In the Dark (The Rules #2)(17)

Her glare is full of fire and I take the proffered spoonful and shove it in my mouth. “You need to loosen up,” I say after I swallow.

“And maybe you need to get more serious,” she returns.

“No way. Being serious all the time sucks the fun out of life. I’ll have enough of serious when I graduate college.” I swirl my spoon through the yogurt and candy, wishing she would just give in and eat some. “Until then, I’m having fun.”

“Must be nice. To have so much fun,” she says, heavy on the sarcasm.

“Don’t knock it until you try it.” I bump her shoulder with mine. “Come on, Luce. Try some. It won’t kill you.”

“But it’ll go straight to my butt,” she says, her cheeks turning pink.

“I happen to like your butt,” I say quietly.

Her cheeks flush bright red. “Fine,” she says with an irritated sigh and I’m thankful she doesn’t grab the spoon I brought for her. I’d rather feed her myself.

Trying my best to get as many toppings as possible, I gather up a scoop on the spoon and hold it in front of her mouth. She parts her lips, her gaze on mine as I slowly slide the spoon into her mouth. She closes her lips around it and I slide the spoon out, my blood flowing hot when her tongue sneaks out and catches a drop of yogurt in the corner of her mouth that the spoon left behind.

Who knew feeding someone frozen yogurt could be so damn sexy?

“So much candy,” she murmurs once she’s swallowed. “Between the soda and the dessert, I’m going to be riding a total sugar rush.”

“Can’t beat that, right?” I feed her another spoonful, enjoying the pleasure that crosses her face as she eats, how she leans in closer and closer with every bite I offer. Her eyes close at one point and she makes this low, humming noise that I feel like a bolt of lightning going straight to my cock.

Fuck, she’s sexy without even trying. Imagine if she had more intent behind all those sounds? I’d be a dead man. Slayed. Ruined.

“Hmm, I think I need a nap,” she says once we’ve polished off all the frozen yogurt and toppings. “The sugar rush has turned into a sugar crash.”

“Well, stay awake for a little longer because I have something else planned,” I tell her as I gather up the garbage and stand, tossing everything in the trash a few feet away from the table.

“Like what?” she asks warily. She stands and stretches her arms above her head, her tank lifting and offering a quick peek of her stomach. Not that I haven’t seen it before but it’s a sexy tease, getting that little glimpse.

“You’ll have to wait and see.”

She pulls her phone out of her small purse she brought with her and checks it. “It’s getting kind of late.”

I study her, trying my best to keep my expression serious. “You don’t look like you’re turning orange.”

“What?” She frowns.

“Do you turn into a pumpkin when it hits midnight? Come on, didn’t you ever watch Cinderella?” I start to laugh and thank God so does she.

“It’s not even close to midnight but no, I don’t turn into a pumpkin.” She shakes her head, smiling at me. “So. Are you ready to go?”

“I was born ready.” I leap to my feet and wait for her to do the same, settling my hand at the small of her back as I lead her back to my car. Her body is warm through the thin T-shirt she wears and I smooth my thumb back and forth, just once. Making her shiver.

Making my entire body tighten.

Like a f*cking gentleman I open the passenger side door for her and she slides in, smiling tentatively up at me as I shut the door. I hurry around the front of the car to the driver’s side, trying to figure out exactly what’s stopping me from jumping her bones tonight.

Because I want to jump her bones. The attraction is there. Like a magnetic pull between us, undeniable and getting stronger the longer we spend time together. I want to give in. But does she? I can’t quite read her. I may have figured out her life story somewhat but she still didn’t give any extra information. And she hasn’t asked much about me either. Like she doesn’t want to get too close.

Is that the case? And why the hell am I so eager to figure her out? Worse, why do I want to spill some of my secrets to her? I never want to do that with a girl. Light and easy, that’s the way I like to keep everything. My life is heavy enough. I’d rather focus on the positives.

Like getting a girl naked. Kissing her. Fucking her. Those are my goals.

Simple but I never said I was a complex guy.

He brought me back to the house, which I thought was weird considering he said he had a plan. But this doesn’t look like any sort of plan. This is Gabe bringing me home and dropping me off. End of date, end of story.

Did he not have a good time? I thought we were getting along pretty well despite my uptightness over eating too much junk food. The guy is like a beast, shoving food down his throat like no big deal and with the body of a sex god.

Life is so unfair.

Gabe doesn’t pull up in front of his house though. He pulls into the driveway of my supposed house, cutting the lights and glancing in my direction after he cuts the engine. “Can I come inside?” His deep voice is pitched even lower than usual and I try to contain the shiver that steals over me.

“Only if you promise not to fall asleep again in the hot tub,” I toss back at him, irritated at myself that I can’t let it go.