Fair Game (The Rules 1)

After being a guy who had zero interest in relationships or spending any extended time with a girl, it’s like I’ve done a complete one-eighty. The craziest thing? I’m okay with it.

She chews on her lower lip and I brush my thumb across the plump flesh, tugging a little. A silent order for her to stop. I hate it when she hurts herself. “What happened?”

I lean in to kiss her forehead, her cheek. “I’ll tell you about it on the drive home.” I say home on purpose because seriously, without her there, it doesn’t feel like one. A home. Craziest fucking thing ever but I’m rolling with it. Reveling in it. This girl, it’s like she belongs with me. To me. Not sure if she realizes it yet but I’m fairly convinced.

After doing a lot of thinking and worrying over the last few hours while waiting for Jade to get out of class, I believe I’ve come up with a solution to our summertime problem. Now I just need to get Jade on board.

That’s not going to be easy. I’m not sure how I’m going to approach her. And I really don’t want to talk about it tonight…

“So tell me what’s up,” she says as I pull away from the curb and head back to my place.

I let her know we’re closing the gambling house this weekend. How we’re having one last blowout event on Saturday night and then it’s dark until the fall semester resumes. She didn’t really seem to care all that much, not that I can blame her. She hates that place. Weird considering it’s how we met but the circumstances weren’t the best.

After all, I did win her in a bet. Something I don’t mention anymore.

“My mom called,” I drop nonchalantly as I turn onto my street.

“Oh?” she asks just as nonchalantly. I never talk about my family with her. And she really doesn’t talk about hers either, though I know it’s just her and her mom. Family has turned into one of those off the table subjects for us.

“They’re in Los Angeles for business this upcoming weekend and they’re stopping by here Saturday night.” I pause and slow down, turning into my short driveway and hitting the remote so the garage door opens. “They want to go to dinner.”

“How nice. Though won’t that interfere with your gambling plans?” she asks, with just a hint of snark.

I choose to ignore the snarkiness. “I was wondering if…you wanted to go with us. To dinner.”

She’s so eerily quiet. I pull into the garage and shut the engine off, turning to look at her to find her staring straight ahead, an impassive expression on her pretty face. And damn, she really does look pretty. No makeup, hair pulled back into a braid, little wisps of red floating around her face. Painfully gorgeous.

“Jade?” I urge when she still hasn’t said anything.

Slowly, she turns to face me. “You really want me to go to dinner with you and your parents?”

I shrug. “Yeah. I mean, I don’t necessarily want to subject you to them because let me tell you, they kind of suck. My dad’s a narcissistic asshole and Mom only cares about booze and shopping but she uh, made a special request.”

Jade frowns. “What do you mean?”

“She asked me to bring my new female friend.”

“And how did she know about me?” She’s frowning harder, which I thought was impossible.

“Tristan told his mom about us and so his mom told mine.” I smile, trying to make a joke. “We’re just keeping it in the family.”

There’s no smile, no reaction whatsoever from Jade. “This sounds…serious.”

I take her hand, slide my fingers between hers so they’re clasped. “It’s as serious as you want it to be.”

She squeezes my hand. “We haven’t known each other very long.”

“I know.”

“So dinner with the parental units already feels…serious.” She turns her head to look at me, her eyes wide, lips parted.

My heart is thumping so hard in my chest I swear it’s trying to burst free. “I’ve never introduced a girl to my parents,” I admit.

“Why not?” she whispers.

“I’ve never been with one long enough to warrant an introduction.” I lick my lips, hoping like hell I say this right. “I know we haven’t been seeing each other for very long, but for me, this is…something. And maybe it freaks you out to meet my parents, but I’d really like it if you came with me Saturday night. I want you there. By my side.”

She’s staring at me, her eyes still so wide. She presses her lips together, her expression unsure and for one horrific moment, I think she’s going to refuse me.

“I’ll go,” she finally murmurs, squeezing my hand again. “If it means that much to you to have me there.”

“It does. It means a lot to me, baby.” I lean in and kiss her again, like I can’t resist her, and the truth is, I can’t. I touch her cheek, drift my fingers across her soft skin and when she sighs, the softest, sweetest sound I’ve ever heard, I feel it right to the very depths of my soul.

That’s my cue to get her the fuck out of this car and into my bed, stat.

Tristan’s home but in his room and we sneak through the quiet, dark house, Jade giggling and trying to swat my hand away when I pinch her perfect ass. I put my hands on her hips, slowing her down and she leans into me with that perfect ass nestled close to my dick, making it stand at attention. She does this little wiggle move that has me gripping her hips too tightly and then she’s pulling away, practically running down the hall and slipping into my bedroom.