Exploring the Rules: The Dating Playbook, Book: 4

by Dietz, Mariah

  The anger in his blue eyes magnifies and expands as he remains still, too still—scary still.

  “What in the fuck are you talking about?” he asks, his voice menacing. “Forced himself? Who the fuck tried to force himself on you?”

  I shake my head. “I handled it. There’s nothing to talk about. It’s done.”

  “Not a chance,” Cooper says, stepping forward, his shoulders tight with anger. “What in the hell are you talking about?”

  I glance at Nessie, feeling this situation spiraling faster than I can stop it.

  She has both hands raised on top of her head, her eyes glassy. “You need to talk about it.”

  “I don’t because there’s nothing to talk about. This conversation is about him,” I point at Tyler, “accusing me of aiding and abetting a criminal. It has nothing to do with that.”

  “It has to do with you never telling me anything,” Tyler yells.

  My eyes snap to him. “I didn’t need you to save me. I don’t need saving. Whether it’s money or muscles or whatever, I don’t need it—I don’t want it. Don’t you understand?”

  “Did you know?” Cooper asks, drawing my attention as he looks at Nessie.

  She looks like a deer caught in the headlights, her loyalty to me cutting impossibly close to her affections for him.

  “Of course…” Cooper scoffs as he shakes his head, moving into the suite that now feels like a maze, surrounded by traps and unfriendly surprises as I move my attention back to Tyler, my anger is too strong to care about his.

  “Tell me what happened, or I swear to God…”

  “What?” I ask, challenging him though a voice in my head is tirelessly working to pull in the reins and tell me to calm down.

  He sneers. “You have an hour to tell me.”

  “Or what?”

  “I start going down the list of shitheads you’ve dated and fuck up all of their lives. And then I find out the name of every guy who so much as looked at you wrong and do the same.”

  I laugh, though I want to scream. I hate that he’s trying to flex his power. I hate it even more that I don’t doubt he would. “You’re such an asshole.” I spin toward the bedroom, hating another thing as I realize I don’t have my own space in this hotel.

  “You have one hour,” he says. His shoes clip against the floor, and then the elevator dings as it opens.

  Nessie is at my side before I even realize the tears are coating my face, chasing the previous ones in a rapid race to dampen my sweatshirt.

  “What just happened?” I ask her, feeling myself deflate now that Tyler stormed away.

  She wraps her arms around me, holding me so tight I can’t fall apart like I desperately feel I’m about to. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

  I pull in a ragged gasp, struggling to catch a breath as my throat tightens, and my eyes blur with endless tears. “I don’t want to tell him,” I admit. “I don’t even know why I said that. God, why did I say that?”

  Nessie runs one hand over my hair while the other stays tight behind my back. It’s a move that reminds me of our mom—of us. “Because it’s still in the back of your mind. Things like that don’t just go away, Chloe.”

  “How do I fix this?” I ask.

  She shakes her head, holding me tighter. “Sometimes you have to let all of the pieces fall before you worry about picking them up, and in this case, I’m pretty sure you need to let others help pick up this mess.”

  My nose burns as I sniff, trying to stop my tears. “I’d rather go back to forgetting it.”

  Nessie sniffs in response. “You didn’t forget. That’s the whole point. You don’t forget when someone hurts you, that becomes a part of you. This is a part of you.”

  I shake my head. “I don’t want it to be a part of me. Nothing happened.”

  “What would’ve happened if I hadn’t gotten home when I did? Do you really think you’d still be able to give that same excuse?”

  “But you did.”

  “Chloe.” She takes a step back, her hands fisting in her hair again. “I have nightmares about that afternoon, and I’ve tried talking to you, but you won’t. I can’t say I’m sorry Tyler’s forcing your hand. You need to talk about it.”

  I spin on my heel, slamming the bedroom door behind me.

