Exploring the Rules: The Dating Playbook, Book: 4

by Dietz, Mariah

  Cooper looks from her to me, his gaze a contradiction of Vanessa’s, who beams. “I told Coop you guys would get together before California. I have to admit I was getting a little worried.” She holds up two fingers with a hairsbreadth between them.

  “What?” Chloe asks.

  Vanessa nods, turning to look at Cooper for verification. “You guys have had chemistry forever. I knew this trip would make you guys either face it or kill each other.”

  “You didn’t say anything to me.”

  Vanessa shakes her head. “I knew if I did, you’d just fight it harder, and I had twenty bucks on the line.” She smiles. “We came up to find you guys because there’s a guy down there who was on one of those dancing shows. He’s so good.”

  My hold on Chloe slips free. “You should check it out,” I tell her, taking another look at the apprehension on Cooper’s face.

  She stands, making her way over to Vanessa and Coop, where she pauses and holds his forearm as she leans into his side and kisses his cheek. I can’t tell if it’s an apology or a request to be kind. Either way, it’s clear she also senses his unease. She looks back at me, a gentle smile that pleads with me and has my patience expanding.

  I nod once, watching her and Vanessa disappear back down to the dance floor.

  When I return my gaze, Coop’s looking at me, his forehead creased. “You know she’s my best friend, right? I mean, I’m in no position to tell you who to like, but Chloe’s not just some girl—she’s important to me. She’s…” His voice waivers before he clears his throat. “She’s family, and you’re like my brother, so I just need to be clear that if you’re interested, you’re serious because you can’t hurt her without hurting me.”

  I blow out a deep breath, knowing this is exactly what has kept me away from Chloe Robinson for the past two years. I assumed after New Orleans she would tell Coop what a bastard I was, and he’d confront me, and I’d send them to Washington on a plane and finish this trip solo—wanted to because I needed her to avoid me because I wouldn’t be strong enough to avoid her. “I know,” I tell him.

  “Just make sure you’re positive. Don’t get caught up in the fact we’re on this trip and staying in a hotel together. Be with her because you like her. Want her.”

  I nod. “You don’t have to worry,” I tell him. “I won’t fuck this up.”

  He nods, but his expression doesn’t change. “Good. Don’t because it would fuck up everything between us.”

  It’s a warning bell. Loud and clear.

  We walk to the lift. Vanessa and Chloe are laughing about the dancing they’d seen at the club, distracted as Cooper trails behind. He’s still tense and brooding over the news, but I have to give him credit. He’s trying to accept this change, and considering it’s been less than an hour, he’s doing one hell of a job.

  The queue is long, which has me turning to look for stairs, but before I can, Cooper clears his throat. “Give us a cool space fact, Chloe.”

  She grins. “Uranus was originally named Georgian.”

  “They should have stuck with Georgian because everyone but space geeks pronounce it your-anus, including our third grade teacher,” Vanessa says.

  Chloe laughs. “When William Herschel discovered it, he named it after King George III, and the French—and the rest of the world—weren’t fond of this, so Johann Elert Bode, a German astronomer renamed it Uranus after the Ancient Greek god of the sky.”

  “That’s actually kind of a cool way to get named,” Cooper says. “Named after a god.”

  Chloe nods. “Uranus was the deity of the Heavens, the earliest supreme god. Actually, all of the planets in our solar system were named after Greek and Roman gods and goddesses—all except Earth.”

  Cooper laughs. “What was Earth named after?”

  Chloe shakes her head. “We don’t know. The name derives from both English and German words that mean ground.”

  “Ground?” Coop asks. “That’s not nearly as cool as deity of the heavens.”

  Vanessa rubs her hands together, glancing at the queue that has barely moved. “Okay. Give us something else that will help us win a game of trivia.”

  “Scientists have confirmed more than four thousand exoplanets and are still waiting to confirm another thousand.”

  Vanessa shakes her head. “When you start talking about exoplanets, it feels like a vise is squeezing my head, reminding me how little I know.”

