The Rule Book (Rule Breakers #1)(53)

I watched him as the loud cling of the trigger rapid-fired, and Brogan continued to miss the ducks flying across the screen. He cussed under his breath, and his brows pinched together in concentration. “What the hell? I had them!”

“It helps if you look through the sight instead of going all G-unit on them. Be one with the gun, boss.”

“Right.” He shook his head and plopped down on the couch, holding up the gun to me. “How about you show me how it’s done.”

I grabbed the controller from his hand and stuck out my tongue. “Gladly.”

The round started again and I shot each duck before they were able to fly off the screen.

“I don’t know how you just did that but I definitely like watching you with a gun in your hands.”

“Yeah?” I pretended to blow smoke from the plastic barrel. “You should see me play Mortal Combat then. I’m proficient with all sorts of weapons.” I wiggled my brows.

“I don’t know whether to be scared of you or turned on.”

A wave of heat licked through me. “Maybe a little bit of both.”

I tossed the controller onto the table and climbed on top of him, my legs on either side of his thighs. His fingers wrapped around my sides as he pulled me closer to him. Nothing beat the feel of his skin, the way his eyes softened when he looked at me… The way everything else slid away, my one reprieve during the toughest months of my life.

My palms cupped either side of his face, my hands slipping into his hair. He groaned and leaned into my touch as I massaged my fingers over his scalp.

“Scared is the last word I’d use when you’re on top of me.” His soft mouth met mine, and a sigh escaped my parted lips. A searing heat spread from where my mouth met his and cascaded down my spine as I arched my body into his. Even though we were close enough that the only barrier left was clothes, I needed more. How could someone so different from me elicit such a reaction? I didn’t even begin to understand him, but his willingness to try something that meant a lot to me was heartwarming. If we’d met in college, he’d be a best friend. Someone to share secrets and desires with. Someone I’d want to be around because I liked him as a person first and foremost. Because Brogan was a nice guy, and nice guys were always the most trouble.

His tongue slid across my lips at the same time his hands worked over my back. Any thoughts bumping around in my head quickly dissolved as our kiss deepened, and my grip on reality slipped into a haze of feather light touches, skin, and contented sighs.





Chapter Eighteen


Lainey Taylor Rule of Life #92

A sure way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

“And, to make it worse, he live-tweeted the whole date. The guy forgot that we followed each other, and that I could see his status updates.”

Zoey and I were bent over in a fit of laughter on our bar stools, listening to Zelda’s account of her date from hell. I’d finally taken her up on her offer for a girls’ night and dragged Zoey along. Luckily, they were hitting it off, just as I’d hoped.

“How did it end?” Zoey asked, while I checked my phone for the tenth time since we sat down thirty minutes ago.

My persistence paid off, because a text sat in my inbox.

Brogan: I went down the cookie aisle and thought of you.

A smile plastered itself to my face, and I quickly texted back while trying to listen to Zelda’s story.

Lainey: I don’t know whether to be flattered or offended.

I focused back on the conversation between Zoey and Zelda just in time for Zelda’s lips to pull into a shit-eating grin.

“I tweeted him from the cab that he was stuck with the bill, and my lipstick wasn’t ‘ho red’ it was ‘guess you’re only getting your hand tonight’ red.”

“Oh my God. Did he tweet back?” Zoey asked.

She shrugged. “Who knows, I blocked his ass and got a free dinner out of the deal. I wasn’t too heartbroken over it.”

I tipped my beer bottle in her direction. “I want to be you when I grow up.”

“It takes a lot of practice on bad kissers, but I think you can handle the job.” She winked.

I took a sip of my beer and glanced at my phone again. My heart beat quickened when I saw another text.

Brogan: Definitely flattered. I bought 7 boxes and none of them tasted as good as the ones you made.

Lainey: I told you they’re out of this world.

Brogan: Does that mean you’ll come over and bake for me this week?

Lainey: Hmm…what’s in it for me?

Baking cookies for Brogan? Um, where was the signup sheet?

Zelda turned to me and asked, “How about you? Seeing anyone, Lainey?”

I looked up from my phone and tapped out of my message app. Not that anyone could see while I typed out texts under the table, but no sense in being careless.

“I don’t really know yet. It’s still in the early stages. Still waiting to see if it’s going to work out.”

Zelda raised her brow and leaned in closer, leaning her chin on her hand. “Oh? Anyone I know? There are a few cuties in the office.”

I felt myself go into deer in the headlights, “how do I answer this” mode. “You know that isn’t allowed. No, someone outside of work.” Technically this was the truth because I was seeing him out of the confines of work hours.