  27

  Tyler

  I pace the living room, attempting to pull my shit together and stop allowing my anger to dictate my words or reactions. The problem is, every time I think about Avery insinuating Chloe was a protitute or someone touching her—non-consensual touching—anger radiates from every fiber of my being, and I want to yell and destroy everything in my path.

  It’s been seventy-two minutes since I stormed out of here with a demand and chased it with a threat in the same fucking manner my father used to. I called our lead lawyer to fire Avery, not giving a shit about being able to potentially charge him for embezzlement. Maybe Chloe’s right, and it was a mind game. Perhaps this was his objective all along, but I can’t force myself to give a single shit. I refuse to keep him employed and continue paying him and have our company associated with him when he crossed that line with her.

  I pull in a deep breath through my nose and hold it, my muscles still vibrating as I cross the suite and make it to our shared room. Chloe’s in bed with the lights off. She’s on the very edge with her back turned to where I’ll lie.

  I toe off my shoes and make quick work of brushing my teeth and changing into a pair of sweatpants because although I’ve been sleeping in the nude since Vegas, I’d feel like an even bigger arsehole than I already do if she woke up to my hard-on pressed into her back.

  I slide into bed, respecting her space as best as I can. “Chloe,” I say her name quietly, not certain if she’s asleep. In all fairness, she was exhausted before all of this shit, and it’s late, which I realized too late was one of the many contributing reasons I shouldn’t have acted as I did.

  “Can we please not have this discussion tonight?” she asks.

  I roll on my side so I’m facing her back. “I want to apologize,” I tell her, considering her reaction if I reach across and set my hand on her. I’m so fucking desperate to feel her, it seems my entire body is depending on it. “I’m sorry for all of it. I was so far out of line. I never should have treated you that way or yelled.”

  The sheets rustle as she shifts, but she doesn’t move any closer or turn to face me.

  “I’m shit at trusting people, and just as I accused you, I have a hell of a time letting people into my life because there always seems to be a price tag tied to it. Fuck, you should meet my parents.” I sigh. “They’re married and haven’t lived together in years. My dad has a girlfriend—fuck, probably more than one—and my mum doesn’t give a shit because she’s content living the life he can provide her with.”

  Chloe turns at this, rolling to face me. Even in the dimmed lighting from the open curtains, I can see her eyes are swollen and her cheeks tear-stained. The sight of her like this is a direct blow to my heart as I recognize that I caused that pain—albeit not single-handedly, but I certainly didn’t help lessen it.

  I move closer, careful to allow some space before I reach forward and brush the hair from her face and follow the paths of tears with my fingers. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I knew you were uncomfortable sitting next to Avery. I’d seen it at the poker game, and still, the second there was doubt, I dismissed everything and accused you of turning on me, using me, and that wasn’t fair. I should have known—I did know—it just took a few minutes for my fucking sense to catch up to my anger.”

  “I wasn’t trying to keep it from you as a secret. I just could tell there was animosity between you, and I didn’t want to make it worse. He probably knew exactly who I was. Everyone at the hotel did. He was using me to piss you off, and that just made me feel like a pawn, so I just removed myself from the board.”

  I shake my head. “No, when that shit happens, that’s when we remove him from the game. We make the rules. Not hi
m.”

  “We weren’t even together at that point,” she reminds me.

  I slip my arms around her, pulling her closer. “You may not have caught on to this yet, but you’ve been mine since freshman year. Delayed gratification, foreplay, call it whatever you will, but you were mine, and he knew it.”

  There’s a flash of warmth in her eyes as she sets a hand on my chest. It feels so fucking good to have her touching me I nearly sigh at the contact. “This summer, I dated a guy for a few weeks. We’d gone to high school together, and he’d never paid any attention to me, and then all of a sudden, this summer he noticed me. And he was…” She shakes her head, her gaze going unfocused.

  I place my hand over hers on my chest, hoping she can’t feel how fucking unsteady my heart is beating right now as I await her next words.