  Chloe scoffs. “That’s the whole point of science. We learn we know nothing.”

  Vanessa laughs. “Then I’m a great scientist.”

  I shake my head. “What’s an exoplanet?”

  Chloe licks her lips, her smile growing as her gaze dips to my pocket where her underwear are. I know it’s the second drink she and Vanessa drank too fast that has her eyes coming back to my mouth. “Worlds outside of our solar system that orbit other stars,” she says like she’s telling me the time.

  Vanessa belts out a laugh, startling the lady in front of us. “Drunk Chloe is smarter than sober Chloe,” she says. “It’s scary.”

  Chloe chuckles, shaking her head. “But think about it. It’s pretty cool and mind-blowing to consider there are another four thousand plus planets out there, most of them within our galaxy.”

  “My grandma still insists Pluto’s a planet,” Coop says.

  Chloe smiles affectionately. “Information is constantly changing. Plus, it’s hard for people to understand that our solar system is a very tiny fraction of the Milky Way Galaxy. We’re tiny in comparison to the vast expanse of our galaxy. Understanding the distance and vast implications can be really difficult for some.”

  Vanessa nods. “Me included.”

  Chloe flashes a quick smile and shakes her head.

  “Are we sure tomorrow’s our last day here?” Vanessa asks, turning to look around.

  “I’m excited for San Diego,” Cooper says. “I’ve only been once, and it was for our bowl game last year, and I was so hungover the next day I only saw the hotel bathroom.”

  I grin, recalling the sorry shape I’d found him in.

  “I could be a professional traveler. How do I propose this idea to the Travel Channel?” Vanessa asks, turning to Chloe. “Maybe we can sell this to them if we come as a pair?”

  “We would have been fired in Arizona,” Chloe says, laughing.

  “No. Because we would have had a tour guide.” Vanessa takes Cooper’s hand as we step into the elevator and take it to the ground floor that leads to the street.

  Chloe considers this. “They probably would have known way more about snakes and spiders, too.”

  Vanessa nods. “Definitely.”

  Ahead of us, two guys are stopped, their gazes predatory as they stare too long at Chloe and Vanessa, making every muscle in my shoulders tense. Chloe seems to notice them as well, slowing to walk by my side. I wrap my arm around her waist, and my annoyance with these wankers is fully eclipsed at the reality of this moment and how easy and right everything feels.

  Once back at the hotel, Chloe stops to get some water while Vanessa and Cooper head upstairs to get ready for bed.

  I lean against the counter, watching her bottom lip wrap around the bottle, the movement of her throat. It’s all so simple, and yet I can’t stop staring because I’ve worked to ignore these details for so long.

  “You aren’t really keeping my underwear, are you?”

  I push away from the counter, closing the distance between us. “I intend to save an entire collection.”

  “Remind me not to wear any cute ones.”

  I chuckle, pulling her against me, her quick gasp of surprise falling against my lips. “Stay with me.” I know Vanessa’s been staying in Cooper’s room since Arizona.

  Her green eyes shift between mine, a warmth radiating in my chest that has me rubbing small circles over her hips with my thumbs. “Let’s give Coop a little time to adjust. He gave me the courtesy. I feel like it’s important to return it.”

  She’s right. I
know she’s right, and still, I want to fight her on it. “It’s probably better. I have to be up in a few hours, so I’d wake you up.”

  Her eyebrows jump. “A few hours?” Her gaze drops back to my mouth. “We should have come back sooner. You’re going to be exhausted tomorrow.”

  I bury my face in her hair and breathe her in. “We should have tried being nice to each other a long time ago. We’re good at this.”

  She tips her head back and rolls her eyes. I have to hide my smile. “For the record, I was always nice to you.”

  “You wouldn’t have voiced concern about me not getting enough sleep before,” I tease.

  “Only because you would have insisted it meant something.”

  My smile can’t be concealed. “But it would’ve. Isn’t that what you said? Freshman year?”

