Page 7 of The Rules

He nearly laughed. He may not be the forever type, but even he could see that any guy who was would give their left nut to come home to a woman like Dani Petrillo. All that blonde hair and tan skin, plus she was a firecracker. Smart, gorgeous, and a little intimidating. Just enough to keep you on your toes without being untouchable. The homecoming queen with the girl next door smile.

The perfect woman if you were the type to look for something like that.

“Why’s that, Dani-pie?”

Dani waved his question away, but something in her voice changed. She shrugged, playing it off. “Let’s just say, I don’t tend to go for the kind of guys who angels sing for. But Cat is my favorite person in the world, and Josh, well, anyone who’s that good to her has a special place in my heart.” She raised her glass again. “To other people’s sappy, obnoxious love. Better them than us.”

Dylan smiled, downing the rest of his shot.Cheers to that.

When he looked back, Dani’s expression had changed. Her mouth tipped into a flirty grin and she slowly uncrossed her legs, letting one dangle off the edge of the bed.

His hand tightened around the empty glass. He had half a mind to check his pulse, see if he’d passed over to his own private heaven, because this could not be real. But when she licked her lips and dragged her eyes to his mouth, any question he had as to why they were alone in his hotel room vanished. Fire erupted on his skin. He wanted to touch her like he wanted the breath in his lungs.

“Come here,” he whispered.

Dani set her glass on the nightstand and crawled to the edge of the bed, standing in the small space beside the window. The city lights beamed a glowing circle onto the floor and she stepped into it like she was stepping on stage. Without a word, she unhooked the halter of her dress, letting it fall.

All of the words he knew quit on the spot and he sat there slack-jawed. It was probably for the best; nothing he could say could make this moment any better.

He reached out a cautious hand, resting it on her hip to pull her closer. Her pink painted toes squished into the hotel carpet as she stepped out of the pool of fabric, standing there in just a strip of white lace.

He gave himself to the count of five and then he was on her.

“Is this real?” he asked, tugging her onto his lap. She fell onto him with a giggle that rushed his veins. He dragged his tongue up the soft skin of her neck while she undid his belt with one hand.

“You’re awake, if that’s what you’re asking.”

He knew he was by the sting of her nails on his skin. She’d pulled his shirt free and shoved her hands down the back of his pants, squeezing.

Oh, this is going to be fun.

“How did we get here?” he asked into the hollow of her throat. It was salty and damp, her reaction egging him on.

“You sure do have a lot of questions.”

“I just want to make sure I can find my way back.”

“Let’s take this one trip at a time.”

He stood with Dani’s legs wrapped around his waist and stumbled the three steps until they fell onto the bed. “I can do that,” he said. “But I’m taking the scenic route.” He crawled forward, pushing her back into the mattress, and planted his hands on either side of her head. “Let me look at you.”

Never shy, Dani met his request with a smoldering expression that made him rethink how long he was going to be able to do this. Dani looked amazing in everything she wore, that dress she’d just removed was no exception, but seeing her naked—the gentle curve of her hips, the way she was barely more than a handful on top, but so perky and round—it was unmatched.

He watched as she flicked open the buttons on his shirt, shoving it off his shoulders. When she moved to his fly, all the air left his lungs.

“Let me get a condom,” he said.

“I was hoping you would say that. I didn’t exactly come prepared.”

“Well, you know me. I’m a fucking Boy Scout.” He winked at her in the dark and her poker face washed with charmed amusement. Whenever Dani let her tough-girl exterior crack, it did things to him.

He dug through the duffle bag spilling onto the chest of drawers, mentally pumping a fist when he found the little gold packet. He looked over his shoulder as he stepped out of his pants and rolled it on, watching her run her foot over the hotel duvet.

“You were good today, Dylan,” she said. “I mean, not that you had a tough job or anything, but you pulled off the best man thing pretty well.”

“Aw. Thanks, Dani-pie. I’m swooning.” He climbed back onto the bed, hovering over her, nipping at her chin. “Couldn’t have done it without you.” He balanced on one arm and lifted his hand to give her a high five. “Enough back-patting for now. I’ll let you keep telling me how great I am when we’re done.”

“Don’t make me regret this.”

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