  “He was a mistake, and I knew that, but Nessie and Cooper were starting to hang out, and I was feeling ridiculously desperate for someone—anyone—to pay attention to me, and I realized my mistake fast. I mean, the guy doesn’t eat anything but ground beef and carrots because the only thing he cares about is working out. And one night, he brought a BB gun when he wanted to hang out and started shooting at pigeons and seagulls, and rather than being smart and ending things, I kept listening to my friends from high school telling me how lucky I was that he liked me because, in high school everyone liked him.” She spreads her fingers so that mine fall between hers, and then she runs her thumb across mine. “We were the worst match. He hated every time I planned anything, and he saw everything I did as being uptight and boring, and I saw everything he did as juvenile and gross.

  “He showed up one day while my parents were at work and Nessie was out, and to be honest, I wasn’t concerned, which almost scares me more, because I want to think I’ll know who I can trust and who I can’t. I invited him inside, offered him some pop, and suggested we watch a movie.” She bites the inside of her cheek as my teeth clench with a level of aggression that is foreign and unbridled as I paint a story in my head that involves my own personal brand of revenge for this fuckface.

  “It didn’t get very far. Nessie got home and heard me yelling for help.”

  My heart fucking stops, anger pulsing through me in waves.

  “And then I accused you of wanting me to take you and then fucking swam up to you in the pool without a stitch of clothes on like a total wanker.”

  She pulls her head back and rolls to sit up, her lips tipped toward the sky. “You were a cocky jerk, but you never tried to force yourself on me. There are entire galaxies that separate you and him, and not a single bit of that space has to do with your money. It’s about you wanting to help those less fortunate. It’s about watching you give up hanging out with us as we play and working toward your dream. It’s you knowing how I like my coffee and looking for us when we got lost in the desert. It’s for sending a car for me and having breakfast ordered for us every single morning. It’s for last year when my car was having trouble, and you came to get me to take me to class when Cooper couldn’t, and never expected anything in return. It’s for coming to Thanksgiving the past two years and never complaining about how bad our pies are.” She pauses to smile. “There’s nothing about you that is reflected in him, which is probably the only reason I wanted to like him because I’ve had a crush on you for so long, and I was trying so hard to get over it.”

  I sit up beside her, brushing my thumb across her cheek, and she leans into my touch. “I want to be the man you deserve.”

  “I feel the same way. I’m terrified that your world won’t accept me.”

  I shake my head. “We make the rules,” I remind her.

  She twists, landing a kiss on my outstretched palm. “I would never turn my back on you and try to screw you over. Even if we weren’t together, I wouldn’t do that. I know how much you mean to Cooper.”

  “I know.” I lean back into the pillow. “I know you wouldn’t, that was me; my insecurities and always expecting the worst.” I remain still, trying to stop the mental image of another guy touching Chloe, forcing himself on her. “Will you tell me his name?”

  Silence hangs in the air for several beats as I feel her lie down, the movement drawing my eyes open. She’s pensive, rubbing her lips together as she stares beyond me. “I don’t want vengeance. I want to just forget about it. I don’t even know why I brought it up. Nessie thinks I need to talk about it because it will help me get over it, but I don’t have anything to get over. I don’t want it to impact me. I want to move forward and never think about him or that day again.” Her nostrils flare as she slowly moves her gaze to meet mine. “Honestly, what bothers me most is the idea he’ll do it to someone else, and they might not have someone walk in to help them. That, and I really hate the idea of you thinking about it and it keeping you from wanting to touch me.”

  I skim my fingers over her shoulder and down her arm, settling my hand on the valley of her waist.

  She props her head on one hand, her elbow resting beside my shoulder. “I love when you lose control, and your hands are touching me with this level of desperation and need that makes me feel how badly you want me. I’m addicted to that feeling. I don’t want him to change that. I don’t want anything to change that.”

  “I would pay for the entire lawsuit,” I tell her. “To make you, and others, feel safe. I would find you the best lawyers and put the weight of my family’s name into this.”