  Her gaze turns fiery, her lips twisting with a challenge, but before she can respond, I kiss her. Her lips are still parted and firm, assuring me I caught her off guard, but it only takes her a second to catch up, her arms winding around the back of my neck as her body molds to mine. What begins as an intense warring of tongues and wills slows with her back against the refrigerator, our lips languid as we taste each other and memorize each other’s breaths and warmth.

  I kiss her again, softly, sweetly, noting the way the edges of her lips curl with a grin before she opens her eyes.

  When we hit her bedroom door, I consider following her inside. I already broke the rule of sleeping with a woman in my bed with her a few nights ago, so it seems like a rudimentary concern at this point. Still, there’s a conflict in my chest that is nearly impossible to silence—exchanges between my parents and advice given from my father and grandad and dozens of unsolicited requests about how you can’t move too fast, give too much, or expect a lot because each will lead to disappointment and all are inevitable.

  Chloe reaches for me, smoothing a crease in my forehead with her finger. Her brows are cinched, and for a second, I recognize the expression, have seen it a thousand times when she and Vanessa look at each other, only with them it’s as though they can each tune in to the same wavelength and understand each other’s thoughts. It can be eerie and strange as shit when the two don’t say a word and suddenly burst into laughter. Still, I know she’s checking in with me, recognizing the change in my demeanor and mood.

  Fucking expectations.

  Fucking rules.

  I nod and then bend to kiss her. “Have a good night.”

  She smiles. “You too.”

  I turn, heading the rest of the way to my room. Inside, I flip on the lights, feeling restless and agitated. I consider forgoing sleep altogether and heading up to the gym to workout. This trip has sent my work outs into overdrive as regret and vulnerability tread a close line that constantly leaves me off-kilter. Instead, I sit at the table in my room and turn on my laptop, opening all the spreadsheets I need to be going over for tomorrow.

  An hour later, a knock at my door has me crossing the room, my chest betraying my mind. On the other side is Chloe, her lips set in a slash. Her hair is wet, and she’s wearing a pair of shorts and a red Brighton T-shirt. “This was in my purse,” she says, handing me an envelope.

  I stare at it but don’t touch it. “It’s yours.”

  “I don’t want it.” She shoves it against my chest.

  “Why not?”

  “Because it makes me feel like a whore.”

  “It’s your winnings.”

  “That I won with your money.”

  “So?”

  “I told you I didn’t want it.” She begins to turn around, and I tag her waist, all of the fears and advice that had rained down on me a mere hour ago gone as I stare at the anger and hurt swirling in her green eyes. I toss the money onto the nearby couch so I can place both hands on her.

  “That’s fair. I overstepped, and I’m sorry.”

  Her body relaxes under my touch, but her eyes remain hard as she glances back at the money spilling out of the envelope.

  “I have a balcony and an entire wall of windows you can stargaze at.”

  Her eyes shift to me and then over my shoulder, looking at the room.

  “I’m going to take a shower, and if you’re up for it, I’d like you to stay tonight. Just be here with me.”

  She meets my gaze. “You’ll wake me up when you get up so I can go back to my room?”

  “If you want me to.”

  She nods.

  I press a kiss to her temple. “I’ll be right out.”

  Under the hot spray of the shower, my thoughts clear as the memory of Chloe gripping the rail and standing in front of me replays in my mind. The glint of excitement, the way she bit her bottom lip with anticipation as her eyes had darkened and desire guided her. God, she was fucking beautiful—perfect. I shudder, my cock strained and desperate for her again. I turn the water to cold.

  She was a virgin.

  Regardless of how big of a deal this feels to me, I know it’s an even bigger deal to her.

  I dry off before wrapping the plush towel around my waist, finding Chloe in a chair she moved beside the window. I grab a pair of underwear and drop my towel, pulling them on as I ask, “What made you decide to study astronomy?”

