She bursts out laughing, and it’s my favorite sound.
I bury my head in her neck, kissing her, tickling her, making her laugh more.
“Okay, focus. This is a very serious conversation,” I say, drawing back to meet her eyes again. “Once is such a low number—”
“Trey, we can’t—”
“Wecan, actually. And I think a roommates-with-benefits situation is called for here.”
“That isn’t a thing,” she says, arching an eyebrow, trailing her fingers up my arm. “It’s ‘friends with benefits.’”
“Call it whatever the hell you want, but sign me up, baby.” I tug a strand of her hair.
She laughs softly, and I see her eyes softening as she considers. After a beat, she says, “There would need to be rules.”
Yes.
“Great, I love rules. We can add them to our list.”
“I’m serious, Trey,” she scolds, knowing I, in fact, do not like, nor follow, most rules.
I nod, assuring her I’m focused, taking these new rules seriously. Or I’ll try, anyway. My dick is already getting hard just thinking about having Jessie again.
“Expiration date. When you leave for the summer, this is over. It never happened.”
“Got it.” I nod. I don’t got it, but I have time to change her mind. I start tracing the outline of her face, down her temple to her jawline.
“No PDA.”
I freeze, my brows crinkle. I don’t like that rule either. I like touching Jessie, and now that I canreallytouch her, I’ll struggle not to. “I object.”
“Overruled,” she clips, swatting my hand away. I grab her hand, pinning it to the bed above her head.
Who died and made her judge, jury, and executioner?
“And finally,” she says breathlessly as I start trailing my tongue between her breasts, ready for round two. “The biggest rule . . . no falling in love.”
I look up, giving her my best playboy grin. “No issue there. I’m like the tin man in theWizard of Oz. Can’t fall in love if you don’t have a heart.”
Except I’m not sure who I’m trying to convince more—her or myself.
Chapter 23
Jessie
Dusk settles on the Diamond Hart Ranch as we pull up to the main house for family dinner.
I start up the stairs with Trey on my heels. As I near the top, he pinches my ass.
An involuntary yelp escapes my lips. I turn to smack him on the shoulder. “Rule number nine!” I hiss as I continue to walk backwards.
He smirks. “No one can see us.”
I mumble insults under my breath, attempting to pinch him or pull his hair as we round the corner of the wrap-around porch.
Trey fights back, tickling my ribs with one hand while the other swats at my advances. We’re both smiling and laughing as our fight continues until I almost fall backwards over a chair, and he reaches out to catch me, bringing the world around me back into focus—the world where Kacey stands by the screen door, watching us carefully. Cody has turned from the grill, andCarson and Chet have paused their conversation in favor of watching our flirty fight.
Shit.