  “I already know the laws. I looked them up because I didn’t want him to do it again, and Florida requires penetration for sexual assault crimes, and he didn’t make it that far. Nessie yelled, and it startled him, and then I kneed him in the balls.” She grins, but the bright glimmer that hits her eyes when she’s truly amused is missing. “I hate that I dropped this bomb on you, especially in the way that I did.” She hangs her head, and I recognize the shame that mars her features.

  I reach for her, hauling her across my body, the surprise making her green eyes flash to mine. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Chloe. Not then, not now. He didn’t take anything from us,” I tell her. “Nothing changes except it’s a reminder how hard I’m willing to work to ensure you’re never scared or hurt again.”

  She shakes her head. “It’s not your debt to pay.”

  I smooth a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s not a debt. Even if the fucker hadn’t done what he did, I’d still want that for you because you’re important to me and because I literally can’t seem to breathe when you’re hurt or there’s even a chance of you getting hurt. You carved out a space in my heart, and you did it without me even realizing.” I bring her hand to my chest, allowing her to feel the erratic beat of my heart. “That’s you,” I tell her. “That’s all you.”

  Her smile damn near blinds me, and then she’s kissing me, sweetly, gently. I savor the feel of her, the taste of her, the scent of her, allowing each detail of her to consume me completely.

  Chloe

  I wake up to discover Tyler’s still asleep.

  It’s only the second time I’ve been awake before him.

  I take advantage of the moment, staring at the hard planes of his cheeks and jaw, the roundness of his lips, the straight line of his nose. His hair is sexy and mussed and perfect, and his bare shoulders are broad, stacked with muscles that I’ve traced my lips and fingers across, and yet, I feel starved to explore every part of him again.

  The shower taunts me, having gone untouched since our arrival. I make a silent pact with myself to make sure we spend some time in there before leaving.

  I slip out from the covers and make my way to the living room in hopes of finding Cooper. We need to talk and resolve this stupid Ricky situation. Throughout our years of friendship, Cooper and I have only fought a handful of times, and never have I been on the receiving end of the look he shot me last night: disappointment and rage along with a heavy dose of betrayal.

  The living room is empty except for a note from Nessie that tells me they’ll meet us at the meteor shower ton
ight.

  I debate whether to text or call Cooper and if doing either would be pushing the boundaries considering he’s out with Nessie, who might feel obligated to choose sides or if doing so would ruin his mood and thus their day.

  “Rule one, you’re not allowed to get out of bed without kissing me.” Tyler saunters into the living room, dragging a hand down his still bare chest, allowing me to see every hard muscle. His sweatpants ride low on his hips, and his hair is still sexy and mussed.

  “You were sleeping,” I tell him as his hands hook around my waist. “I might have kissed you, and you didn’t even realize it.”

  He shakes his head. “I’d know because I’d have felt your lips,” he raises one hand to cup my chin, slowly running the pad of his thumb across my bottom lip, “and you have the sexiest, softest, most erotic lips.”

  I lick the tip of his thumb, then close my teeth around him, sucking him between my lips.

  Ty tips his head back, pulling in a long, slow breath. It’s his tell that he’s turned on, and it fuels me with so much confidence and desire that I forget about all the ways I’ve struggled to forget about Ricky’s words, realizing his assessment was never a reflection of me or my worth, but rather of himself.

  Tyler’s skin is still hot from being under the covers as I trace over his abs and continue sucking on his thumb. Fire burns in his blue eyes as he releases a harsh breath. “Are they still asleep?” He tilts his head in the direction of the bedrooms, keeping his focus on me.

  I lick his thumb a final time before freeing it. “They’re gone.”

  His eyes dilate, the thin veil of hesitation now ash as he claims my mouth, his tongue and lips forceful and demanding as his hands skirt beneath my shirt, gripping my waist. It takes my full attention to meet the challenge his mouth offers, but when his hands don’t continue to explore my body, I nip at his bottom lip and move them to cover my breast.