  She turns, her gaze crossing over my torso and the rest of my body. She swallows. I would high five myself if she weren’t here to witness it, relieved I affect her in the same fucking manner she does me each time I see her. “I’ve always been mesmerized by the sky—the moon, the sun, the stars, how our planet can provide so many things for us…” She shakes her head. “I’ve always been kind of a geek for it, and when I was thirteen, my grandparents sent me to space camp as my Christmas present, and I was hooked. I always thought I wanted to be an astronaut before that, but then I learned about the complexity of space and astronomy and how many big questions are linked to it and how many things we’ve learned from space that have bettered our lives, and it kind of snowballed for me.”

  I move to stand behind her. “Your geek side is fucking hot,” I tell her.

  She laughs, her cheeks tinting pink. “Speaking of sides, I didn’t know which side of the bed you prefer…”

  I’ve never had sides. “Sleep wherever you want,” I tell her.

  She unfolds her legs and stands. I focus on remembering the icy cold water of my shower, trying to calm myself down so I don’t reach for her and slip off her shorts and tee to have her naked and at my mercy within seconds. I fight the idea of her on her back, legs spread, and bared to me as I drive her to climax again. Two years of temptation and lust have been built, and now that the dam has been broken, it seems impossible to contain.

  Her thigh brushes against my fingertips as she passes me, leaving the fresh scent of citrus and floral as she moves to the bed.

  I grab the remote from the nightstand and close the shades and turn off the lights, loving the sight of her in my bed. “Can I ask you a personal question?” I ask, reaching for her as I slip beneath the sheet.

  “Why was I still a virgin?” she asks.

  “I saw you make out with Lincoln Beckett freshman year, and I’m not shaming you, I just … you caught me by surprise.”

  “I prefer to pretend that night never happened.”

  Thank-fucking-God. “Why?”

  “Because I saw your hand up some chick’s skirt, and it made me so jealous, I nearly cashed in my V-card that night.”

  Guilt binds around my lungs, making it difficult to think as I work to recall further details of that night, but try as I might, the only thing I remember is hating my teammate and Chloe for kissing him. “I’ve done a lot of things I regret.”

  She shakes her head. “Regret is wasted energy, and some of the most beautiful and amazing things come from mistakes.”

  “So you didn’t sleep with anyone that night?”

  “I almost did … but it just didn’t feel right.” She sighs. “I don’t know how to explain it. I never wanted the moment to be planned or to have it be a big pr
oduction because it seemed that would make it all feel orchestrated, and the entire carnal desire and lust and everything would be a calculation—a plan—and I feel like my entire life is filled with calculations and rules and plans. This was one thing I just didn’t want to make rules for. And then there was this incident where I suggested to someone I was dating that we do something in the back of his truck when we were out camping with some friends, and his reaction made me feel so dirty, like there was something wrong with me.”

  Her words create a puzzle that seems comprised of different pieces, all evoking distinctive emotions: jealously, relief, intrigue, confusion, and so much desire I can barely think past the haze of lust that’s settled across me like a fucking fog. “What a fucking idiot.” I slip my hand under her shirt and grip the soft skin of her hip. I want to taste her again, feel her against me, see her fully exposed, but I have little doubt she’s sore, so instead, I pull her closer, evoking another giggle from her as she turns so her back is to my front. I nuzzle against her bare neck, trying to understand how this can feel so utterly perfect when nothing about it is anything I’ve ever wanted.

  19

  Tyler

  I button my suit jacket and straighten my tie.

  Most say I look like my dad, but my hair is from my mum, and my height is from her side as well. I was taller than both my dad and grandad by the time I was fifteen. As I stare at myself in the mirror, I contemplate how much of them is in me that can’t be reflected.

  I release a sigh, flipping off the lights before I open the door so I don’t wake Chloe.

  She’s stretched across the mattress, arms and legs extended like da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. The sheet’s tangled around her right leg, her hair a maze around her face. She’s fucking gorgeous.

  I contemplate leaving her and messaging Cooper with some excuse. After all, it’s not like we did anything here in my room. I could leave the door open so if one of them came by, they’d see her fully dressed.