly over her head, her blonde ponytail swinging, was something he was going to store for future use—whenever she got bored of him and moved on.

Dani flicked open the button on her shorts, revealing some black lace boy shorts that should have been the death of him, but his train of thought had snagged.

That was what was going to happen, wasn’t it? One day he’d show up and find an expired notice on his all-access pass to Dani.

When she finds her match.

The thought unexpectedly punched at his sternum. He chugged another sip of his beer, while she kicked the shorts off her legs. He was starting to realize that he hadn’t fully thought this deal through. He’d been so quick to accept any offer that got him back into Dani’s bed, but in typical Dylan fashion, he hadn’t planned his end game. After what had happened with Cassidy, and the rest of that night, that suddenly seemed like a major miscalculation. What would it be like for this to just end? To have to see Dani with whoever she chose when they hung out with their mutual friends?

“Can I have my beer now?” she asked. “I’m freezing.”

“Right. Yeah.” He handed both beers to her, then ripped off his t-shirt and shorts as quickly as he could.

Dani dragged her eyes down his body, and he felt something push against his ribs. It was warm and soft and unfamiliar and… needy. His shoulders straightened under her appraisal.

She gave a pointed gaze to his crotch. “I told you it was cold.”

His breath whooshed out in a laugh. “You’re a she-devil.”

She laughed for the first time in hours, and that pushing nearly shoved him off his feet.

“This better be as warm as you say.” Dani stuck the bottom of her bottle in the sand and took a few cautious steps into the water. Goosebumps spread down the back of her thighs, and he took a slow sip of his beer as he studied her long tan legs and little waist. Those narrow hips that fit just right in his hands. Even in those lace panties, she looked small and cute like she had the morning after Josh’s wedding. The side of her that was usually dolled and painted and fluffed was naked again, and it was doing strange things to him.

Her hips disappeared under the water, and he ditched his bottle and jogged to her, wrapping his arms around her middle. She laughed as he picked her up, her legs hooking easily around his waist as he walked them further in. The water warmed them like he promised it would.

A few stray clouds crossed over the silver dollar moon, and the weakened light made the beach feel more secluded. Now he could just make out Dani’s features; her blue eyes glowing, her pink lips still turned downward. The ends of her ponytail started to curl as they splashed.

“Do you think Cat and Josh are fighting?” she asked.

The question surprised him since he thought they were there becausesheand Cat were fighting. “No. I don’t.”

“They’re not stuck together at the moment, and earlier, on the beach, he seemed irritated at her.”

Dylan huffed out a laugh, knowing the level at which Josh’s irritation maxed out. It was a three at best on a scale of Dylan’s typical eleven. Maybe even a one-point-five when it was directed at Cat. “I think if he was, he’ll be over it by the time he stumbles into their tent for the night.”

Dani pulled a lip between her teeth and chewed. “I’m pissed at her, but I’d hate it if they were fighting.” Her face crumpled again, and it sent an ache through his chest.

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